Franchise Everything

Glenn Walford

Let's talk about everything and anything in franchising! Inspiring with experiences and information from the coal face of the people behind the day-to-day of franchises in action. We unpack personal journeys in founding and leading franchises, but just as important, are the journeys of people who own and run one or multiple franchise locations. From fitness, to coffee, to lawns and everything in between, franchising is a buffet of business niches. And with that comes an even wider range of people and stories to talk to about what they do, and how they did it. And from the people who support franchises in every kind of way. Everyone has a story to tell, and you'll often be amazed when they tell it in this way!

  1. 10 AVR. ·  VIDÉO

    Ep161 From Employees to Franchise Owners: The Six Year Journey to Pack and Send Caboolture

    In this episode of the Franchise Everything Podcast, host Glenn Walford sits down with Vikas and Neetika Sharma, proud owners of Pack & Send Caboolture in Brisbane.    Just six months into their franchise journey, this husband and wife team share a story that is equal parts honest, inspiring and practical. From careers in freight forwarding and banking across India, New Zealand, Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, to a six year research journey before finally signing on the dotted line, Vikas and Neetika prove that the best business decisions are the ones made with patience, preparation and purpose.   With 80 five star Google reviews already under their belt and multi-store ownership firmly in their sights, this is a franchise owner story that will resonate with anyone thinking about making the leap.   0:00 - Welcome & guest introduction: Vikas & Neetika Sharma 1:47 - The training experience: Head office to store days 3:57 - Background in India, New Zealand and the move to Australia 4:34 - Freight forwarding careers and settling across Australia 7:24 - Niteeka's leap from banking into Freight Forwarding 10:10 - From Sydney to Melbourne to Brisbane: Following 0pportunity 12:28 - Why a franchise model made sense for their family 13:55 - How they found Pack & Send on SEEK Business 15:20 - A six year journey from first inquiry to opening day 17:39 - The moment they said: We are doing this 18:08 - Why Caboolture Was the Perfect Location 19:04 - Why Brisbane always felt like home 19:30 - Growing the business: Cold calls, knock on doors, show up 21:24 - How Vikas and Neetika split their roles as a husband and wife team 23:13 - The five year vision: Multi-store ownership on the horizon 24:35 - Six months in: Doing things they never thought they could 25:33 - Work life balance: The real reward of business ownership 26:02 - Wrap up and thanks   Franchise Recruitment Marketing - Appear on our Podcasts HERE   Listen or Watch on;   Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yc8n8a4s Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/267k5sum Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/kuzc45cm YouTube: https://youtu.be/wEcIegTu4zo

    26 min
  2. 24 FÉVR. ·  VIDÉO

    Ep160 From Corporate Executive to Multi-Territory Plumbing Franchise Leader

    Paul O’Neill, Director and multi-territory franchise owner with Plumbing Bros, shares his journey from a corporate telco career into the trades sector, building a rapidly expanding plumbing franchise operation across multiple Australian territories.   From scaling teams quickly to strengthening operational systems, Paul highlights how leadership, culture, and strong processes have supported growth while maintaining service standards.   He also discusses the realities of managing multiple regions, recruitment challenges in the trades sector, and why transparency and team alignment are critical when leading a business without coming from a technical background.   Paul wraps up with insights on future expansion, operational optimisation, and the evolving opportunities within service-based franchise industries.   0:00 Introduction 0:16 What Plumbing Bros does and Paul’s role 1:40 Moving from the UK to Australia and corporate telco background 4:08 Discovering Plumbing Bros through relationships 7:16 Brand representation, authenticity, and opportunities 09:01 First impressions of Plumbing Bros growth vision 10:28 Franchise partnership model with real estate integration 13:10 Acquiring multiple territories and rapid expansion 13:28 Operational efficiency and leadership focus today 15:46 Leading trades teams without a plumbing background 19:01 Market differences between Perth and Melbourne 20:38 Recruiting talent and trade industry challenges 22:42 Future outlook for trades and AI disruption 24:27 Growth plans, optimisation, and next phase strategy 26:05 Wrap up   Franchise Recruitment Marketing - Appear on our Podcasts HERE   Listen or Watch on;   Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/5t33a9xy Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/evsbkpbv Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/ypt6kxt3 YouTube: https://youtu.be/MjxSytBGU44

