Podcast
The Exit Plan
Hosted by Franzy · EN
Every week on The Exit Plan, you get an unfiltered conversation with someone who actually left the 9 to 5 and built something real — how they did it, what it cost them, what they'd do differently, and what the numbers actually looked like. Franchise owners, startup founders, multi-unit operators. Real stories. Real playbooks. No highlight reel. New episodes every Monday.
31episodes
Episodes
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Why He Walked Away From a $100 Million Offer - Devan Kline
1w ago00:24:33Tap to summarizeHe moved to Charlotte with no money, no connections, no brand, no LLC, and no bank account. He knocked on a thousand doors, sent a thousand emails, and talked his way into 250 live TV segments across the Southeast, once driving five hours to Alabama for a two-minute spot in a state where he didn't have a single gym. He turned that into $25 million in earned media without spending a dollar.In this episode of The Exit Plan, Alex Smereczniak sits down with Devan Kline, founder of Burn Boot Camp, now 467 locations, 160,000 members, and 3,000 trainers. DK breaks down the standard a candidate has to clear to get a multi-unit deal, why he says Burn isn't a fitness company at all, and why he still refuses to take a dollar of private equity while his competitors race to sell.Then he says the thing most founders never would. He could have sold the company for $100 million at 28 years old, and he turned it down. His reasoning has nothing to do with the money.It's a conversation about resourcefulness, accountability, and building something designed to outlive you, from a founder who studied Sam Walton and Howard Schultz closely enough to know exactly what he was giving up.CHAPTERS00:00 The best resource is resourcefulness01:00 The 3,000 trainers who carry the culture02:05 467 gyms, 160,000 members, and the high-five economy04:37 What earns you a multi-unit deal05:45 Not a fitness company, a confidence company07:49 Why he refuses private equity10:04 Kevin Hart, equity, and the awareness problem11:03 The Sam Walton strategy: fly under the radar12:30 Turning down $100 million at 2814:37 Quick hitters15:15 The parking lot or the pro baseball field15:53 The one goal he never misses16:40 Advice for the entrepreneur with zero resources19:30 The thing he hid for years22:53 Why franchising is the vehicle
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He Got Crushed by a Dump Truck, Then Built 200 Locations
2w ago00:45:36Tap to summarizeHe walked away from medical school at 18. By 21, he was stuck in the power take-off of a dump truck, getting MRIs and wondering if he had wrecked more than his body. His lawn care business had no systems, almost no margin, and no safety net. That accident is the reason Augusta Lawn Care exists today with 200-plus locations.In this episode of The Exit Plan, Alex Smereczniak sits down with Mike Andes, founder of Augusta Lawn Care and Homeworks, to trace the improbable path from pre-med prodigy to one of the most watched operators in home services. Mike breaks down how he rebuilt the business around systems after the accident, why he modeled his entire franchise on an Anytime Fitness gym he bought after years working there as a trainer, and how a library of YouTube videos became a pipeline that has signed every single one of his franchisees.Then it gets contrarian. Mike charges a flat 1,600 dollars a month instead of a percentage royalty, hands the franchise fee back after ten years, and lets owners walk away whenever they want and keep their customers. He explains why giving up that control makes the whole system stronger, why he turns away five out of six qualified applicants, and why he believes the future of lawn care runs through software and robotics.It is a blueprint for building something that outlives you, from someone who almost did not get the chance to build it at all.00:00 Intro01:58 Why he left medical school03:15 Lawns, the MBA, and the backup to the backup04:23 The dump truck accident that changed everything05:20 Buying a gym and modeling Augusta on Anytime Fitness07:08 Facing the "boring business" stigma09:29 Why blue collar got cool11:39 The flat $1,600 fee and no royalties14:04 Building a franchise to outlive the founder15:18 What keeps owners around when they can leave18:36 Converting existing owners: the kennel problem21:46 Pay for performance: paying crews on output23:37 The content engine that built 200 locations30:16 Optimizing for leads, not just views33:30 The franchisee who looks perfect but isn't37:33 Going public and the bet on robotics39:42 Quick hitters45:30 Wrap upFollow Me• Instagram: / https://instagram.com/alexfromfranzy• TikTok: / https://tiktok.com/alexfromfranzy • YouTube: / https://youtube.com/@franzyinc• LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-smereczniak-40310329/• X: https://www.x.com/alexfromfranzy• Threads: https://www.threads.net/alexfromfranzy
