He is the mastermind behind hundreds of companies' exponential growth. Cameron's built a dynamic consultancy - his current clients include a 'Big 4' wireless carrier and a monarchy. What do his clients say they like most about him? He isn't a theory guy- they like that Cameron speaks only from experience. He earned his reputation as the business growth guru by guiding his clients to double their profit and double their revenue in just three years or less.
Cameron was an entrepreneur from day one. At age 21, he had 14 employees. By 35, he'd help build his first TWO $100 MILLION companies. By the age of 42, Cameron engineered 1-800-GOT-JUNK?'s spectacular growth from $2 Million to $106 Million in revenue and 3100 employees—and he did that in just six years. His companies landed over 5,200 media placements in that same six years, including coverage on Oprah.
Not only does Cameron know how to grow businesses, but his delivery from the stage is second to none— the current publisher of Forbes magazine, Rich Karlgaard, stated: "Cameron Herold is THE BEST SPEAKER I've ever heard...he hits grand slams."
When Cameron steps off the stage, he doesn't stop teaching. He is the author of the global best selling business book DOUBLE DOUBLE- in its 8th printing and multiple translations around the world. He's also the author of the top-selling books MEETINGS SUCK, VIVID VISION, MIRACLE MORNING FOR ENTREPRENEURS, and FREE PR.
Cameron is a top-rated international speaker and has been paid to speak in 26 countries. He is also the top-rated lecturer at EO/MIT's Entrepreneurial Masters Program and a powerful and effective speaker at Chief Executive Officer and Chief Operating Officer leadership events around the world.
Scott is a respected entrepreneur from Utah that has led several companies from their growth stage to exit. Most notably was co-founding Five Star Painting, one of America’s largest painting franchise systems, taking it to over 100 locations in four countries, culminating with the sale of Five Star Painting to The Dwyer Group, one of the world’s most respected franchisors in the service industry. During his role as CEO, Five Star Franchising received numerous franchise and business awards and was named the 15th fastest growing company in Utah Valley by Utah Valley BusinessQ, while Five Star Painting ranked No. 7 among the top 50 franchise opportunities with 50-99 locations for 2013 by Franchise Business Review. Scott earned a Master of Business Administration from the Marriott School of Management at Brigham Young University, as well as a bachelor’s degree in management from the University of Manitoba. Scott has been recognized personally with several awards for his entrepreneurship, being named to the Utah Business Forty Under 40, and receiving recognition as Innovator of the Year and Entrepreneur of the Year while in Canada. Today Mr. Abbott is leading ProNexis to become a fully integrated business solution for service-based businesses.
It began with a shift in values and a desire for simplicity.
Andy Bell had spent more than ten years in the corporate world, first as a stockbroker and then in the food and beverage industry. Wanting to start a family, and recognizing that the hours associated with restaurant management left no time for a personal life, Andy and his wife made the decision to return to their home state of Colorado in 1997.
Casting about for what to do next, Andy founded a small business of his own repairing swamp coolers (Swamp Boy International), a skill that had been necessary to learn because the coolers atop many of the restaurants he’d managed needed regular attention. This new endeavor was successful from the start; not only that, but Andy discovered that grateful homeowners frequently asked him if he could take a look at other problems they were having around the house. This convinced him that there was a vastly underserved market in the home repair field, and he began researching the idea of expanding the business and so was born Handyman Matters, a single entity that evolved into Ace Handyman Services.
Ace Hardware acquired Handyman Matters September of 2019. This caught the attention of the industry and they were awarded the “Deal Maker Of The Year 2020”. Since then Andy and his entire TEAM have completed their first year under the brand name Ace Handyman Services, awarding 61 new franchisees in 2020 and will be finishing the year 2020 up 9% in comp sales. We are not sure how high up is, however this strategic partnership has made sense from the very beginning.
“It’s hard to believe it’s been nearly two decades since we first set out to build a company that would bring ethics and integrity to the home improvement industry. I am humbled to see how we are redefining what it means to repair, restore, and remodel our customers’ most valued possession. Our expert Craftsmen, exceptional service, and respect to our customers and their homes, only feeds our passion to bring Helpful to your home.
