Advertise on podcast: RevOps Champions

In this episode of the RevOps Champions Podcast, host Brendon Dennewill sits down with Matthew Kunz, President and CEO of Fastest Labs, a growing franchise brand in drug, alcohol, and DNA testing services. With nearly three decades in franchising, from his start as a Sylvan Learning franchisee to leadership roles at Mr. Rooter Plumbing and Five Star Painting, Matt brings an engineer's discipline for repeatable systems and a hard-won appreciation for the human side of franchise growth. Matt shares why franchisee support must balance data with emotion, how a "quality communication" standard creates accountability without eroding trust, and the phases-of-development model that aligns specialized franchise business coaches to each stage of an owner's growth, extending coach tenure from two or three years to five or six. He also explains why franchisee profitability matters more than AUV, the survey question that reveals system health, and the first thing emerging franchisors should evaluate when growth outpaces their processes. Franchise executives, operations leaders, and emerging franchisors will walk away with practical frameworks for scaling support, leading change, and building a system where owners succeed. What You'll Learn Why franchise support must balance data and emotionHow a coaching model by growth phase reduces FBC burnoutThe franchisee-to-coach ratio that keeps support effectiveWhy franchisee profitability outranks AUV as a health signalHow to lead franchisees through software and system changesWhat to secure first when growth outpaces your processesWhen to use one-to-one versus one-to-many communicationResources Mentioned Franchise Business Review (FBR)International Franchise Association (IFA) Franchise Advisory Council (FAC) Amazon Web Services (AWS)Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see:  Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's Connect Subscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

In this episode of the RevOps Champions Podcast, host Brendon Dennewill sits down with Robert Thesing, founder of Vertify Partners, a growth advisory firm for franchise brands. With more than 20 years across franchising, real estate, and multi-unit businesses, Robert has worked as a franchisor, a franchisee, and a supplier, and he explains why those seats share far more common goals than most people assume. Robert and Brendon explore why technology cannot fix misaligned people and processes, and why so many emerging brands stall when every decision runs through the founder. Robert shares the thinking behind the Vertify Operating System, a franchise-specific framework built on shared cadence, clear KPIs, and disciplined goal-setting. He also explains where popular off-the-shelf operating systems fall short once your first customer becomes an independent franchise owner. Stories from Nordstrom, Cody Sanchez, and Tom Brady reinforce a simple lesson: good decisions come from empowered teams. Franchise founders, emerging franchisors, operations leaders, and RevOps professionals will walk away with a clearer blueprint for building a franchise organization ready to scale. What You'll Learn Why people and process must come before revenue technologyHow founder-centered decision-making stalls emerging franchise brandsA layered, data-first approach to what leaders should monitorWhy franchise organizations need a franchise-specific operating systemHow to give field teams decision boundaries that speed executionWhy reviewing how a goal was set matters more than missing itThe question that reveals every team's most important customerResources Mentioned Vertify PartnersInternational Franchise AssociationFaegre Drinker - Franchise Summit Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see:  Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's Connect Subscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

In this episode of the RevOps Champions Podcast, host Brendon Dennewill sits down with Kristen Kelly, Managing Director and Agency CFO at Parakeeto, to unpack why so many growing service businesses can't translate revenue growth into healthy margins. Kristen introduces the "cycle of insolvency," the pattern where hiring to handle new work quietly erodes profitability and pulls leadership's attention away from sales, and explains why a standard P&L often hides the real cause. Kristen walks through Parakeeto's Three Immutable Laws of Profitability -  delivery margin, average billable rate, and utilization - using real project examples to show how agency owners routinely misjudge which of their own offerings is actually most profitable. She and Brendon also dig into where AI creates genuine leverage in service delivery, and why structured playbooks, not the tools themselves, are the real long-term asset. RevOps leaders, agency owners, franchise operators, and finance-minded executives will come away with a concrete framework for diagnosing margin problems before they show up on next month's P&L. What You'll Learn Why revenue growth doesn't guarantee healthy marginsHow to diagnose delivery margin using AGI and delivery costsThe three levers that control service-business profitabilityWhy utilization should never be used as a management stickHow to price by value generated instead of hours billedWhat a business needs in place before deploying AI effectivelyWhy backward-looking P&L data isn't enough for real decision-makingResources Mentioned Parakeeto Profit First by Mike MichalowiczDenamico Franchise Growth PlaybookIs your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see:  Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's Connect Subscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

