Podcast
Social Geek
Hosted by Jack Monson · EN
Hello Geeks. Join Jack Monson and top marketing thought leaders and franchise executives for weekly Rock Star roundtables on hot topics and trends.
19episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Episode 1225: One On One with James Stapleton
2w ago00:24:00Tap to summarizeSocial Geek, the most popular franchise podcast, presents another One-on-One conversation with a 2026 Franchise Thought Leadership Award winner. James Stapleton, Vice President of Franchise Development at Caring Transitions, joins host Jack Monson to discuss: The difference between coaching & helping versus managing & bossing in franchise leadership The changes James has seen in the franchise development in just the few years How working together makes everyone become more successful (and make more money!) Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, and Pilot.Special Guest: James Stapleton.
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So Here's The Thing: Updates and FGMC Preview
2w ago00:14:50Tap to summarizeOn our kind-of-weekly chat on the franchise restaurant space, Lauren Fernandez of Full Course and Jack Monson of Thunderly are discussing updates like franchisee buyouts, IPOs, and AI blowback. AND we have a preview of Lauren and Jack's workshop at The Franchise Growth and Marketing Conference. Join us at FGMC in Atlanta June 2 - 4. To register for FGMC, please visit: https://www.franchisegrowthmarketingconference.com/ See the video version of So, Here’s The Thing on Lauren’s LinkedIn feed!Special Guest: Lauren Fernandez.
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Franchise Rock Stars: Rebranding
3w ago00:28:43Tap to summarizeRebranding – what brands have done it well? Or maybe not so well? And when should you rebrand? The Franchise Rock Stars are here: Scott Greenberg, Ali Kraus, Danielle Wright, Kristen Pechacek, and Derrick Ableman. We’ll dive into these elements of rebranding including: Not just changing the logo, but repositioning a brand’s identity The “curse of the new CMO” who wants to rebrand for the sake of rebranding The best timing for rebranding within a franchise system How rebranding a franchise affects not only consumer sales but also fran dev efforts And we look at interesting rebrands of some of some favorite brands in Franchising like Domino’s, Benetrends, Celebree School, Thunderly, Dunkin’, Edible, Burger King, McDonald’s, Northeast Color, Anytime Fitness … plus other types of franchises like the NFL and Marvel Comics! Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, and Pilot.Special Guests: Ali Kraus, Danielle Wright, Derrick Ableman, Kristen Pechacek, and Scott Greenberg.
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One On One with Dustin Thompson
4w ago00:32:16Tap to summarizeWe’re continuing our series of one-on-one conversations with this year’s Social Geek Franchise Thought Leadership Award winners with Dustin Thompson, Director of Franchise Development & Marketing at Jack In The Box Dustin is a marketing expert who thinks like a sales guy. Or maybe he’s a successful salesperson who sees the landscape through the eyes of a marketing pro. Either way, he’s our kind of Franchisor! Dustin is here to share: That he’s a real live franchise pro and not an AI bot! How franchise candidates are more informed about your brand (and other brands) before you even know who they are The future of the hybrid sales + marketing position Pushing a franchise versus executive filtering The importance of website schema Why those 10 blue links on Google aren’t as important for your candidates as answers on AI platforms The value of “Day In The Life” Videos with your franchisees He’s not in the burger business, he’s in the business of being in the burger business! Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, and Pilot.Special Guest: Dustin Thompson.
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So Here's The Thing: AI and Fran Dev Search
May 400:13:55Tap to summarizeOn our kind-of-weekly chat on the franchise restaurant space, Lauren Fernandez of Full Course and Jack Monson of Thunderly are investigating where potential restaurant owners are investigating. We’ll discuss the Franchise Disclosure Document and how it’s evolved into AI-fuel. And, we’ll share our hot tip for making your brand THE answer when candidates are researching brands on AI apps. Special Guest: Lauren Fernandez.
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One On One with Larisa Walega
Apr 2800:29:59Tap to summarizeWe’re continuing our series of one-on-one talks with this year’s Social Geek Franchise Thought Leadership Award winners. Larisa Walega, CGO of Ziebart International and a member of the IFA Board of Directors, is here to share what she sees happening right now in Franchising. We dive deep into: The rise of the Chief GROWTH Officer Her journey into – and discovery of – Franchising AI & tech for franchise growth Building on customer experiences over services And the continued growth and evolution of the IFA Women’s Franchise Committee, which Larisa grew over the past two years as Chair. Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, and our newest partner, Pilot.Special Guest: Larisa Walega.
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So Here's The Thing: Finding $1.5 Trillion
Apr 2700:14:59Tap to summarizeOn our kind-of-weekly chat on the franchise restaurant space, Lauren Fernandez of Full Course and Jack Monson of Thunderly are looking for the cash this week! Where will the restaurant industry find an the next $1.5 Trillion this year? Franchisee consolidation Organized, focused resales Professional multi-unit operators Not the small, individual location operators Special Guest: Lauren Fernandez.
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One On One with Edith Wiseman
Apr 2100:36:30Tap to summarizeWe’re continuing our series of one-on-one talks with this year’s Social Geek Franchise Thought Leadership Award winners. Edith Wiseman, President of FranData, is here to share what she sees happening right now in Franchising. Every chat I have with Edith makes me feel smarter! Today we discuss: Definitions of the faster growing franchise brands The value of more sophisticated franchisees The “happening” sectors and how to spot the next new thing Her own goals for sharing meaningful content and staying consistent Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, and our newest partner, Pilot.Special Guest: Edith Wiseman.
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One On One with Richard Snow
Apr 1400:43:22Tap to summarizeToday on Social Geek, we’re kicking off a series of conversations with this year’s Franchise Thought Leadership Award winners. I can’t think of a better way to start the series than to sit down with Richard Snow. Richard is leading Franchising on many fronts as the Founder & CEO of Amplify Franchise Financing, Franchisee with Brooklyn Robot Foundry, a member of the IFA Board of Directors, and the Past Chair of the IFA Diversity Institute. Richard and I have a wide-ranging conversation about where franchising is now, and where it’s going. We both like the analogy that Franchising is farming and we’re always planting new seeds in many places. We cover trends in funding and shifting situations with lenders as well as the importance of being intentional and being passionate about building your brand. Catch Richard’s next speaking opportunity at The International Franchise Expo with MFV May 29th & 30th in New York! Thanks to today’s sponsors Thunderly, AnswerConnect, and our newest partner, Pilot.Special Guest: Richard Snow.
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Marketing & Innovation Update: Steve Buors and Lauren Fernandez
Mar 3100:29:50Tap to summarizeWelcome to Social Geek, the most popular franchise podcast! In our latest Marketing & Innovation update for the franchise community, we'll first chat with Steve Buors, CEO of ReShift Media. Steve's team is rolling out a new marketing platform made specifically for Franchising called Franify. Next up, Lauren Fernandez of Full Course is back with another installment of the So, Here's the Thing segment focusing on the Restaurant Franchise space. This week, we've got tips for spring cleaning your marketing plan. Get ready to scrub! Thanks to Citrin Cooperman, AnswerConnect, and Thunderly ⚡ Learn more about Franify at https://reveal.franify.com/Special Guests: Lauren Fernandez and Steve Buors.
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