CEO of Opiniion Inc, we are a venture backed company. Serial entrepreneur that has a passion for innovation and growth. His experience comes from being in the grind and hustling. His out of the box marketing tactics, sales creativity, and operational methods have allowed for his success and has provided him valuable knowledge in diverse industries.
Justin started his entrepreneurial career while attending BYU and running track and field. He has helped raise more than $7M in venture capital.
Founded TopBlip Inc in 2010. TopBlip was the leading IOS app for socially sharing music through lyrics and the number one contest platform for musicians to become opening acts for big concerts. Reaching over 2,000,000 visitors a month. Justin raised over $1,800,000 for TopBlip. Gigg.com acquired TopBlip in September of 2012.
In January of 2013, he founded KZ-Gear and helped lead sales to reach a 260% + year-over-year growth rate. Acquired in May 2017.
He has advised and been part of fast-growing companies (Degreed) in various states.
Justin speaks fluent Italian and partial Spanish. Justin is married to a beautiful woman and has four incredible kids.
An entrepreneur takes the vision of an idea and turns it into reality. Red Boswell has been doing just that all his life. From setting up friends with school supply distributorship agreements in 4th grade to used records and CDs in college, Red has launched, owned, bought, sold, and advised hundreds of companies in a multitude of industries - especially franchising.
Twenty years ago, Red founded and built a nationwide chain of 148 pet service franchises. After selling his franchise organization, Red launched Integriserv, a marketing and franchise consulting firm. Next, Red joined ERA as Chief Growth Officer to lead the expansion of this globally respected franchisor. His most recent leadership roles were with ActionCOACH & Leverage Global (a launching ground for emerging franchise brands) as Global Chief Development Officer then CEO of North America.
As an experienced entrepreneur, franchisor, CEO, Certified Franchise Executive, speaker, consultant, and passionate business builder focused on wisely scaling organizations, Red now gets to fuel his business building passion as President of the International Franchise Professionals Group (IFPG), The World’s Largest and Most Respected Franchise Consultant Organization. Over the past decade, Consultants with the IFPG have matched thousands of franchise buyers with their ideal opportunity as well as connected thousands of franchise professionals with one another.
Red is also the president of FranchiseWire, a publishing company that covers all things related to franchises. Red hosts weekly podcasts featuring experts.
A lifelong Texan, Red is active in his church, reads a book a week, and is an avid off-road skateboarding enthusiast and water sports junkie. He and his wife of 20 years, Shell live in Carrollton, TX and invest their time building a legacy through their three teenage children.
As iFranchise Group’s Senior Franchise Advisor in Atlanta, Mr. Falcon’s professional career spans more than 40 years across a range of industries and functions, including communications technology, operational and manufacturing consulting, marketing, project management, and business development. Mr. Falcon has over 18 years of direct experience in franchising, both as a franchisee and as an executive within multiple national franchisor systems.
Prior to joining the iFranchise Group as a Senior Advisor, Mr. Falcon served as CEO/Partner of Concrete Craft, where he implemented organizational and procedural improvements and initiated and led the sale of the company to Home Franchise Concepts.
Before his tenure at Concrete Craft, Mr. Falcon was President/Co-Founder, and Chairman of the Board, at ShelfGenie Franchise Systems, where he helped to establish the franchise program and was instrumental in growing the concept to 145 locations in five years. ShelfGenie was recognized by both Inc. and Entrepreneur magazines on their lists of top-performing franchise systems. He recently led the sale of ShelfGenie to Neighborly.
Mr. Falcon was also a franchise owner with Velocity Sports Performance, where he was responsible for overall project management, hiring and training staff, implementing marketing efforts, and more. In the first year of operations, he grew revenues to $800,000. He ultimately sold the company to start ShelfGenie.
Mr. Falcon is an active marathon runner and cyclist and is involved in several professional and community organizations, including local chambers of commerce and the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. He received a Professional Designation in Business Management from UCLA and has also received Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) designation from the International Franchise Association.
In private practice since 1989, Lane Fisher currently represents more than 500 franchise brands in business transactions and complex franchise litigation. Lane is admitted to practice in Pennsylvania and New Jersey and chairs the Franchise Law Committee of the Business Law Section of the Philadelphia Bar Association and is a member of the American Bar Association’s Forum Committee on Franchising. In addition to chairing its membership committee from 2005-2013, Lane served as a member of the International Franchise Association’s Board of Directors from 2005-2011 and is a past member of its executive committee and a past chair of the executive committee of the Supplier Forum Advisory Board. Lane also served as former chair of the Legal Symposium Task Force from 2006-2009 and previously served on the Federal Advisory Board.
