A podcast by Franchise Today

Franchise Today

Welcome to Franchise Today as it celebrates its 16th Season in 2025. Join host Stan Friedman, President of FRM Solutions every Wednesday at 12 PM ET / 11 AM CT as he serves up discussions with weekly guests, who will talk about best practices for scaling their franchise businesses for sustainable growth, through sensible franchising.

Franchising remains an unintentional profession. Most people don't go to school to study about how to become involved in franchising. Rather, some life event causes it to find us. Each episode of the podcast begins with a look back at how franchising found that week's guest.

This is followed by a walk through the milestones of their journey and career, up to and including the present day. My guests could be franchisors, franchisees or suppliers, who provide insights into high-level support services or top-quality products to better enable the franchise community. Each podcast will wrap with a look ahead to upcoming industry events, upcoming guests or important dates on the horizon.

Recent episodes.

See all 20 episodes →
Scaling Impact, Not Just Units: Adam Sutton's Franchise Playbook
32m · Jun 10, 2026

Scaling Impact, Not Just Units: Adam Sutton's Franchise Playbook

Ask Adam Sutton, “what matters more, your number ofunits or the numbers that your units produce?&quo…

The End of Generic Franchising: Joe Malmuth on AI, Differentiation and Survival
33m · Jun 3, 2026

The End of Generic Franchising: Joe Malmuth on AI, Differentiation and Survival

What if the greatest threat to your franchise concept isn't competition...but irrelevance? In P…

Franchise Rebellion: Batteries Plus CDO Joe Malmuth on AI, Innovation, and the Future of Franchise Growth
37m · May 20, 2026

Franchise Rebellion: Batteries Plus CDO Joe Malmuth on AI, Innovation, and the Future of Franchise Growth

What happens when franchising keeps using playbooks written for a completely different generation? …

How Outreach Genius Uses AI to Unlock Hidden Franchise Revenue
39m · May 13, 2026

How Outreach Genius Uses AI to Unlock Hidden Franchise Revenue

What if your franchise system is already sitting on millions of dollars in hidden revenue… and you j…

Scaling Smart: Nick Vojnovic on Growth, Simplicity, and Little Greek Fresh Grill
37m · May 6, 2026

Scaling Smart: Nick Vojnovic on Growth, Simplicity, and Little Greek Fresh Grill

What does it really take to build a franchise brand that scales? In this episode of Franchise Toda…

From McKinsey to Franchising: Jeff Helfgott on Building Profitable, People-First Franchise Systems
31m · Apr 29, 2026

From McKinsey to Franchising: Jeff Helfgott on Building Profitable, People-First Franchise Systems

In this episode of Franchise Today , Stan Friedman sits down with Jeff Helfgott, CEO of Boardroom S…

Matt Friedman: Scaling Wing Zone from College Kitchen to National Franchise Brand
30m · Apr 22, 2026

Matt Friedman: Scaling Wing Zone from College Kitchen to National Franchise Brand

What does it take to build a franchise brand from scratch—and what does it feel like to be part of t…

No Shortcuts: Michael Haith on Building Teriyaki Madness the Right Way
27m · Apr 15, 2026

No Shortcuts: Michael Haith on Building Teriyaki Madness the Right Way

What does it really take to scale a franchise system without losing control? In this episode of Fra…

From Burger King to Woof Gang: Ricardo Azevedo on Building a 300+-Unit Pet Franchise
35m · Apr 8, 2026

From Burger King to Woof Gang: Ricardo Azevedo on Building a 300+-Unit Pet Franchise

The pet services industry continues to experience strong growth, driven by consumers who increasingl…