Kris Stuart spent twelve years as a firefighter and paramedic before taking Bloomin' Blinds from a family business to more than 65 franchise locations, and he leads both the same way. In this conversation with Brendon Dennewill, Kris unpacks why "proven systems" are really just a snapshot in time, how a decision-making framework built for high-stakes emergencies now runs his home office, and why he treats every franchisee relationship like a family handing over something irreplaceable. For franchisors navigating real growth, this is a grounded look at leading with obligation instead of control. What You'll Learn Why "proven systems" are just a snapshot in timeA decision-making framework borrowed from emergency responseWhat actually changes between 10, 30, and 65 unitsWhy obligation matters more than ownershipThe hidden advantage of single-unit franchiseesA firefighter's filter for prioritizing decisionsThe leadership philosophy behind "go-giver" thinkingWhy growing too fast needs an e-brakeResources Mentioned International Franchise Association"The Go-Giver" by Bob Burg and John David MannFranchise Summit Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see:  Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's Connect Subscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

In this episode of RevOps Champions, host Brendon Dennewill explores the breaking points that emerge as franchise brands move from early growth into true scale. After asking nearly every guest over the past 18 months where franchise systems begin to buckle, Brendon uncovers a striking pattern: growth itself isn't the problem, the failure to evolve alongside growth is. From emerging brands struggling in the 30 to 40 unit range to the much larger challenge of reaching 100+ open locations, franchise leaders and industry experts share what actually breaks first, and what successful brands do differently. Ultimately, the episode delivers one powerful takeaway: the brands that survive scale are the ones that take people, process, and data as seriously as they take growth. Technology can accelerate that foundation, but sustainable franchise growth requires the right systems, the right leadership, and a strong partnership with franchisees. What You'll Learn The exact unit count where systems start to breakWhy "what got you here" won't get you furtherThe most valuable asset franchisors consistently undervalueThe hidden expense buried in every P&L lineWhy AI can't fix a process that was never AI's problemThe two board-level questions every AI spend should answerWhat "growing fat before tall" actually meansResources Mentioned What Got You Here Won't Get You There by Marshall Goldsmith FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document) Franchisee/FBC Support Ratios Brand Development Council model Royalty Self-Sufficiency BenchmarkFeatured Guests: John Francis, Franchise Expert, Next Level Franchise IncBrady Carlsen, COO, The Back Nine GolfApril Porter, Founder @ Secretsos™ Scott Thompson, CEO, Your Future FranchiseBrian Schnell, Partner and Chair of Franchise Practice, Faegre Drinker Aicha Bascaro, Founder & CEO, American Franchise Academy Michael Iannuzzi, Partner - Franchise Practice Leader, Citrin Cooperman Ingrid Schneider, Founder, Stay in Your Lane + Train in Your Lane Max Emma, CEO & Chief Bookkeeping Officer, BooXkeeping Corp.Keith Gerson , President & CEO, Gerson Advisory ServicesNick Powills, CEO & Managing Partner, MainlandDoug Imholte, Franchise Programs Group-Practice Leader, Marsh McLennan AgencyLuke Carlson, CEO, Discover Strength Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see:  Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's Connect Subscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

In this episode of the RevOps Champions Podcast, host Brendon Dennewill talks with Brittany Anderson, entrepreneur, business strategist, and co-founder of AlignPS, about why growth stalls are rarely a technology problem. Brittany helped scale a financial planning firm through years of expansion before its 2024 acquisition, and she argues that companies hit "ceilings of complexity" when leadership, communication, and structure stop keeping pace with the business itself, a theme she now helps founders and leadership teams work through every day. Brittany shares the early warning signs of a misaligned team, the risk of leaders who stay in a role too long, and why matching people to their true strengths matters more than promoting whoever performed best last quarter. She also connects these ideas to today's biggest leadership test: adopting AI with intention and empathy instead of fear. RevOps leaders, founders, executives, and franchise leadership teams navigating a growth transition will find a practical lens here for diagnosing whether their next bottleneck is really about people, not process or platform. What You'll Learn Why growth stalls even with great products and strong demandThe "ceilings of complexity" that trip up every fast-growing businessHow to spot early warning signs of leadership misalignmentWhy staying in a role too long turns leaders into bottlenecksHow to match people to their true strengths, not just their titlesWhat "Who Not How" looks like inside a scaling organizationWhy leading through AI adoption starts with intention, not fearResources Mentioned AlignPSThe TrailblazeHers "Who Not How" by Dan SullivanStrategic Coach: Business Coaching For EntrepreneursGenius Network® | Joe Polish's Elite Entrepreneur NetworkIs your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see:  Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's Connect Subscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