Lane is a frequent speaker at franchise conferences and has written extensively on many aspects of franchising. Every year since 2004, Philadelphia Magazine has identified Lane as a Pennsylvania SuperLawyer and Franchise Times identified Lane in the “Top 100 Franchise Attorneys”, earning its Legal Eagle designation. Since 2010, Lane has earned the distinction of “Awesome Attorney” in Suburban Life magazine. Lane has published more than 50 articles and given more than 10 presentations on franchising-related issues at conferences and served as a frequent commentator and contributor to such media as CNN-fn, ABC/Live Well!, CN8, INC. Magazine, Franchise Times, Franchise Update, Franchising World, Franchise Law Journal, and The Franchise Lawyer.
Brad Fishman is CEO of Fishman Public Relations, the premiere national agency specializing in PR and content marketing services for franchise brands. He also founded Franchise Elevator, a fast-growing specialty PR agency serving emerging franchise brands. On a global level, Mr. Fishman also operates Fishman Canada, a PR firm providing lead generation and consumer PR for franchise brands in Canada, as well as co-founding Rev PR, a leading franchise PR firm in the United Kingdom. Mr. Fishman has spent nearly 30 years helping hundreds of franchisors raise awareness of their brand among consumers and expand their franchise systems through lead generation PR and content marketing.
Mr. Fishman also sits on the board of directors of many franchise organizations and franchise suppliers including Franchise Payments Network and FranFund and previously served on the Board of Directors of FranChoice. He is the past chairman of the International Franchise Association’s Supplier Forum, a past member of the IFA’s board and executive board and serves on the IFA's Membership Committee.
Joe is a partner at FisherZucker, LLC. Joe’s practice areas include commercial transactions and litigation focusing on franchise and distribution issues. Joe is a former corporate counsel for AMMCO Transmissions, Inc. and is experienced in regulatory compliance, intellectual property, licensing agreements and employment law. Joe regularly negotiates and drafts intellectual property licensing agreements and other commercial contracts including stock and asset purchase agreements, financing agreements, shareholder and employment agreements and procurement contracts as well as joint venture agreements and other strategic alliances. Joe represents both buyers and sellers in mergers and acquisitions, advises on corporate structure and formation and conducts due diligence on acquisition targets. Joe also regularly registers, maintains and enforces trademarks and copyrights. In addition, Joe represents the firm’s clients in planning, structuring and implementing franchise programs, including drafting disclosure documents, agreements and the subsequent registration and renewals of franchise offerings. Moreover, Joe actively represents the firm’s franchise and general commercial clients in both the federal courts and in private arbitrations, relating to breach of system standards, terminations, employment matters, trademark infringement, restrictive covenants and contract disputes, including securing preliminary and permanent injunctions.
Joe is a frequent speaker at the International Franchise Association’s annual legal symposium and other IFA events. Joe was named a Franchise Times Legal Eagle from 2013-2020, a Rising Star in Philadelphia Magazine’s SuperLawyers from 2005 – 2010 and a Philadelphia SuperLawyer from 2012 through 2020.
Joe is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame Law School (J.D. 1995) and holds a B.A. from the University of Delaware (1991).
Patrick Galleher is the Managing Partner for Boxwood Partners; an investment bank headquartered in Jupiter, FL, where he leads transactions for Boxwood’s M&A advisory services. He has led sell-side transactions including Monster Tree Franchising, Consolidated Label, Advantaclean, ShelfGenie, Parker Products, Dorsey Wright & Associates, Digital Risk, & the buy-out and minority investments in Sweet Frog Yogurt, Yoga Direct, Yoga Accessories, Everything Yoga, and Red Rock Products. Boxwood Partners focuses on transactions in the lower middle market between $50-$500m in Enterprise Value.
Prior to joining Boxwood, Patrick was CEO of WILink plc (WLK:LSE), a global financial communications and compliance business, headquartered in London with operations in the U.S., Canada, U.K., Continental Europe, and Sweden through its IPO in 2000. In 2006, as CEO, he successfully led the Company through a public-to-private transaction/sale to SVIP an NYC-based private equity group and delisting it from the London Stock Exchange.
