Franchise Whispering
Franchise Whispering is the podcast from Franchise Marketing News that goes beyond the headlines to explore what’s really shaping growth in franchising today. Hosted by FMN Board member Bob McKay, CEO of McKay Advertising and Activation, each episode features candid conversations with franchisors, franchise executives, marketers, operators, and industry insiders who are driving innovation across franchise marketing, development, and brand strategy. From scaling systems and supporting franchisees to navigating emerging technology, consumer behavior shifts, and industry change, Franchise Whispering delivers real insight from the people inside the business. This is not surface-level commentary or recycled advice. It’s a thoughtful, experience-driven discussion designed for franchise leaders who want to understand not just what is happening in the industry, but why it matters and what to do next. New voices. Real stories. Smarter franchise marketing.
Episodes
What if the best franchise salesperson you have is a 74-year-old introvert who hates being on camera?
In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast, host Bob McKay sits down with Joel Kleber, CMO of Australia's Jim's Group, to unpack how relentless organic content rebuilt trust in a business model the local media loves to tear down. Australia and New Zealand are the most heavily franchised markets per capita in the world, and ...
When did you last see a manager in the dining room?
In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast, host Bob McKay sits down with Jeffery Smith, COO of Peterbrooke Chocolatier and President of JSR Management and Business Consultants, for a conversation about the thing so many brands quietly abandoned during COVID: the human touch. Everyone raced to go digital, and Jeff argues the smart brands are the ones now circling back to h...
Is customer experience a platform, or a mindset?
In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast, host Bob McKay sits down with Evan Pardue, newly named Senior Director of Marketing and Brand for Condado Tacos, to unpack how a fast-growing taco brand turned guest feedback into its biggest competitive edge. After doubling in size to 53 locations across 10 states, Condado discovered just how fragmented its customer experience had ...
Are you scaling a brand, or building a culture?
In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast, host Bob McKay sits down with Bob Andersen, President of Great Greek Mediterranean Grill and a 30-year veteran of the United Franchise Group portfolio, to unpack what really drives success in the food franchise business. You can nail your strategy and your systems, but if a guest doesn't feel welcomed the moment they walk in, none of...
Are you in the food business, or the human business?
In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast, host Bob McKay sits down with Zack Oates, CEO of Ovation, to unpack the brutal, high-stakes reality of restaurant management. You can execute perfectly on 2,000 different steps, but if the customer gets onions on their pepperoni pizza, you've completely lost them.
Zack shares game-changing insights on how to handle today's era of...
Bob McKay sits down with restaurant marketing powerhouse Rev Ciancio — fractional CMO, co-founder of Handcraft Burgers & Brew, and CMO of Salad House Franchising — for a masterclass in local restaurant franchise marketing.
Rev breaks down why 70-80% of restaurant guests never return (and why chasing them is a losing game), his theory that every consumer has just five go-to restaurants — and how your brand can e...
Are you leaning too hard on the digital "easy button" for your franchise? In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast, host Bob sits down with Katherine LeBlanc, a seasoned fractional CMO with over 13 years of executive experience leading brands like Smoothie King and Painting with a Twist.
Bob and Katherine dive deep into the post-COVID digital shift and explain why over-indexing on digital ads is causing franchise brands t...
The Secret to Managing a 7-Figure Marketing Fund? Listening.
In our very first international episode of the Franchise Whispering podcast, host Bob sits down with Rhianna Clavering, the dynamic National Marketing Manager at CAREMARK. Overseeing marketing for over 140 home care franchise offices across the UK and Ireland, Rhianna brings a masterclass in managing high-touch communications for a highly sensitive industry.
Rhianna shares ...
Welcome to another exciting episode of the Franchise Whispering podcast, brought to you by Franchise Marketing News!
In this episode, Bob sits down with Julie Wade, CFE, Fractional CMO, and absolute franchise marketing royalty. With a wealth of experience in the restaurant franchise space, Julie is currently driving growth for brands like Crazy PETA. She joins us to unpack the latest industry trends, the shifting mindset of the mode...