Peter Caputa, CEO of Databox and the architect behind HubSpot's legendary partner ecosystem, returns to unpack why having more data has not made decision-making any easier, and what it actually takes to close that gap.  Brendon and Pete dig into the four pillars of revenue operations, why franchise systems are uniquely positioned to win with AI, and how the most forward-thinking organizations are moving from dashboards to autonomous, self-correcting business systems.  If you're a RevOps leader, franchise executive, or operator trying to turn data into a competitive advantage, this episode reframes what's now possible. What You'll Learn Why more data doesn't automatically mean better decisionsThe four pillars of RevOps: people, process, data, technologyWhat anomaly detection can do for multi-location brandsHow to daisy-chain processes into a scalable systemThe franchise visibility gap and how to close itWriting down processes before automating themWhy AI makes this a bigger shift than the internetResources Mentioned Databox"The Cold Start Problem" — Andrew Chen Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see:  Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's Connect Subscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

April Porter, attorney-turned-multi-unit franchise owner and Founder of Secret Sauce and FranchiseVault.ai, reveals why most franchise systems don't have a technology problem, they have a leadership problem. She unpacks the psychological programming that keeps 81% of franchisees stuck at a single unit, the ethics gap she's calling out inside franchisor advisory councils, and why rushing AI adoption before fixing people and processes only accelerates the chaos already in your business. What You'll Learn Why 81% of franchisees never scale past one unitThe psychological programming blocking business owner mindsetWhat "franchise intelligence gap" really meansWhy AI adoption without process just amplifies chaosThe vacation test that reveals if you're AI-readyWhy founders' egos quietly kill franchise brandsHow to spot misaligned incentives in franchise salesThe one thing franchisors should admit they don't provideResources Mentioned Secretsos™ FranchiseVault.ai IFA (International Franchise Association) FAC (Franchise Advisory Council) FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document)Ask April Porter Chick-fil-A's operator model  Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see:  Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's Connect Subscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

Keith Gerson, CFE, Founder and CEO of Gerson Advisory Services and former President of FranConnect, has advised over 1,500 franchise brands across 50+ years. He joins Brendon Dennewill to unpack why royalty architecture, franchisee coaching, and FDD analysis matter more than dashboards, and why the most profitable franchisees are often the most frustrated ones. A candid look at what actually separates franchise systems that scale from those that stall.  What You'll Learn Why unit-level profitability predicts franchise successThe FDD's hidden competitive intelligence goldmineRoyalty structures that reward growth, not punish itWhy your best franchisees may be the unhappiestThe real difference between coaching and inspectingInflection points every scaling franchise system hitsWhere AI actually earns its keep in franchisingWhy dashboards rarely change franchisee behavior  Resources Mentioned Gerson Advisory Services FranConnect  Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Competitive Analysis & Strategy Reports Franchise Sales Index Report  Mrs. Fields Cookies "Singing, Selling, and Sampling" hiring framework  Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see:  Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's Connect Subscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

Doug Imholte, Franchise Programs Practice Leader at Marsh McLennan Agency and a former franchisee turned trusted advisor, unpacks why so many franchise brands stall between 30 and 40 units, and it's rarely the concept that's broken. From misaligned franchisor-franchisee KPIs to the overlooked link between risk management and growth, Doug reveals what separates brands that scale responsibly from those that just scale fast. If you're building revenue systems for a franchise network, this conversation on unit economics, brand standards, and total cost of risk will change how you think about your next growth stage. What You'll Learn Why growth alone isn't the answerThe real reason brands stall at 40 unitsHow franchisor and franchisee KPIs conflictWhat "total cost of risk" actually meansWhy cheap insurance costs more laterThe four pillars behind scalable systemsHow to keep culture intact through growthWhy brand standards make or break trustResources Mentioned Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Franchisors Errors & Omissions Coverage Total Cost of Risk (TCOR)  Ready, Fire, Aim Leadership Philosophy  HubSpot Royalty Self-Sufficiency Benchmark Franchise Update Media IFA Franchise Summit Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see:  Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's Connect Subscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