Transcribe →The Founder Who Turned a Dying Flower Shop Into a $10M Empire
4w ago00:52:11Tap to summarizeWhen Michael Jacobson's uncle called to sell the flower shop he'd run for nearly 40 years, the plan was simple: help wind it down. The business was losing money, and Michael was just a bored corporate consultant doing his uncle a favor. Instead, he found an entire industry frozen in time, still running on fax machines, gutted by aggregator commissions, and decades behind on technology. So he quit his job and took over the shop himself.In this episode of The Exit Plan, Alex sits down with Michael to break down how he grew a single location from a few hundred thousand in revenue to nearly $10 million, why he rebuilt the whole business around three pillars (technology, supply chain, and marketing), and how a $13,000 printer ink problem accidentally led to the best software in the floral industry.They also get into the part most founders rush: Michael opened multiple corporate stores and waited years before franchising, why his first attempt to sign franchisees completely failed, and what he actually looks for in an owner now. Plus the customer experience philosophy behind French Florist and why he believes flowers are the most underrated gift you can give.A blueprint for taking an overlooked, unsexy industry and building something an order of magnitude better.Free Guide: Real costs & earnings for the Top 5 Franchises under $150k. Find your fit here: https://go.franzy.com/top-5-franchises-under-150kFollow Me• Instagram: / https://instagram.com/alexfromfranzy• TikTok: / https://tiktok.com/alexfromfranzy • YouTube: / https://youtube.com/@franzyinc• LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-smereczniak-40310329/• X: https://www.x.com/alexfromfranzy• Threads: https://www.threads.net/alexfromfranzy• Podcast: https://franzy.buzzsprout.com
Transcribe →The Nuclear Engineer Who Found Freedom in a Dog Grooming Franchise
Jun 1500:51:11Tap to summarizeNuclear engineer to Boston Consulting Group to dog grooming franchisee. Jacob Lee walked away from the elite MBA path to build a Scent Hound empire, and his philosophy is almost too simple: all you have to do is not fail.In this episode of The Exit Plan, Alex sits down with Jacob to break down how he went from signing his first franchise agreement in 2021 to eight locations open with a ninth under construction, all in under five years. They get into why he chose franchising over the search fund route, how he vetted brands using return on invested capital and the FDD, and why pet care was a category he was willing to bet on.Jacob also opens up about the part nobody warns you about: financing. Stringing together SBA loans to open a store every few months got so painful he built a company to fix it (SBA Source). He shares when to move from SBA to conventional lending, what banks actually want to see before your second location, and the back office costs the item 19 never shows you.Plus: how to keep multi-unit operations from falling apart as you scale, the membership numbers that make everything else take care of itself, and the best advice from his father-in-law, a former QSR CEO.A practical playbook for anyone who is franchise curious or ready to grow.Free Guide: Real costs & earnings for the Top 5 Franchises under $150k. Find your fit here: https://go.franzy.com/top-5-franchises-under-150kCHAPTERSFollow Me• Instagram: / https://instagram.com/alexfromfranzy• TikTok: / https://tiktok.com/alexfromfranzy • YouTube: / https://youtube.com/@franzyinc• LinkedIn: / https://www.linkedin.com/in/alex-smereczniak-40310329/• X: https://www.x.com/alexfromfranzy• Threads: https://www.threads.net/alexfromfranzy• Podcast: https://franzy.buzzsprout.com
Transcribe →$10M From a Franchise Nobody Wanted
Jun 100:56:37Tap to summarizeTerry Walkerly was told early on that his filtration business would probably never become a large company.Nearly two decades later, he’s built the largest operation in the entire franchise network - a $10M business spanning multiple states with nine acquisitions completed along the way.In this episode, Terry shares: How he bought and scaled franchise territories Why operational leadership matters more than most owners realize The importance of reinvesting into infrastructure and people How to transition from owner-operator to true business owner The biggest mistakes new franchisees make This conversation is a masterclass in long-term thinking, operational excellence, and building a scalable business inside a franchise system.Free Guide: Real costs & earnings for the Top 5 Franchises under $150k. Find your fit here: https://go.franzy.com/top-5-franchises-under-150k
