Franchise Empires The Wolf, A Workweek Friend

How did a West Point flight school graduate become the founder of 79 optical stores across the US? Bill Noble, founder of West Point Optical joins the pod to chat with the Wolf about his fascinating journey from sitting in the cockpit to building a nationwide franchise empire.  
From his early days at Harrah's Entertainment to his transition into the retail industry, Bill shares valuable insights on leadership, partnership, and the challenges of growing a franchise business. Discover how his military background and experience in the gaming industry shaped his approach to leadership and motivated him to start his own franchise.
Bill discusses the importance of maintaining a true partnership between franchisors and franchisees and reveals how honest feedback and open communication contribute to the growth and success of a franchise organization.
He and the Wolf dissect the strategies and considerations involved in acquisitions and growth and uncover how market conditions and lending criteria can impact a franchise's expansion plans.
Whether you're a seasoned franchise owner or considering starting your own business, gain a deeper understanding of the dynamics and intricacies of building a successful franchise empire.
 
00:00:23 - Military Veteran's Journey to Retail
00:03:27 - First Leadership Role Outside Military
00:05:42 - Transitioning Leadership Skills from Gaming
00:08:11 - From Lenscrafters Employee to Franchise Owner
00:15:12 - Navigating Pressure as a CEO
00:18:31 - Converting Corporate Locations to Pearls
00:21:21 - Transitioning from Corporate CEO to Franchise Leader
00:24:37 - Navigating Growth in Changing Markets
00:29:38 - Approaching Leadership as a Franchise Owner
00:38:07 - Balancing Personal Identity in Competitive Organizations
00:45:27 - Franchise Concept Evolves into Partnership
 
Follow Bill: 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamnoble1/
 
Follow The Wolf: 
Newsletter: https://workweek.com/brand/the-wolf-of-franchises/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewolfoffranchises
Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf
Website: https://www.krokit.com
 
And for exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel.
 
Are you a future franchise entrepreneur? Find all of the tools you need to launch, operate, and expand your franchise empire with the platform created by The Wolf himself, Krokit.com.
 
And if you’ve enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I’d be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much!

Deb Merrill had no idea she was destined for franchise management until her brother-in-law asked if she’d be interested in running a Jimmy John’s. Realizing that stage management wasn’t the dream job she had hoped it would be, Deb left her theater career behind for the food service industry.
In this candid conversation with the Wolf, Deb opens up about her rise from the bottom of the food chain to the top of the Jimmy John’s game. How did she take the dive into franchising with zero experience in the industry and eventually open 12 different locations? And what was it really like working with family?  
Deb also shares her wisdom into the daily rewards and challenges of running a Jimmy John’s franchise from the physical demands of the job to the importance of finding the right team members. What should the structure and setup of a fair franchise agreement look like? And what’s the importance of maintaining positive relationships with franchisees?
Plus, learn about the early days of Jimmy John's, including the impact of the economic crash in 2008 and the struggles of balancing construction schedules and employee training. What kinds of unique opportunities does Jimmy John’s provide for franchise owners?
Tune in now to find out!
 
Workstream is the all in one tool for restaurants to run their HR, hiring, and payroll operations. Trusted by over 25,000 restaurant locations, Workstream is the people management tool built for managing hourly workers.
Visit http://www.workstream.us/thewolf to learn more!

00:00:00 - Transitioning from Theater to Fast Food Franchise
00:03:06 - Navigating Responsibility and Control in Business
00:04:35 - Balancing Construction and Opening Schedules
00:07:03 - Corporate Training at Jimmy John's
00:08:47 - Opening Two Stores in Six Months
00:14:41 - Arranging Fair Structures for Collaborations
00:15:48 - Navigating Family Business Dynamics Successfully
00:18:59 - 16 Years of Steady Store Growth
00:21:57 - Expanding Store Locations: A Timeline
 
Workstream is the all-in-one tool for restaurants to run their HR, hiring, and payroll operations. Trusted by over 25,000 restaurant locations, Workstream is the people management tool built for managing hourly workers.
Visit http://www.workstream.us/thewolf to learn more!
 
