Franchise Interviews 4.0
Welcome to Franchise Interviews weekly podcast and radio show. If you ever dreamed of one day owning your own business, then you have come to the right place. Listen to detailed interviews/podcasts with some of the most informative sources on the topics of franchising and entrepreneurship. People are hungry for good vital content (Keyes, 2009). To date, we have recorded over 850 interviews on our weekly franchise radio show with some of the top franchisors, franchise experts, franchise attorneys, franchisees, and franchise authors. You can even listen to our shows based on the category of interest on our website at https://www.franchiseinterview.com We have met with some exciting new franchise concepts as well as some of the biggest names in franchising. As a visitor to our website, all you have to do is click and listen. So grab a cup of coffee, sit back, and enjoy. It’s no problem if you can’t listen to the live show. Each show is recorded and immediately placed in our library of audio archives. To date, we have had over a quarter of a million listeners! Franchise Interviews is hosted by Dr. Martin J. McDermott. You will also here clips from Martin J. McDermott’s upcoming book, Rock Star MBA.
Episodes

Thursday Mar 20, 2025
Thursday Mar 20, 2025
Franchise interview with Craig Cody
As a Certified Tax CoachTM, Craig Cody is part of a specialized group of professionals nationwide who undergo extensive training and ongoing education in various tax planning techniques and strategies to attain and maintain certification. Within this organization, Craig has co-authored an Amazon bestseller, Secrets of a Tax-Free Life.
Apart from tax planning, Craig's practice offers traditional tax services and off-site CFO services. With a dedicated and passionate team, they provide daily guidance and advice to business clients, emphasizing their efficiency through a team approach. Their clients include Medical Professionals, Clothing Sourcing Businesses, and Commercial Electrical Companies. Craig addresses the following questions:
What is the most common mistake you see small business owners making regarding taxes?
How can business owners leverage their CPA to their advantage?
How frequently should a business owner communicate with their CPA, and why is this communication so crucial?

Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
Tuesday Mar 18, 2025
We have a great show. We are meeting with Shaina Denny, CEO of Dogdrop. Dogdrop is focused on delivering consistently high levels of care, a vastly improved parent experience, and an extended network of locations so that more people can access great and convenient dog care no matter where they are. Dog daycare is not new, but the way Dogdrop is doing it is new. In part two, we play a clip from Tom Scarda featured on our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast. Interestingly, Tom uses the analogy of a hound dog to understand the notion of franchising better.

Saturday Mar 15, 2025
Saturday Mar 15, 2025
An Evening with Christy Wilson Delk
We have a podcast scheduled with Christy Wilson Delk. After working in corporate sales and distribution for 17 years, she decided to take a leap of faith. In 1996, she sold her house and withdrew funds from her 401K plan to make the down payment on a $1.7 million SBA loan, which was necessary to purchase and develop a Kids R Kids Academy franchise in Orlando, Florida.
Over the following 15 years, she expanded her business twice, transforming it into one of the largest franchises in her industry, before successfully exiting in 2012.
Christy Wilson Delk, now a speaker, entrepreneur, and educator, serves as an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at Rollins College and contributes as a writer. She has shifted her focus to helping others achieve greater professional success by building successful businesses.

Saturday Mar 15, 2025
Saturday Mar 15, 2025
Franchise interview with Chris Hurn
This was one our most listened to podcasts. Chris Hurn is an entrepreneur, speaker, writer/blogger, and leader. His company, Mercantile Capital Corporation, specializes in financing commercial real estate for entrepreneurs and small business owners across the United States through the SmartChoice Commercial Loan program, also known as the SBA 504 loan. Christopher G. Hurn, the CEO of Mercantile Capital Corporation in Orlando, is the author of "The Entrepreneur's Secret to Creating Wealth: How the Smartest Business Owners Build Their Fortunes," his debut book. He also offers a special deal for entrepreneurs: purchasing two or more copies of his new book will result in all proceeds being donated to the NFIB Young Entrepreneur Foundation. Priced at $19.95, the book provides Hurn's distinctive insight into wealth accumulation, derived from his experience lending money—over $424.2 million in 2012—to support small business entrepreneurs in acquiring or developing their own facilities. Hurn, who frequently appears as a small business commentator on Fox Business News, The Huffington Post, PBS, and other media outlets, asserts that he understands the mindset of small business entrepreneurs because he is one himself.

