With Barb Volk & Doug Birer In the latest episode of The Franchise Woman Podcast: Where Passion & Purpose Collide, Rebecca Monet welcomes Barb Volk and Doug Birer—long-time partners and proven franchise operators—whose journey blends heart, discipline, and smart growth strategy. Barb and Doug’s story began years ago in the early days of OrangeTheory Fitness,[…]
Welcome Aboard: Pacific Perks Pacific Perks is a mobile café and catering company that specializes in creating interactive coffee and food experiences for events. Instead of operating from a traditional storefront, Pacific Perks brings handcrafted beverages and specialty food bars—such as espresso drinks, smoothies, waffle bars, crepes, and other treats—directly to corporate gatherings, employee appreciation[…]
Some leaders blend in. Others bring color, clarity, and conviction wherever they go. In this episode of The Franchise Woman Podcast: Where Passion & Purpose Collide, Rebecca Monet and Tracy Kawa welcome Jeanette Weinz, Brand President of Executive Home Care, for a moving conversation about leadership, healthcare, and the irreplaceable value of human connection. From[…]
Welcome Aboard: Enviro-Master Enviro-Master is a commercial health and safety company that specializes in deep-cleaning and sanitation services for businesses. Rather than operating as a traditional janitorial service, the company focuses on targeted hygiene solutions such as commercial restroom sanitation, drain treatment, tile and grout cleaning, electrostatic disinfection, and other specialized services designed to help[…]
Leadership journeys rarely follow a straight line — and that’s exactly what makes them meaningful. In this episode of The Franchise Woman Podcast: Where Passion & Purpose Collide, Rebecca Monet and Tracy Kawa welcome Katie Dills, Brand President of The Cleaning Authority, for a candid conversation about growth, curiosity, and leading with purpose. Katie’s story[…]
Welcome Aboard: Little Lions Club Little Lions Club is a youth fitness and early development program designed to introduce toddlers and preschool-aged children to sports through fun, structured play. Built around a soccer-based curriculum, the program helps children ages 2–5 develop fundamental motor skills, teamwork, confidence, and sportsmanship in a positive, non-competitive environment. Classes are[…]
When business owners think about exiting their company, the conversation often centers around private equity, strategic buyers, or family succession. Yet for many founders—especially in franchising—those paths come with tradeoffs: loss of control, cultural disruption, pressure-filled earnouts, or a complete shift in the company’s identity. In a recent episode of The Franchise Woman Podcast: Where[…]
Welcome Aboard: AtWork AtWork is a national staffing and recruiting company dedicated to connecting talented job seekers with businesses that need reliable employees. Through a network of locally owned offices across the United States, AtWork provides workforce solutions such as temporary staffing, temp-to-hire placements, and direct hire recruiting. The company serves a variety of industries[…]
When Alexa Centeno walked away from her corporate accounting career, she wasn’t chasing trends—she was chasing freedom. What began as a desire to spend more time with her family evolved into a bold entrepreneurial leap that led to VELLA HAUS, a fast-growing national home staging franchise redefining the industry. From Finance to Freedom Alexa holds[…]
Welcome Aboard: Senior Helpers Senior Helpers is a leading in-home senior care franchise founded in 2002 by Peter Ross and Tony Bonacuse. The concept was born from a personal experience—seeing the difficulty families face when trying to find trustworthy, compassionate care for aging loved ones. What started as a single location in Baltimore, Maryland, has[…]
Why do so many entrepreneurs stall right before their next big breakthrough? According to business growth coach and author Andrea Liebross, it’s because they’re stuck in what she calls the messy middle—that uncomfortable space between progress and possibility, where fear, doubt, and guilt start whispering that you’re in over your head. The “Messy Middle” Moment[…]
Scaling Smart: Systems for Growing More Franchise Locations (and Helping Each One Succeed) For many franchisors, growth is both exciting and frustrating. You want to open more locations. You know there’s demand. But somewhere between lead generation, qualification, onboarding, and ongoing support, things get stuck. Leads fall through the cracks. Franchisees feel overwhelmed. Growth slows—or[…]