    26 min
  3. 17 FÉVR. ·  VIDÉO

    Ep159 The Journey from Foster Care to Franchise Leader | Joel Kleber

    Joel Kleber, Chief Marketing Officer of Jim’s Group, shares his journey from law student and paralegal to one of the key voices behind one of Australia’s most recognised franchise brands.    With more than a decade inside the organisation, Joel offers a rare behind-the-scenes look at how the business has grown and evolved through content, transparency, and strong franchise support.   Jim’s Group is widely known for its home services network, covering hundreds of service categories across multiple divisions. The discussion explores how the brand continues to expand, the systems behind franchise recruitment, and the role content marketing has played in building trust and attracting new franchise partners.   Joel also reflects on leadership, resilience, and personal experiences that shaped his mindset, including his advocacy for mental health awareness within franchising. His perspective highlights how culture, mentorship, and openness can influence both business success and individual growth.   0:00 Introduction 0:53 Joel’s early career journey from law and commerce student to joining Jim’s as a paralegal 3:16 Explanation of the “560 service codes” system and how it expands what franchisees can offer 4:41 Why the old division model changed due to cost barriers and slow growth 7:07 Jim’s “radical transparency” philosophy, putting the full reality online to filter the right candidates in 8:31 The Ask Jim live Q&A concept and its direct impact on franchise enquiries 10:27 Hiring videographers and building a consistent publishing engine 13:34 How the content strategy evolved 15:03 Why many franchisors still hesitate to invest heavily in content creation 17:17 How Joel gets shy franchise partners on camera: switching formats 19:45 Joel’s upbringing including foster care and family mental health challenge 22:55 Relocating to Victoria and the stabilising influence of extended family 30:20 Mentorship from Jim and how trust enabled career growth 34:41 Challenges accessing mental health care during crises 37:50 Mental health initiatives within Jim’s including accessible counselling support 42:27 Wrap up   Franchise Recruitment Marketing - Appear on our Podcasts HERE   Listen or Watch on;   Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/yandyrvb Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/bdefs92v Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/3a6ctmjj YouTube: https://youtu.be/6DiWVrz9BWE

    43 min
  4. 30 JANV. ·  VIDÉO

    Ep157 From Tech Executive to Multi-Territory Plumbing Business | Mitch Gross

    Mitch Gross didn’t come from a plumbing background. He came from Silicon Valley, startups, and senior roles at eBay and still ended up building a multi-territory plumbing business in Sydney with Plumbing Bros.   e walks through the real transition from corporate life into business ownership, why he chose a franchise model, and what it actually took to survive starting a business during COVID.    He also shares how winning a major government contract helped accelerate growth, what happens when you rely too heavily on one big client, and why diversification across customer segments became critical to the next phase of the business.   You’ll also hear about leadership, delegation, building the right team, and what changes when you move from “doing everything yourself” to running a growing operation across multiple territories.   0:00  Introduction 0:49 What Plumbing Bros does 1:29 Mitch’s background before Plumbing 6:10 The decision to leave corporate and buy a business 8:22 Discovering Plumbing Bros as a Franchise Opportunity 10:40 Running a plumbing business without having a plumbing background 12:32 Starting the business during COVID and survival mode  13:31 Post-COVID growth and expanding into new territories 16:08 The risk of relying on one big client 17:30 Diversifying into new segments (strata, real estate, commercial) 19:06 What Mitch actually does day-to-day as an owner  22:01 Maximising contract value vs chasing new customers 23:03 The next 2–3 year plan and growth strategy 25:23 Wrap up   Franchise Recruitment Marketing - Appear on our Podcasts HERE   Listen or Watch on;   Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/56uvua63 Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/eczfbnbh Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/4pjesfku YouTube: https://youtu.be/hE-URdcbKYg

    26 min
  5. 29 JANV. ·  VIDÉO

    Ep156 Three Proven Ways to Build Your Customer Database with John Dwyer

    John Dwyer is the founder of the Institute of Wow and one of Australia’s most well-known marketing strategists, helping businesses build customer databases and generate consistent sales through smart, practical marketing systems.   In this episode of the Franchise Everything Podcast, JD breaks down three sure ways to build a customer database including irresistible offers, Facebook contest strategies that generate red-hot leads, and how to build a community or “club” that turns audiences into long-term customers.   They also discuss why most businesses fail to collect customer data, why databases are more valuable than ads, and how simple systems like contests, clubs, and follow-ups can turn a business from constantly chasing customers into one that builds long-term demand.   0:00 Introduction 1:06 Method #1: Irresistible offers in exchange for data 01:20 Method #2: Facebook contest strategy for red-hot leads 02:18 991 leads in one week from $210 ad spend 3:31 Why most businesses are afraid to try bold marketing ideas 05:02 How landing pages and pre-qualification improve lead quality 5:23 Method #3: Building a community or “club” model 7:45 How the club monetisation and email strategy works 9:32 Why owning your database matters more than social media  10:45 Why most business owners don’t implement these strategies 14:28 Real-world example: The restaurant with 92,000 customers on file 15:51 Why your database is your most valuable business asset 16:23 Wrap up   Franchise Recruitment Marketing - Appear on our Podcasts HERE   Listen or Watch on;   Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/45emumtd Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/2e37a966 Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/4vve3229 YouTube: https://youtu.be/Pai-EgXd8w8