Patrick serves on the Board of Directors for Issuer Direct (ISDR:NYSE), since 2014. He is Chairman of the Strategic Advisory and Compensation Committees.
Patrick holds a B.S. in Business Administration from the University of Richmond and a degree from the London Business School as well as attending the Centre for Creative Leadership (CCL) in Belgium. He is a founder of the Virginia Chapter of Young President’s Organization (YPO), a member of CEO, and the Finance Chair of the Southeast US and Caribbean Region of YPO. Patrick and his wife Julia along with their four boys live in Midlothian, VA.
Keith Gerson is President of Franchise Operations at FranConnect and is a recognized leader with over 45 years of franchising expertise. Over the last nine years, he has worked closely with executive boards and leadership teams that make up a number of FranConnect’s portfolio of 800+ brands and 150,000+ franchise locations. Keith is focused on helping franchisors get to their desired goals from increasing franchise sales, improving franchisee profitability, increasing franchisee satisfaction, and the making and keeping of customers. He accomplished this through a blend of his extensive expertise, combined with technology, data analytics, and thought leadership. He is the author of The Franchise Book of Mentors, the FranConnect Franchise Sales Index, Overcoming the Franchise Operations Crisis, along with his numerous articles, blogs, and webinars which can be found on the company’s Resources Page.
Tom Hodgson, is the CEO & founder of Color World Housepainting. Started in 1997, Color World is a unique painting franchise that offers multiple services when getting your home or business painted. Color World offers residential and commercial painting services, as well as gutter installation, power washing, carpentry/drywall repair, and Holiday lighting. Color World expanded into seven satellite cities before Tom discovered franchising. Color World Housepainting joined the IFA in 2007. Tom learned a lot and met a lot of great people in the franchise space and he knew this was the way to expand further. Tom knew he needed to learn from others who were already in the space and was offered a position at Five Star Painting at their very beginning and became their COO in 2008 - 2010. Tom developed a rebate program, helped with the development of their exterior painting software, and learned a lot about the franchise development side of the business. Because Color World had a background in Holiday lighting, Tom was asked to invest and help open one of the first holiday lighting franchises called Five Star Holiday Decor and became CEO in 2011 - 2013. During that period of time, he also partnered with a great team of people to develop the first ever Christmas tree delivery company called Five Star Christmas Tree Delivery. Tom is now solely focused on Color World Housepainting which he started franchising in 2017. By 2019, Color World really hit its stride and currently has just under 100 franchises sold in January 2021.
At 23-years-old and right after walking out of his job in the banking industry, Brian bought his first franchise. He struggled to build a business the old school way for 10 years but grew his business to 19 locations and $3 million in revenue – breaking organization records.
He purchased another franchise with the development rights for four locations in the fitness industry. After he discovered the power of social media to grow his brand, he launched three locations cash flow positive from day one. Brian is the CEO of Franchise Ramp, the premiere franchise digital marketing agency built for franchisees, by franchisees. Brian is also the co-host of the #1 podcast in the franchising world, The Franchise Story Podcast.
Chad Cut his teeth in the residential and commercial remodeling space which moved into helping start, build and lead Five Star Painting into one of the world’s largest painting companies in franchising culminating in the successful sale of Five Star Painting to The Dwyer Group in 2015.
Chad while leading Five Star Franchising has parlayed this home services understanding into driving the growth of Five Star Bath Solutions, the fastest growing bathroom remodeling franchise system in North America. Bath Solutions is an Entrepreneur 500 ranked system that specializes in bathroom renovations using unique durable products and processes to renovate a bathroom completely from the studs out in as little as 2 days. Chad is also the CEO of a new Franchise start-up called Joe Homebuyer which is in the real estate wholesaling arena that has seen phenomenal growth in its initial startup phase.
Chad loves franchising and helping his franchise partners achieve success as they being entrepreneurs using a proven system. Chad has been involved in several successful business exits. Chad is now involved in several investments currently ranging from large Venture funds to early private startups as well as providing consulting to new businesses and seasoned franchise groups.
