Under the Hood at Entrepreneur's Franchise 500, Or: What I Learned, Interviewing Jason Feifer, Editor in Chief

This week, my interview with Jason Feifer was quite a fascinating conversation.  It was one that afforded me the opportunity to learn more about Jason's career, as well as some little known history of the Shea Family's ownership of Entrepreneur. It was also during this portion of our discussion that I was saddened to learn of the recent passing of Peter Shea, who bought the Magazine out of bankruptcy some 40 years ago.  Peter Shea was a legendary icon in the world's of publishing and franchising.  Thankfully, the apple didn't fall far from the tree, as his son Ryan has taken over the reins and continues to grow the enterprise. 

I learned a great deal about the magazine's history talking with Jason, particularly about the 45th Anniversary of The Franchise 500, coming up on January 16th.  The Entrepreneur Franchise 500 ranking is a meticulously crafted list that uses a proprietary algorithm and a comprehensive data analysis process managed by Tracy Stapp-Herold to evaluate franchising brands. By assessing more than 150 specific data points, including factors like growth rate, company size, training, support provided to franchisees, brand strength, and social media presence, the ranking aims to identify the most robust and promising franchises in the market. The ranking takes into account the unique dynamics of the franchising industry, with particular attention given to the expansion of new franchises and the evolving trends in the post-COVID era. It underscores the necessity of examining each franchise on an individual basis to ensure an accurate and fair assessment. 

Back in the day, I remember anticipating the January issue of Entrepreneur hitting the newsstands, to see how we fared at Wing Zone.  That was some 20 years ago.  Perhaps a year or two from now, my current partners and I will get to relive that type of excitement again, as our latest enterprise, ZorForum takes off and grows.  Can't wait!