Saturday Mar 15, 2025
Saturday Mar 15, 2025
Franchise Interview with Cheree WarrickA common question we often receive is whether a business plan is necessary when purchasing a franchise. The simple answer is yes! Cheree Warrick, a business plan writer at The Profit Partner, is an expert in this area. You can learn everything you need to know about crafting business plans by tuning in to this podcast.
The Profit Partner specializes in writing business plans for entrepreneurs seeking funding from banks, angel investors, and venture capitalists. Their ambitious goal is to assist 1000 entrepreneurs in raising over $1 billion in capital for their expanding businesses. Securing funding for your business is highly competitive, with less than 40% of bank loans, less than 10% of pitches to angel investors, and less than 1% of pitches to venture capitalists being funded. To secure the funding you deserve, you must have an investable business plan, financial projections, and a pitch deck.
You can view samples of their work at https://writemybusinessplan.com.
In part two, we feature a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

Saturday Mar 15, 2025
Saturday Mar 15, 2025
Franchise Interview with Aicha Bascaro.
We have an exciting show lined up where we'll be meeting with Aicha Bascaro. Aicha is the Founder & CEO of the American Franchise Academy® (AFA) and brings over 30 years of experience in the franchise industry. She has worked in 14 countries with master franchisor organizations, led franchise companies, and managed franchise operations for renowned brands such as Domino’s Pizza, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen, and Olive Garden. Her passion lies in assisting franchise leaders focused on growth, financial, and time freedom. Aicha is also a coach, speaker, and author of the Amazon Best-Selling books “The Franchise Fix” and “Multi-Unit Franchise Mastery”.
In 2024, the AFA is celebrating its 8th anniversary, continuing its mission to help franchisees transform their single-unit franchise jobs into multi-unit enterprises. The academy provides systems that enhance employee retention and productivity, lower costs, and boost profitability. Her clients hail from both the US and around the globe. In part two, we play a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

Saturday Mar 08, 2025
Saturday Mar 08, 2025
franchise interview with america's matchmaker careyann golliverToday's show is packed with excitement as we welcome Franchise Business Consultant Careyann Golliver. Known as America’s Franchise Matchmaker™, Careyann (Larson) Golliver's expertise stems from her success in growing her family's local handyman business into the top-rated national franchise in the handyman industry. Her achievements have been highlighted in prestigious publications such as Bloomberg Businessweek, Entrepreneur Magazine, and FORTUNE. Careyann is also a highly sought-after professional speaker, sharing her insights on national broadcast channels. In the second part of our show, we feature a clip from our popular Great Quotes in Franchising podcast.

Friday Mar 07, 2025
Friday Mar 07, 2025
Franchise interview with Zaxby's
We have a meeting scheduled with Zach W. McLeroy, President and CEO of Zaxby's Franchising, Inc., to discuss the success and future growth of the Zaxby's franchise, which is on track to transition from a regional favorite to a nationally recognized brand.
Zach McLeroy not only serves as the President and CEO of Zaxby's Franchising, Inc., but is also one of the co-founders of the Zaxby's concept. In 1990, Zach decided to pause his budding music career and sold his cherished drum set to open the first Zax location, which later became Zaxby's. It was at this inaugural store where he perfected the recipes that have become staples of the Zaxby's menu, including the original array of Zaxby's sauces.
Despite its humble beginnings, Zaxby's has grown significantly over the years and is now positioned for national prominence. Zach continues to be actively involved in the day-to-day operations of Zaxby's Franchising, overseeing brand development strategies and guiding its future growth. He is also a Zaxby's licensee, with ownership in over 95 Zaxby's franchise locations at the time of this interview.

Friday Mar 07, 2025
Friday Mar 07, 2025
Franchise interview with Yummy Cupcakes
We have a meeting scheduled with Tiffini Soforenko, the Founder and CEO of Yummy Cupcakes, and Dennis Mulgannon, the Director of Franchising at Yummy Cupcakes. Tiffini launched the business in 2004 following an 18-year career in the corporate sector, where she served as the Director of Operations at Universal Studios in LA and Japan.
Yummy Cupcakes recently opened its first franchised outlet in San Diego, with additional locations slated for Michigan and other states in the coming year. Despite some suggestions that the cupcake trend is fading, Tiffini asserts that it's not the case; rather, it's subpar cupcakes that are losing popularity. Yummy Cupcakes boasts over 400 exclusive gourmet cupcake recipes, including 94 vegan and 23 sugar-free options. Additionally, they offer a variety of gourmet cupcake treats such as Cupcake Truffle Pops, Cupcake in a Jar, Cupcakie Pies, Cupcake Parfaits, Cupcake Push Pops, Cupcake on a Stick, and many more.

Friday Mar 07, 2025
Friday Mar 07, 2025
Franchise interview with Yum! Brands
This was one of our first historic podcasts. We're sitting down with Scott Haner to discuss the Yum! Brands franchise opportunity. If you're familiar with KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell, then you know about Yum! Brands franchise opportunities. Headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, Yum! Brands, Inc. holds the title of the world's largest restaurant company in terms of system restaurants, boasting over 34,000 restaurants spread across more than 100 countries.