John has been involved in technology startups in the Dallas, TX area for over 30 years. Many of the ideas that eventually became serviceminder.io came from his time as CTO at e2 communications, an early SaaS player in the dotcom boom era focused on email marketing, customer relationship, and sales automation solutions for small-to-medium sized businesses. Following the sale of e2, he took some time off from technology as an Outdoor Lighting Perspectives franchisee. In 2011, shortly after the release of the Apple iPad, he saw an opportunity to combine his home services experience and technology background with rapidly improving mobile technology and founded serviceminder.io. serviceminder.io is a comprehensive operating system for home services brands, including CRM, scheduling, proposals, invoices and online payments, email and drip marketing, brand-level reporting for key stats like cost-per-lead, conversion and close rates by channel, and real-time lead production. serviceminder.io was ranked 10th on Entrepreneur magazine's Technology Services list for Franchise Suppliers in 2020.
Doug has an extensive business background and is located in Ottawa, Canada. He founded and built one of the top cellular phone dealerships in Canada. This has given him a keen insight into what is required to manage and run multi-location businesses. Better Software provides a Franchise Operations software, designed to ensure that the Franchisor maintains brand control while also ensuring that the Franchisees have the ability to manage and excel at their day to day activities. With an extensive feature list including royalty reporting, emailing, dashboards, calendars, payment integrations, invoicing, CRM, and extensive reporting we have everything required to ensure your success. Our listing is Entrepreneur magazine's Technology Services list for Franchise Suppliers in 2020speaks to our technology and the reviews on Capterra speak to our commitment to excellent customer service.
Wade has been in the insurance industry for 13 years, wearing many hats including product owner of a homegrown agency management system. It was through his experience as a producer and product owner where he found his true passion, insurtech. Wade founded a company, rikor, which will provide real-time insurance verification for the franchise industry. This innovative technology will significantly reduce risk and operational costs for franchise systems small and large across the country.
Prior to joining Apax Partners, Nedu was a management consultant at McKinsey & Company's Corporate Finance practice in New York, where he advised clients from financial services and other industries.
Nedu joined Apax Partners in 2012 and is currently based in New York. He is on the services team. Apax Partners is a Private Equity Partnership out of London that focuses on long-term investment in growth companies. The portfolio companies in which Apax funds employ in excess of 150,000 people and generate combined revenues of over $20 billion.
Nedu's Apax deal experience includes AssuredPartners, Authority Brands, Quality Distribution, Tosca Services, and the take-private of Garda World Security Corporation. He serves as a Director of all these companies with the exception of Garda.
Nedu holds a BS and MS in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford University and an MBA from Harvard Business School.
Bio coming soon!
Omar Soliman is a published author, entrepreneur, and TV personality. He is the Co-Founder & CEO of COLLEGE HUNKS HAULING JUNK, a national junk removal and moving franchise with over 120 franchises across the country. CHHJ was named one of the fastest-growing franchises in the nation by Entrepreneur Magazine and currently employs over 2,000 people nationwide.
Omar was named 'Top 30 Entrepreneurs in America Under 30' by INC magazine and is an Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year winner. Omar has appeared as a frequent guest on FOX Business News, MSNBC, and ABC's hit TV show Shark Tank.
Omar co-authored his first book along with his business partner Nick Friedman titled EFFORTLESS ENTREPRENEUR. The book has become a national bestseller and is a must-read for anyone looking to start a business. Omar is a guest speaker at universities, high schools, and corporate events.
Luke Stanton is president of ProTradeNet, the vendor relations division for Neighborly, the world's largest home services franchisor. ProTradeNet connects premium franchise owners with elite vendors, creating valuable relationships that grow revenue, reduce cost, and save time and money. It supports more than 250 preferred vendors and 4,300 franchise owner members. Over the last nine years, Luke and his team have developed a truly unique and comprehensive supply chain experience that accommodates Neighborly’s many service verticals, rapid growth, and acquisitions. He’s implemented systems that grow engagement, increase efficiency, and add value, and his successful leadership has directly influenced the program’s reputation and support among its trading partners. Passionate about helping business owners solve complex problems, Luke is focused on delivering solutions that transform how you buy and distribute service in the marketplace. Luke holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Tarleton State University. Prior to joining Neighborly, he worked in corporate aviation, serving as a pilot for privately held companies.
