The Training Effect

LearningZen

5.0 (4)
Business
Updated Biweekly

The Training Effect explores how learning systems drive growth and efficiency in franchise and multi-unit businesses. Hosted by Douglas Mark of LearningZen, each episode features real stories and expert insights on how structured training boosts performance, reduces inefficiencies, and scales success. Whether you're a franchisor, business leader, or operator, you'll discover how learning can be your greatest ROI driver.

4d ago

The Veteran Edge: Building Franchise Systems That Execute with Jay Sperry

What does a Marine learn about building and training teams that you can't get anywhere else? In this episode of The Training Effect, host Doug Mark sits down with Jay Sperry, CEO and COO of Veteran Service Brands, to discuss how military training philosophies can transform franchise operations. After 20 years in the United States Marine Corps, Jay brought his experience in high-stakes training—where quality isn't just an HR conversation, but a survival question—into the franchise world. Now overseeing five franchise concepts (GForce, Paint Core, FieldOps, Mach One, and Propswash), Jay explains how establishing clear standards, continuous training, and strong mentorship can turn franchisees into elite business operators. In this episode, you'll learn: Why military principles like "execute, rehearse, plan, back brief" are critical for franchise scaling. How to bridge the gap between initial onboarding and long-term franchisee execution. Why veterans make exceptional franchise owners and how they identify weak points in business systems. The importance of implementing Franchise Advisory Councils (FACs) and mentorship programs for new owners. How to effectively balance structure and flexibility to manage independent franchisees through influence rather than direct authority. Whether you're a franchisor, an operations leader, or a founder looking to scale, this episode is packed with actionable insights on building a training culture that holds up when it counts. Connect with Jay on LinkedIn to learn more about Veteran Service Brands.
Sep 17

From Classroom Teacher to Franchise President with Faith Gavelek

How does an elementary school teacher transition into a top-performing franchisee, executive, and ultimately President of an international franchise system? In this episode of The Training Effect, host Doug Mark speaks with Faith Gavelek, President of Drama Kids International. Faith shares her rare 360-degree journey across the franchise ecosystem—from Hillsborough County classroom teacher to franchisee, franchise sales manager, VP of support, and President. Faith breaks down how she rebuilt the brand and supported franchise owners through the 2020 pandemic, completely revamped their onboarding training from an overwhelming 5-day firehose into asynchronous bite-sized modules, and introduced high-margin revenue streams like "Take Two" musical theater. She also explains the power of remaining an active franchise owner while leading the entire corporate network. In this episode, you’ll learn: The Power of Franchisee-Led Testing: Why Faith tests all new vendor tools, curriculum, and operational changes in her local franchise before network-wide rollout. Overhauling Franchise Onboarding: How shifting from dense in-person lectures to bite-sized pre-recorded videos and living "Directors' Guides" improved onboarding success. Navigating Crisis with Flexibility & Innovation: Strategies for pivoting revenue during market disruptions and expanding unit economics without burning out franchisees. Data-Driven Franchise Support: How tracking Average Class Size (ACS) and Average Revenue per Student (ARS) identifies struggling locations before a crisis. Combining Education with an Executive MBA: How balancing grounded operational experience with an MBA framework helps eliminate imposter syndrome and improve strategic decisions. Whether you are a franchisor, a multi-unit owner, or an operations leader looking to scale franchisee training and support systems, this episode is packed with practical strategies you can implement immediately. Learn more about Drama Kids at dramakids.com or explore franchising opportunities at dramakidsfranchise.com. Connect with Faith Gavelek on LinkedIn.
Sep 3

Weaponizing Franchise Operations & Culture with Dena Landers

Franchise operations are often viewed as a defensive necessity to maintain standards, but what if you could "weaponize" them for explosive growth? In this episode of The Training Effect, host Doug Mark talks with Dena Landers, VP of Operations at Lyftology Franchise and Senior Consultant with Unleashed, about building systems and cultures that truly drive business success. Dena shares her playbook for scaling brands, including how she helped Kiddo Kinetics grow from 3 to 69 franchisees and added over $10 million in increased profitability. She breaks down why operations should be an offensive tactic, how to support franchisees during hyper-growth, and the critical difference between steering a "speedboat" and a "cruise ship" when blowing up old systems. In this episode, you'll learn: What "weaponized operations" means and how to align your systems to push the chains down the field. How to build a life-changing culture that allows employees to connect their work with their true vocation. The "Beyonce Rule": why you must evaluate your franchise systems by asking if Beyonce would be satisfied with the support. How to handle massive scaling by shifting support from Slack channels to ticket systems—while maintaining a 7-minute response time. The reality of franchise ownership and the "franchisee happiness scale" (trading a 9-to-5 for a 6-to-9). How the "Exit Without Selling" philosophy uses strong integrators (second-in-commands) to help founders step back while their business grows. Whether you're a franchisor, an operations leader, or a founder navigating rapid growth, this conversation is packed with actionable insights you can put to use immediately. Connect with Dena on LinkedIn to learn more about Lyftology Franchise and Unleashed.
Aug 20