Welcome to a milestone episode of the Franchise Whispering podcast! For the very first time in our show's history, we are venturing past the brick-and-mortar and diving deep into the fast-paced, high-tech world of ghost kitchens and virtual brands.
Our guest today is Adam Robbins, a 25-year restaurant industry veteran and operations powerhouse. Adam has transitioned from running traditional, full-service kitchens to mastering the di...
Did you know the average franchise sales cycle has dramatically shrunk from over 100 days to just 58 days?
In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast, host Bob McKay sits down with Christina Parsons, Chief Intelligence Officer at United Franchise Group (UFG)—the largest privately-owned franchise group in the US. Christina drops an absolute masterclass on modern Franchise Development (FranDev), breaking down exactly wh...
How do you turn marketing from an "arts and crafts" department into a measurable, revenue-driving growth engine?
In this episode of the Franchise Whispering podcast, host Bob McKay sits down with Felicia Reeves, a seasoned marketing executive in the home services space. With 14 months under her belt at Empower Brands (representing heavy hitters like Wallaby Windows, Koala Insulation, Conserva Irrigation, and Archadeck), Felicia shar...
What happens when you grow up with franchising in your DNA? In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast, host Bob McKay sits down with Sydney Kleinsasser, a self-proclaimed "franchise nepo baby" who has channeled her lifelong exposure to the industry into a dynamic marketing career.
Currently the Digital Marketing Manager for the highly immersive basketball training brand Shoot 360, Sydney brings a fresh, next-generation per...
From hustling out of a small gas station in Dunwoody, Georgia, to serving up the most iconic food item in Mercedes-Benz Stadium, Derrick Hayes is changing the culture of the franchise industry. Derrick founded Big Dave's Cheesesteaks to honor his late father and build a lasting legacy for his children. Today, it ranks among the top fast-casual concepts in America.
In this episode of the Franchise Whispering podcast, host Bob McKay t...
How do you take a brand with cult-like status and scale it to 400 locations without losing its edge? On this episode, host Bob McKay sits down with Brandon Rhoten, the marketing mind behind Wendy's viral Twitter roasts and the current CMO fueling explosive growth at Dave's Hot Chicken.
Brandon explains why he ignores vanity metrics in favor of strict foot-traffic attribution, why Dave's relies on raw User-Generated Content (UGC) ove...
Ever wonder why once you get into the franchise industry, you never want to leave? On this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast, host Bob McKay sits down with Ashley Mitchell, a seasoned franchise marketing expert and fractional CMO. From her early days doing local marketing for the Walt Disney Company to scaling brands like Goldfish Swim School, East Coast Wings & Grill, and Sammy’s Sliders, Ashley brings a master...
In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast, Bob McKay sits down with a true industry legend: Neil Kiefer, CEO of Hooters Management Corporation. From its humble beginnings in Clearwater, Florida in 1983 to becoming a global phenomenon, the Hooters brand has seen it all. But what happens when an iconic brand loses its way?
Neil shares the candid, behind-the-scenes story of why his team had to step in and reclaim control of t...
In this episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast, Bob McKay sits down with Kelli Schroeder (MBA, CFE), VP of Franchise Development at Threshold Brands. With a rich background spanning Wellbiz brands, international scaling with Wingstop, and her current leadership role managing a diverse portfolio of 10 home service concepts, Kelli brings a masterclass in franchise development.
Kelli breaks down why selling a franchise is never ju...
Are you an emerging franchisor trying to bridge the gap between your lean startup team and the massive scale you're aiming for? In this episode of The Franchise Whispering Podcast, Bob McKay sits down with franchise royalty: Liane Caruso. As a Certified Franchise Expert, founder of Hello CMO, and co-founder of the Franchise Assembly, Liane breaks down exactly why what got you to 25 units won't get you to 200.
Dive into the highly sp...
Welcome to the very first in-person episode of the Franchise Whispering Podcast, brought to you by Franchise Marketing News!
In this episode, host Bob McKay sits down with Madison Gates, VP of Marketing at i9 Sports and founder of Empowered Consulting. With over a decade of experience driving growth for powerhouse franchise brands like Carstar, Maaco, and Neighborly, Madison brings a wealth of knowledge on how to scale effectively w...
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