Brandon joined Five Star Franchising in 2013 after a successful career in specialty retail. Brandon directs the marketing efforts of the Five Star brands to ensure each franchisee is positioned for successful market growth and exposure. Brandon initially oversaw marketing for Five Star Painting and was also instrumental in franchise development. Following the sale of Five Star Painting, Brandon continues today in similar capacities with Five Star Bath Solutions and Joe Homebuyer.
Previous to Five Star Franchising and Joe Homebuyer, Brandon served as the Vice President of Sales for Pedersen Worldwide and was involved in many departments of its two international retail brands – Del Sol and Cariloha. Brandon graduated from Westminster College with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics and a minor in Spanish. Later, he earned his Executive MBA from Brigham Young University. Brandon complements his education with a variety of business experiences. His vast sales experience combined with his marketing expertise allow him to capitalize on business opportunities for the ongoing success of Five Star Franchising. Brandon is a native of Utah but has also lived in South America. He currently resides in Northern Utah with his wife and four children.
Before working at Authority Brands, Rob joined The Cleaning Authority as a franchisee, owning two locations in Newark, DE, and Harrisburg, PA. He is still a franchise today. In 2005, Rob joined the Operations Team and worked his way up to the CEO of the company.
Rob is also the CEO of Authority Brands, LLC which was founded in 2017. Authority Brands is one of the worlds largest home services conglomerates and is the parent company of eight home service franchisors: America's Swimming Pool Company, Benjamin Franklin Plumbing, The Cleaning Authority, Homewatch CareGivers, Mister Sparky electric, Mosquito Squad, One Hour Heating and Air Conditioning, and Monster Tree. Together, these brands provide home services through more than 1875 locations operated by nearly 1,000 franchise owners in the U.S., Canada, Latin America, Kenya, and Indonesia. Authority Brands does over $1 billion of revenue annually.
Rob has a Bachelor of Arts from Dickinson College and an MBA from Vanderbilt University’s Owen Graduate School of Management.
Lawrence oversees the digital marketing operations of ProNexis and it’s clients. Lawrence works to ensure company goals are met through the development and implementation of proper digital marketing strategies. He is constantly making improvements to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of ProNexis’s Digital Marketing practices and processes for all brands and clients.
As Vice President Of Marketing, it’s Lawrence’s job to think like the major search engines and most importantly, our client's customers, to ensure the best user experience and performance of digital marketing mediums. Lawrence has successfully provided franchise owners with the technological foundation and digital marketing strategies to achieve the best results.
With over 12 years of digital marketing experience and a successful track record in some of the most competitive industries, Lawrence has a refined, solid approach to long-term digital marketing success.
Ryan Zink has been involved with franchising since 2003 in many capacities. In 2003, he began his career in franchising by managing 15 franchised General Nutrition Center stores (GNC). Under his management, he helped create the top five revenue producing GNC stores in the country. Shortly after Ryan became a supplier to GNC franchisees as the President and Co-owner of NDS Nutritional Products, a supplement company that partnered with over 3,000 nutritional stores in the United States, Canada, and Europe.
In 2008 Ryan became the Co-Founder and President of Complete Nutrition. Complete Nutrition is a network of high-quality nutritional supplement retail stores whose mission is to create safe and effective weight management, sports nutrition, fitness, and general health programs to help customers look better, feel better, and perform better. Complete Nutrition grew to $130,000,000+ in revenue over 200 locations and in December 2015 Ryan and his partner sold Complete Nutrition to a private equity investment group.
Today Ryan is the CEO and Co-founder of Franchise FastLane the largest franchise sale organization (FSO) in the United Sales as well as a franchisee of multiple brands.
Ryan is a regular speaker at franchise conferences and participates on several boards including the University of Nebraska’s Gallup Strengths board, Brookside Church’s elder board, and multiple franchisor advisory boards.
Ryan grew up in Omaha NE and holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Nebraska Omaha. He has been married to his wife Mandy since 2008 and has 4 boys Brandon, Boston, Cameron, and Caleb.
Erik Van Horn is a franchising specialist and expert in multi-unit, multi-brand ownership as a franchisee and franchisor.
From franchisee to franchisor, regional developer, investor, consultant, and podcast host, Erik has worn many hats over the last two decades. His diverse experience has provided him with unique insight into the challenging aspects of the industry.