The Chick-fil-A Customer Service Secret Most Franchises Miss with Cayden Hunsaker

How does Chick-fil-A consistently deliver industry-leading customer experiences while scaling thousands of franchise locations? The secret isn't just operational speed—it’s a relentless commitment to values-driven training, frontline culture, and clear operational purpose. In this episode of The Training Effect, host Doug Mark talks with Cayden Hunsaker, software engineer, entrepreneur, and former Senior Director of Training and Leadership Development at Chick-fil-A. Starting as a 15-year-old team member and rising through the ranks to lead location-wide training and leadership pipelines, Cayden offers an insider look at how Chick-fil-A instills empathy, intentional habits, and operational excellence from day one. Cayden breaks down the famous "Core 4" customer service principles, the emotional impact of training videos like Every Life Has a Story, why teaching "the why" drives true behavior change, and how Chick-fil-A trains team members to "go the extra mile" (from table touch-ins with mints and pepper grinders to second-mile service in the drive-thru). In this episode, you'll learn: The Core 4 & Elevated Language: Why screening for natural warmth and calling customers "guests" while replacing "you're welcome" with "my pleasure" transforms brand perception. Teaching "The Why": How explaining the purpose behind tiny habits (like using ice scoops instead of foam cups) prevents costly mistakes and builds true ownership. Frontline Skill Pathways: How breaking down roles into bite-sized micro-training positions (bagger, runner, pusher, expediter) creates clear career growth and reduces turnover. Digitizing Franchise Training: Lessons on transitioning from paper training cards to automated digital workflows (Trello, Zapier, LMS) without losing human connection or milestone celebrations. Culture Trickles Down: Why frontline customer experience hinges entirely on whether executive directors and franchise operators model empathy and check in on their teams first. Whether you're a franchisor, operations leader, or learning & development professional trying to scale operational consistency and build raving fans, this conversation is packed with frameworks you can put to use immediately. Learn more about building high-impact franchise training programs at LearningZen.com, or connect with Cayden Hunsaker on LinkedIn.
Aug 6

Scaling a 50-Year Legacy Brand: Franchise Onboarding & QSR Operations with Alex Rosner

How do you turn a 50-year family-owned bagel empire into a rapidly expanding national franchise without losing quality or culture? In this episode of The Training Effect, host Doug Mark speaks with Alex Rosner, COO and Training Supervisor at Bagel Boss. Starting from the ground level—cleaning dining rooms and working counter shifts—Alex rose through the ranks to lead franchisee onboarding, store design, contractor build-outs, and hands-on operational training across Bagel Boss's 21+ locations in New York, Florida, California, and North Carolina. Alex pulls back the curtain on how Bagel Boss balances 50 years of bagel-baking craft with modern franchising systems. He shares how standardizing store design, introducing dedicated cashiers, and creating an "expo station" drastically cut order errors and boosted customer retention. Plus, he dives into the harsh operational realities of expanding into tough markets like California and why franchisors must over-communicate to ensure long-term franchisee success. In this episode, you'll learn: From Counter to C-Suite: How growing up in a multi-generational family business shapes hands-on franchise leadership. The End-to-End Onboarding Framework: How Alex guides franchisees from signing the FDD to site selection, architect design, and grand opening. Operational Excellence & Checks-and-Balances: Why implementing POS systems, ticket initials, and an "expo station" eliminated order mistakes during peak hours. Solving Market Disparities: Navigating labor, construction costs, and high minimum wages when scaling from New York to California. Protecting Brand Consistency: How shipping authentic Long Island dough keeps the core product consistent across state lines. Culture & Customer Service: Why being "the Chick-fil-A of bagels" and treating franchisees like family drives organic growth. Whether you're a franchisor, COO, franchise operations leader, or multi-unit franchisee looking to refine your training and onboarding playbook, this conversation is packed with frameworks you can put to use immediately. Connect & Learn More: Explore Bagel Boss franchise opportunities: bagelfranchise.com / bagelboss.com Connect with Alex Rosner on Instagram (@ACRosner) or LinkedIn. Subscribe to The Training Effect for more operational and franchise training insights!
Jul 23