Transcribe →The Pizza Empire Hiding in Gas Stations
May 2900:08:09Tap to summarizeHow does a pizza company you've never seen beat the biggest names in the world? Hunt Brothers didn't win by selling better pizza—they won by rethinking where pizza gets sold.In this episode, we break down the incredible story of how four brothers from Tennessee turned 59 square feet of gas station counter space into a billion-dollar empire. While Domino’s and Pizza Hut fight over expensive urban real estate, Hunt Brothers built a "low-cost, no-royalty" model that fits inside a town of 500 people.Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ssVlH25_aI💰 Free Guide: Want to own a business like this? We broke down the real costs & earnings for the Top 5 Franchises under $150k. 👉 Download it here: https://go.franzy.com/top-5-franchises-under-150k
Transcribe →Scaling 1-800-GOT-JUNK from $10M to $100M
May 2501:06:31Tap to summarizeIn this episode of The Exit Plan, we sit down with Alex Read, a veteran entrepreneur and operator who has seen the business world from every possible angle as a corporate leader, a high-growth operator, and an investor. Alex shares the remarkable story of his transition from a "golden handcuff" corporate role at American Express in the UK to moving to Vancouver with nothing but a two-week hotel reservation and a hunger for entrepreneurial adventure. We dive deep into his journey of scaling 1-800-GOT-JUNK to over 300 locations and reaching $100 million in revenue. Alex describes the unique experience of "assembling The Avengers" a powerhouse team of visionaries and integrators who turned "crazy growth" into a "do or die" reality. Download the free guide to see real costs, what owners are actually making, and which brands are the right fit for you:👉 https://go.franzy.com/top-5-franchises-under-150k
Transcribe →Why KFC, Taco Bell, & Applebee's Share Buildings
May 2200:06:28Tap to summarizeWhy are brands like KFC, Taco Bell, Applebee’s, and IHOP merging into dual-branded restaurants? In this episode, Alex breaks down the real business strategy behind combo restaurants, ghost kitchens, and virtual brands and why companies like Yum! Brands and Dine Brands believe shared real estate could be the future of fast food.From the rise of the iconic “KenTacoHut” to the modern delivery-app era, this episode explores how restaurants use multi-brand kitchens to maximize revenue, reduce costs, and dominate platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats. Alex also dives into the operational challenges behind these concepts, why many failed, and why they’re suddenly making a comeback.If you’re interested in franchise businesses, restaurant economics, real estate strategy, or the future of food delivery, this episode breaks down the hidden business model behind the world’s strangest restaurant mashups
Transcribe →The Chick-fil-A Golden Handcuffs
May 2000:09:38Tap to summarizeChick-fil-A is the most profitable brand in fast food, but it’s the only franchise where your exit value is exactly zero. We break down the "Golden Handcuffs" business model and why I would turn down a $9M-per-year store to build an empire I can actually sell.Download the free guide to see real costs, what owners are actually making, and which brands are the right fit for you:👉 https://go.franzy.com/top-5-franchises-under-150k
Transcribe →The Massive Aging Crisis Nobody Is Ready For
May 1800:46:28Tap to summarizeIn this episode, we break down the massive shift in senior care as 75 million baby boomers choose to age at home instead of in assisted living. We sit down with Dave Pazgan, founder of Liftoff and co-founder of 101 Mobility, to discuss the "Silver Tsunami" and the critical gap in the home accessibility market. Dave explains why nearly 90% of seniors prefer to age in place and how home modifications can save families thousands compared to the $100,000 annual cost of institutional care. A fascinating conversation on the future of healthcare, home accessibility, and one of the biggest demographic trends shaping the next 25 years.Get our free guide on the top 5 franchises under $150k - including real costs, owner earnings, and who they actually fit: 👉 https://go.franzy.com/top-5-franchises-under-150k
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