Erik has owned 6 brands in 8 states. But more than growing his businesses, Erik has a passion for helping people. That’s why he has helped 1,000 people (and counting) find great opportunities that meet their lifestyle goals so they can find the same freedom through franchising that he enjoys.
Recently, Erik has ventured into the role of Franchisor. Partners Josh Skolnick, Zach Beutler, and Erik Van Horn launched Mighty Dog Roofing and are on track to onboard 40 Franchisees in 2021.
In the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic, Erik founded the Franchise Tribe Mastermind--a group dedicated to helping franchisees learn how to shortcut the path to success without sacrificing their lifestyle. With over 80 members and counting, the Franchise Tribe Mastermind has quickly become one of the most valuable resources for franchisees.
Erik also hosts a weekly podcast called the Franchise Secrets Podcast which provides key insights into the world of franchising through in-depth interviews with top-performing franchisees, successful franchisors, investors, and other industry-leading experts. The free Franchise Secrets Facebook group gives listeners added value by providing a community where they can ask questions, share wins, and give advice.
To learn more about the Franchise Tribe Mastermind, visit:
To learn more about the Franchise Secrets Podcast, visit:
To join the free Facebook Group, visit:
To learn more about Mighty Dog Roofing, visit:
Jeff Wall founder of Trident Investment Partners, Inc., a privately-held holding company that owns Handyman Connection. Jeff also serves as the President & CEO at Handyman Connection, a leading home-improvement franchisor in North America specializing in small to medium home repairs and
remodeling. In his role, he is responsible for leading the strategic direction of a diverse franchise system that consistently connects skilled service professionals to customers with a variety of small to medium-sized improvement needs.
Mr. Wall is a 30 year veteran of the franchising, and home-services industry, having overseen over $1B of home-improvement related services relating to over 500,000 different customers across North America. Mr. Wall has extensive experience with brand development, technology implementation & roll-out, P&L management, contracting, franchising, and business development.
Marcos Moura is the co-owner and Chief Development Officer of Amada Franchise Inc., a brand dedicated to enriching the lives of our rapidly aging population.
Recognition for Amada Senior Care:
- Top 10 Best New Franchises to Invest In" by Entrepreneur Magazine
- #245 on Entrepreneur Magazine's Franchise 500 Ranking
- Inc. 5000 fasted growing companies.
In 2020, Marcos was the recipient of the "Two Comma Club C" award by Clickfunnels co-founder Russel Brunson for grossing over $100MM.
Marcos frequently speaks about how to target your ideal audience, leveraging social media, and business growth at Franchising and Marketing events.
Marcos has helped hundreds of entrepreneurs find and start businesses that allow them to live life on their terms and do work that is meaningful to them, their families, and their communities.
He holds an MBA from the University of Southern California (USC) and works and lives in San Clemente, CA, with his wife and three boys.
Heather Conley-Spangler, Vice President of Customer Success, CFE, joined Clarity Voice in 2011. As a former business consultant with Service Brands International, Heather is intimately familiar with the challenges all new owners face when setting up and running their home services business. Today, Heather works with an assortment of contractors and concepts from painters to plumbers, electricians to landscapers, home remodelers to HAVC installers and more, where she applies her hands-on experience to solve their communication challenges.
Heather received her bachelor’s in Business Management from Cleary University in Michigan and was awarded her professional certification as a franchise executive from the International Franchise Association in 2016.
John is a sales and marketing professional with 9 years of experience. John received his Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing from the University of Illinois at Chicago. John works with business owners to reach their financial and marketing goals. He has presented at home improvement conferences and sales seminars all over the country. Many of his efforts at HomeAdvisor & Angie’s List are put towards receiving feedback from professionals to help innovation of both products. John was born and raised in Chicago, Illinois but has recently relocated to HomeAdvisor’s HQ in Denver, Colorado. When John isn't working he is hiking through the Rocky Mountains, camping, training Muy Thai, doing yoga, and spending time with friends and family.
