Franchise Marketer

Joel Kleber
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  • MARKETING
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

The Franchise Marketer Podcast breaks down how to grow, market, and scale franchise brands. Hosted by Joel Kleber, CMO of Jim’s Group, the largest franchise system in the Southern Hemisphere with 5,700 franchisees, Joel shares insights from building one of the most recognised franchise brands. With experience across content, recruitment, and marketing strategy, plus interviews with industry experts, this podcast is your playbook for attracting franchisees, building stronger brands, and using content the right way.

  1. 7 JAN

    The boxing gym franchise that sells franchises through a personal brand. Darcy Ellis, HitFit

    Most franchise brands still try to grow behind a logo. Darcy Ellis went the opposite way. At 29, Darcy has built HitFit into a fast-growing boxing fitness franchise by putting the owner back on the gym floor, going all-in on local content, and using his personal brand to attract franchisees before they ever touch an info pack. In this episode, we unpack: Why Darcy chose franchising over company-owned gyms (and why it wasn’t “easier”) The role owner-operators play in culture, standards, and member retention How local, location-specific ads outperform generic fitness campaigns Why HitFit runs paid ads centrally but pushes organic content locally How Darcy’s personal brand is driving more franchise enquiries than corporate accounts The real lessons learned franchising in your 20s, including what he’d do differently If you’re building a franchise, thinking about franchising, or wondering whether founder-led content actually moves the needle, this episode is a must-listen. Big thanks to Darcy for coming on the show! Learn more about https://www.hitfit.com/

    1h 10m

  2. 10/12/2025

    How Mike Andes Built a 150-Location Lawn Care Franchise

    What does it take to scale a lawn care business from a single mower to more than 150 franchise locations? In this in-depth interview, Mike Andes, founder of Augusta Lawn Care and one of the leading voices in the home-services industry, breaks down the systems, mindset, and strategies behind his rapid franchise expansion. Mike shares how he went from starting college at 13, to nearly pursuing a medical career, to ultimately building an eight-figure lawn care empire. In this episode, we cover: • How Augusta grew from zero to 150+ locations• Why leadership becomes more important than sales at scale• The most common mistakes small operators make when expanding• How the P4P (pay-for-performance) model increases labour efficiency• The role of content, branding, and media in franchise growth• What Mike learned from attending Jim’s Mowing training in Australia• The impact of simplifying services and tightening route density• Where AI and robotics will reshape the industry over the next decade• Practical steps any operator can implement immediately to improve profitability Whether you’re a franchisee, a franchisor, or an independent operator aiming to grow, this episode offers clear, actionable insights into building a scalable and sustainable service business.

    1h 14m

  3. 04/12/2025

    How to Build Trust When Nobody Knows Your Brand: The 7-11-4 Content Framework Explained

    In this episode, I break down how to build trust when no one knows your franchise brand yet. I unpack Google’s 7-11-4 Rule—7 hours of content, 11 touchpoints, 4 locations and show how I’ve used this approach at Jim’s to consistently attract high-quality franchise leads. I also talk about why personal brand content matters more than ever, how founders like Mike Andes and Michael Black have leveraged it, and what newer brands can do right now to create trust fast. If you're struggling to convert leads or just starting out, this episode gives you a simple, practical roadmap to follow. If you’ve got questions or topics you want covered, message me on LinkedIn. Enjoy the episode! Work with me - https://www.franchisebuyermarketing.com.au/invite-only

    13 min

  4. 27/11/2025

    The Tool That Makes Franchise Marketing Instant - Interview with Andy Baker, founder of Sesimi

    In this episode, I chatted with Andy Baker, founder of Sesimi, the creative automation platform that’s transforming how franchise brands produce marketing content. If you’ve ever struggled with slow approvals, inconsistent branding, overloaded creative teams, or frustrated franchisees, this episode will feel like a breakthrough. Andy walks us through the early days of Sesimi, how it evolved from a basic print tool into a full-scale AI-powered content engine, and why franchises of all sizes are turning to automation to stay competitive. We explore how franchisees can instantly generate videos, social posts, print assets, localised ads, and more without using agencies, complicated design tools, or waiting on head office. You’ll also hear a live demo breakdown from the episode, showing exactly how Sesimi creates brand-safe marketing in seconds. 🔗 Try Sesimi or learn more here: 👉 https://www.sesimi.com

    1h 2m

  5. 20/11/2025

    How to build your own AI CMO!