    17 min
  6. 28 JANV. ·  VIDÉO

    Ep155 From Sushi Sushi Staff to Multi-Site, Multi-State Franchise Owner | Dor Li

    Dor Li is a multi-site, multi-state Sushi Sushi franchise owner who has spent years building his career inside the brand starting as a team member, rising through management, and eventually becoming a franchise owner across multiple states.   In this episode of the Franchise Everything Podcast, Dor shares his full journey from arriving in Australia as an international student, studying commercial cookery, managing company-owned stores, becoming an area manager across WA and Queensland, and finally stepping into franchise ownership in regional Victoria and Western Australia.   We talk about how he transitioned from head office to owning stores, how he builds strong store teams, why staff training is the real key to scaling multiple locations, and what it takes to grow from one store to six — with a seventh on the way.   0:00 Introduction 0:41 Moving from China to Australia as a student 02:20 Learning to cook out of necessity and living independently 03:47 First job at Sushi Sushi and early impressions 5:54 Becoming a store manager in a company-owned store 07:04 Moving to Western Australia as Area Manager 08:25 Rapid expansion and opening multiple stores per month 10:18 Overseeing WA and Queensland operations 11:51 Moving back to Melbourne to lead training and projects 12:44 The decision to become a franchise owner 15:06 COVID, leaving head office, and buying regional stores 16:58 How Dor adds new stores and builds management teams 18:39 What Dor looks for in future store opportunities 19:35 Wrap up   Franchise Recruitment Marketing - Appear on our Podcasts HERE   Listen or Watch on;   Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/y4j4va6a Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/3zm3aj6h Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/3spsbv4x YouTube: https://youtu.be/YfxcbKOO4RE

    20 min
  7. 27 JANV. ·  VIDÉO

    Ep154 What Businesses Must Know About Payday Super with Jay Westbury, CEO of FCA

    From 1 July 2026, every Australian business will be required to pay superannuation on the same day as wages  a change known as Payday Super. While it sounds simple on paper, the real impact on cashflow, payroll systems, and compliance could be significant, especially for small businesses and franchisees.   In this episode, Glenn sits down with Jay Westbury, CEO of the Franchise Council of Australia, to unpack what Payday Super actually means, why it’s being introduced, and what business owners should be thinking about right now to avoid being caught out.   They also cover enforcement, the closure of the ATO clearing house, and why both franchisors and franchisees need to start preparing now rather than waiting until mid-2026.   0:00 Introduction 0:49 What is Payday Super and what exactly changes from 1 July 2026 01:55 How Payday Super changes cashflow and payroll mechanics 02:56 Will businesses change pay cycles to cope with the new rules 4:16 Why the government introduced Payday Super and why now 5:54 Will the ATO enforce this aggressively and what penalties could look like 7:23 Why franchisors must start warning and preparing their franchisees now 8:41 Why Payday Super is being overlooked compared to the Franchise Code changes 9:42 What practical steps businesses should start taking right now 10:38 The ATO shutting down its clearing house and what businesses must replace it with 11:34 Why franchisees and franchisors both carry legal risk after the Bakers Delight case 12:32 Wrap up   Franchise Recruitment Marketing - Appear on our Podcasts HERE   Listen or Watch on; Spotify: https://tinyurl.com/mr3sbp64 Apple Podcasts: https://tinyurl.com/vbn5mcp7 Amazon Music: https://tinyurl.com/2ueapbdh YouTube: https://youtu.be/AvuOA9yVAvU

    13 min

À propos

Let's talk about everything and anything in franchising! Inspiring with experiences and information from the coal face of the people behind the day-to-day of franchises in action. We unpack personal journeys in founding and leading franchises, but just as important, are the journeys of people who own and run one or multiple franchise locations. From fitness, to coffee, to lawns and everything in between, franchising is a buffet of business niches. And with that comes an even wider range of people and stories to talk to about what they do, and how they did it. And from the people who support franchises in every kind of way. Everyone has a story to tell, and you'll often be amazed when they tell it in this way!