 
Follow The Wolf: 
Newsletter: https://workweek.com/brand/the-wolf-of-franchises/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewolfoffranchises
Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf
Website: https://www.krokit.com
 
And for exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel.
 
Are you a future franchise entrepreneur? Find all of the tools you need to launch, operate, and expand your franchise empire with the platform created by The Wolf himself, Krokit.com.
 
And if you’ve enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I’d be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much!
 

Drew Gressett’s sitting down with the Wolf to discuss his personal journey in the restaurant industry—from his journey founding Hat Creek Burger Company to owning 60+ Zaxby’s.
Hear Hat Creek Burger Company’s humble origin story—from starting as a food truck in 2008 to now having 26 brick-and-mortar locations, Drew shares the challenges and triumphs of scaling his business. He shares how building a strong restaurant management team and securing financing helped fuel his exponential growth.
What are the unique dynamics of running both independent restaurants and franchise locations? And does Drew have plans to expand into other franchise brands or industries in the future?
Tune in now to find out!
 
00:00:23 - From Food Truck to Restaurant Success
00:07:13 - Lessons Learned from Hat Creek's Expansion
00:08:10 - Growing Hat Creek to 26 Locations
00:15:12 - Expanding the Zaxby's Franchise Portfolio
00:18:23 - Scaling Hat Creek 
00:20:37 - Building a Strong Restaurant Management Team
00:24:36 - Leveraging Seller Financing for Growth
00:28:56 - Franchise Friction: Running Own vs. Franchise
00:33:03 - Exploring New Franchise Opportunities and Industries
00:34:37 - New Builds vs. Acquisitions: Pros and Cons
 
Learn More About Zaxby’s:
Website: https://www.zaxbys.com/franchise
 
Learn More About Hat Creek Burger Company:
Website: https://hatcreekburgers.com/who-we-are
 
Follow Drew: 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drew-gressett-96891621a/
 
Follow The Wolf: 
Newsletter: https://workweek.com/brand/the-wolf-of-franchises/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewolfoffranchises
Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf
Website: https://www.krokit.com
 
And for exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel.
Are you a future franchise entrepreneur? Find all of the tools you need to launch, operate, and expand your franchise empire with the platform created by The Wolf himself, Krokit.com.
And if you’ve enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I’d be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much!

You’ll never be able to operate 90+ franchises if your first franchise isn’t golden to begin with. Take it from Adam Saxton, operator of over 90+ McAlister’s Delis and co-CEO/Owner of the Saxton Group. With territories in Texas, Oklahoma, and Kansas, Adam chats with the Wolf about his unusual philosophy for franchise expansion, including a unique organic unit model development approach entailing zero acquisitions.
With over 20 years in the fast-casual space, Adam reveals why he remains optimistic about the ROI potential in this industry and explains how his family's background in restaurant franchising influenced his decision to join McAlister's Deli. How has he managed to maintain slow and steady growth since his first bought unit in 1999?
Discover the importance of building a strong culture and brand within your organization, and how investing in internal development leads to long-term success. Adam discusses the growth opportunities that come with expanding your franchise and the value of promoting from within.
Plus, what are Adam’s perspectives on investment levels and the potential return on capital for first-time franchisees?
Tune in now to find out! 
 
00:00:00 - Locations in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas
00:00:30 - Adam Joins Family Restaurant Business
00:08:17 - Organic Growth Strategy of the Saxton Group
00:11:46 - Community Outreach Boosts McAlister's Brand
00:13:34 - Fostering Growth and Opportunity at McAlister’s
00:17:13 - Franchisees Expand with New Brands
00:18:45 - Saxton Group Acquires Jaggers
00:22:29 - Staying Optimistic in the Fast Casual Industry
00:26:49 - Investment Returns for New Franchisees
00:32:54 - Room to Grow for McAlister’s
 
Follow Adam: 
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adamgsaxton/
 
Follow The Wolf: 
Newsletter: https://workweek.com/brand/the-wolf-of-franchises/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewolfoffranchises
Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf
Website: https://www.krokit.com
 
And for exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel.
 