    In this episode, I talk about how to build your own AI CMO. To see the video of this, make sure you join my Franchise Marketer newsletter - https://franchisemarketer.beehiiv.com/

    5 min

  6. 17/11/2025

    Building Demand Before Day One. The Pre-Sale Formula for Gyms and Tutoring Franchises | Interview with Laura Ridley

    I sat down with Laura Ridley from The Checklist Group. She’s helped franchises like Success Tutoring explode from a handful of sites to more than 160 territories. We talked about why pre-sales matter, why most franchise owners lose momentum the moment they open the doors, and why lead addiction is killing growth. Laura broke down Meta ads, UGC, avatar-specific campaigns and the massive gap in franchising; no one nurtures their leads properly. We also dug into founder brands and why your old grainy testimonial video is probably hurting more than helping. If you’re a franchisor trying to grow or just want your franchisees to stop flatlining, this episode will give you a few uncomfortable truths. The useful kind.

    39 min

  7. 12/11/2025

    How Jim’s Group Grew 2,000+ Franchises Using Video Marketing – Joel Kleber on The Franchise Everything Podcast

    In this crossover episode, I join Glenn Walford on The Franchise Everything Podcast to unpack how Jim’s Group built one of Australia’s biggest franchise networks fuelled almost entirely by video marketing. I share how he started with one videographer and turned Jim’s Group into a daily content machine. He explains the mechanics behind founder branding, long-form storytelling, and how YouTube became the “trust engine” that drives franchise recruitment. They dig into:• Building credibility with consistent content• Why “testimonial videos” are dead• How to turn negative comments into marketing gold• What franchisors can learn from influencer culture• The future of personal branding in franchising This one’s packed with real examples, a few hard truths, and plenty of ideas you can steal. Timestamps 00:00 – Introduction: The Franchise Everything Podcast crossover02:00 – The origins of Jim’s Group video strategy05:00 – Scaling content across 50 divisions07:30 – When the results started to show09:00 – Founder branding: bringing Jim Penman to life online12:00 – Why Australians struggle with self-promotion13:30 – How to make it easy for busy founders to show up on camera15:00 – The “post more” rule: eight times a day and why it works17:30 – Turning criticism into creative fuel20:00 – The problem with testimonials (and what works better)22:00 – How content qualifies the right franchise leads24:00 – YouTube as the franchise world’s “trust engine”25:00 – Final takeaways for franchisors

    25 min

  8. 29/10/2025

    How BFT Sold 500 Franchises: Jason Clark’s Franchise Growth Playbook

    Former BFT growth leader Jason Clark reveals how he helped scale Body Fit Training from 12 studios to 300+ locations across 13 countries. He shares the franchise sales systems, Meta ad strategies, and content approach that built a global brand. A must-listen for franchisors and marketers who want to grow faster and smarter. Contact Jason Via LinkedIn for a chat about Franchise Growth.

    42 min
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About

The Franchise Marketer Podcast breaks down how to grow, market, and scale franchise brands. Hosted by Joel Kleber, CMO of Jim’s Group, the largest franchise system in the Southern Hemisphere with 5,700 franchisees, Joel shares insights from building one of the most recognised franchise brands. With experience across content, recruitment, and marketing strategy, plus interviews with industry experts, this podcast is your playbook for attracting franchisees, building stronger brands, and using content the right way.

Information

  • Creator
    Joel Kleber
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Joel Kleber
  • Show Website
    Franchise Marketer