Bill Zinke is the Senior Vice President of Marketing for BELFOR Franchise Group (BFG), whose family of residential and commercial services brands is one of the largest in the world. BFG’s nine brands – five of which are in Entrepreneur Magazine’s 2021 Franchise 500 list and three of which are #1 in their categories – include 1-800 WATER DAMAGE, Blue Kangaroo Packoutz, Chem-Dry, Delta Restoration Services, DUCTZ, HOODZ, N-Hance Wood Refinishing, The Patch Boys and Z PLUMBERZ. BFG parent company BELFOR Property Restoration is the world-wide leader in property restoration services. (www.belforfranchisegroup.com)
Over the course of his 30-year marketing career, Bill has spent 18 years working in franchising across six companies and 14 brands, ranging from start-ups to global systems spanning 55 countries. While his marketing and management experience have helped numerous companies and brands reach new peaks in their growth and geographic expansion, his passion is helping individual owners realize their goals and dreams. Prior to BFG, he helped lead franchise brands including Baskin-Robbins and Dippin’ Dots and also spent over 10 years in consumer packaged goods brand management with several organizations including Fortune 500 Unilever.
Bill received an MBA from Northwestern University’s J.L. Kellogg School of Management and a BA from Amherst College. He’s also served on the boards of both private companies and non-profits.
Initially working in a family landscaping business in upstate NY as a kid, Joe started his professional career with The Sports Section, a youth and sports photography franchise company in 1993. Joe worked with entrepreneurs and an amazing Team to build systems and branding that helped elevate the organization to a Top 200 franchise company with over 210 locations in 4 countries. After selling the business in 2014 and consulting with the new ownership for a year, Joe then joined California Closets on their corporate team as VP of Franchising for the $240MM company, overseeing operations for the company-owned unit expansion, along with their Franchising division through periods of rapid growth. In 2019 he seized the opportunity to purchase the Louisiana franchise, expanding in late 2020 and becoming a multi-unit operator.
In addition to serving in the United States Marine Corps for 6 years, including in Desert Storm in a tank unit, Joe’s interests include rugby, golf as well as public speaking and consulting for other companies. He splits his time between New Orleans and Atlanta, enjoys serving various civic and community organizations, including on the Board of Directors of the International Franchise Association, the Board of the Kuyahoora Valley Foundation, a 501(c)3 that he started with some friends from his hometown in Upstate NY and as a certified facilitator with Forum Sherpa. Joe believes leadership and culture are fundamental to performance and balance in life.
Kelsey is part of the family team that built Bloomin' Blinds from scratch and the CEO of the franchise organization. Not coming from the franchise industry, Kelsey has a unique view on the franchise business and often describes himself as a "blind guy that started a franchise". When not working on the growth of Bloomin’ Blinds, Kelsey enjoys running into the woods in his RV. Kelsey loves spending time thinking up new ways to make his girls giggle and make his wife roll her eyes...usually with amusement.
Marco Zappacosta is the co-founder and CEO of Thumbtack. Recognized on Forbes’ 2015 30 under 30 list, Marco and Thumbtack have been featured in media outlets including The New York Times, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal and CNBC and were recently acknowledged as one of GlassDoor's Best Places to Work and Highest Rated CEOs lists. Marco co-founded Thumbtack after graduating from Columbia University, where he majored in Political Science. He and his family live in San Francisco. His favorite personal Thumbtack project was hosting a Halloween party that included a Thumbtack bartender, magician, and photographer.
Allison is an accomplished professional with over 20 years of experience in sales, business development, strategic planning and brand development, with exceptional skills in communication, targeting and securing new business accounts, and building successful partnerships.
Allison joined Guidant in early 2013 and is their Director of Business Development. She’s been successful in growing essential partner relationships and has become a vital leader within Guidant. She is responsible for winning new accounts, managing existing accounts and creating lasting partnerships with key executives in the franchising industry. Allison and her team provide top-notch service and results to all the verticals within the franchising industry.
Guidant Financial provides an educational and transparent approach to small business funding. We offer a full suite of funding options to help business owners from all walks of life find the solution that will allow them to make their business dreams a reality. We provide a free financing consultation to each client, helping them assess their goals so they can determine which of our small business funding solution(s) best fits their needs. Our online pre-qualification tool, as well as our comprehensive library of educational resources, allows prospective business owners to understand their options so they can make the best decision.
Alvin has over 25 years of enterprise software development experience. He was the general manager of the software subsidiary which developed the cost estimation software for reconstruction and remodeling. He has also run the world's largest escrow-based payment service. In his younger years, he ran an apartment painting and prep business and he enjoys remodeling and flipping properties on the side.