Every franchise brand hits a point where the playbook that got them to 100 locations quietly stops working, and most leaders don't see it coming. Kristin Dennewill of Denamico joins Brendon to unpack the four hidden stall points (visibility, attribution, intelligence, and development) that quietly cap franchise growth, and why the fix isn't another tool, but a rebuilt revenue operating system. She shares real numbers from clients running 800+ locations, and what changes when franchise data finally lives in one place. What You'll Learn Why growth playbooks expire at scaleThe four hidden franchise stall pointsLeading vs. lagging indicators, explainedWhat "franchise performance intelligence" really meansWhy RevOps is a system, not a projectWhere CEOs, CMOs, and COOs feel the gap differentlyReal hour-savings from a single source of truthHow AI will predict franchisee success Resources Mentioned Denamico Franchise Growth PlaybookHubSpotRevOps Champions PodcastIs your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see:  Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's Connect Subscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

Bryan Byler, revenue operations leader at 4CAST GTM and former CRO/COO at Aptitude 8, joins Brendon to unpack why misalignment, not missing technology, is what quietly stalls revenue teams as they scale. Comparing notes across the franchise and healthcare industries, they dig into why "people before process" still beats every CRM decision, and how AI is reshaping buyer confidence in implementation partners. Expect a candid take on quotas, compelling events, and the real reason specialization now wins deals over platform expertise alone. What You'll Learn Why alignment beats a perfect strategyThe real trigger for a CRM upgradeHow to build process without bureaucracySetting quotas your team can actually hitWhy industry specialization now wins dealsWhat AI means for implementation riskThe "but why" test for adoptionWhen Excel finally becomes a liability Resources Mentioned HubSpot Salesforce Clay Zoho Monday.com Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini  Excel / Google Sheets  4CAST GTM Aptitude 8  Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see:  Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's Connect Subscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

Alison "Ali" McElroy, Founder and CEO of Kaleidoscope Growth Advisors, has spent nearly two decades helping franchise brands scale across global markets, and she's seen exactly where growth quietly turns into fragility. In this conversation, she breaks down why unit-level economics, not sales momentum, determine whether a brand survives its next stage, and why "slow to go fast" beats scaling on optimism alone. If you're leading growth through a complexity ceiling, this episode reframes what actually needs to be solid before you push further. What You'll Learn Why growth and scale aren't the same thingThe real cost of skipping foundational homeworkHow unit economics predict long-term survivalWhat "royalty self-sufficiency" actually protectsWhy culture cracks first at scaleThe mindset shared by founders who break throughWhere AI should. and shouldn't, enter your opsA framework for balancing agility with structure Resources Mentioned Kaleidoscope Growth Advisors  Certified Franchise Executive (CFE)  Global Franchise Magazine's 100 Influential Women in Franchising FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document)  Royalty Self-Sufficiency Green in the Grain  Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see:  Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's Connect Subscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

Chantel Soumis, Head of Marketing and Partnerships at Franchise Empire, joins host Brendon Dennewill to challenge how brands are approaching AI, customer engagement, and content strategy in 2026. With two decades of experience as a fractional CMO and franchise marketing leader, Chantel makes the case for human-first marketing, a structured listening tour approach, and a deliberate "anti-AI policy" that protects brand trust. If you lead marketing, revenue, or operations in a franchise or multi-location brand, this episode will reshape how you think about consistency, differentiation, and the real cost of getting it wrong. What You'll Learn Why your customers are your brandThe case for an anti-AI policyWhat the EOS framework reveals about marketing gapsHow listening tours shape content strategyThe hidden cost of AI-generated brand damageWorking Genius and right-seat leadershipCAC and LTV as the marketing "holy grail"Resources Mentioned EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)The Six Types of Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni Who Not How by Dan Sullivan HubSpot Culver's Frozen Custard Franchise Business Review (FBR) Survey Vistage Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see:  Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's Connect Subscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

Sally Facinelli, growth strategist and franchise advisor with nearly 30 years in the industry, joins Brendon Dennewill to challenge the instinct to scale fast and instead make the case for intentional, systems-driven growth. From leadership transitions and organizational clarity to real-time data visibility and the accelerating impact of AI on franchise operations, Sally brings a practitioner's lens to the questions most brands avoid until it's too late. If your franchise is hitting a ceiling and you can't figure out why, this conversation will tell you exactly where to look. What You'll Learn Why pausing momentum actually protects itThe leadership change most growing brands delay too longGrowth exposes problems, it doesn't create themBrand consistency requires more than standards documentsData without adoption is just expensive noiseWhy franchisee success is the real FranDev strategyAI as an efficiency multiplier, not a headcount replacementProactive vs. reactive brands: the COVID test case Resources Franchise Business Coaches (FBCs) IFA (International Franchise Association)  Sally Facinelli's upcoming book – In progress, focused on franchise leadership and sustainable growth (watch for release)Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see:  Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's Connect Subscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!