Operationalizing Training & Scaling Culture with Taylor Lamont

Culture does not scale by accident — it scales through intentional systems, leadership behavior, and a shared language across your entire organization. In this episode of The Training Effect, host Doug Mark sits down with Taylor Lamont, Chief Operating Officer and Managing Partner at Image Studios — recognized as one of America's fastest-growing companies and an Inc. Magazine Best Workplace, with 200+ salon suite locations in development across 29 states. Taylor, named the #1 Top Franchise Influencer, shares how Image Studios treats training as foundational infrastructure rather than a one-time event. Taylor breaks down how to build "rolling education models" that engage franchisees and independent beauty professionals ("Image Pros") from the exact day they sign, how to sequence onboarding to eliminate overwhelm, why occupancy is a lagging indicator of franchisee engagement, and why the first 18 months of franchise ownership require active leadership to unlock long-term predictable success. In this episode, you'll learn: Training as Infrastructure: Why training must be integrated across all 5 stages of franchise growth (Real Estate, Pre-Opening, Lease-Up, Ongoing Ops, and Multi-Unit Scaling). The Rolling Education Model: How Taylor applied lessons from 14 years at Steiner Leisure to eliminate waiting for "training semesters" and capitalize on peak emotional momentum. Sequencing & Tiered Onboarding: How to deliver exact playbooks when franchisees need them—moving from 360 Training to weekly Business Coaching. Passive vs. Predictable Franchising: Why the salon suite model requires active involvement during the first 18 months to build semi-absentee predictability. Leading vs. Lagging Metrics: Why occupancy is a lagging indicator and how tracking engagement and execution cadence prevents operational breakdown. Scaling Culture: How Image Studios earned Inc.'s Best Workplace award by establishing shared language and systems that sustain culture when no one is watching. Call to Action & Links: Learn more about Image Studios franchise opportunities at imagestudiosfranchise.com Connect with Taylor Lamont on LinkedIn
Jul 16

Franchise Field Coaching 101 w. Stephanie Benze

Franchise field coaching is one of the most misunderstood roles in the industry and one of the most underinvested-in. In this episode of The Training Effect, host Doug Mark talks with Stephanie Benze, Director of Education at AC Inc., certified franchise executive, and certified field coach, about what it actually takes to build a franchise field coaching program that changes behavior instead of just checking a box. Stephanie breaks down why franchise field coaching works through influence and trust rather than compliance and authority, how AC Inc.'s 5-month Accelerator Program certifies field coaches, and how she used training and field support to drive 200% growth for a franchise brand in just three years. In this episode, you'll learn: The real difference between managing franchisees and coaching them How to measure whether field coaching is actually working (leading vs. lagging indicators) The two systems every franchise brand needs before scaling: a functional CRM and shared financial reporting Why "the system is the problem, not the people" when adoption fails Stephanie's favorite leadership analogy for balancing structure and flexibility: be the bamboo, not the oak tree Whether you're a franchisor, a field coach, or an operations leader trying to scale franchise support the right way, this conversation is packed with frameworks you can put to use immediately. Learn more about AC Inc.'s franchise field coaching programs and free weekly roundtables at fieldcoachexperts.com, or connect with Stephanie on LinkedIn.
May 28

The Systems Behind High-Performing Franchise Operations w/Dave Leveque

In this episode of The Training Effect, Doug Mark sits down with Dave Levesque to explore what it really takes to build high-performing franchise operations and leadership cultures that scale. Dave shares his journey from becoming an 18-year-old franchise owner to leading operations for major franchise brands across North America. Together, they discuss franchise growth, coaching and accountability, EOS, peer-to-peer learning, operational discipline, and why great leadership is something you do with people — not to people. Whether you’re a franchisor, franchisee, operations leader, or entrepreneur, this episode is packed with practical insights on building systems, developing people, and creating businesses that thrive.

Trailer

Show Trailer

Welcome to The Training Effect. The podcast where learning drives operational excellence. Hosted by Douglas Mark, President of Learning Zen, this show takes you inside conversations with top franchisors, multi-unit operators, and industry leaders who’ve mastered the art of scaling through training. Hear real stories, proven strategies, and exclusive insights you won’t find anywhere else. Join a community of growth-minded business leaders, follow The Training Effect wherever you get your podcasts.

5

out of 5

4 Ratings

Go Learning Zen!

09/30/2025

Kriballen

Thoughtful questions with great guests.

The Training Effect explores how learning systems drive growth and efficiency in franchise and multi-unit businesses. Hosted by Douglas Mark of LearningZen, each episode features real stories and expert insights on how structured training boosts performance, reduces inefficiencies, and scales success. Whether you're a franchisor, business leader, or operator, you'll discover how learning can be your greatest ROI driver.

Creator

LearningZen
Years Active

2025 - 2026
Episodes

19
Rating

Explicit
Copyright

© LearningZen
Show Website

The Training Effect