Are you a future franchise entrepreneur? Find all of the tools you need to launch, operate, and expand your franchise empire with the platform created by The Wolf himself, Krokit.com.
 
And if you’ve enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I’d be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much!

Buckle up because the Wolf is taking another stab at your best Twitter questions in this solo question-and-answer pod.
Should you be able to negotiate a franchise agreement? If so, how much of an agreement is negotiable, or are most franchise agreements a take-it-or-leave-it proposition? 
Then the Wolf uncovers his #1 recommendation for back-office franchisee solutions (hint: it’s a software that’s near and dear to his heart), before dissecting the differences between chains and franchises.  
Plus, who will win the Nashville Chicken Wars? Or do all chicken franchises come out the loser if the market has hit its peak saturation point? 
 
Follow The Wolf: 
Newsletter: https://workweek.com/brand/the-wolf-of-franchises/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewolfoffranchises
Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf
Website: https://www.krokit.com
 
And for exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel.
 
Are you a future franchise entrepreneur? Find all of the tools you need to launch, operate, and expand your franchise empire with the platform created by The Wolf himself, Krokit.com.
 
And if you’ve enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I’d be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much!

The Wolf chats with french fry master, Lucas Mitchell, a successful entrepreneur and franchisee of Five Guys, to discuss the ins and outs of scaling a franchise business. From building strong relationships with franchisees to managing shiny object syndrome, Lucas shares valuable insights and lessons learned along his journey.
How did Lucas go from owning five stores to over 20? What were the challenges and rewards that came with his rapid growth? He details his unique strategies for managing debt covenants and explains how he leveraged specific relationships to fuel his franchise’s expansion.
Hear how Lucas has kept his composure and avoided the temptation of shiny object syndrome to maintain a consistent relationship with Five Guys. He reveals his philosophy for scaling a sustainable organization and tells the Wolf how he managed to escape with his sanity intact while growing Five Guys. 
Lucas also explores why continuous learning and evolution were essential to his role as a leader. Find out how he has leveled up his leadership skills and implemented guidelines to run his business effectively. Plus, get a glimpse into Lucas's future plans for growth, including the potential for expanding into other brands. 
 
Paylocity offers the only modern HR and payroll solution that makes real-time recommendations to drive better business outcomes.
Paylocity is the modern, all-in-one platform that makes HR and payroll easier — so you can focus on your employees. We’ll make onboarding faster, recruiting smarter, and compliance simpler. To learn more visit https://paylocity.com/restaurants.
 
00:06:13 - Leveraging Relationships to Buy Locations
00:12:12 - Investment Strategy: Equity vs. Debt
00:16:04 - Navigating Debt Covenants in Restaurant Ownership
00:18:43 - Understanding Debt Covenants in Franchising
00:23:25 - Combining Five Guys with Another Brand
00:25:40 - Managing Shiny Object Syndrome as an Entrepreneur
00:31:18 - Avoid Entrepreneurial Mistakes: Focus First
00:34:57 - Building Relationships Key to Franchise Success
00:41:37 - Evolving Leadership Skills in Business
 
Follow Lucas: 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lmitchellhq?lang=en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lmitchellhq/
 
Follow The Wolf: 
Newsletter: https://workweek.com/brand/the-wolf-of-franchises/
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@thewolfoffranchises
Twitter: https://twitter.com/franchisewolf
Website: https://www.krokit.com
 
And for exclusive insider content, don’t forget to check out my YouTube channel.
 
Are you a future franchise entrepreneur? Find all of the tools you need to launch, operate, and expand your franchise empire with the platform created by The Wolf himself, Krokit.com.
 
And if you’ve enjoyed listening to Franchise Empires, I’d be so grateful if you could drop me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast. Thank you so much!