Listen to The Business Growth Show with Ford Saeks on your favorite streaming platform where we explore the latest strategies and tactics for growing your business and achieving success. Tune in each Wednesday at 11AM CST (or listen anytime) for valuable takeaways to help you accelerate your business’s growth. Let’s get growing!
You’re in good company. Here are just a few of the past featured guests.
Matt Haller
President & CEO
International Franchise Association
Becky Bongiovanni
President
CarePatrol Franchisor
Brandon Sawalich
President & CEO
Starkey
Betsy Hamm
CEO
Duck Donuts Franchisor
Larisa Walega
Chief Growth Officer
Ziebart
Michael Hyam
CEO
Franchise Assembly
Sherry McNeil
President & CEO
Canadian Franchise Association
John Register
CSP, PLY
Inspired Communications International
Scott Gladstone
Chief Development Officer and International President
Dine Brands
Guy Coffey
Entrepreneur & Franchisor
GuyCoffey.com
Scott Zide
CEO
Empower Brands
Nick Friedman
Co-Founder & Visionary
College Hunks Hauling Junk and Moving
Prince Ea
Social Media Influencer
PrinceEa.com
Ryan Parsons
CEO
Evive Brands
Dr. Nido Qubein
President
High Point University
John Hewitt
Founder & CEO
Loyalty Brands | Jackson Hewitt
Peter Cuneo
Former CEO
Marvel Studios and Entertainment, Inc.
Charles Watson
CEO
Tropical Smoothie Café Franchisor
Alesia Visconti
CEO & President
FranServe
Steve Spangler
Founder & CEO
Steve Spangler Science
Troy Hooper
CEO, Hot Pallete America
PepperLunchRestaurants.com
JJ Sorrenti
CEO
Best Life Brands
Joe Mohay
Franchise Division President
Ignite Visibility
Todd Recknagel
Managing Partner
Three20 Capital Group
The above list is just a few of the hundreds of featured guests. Below are the most recent episodes.
Franchise Marketing and Empowering Women Leaders with Ali Kraus
Franchise marketing is more than running ads or managing brand awareness. It’s a strategic process that connects entrepreneurs, brands, and customers through trust, storytelling, and value-driven engagement. The best franchise marketing strategies help businesses expand their reach while maintaining the integrity of the brand at every level — from national awareness to local community relationships. […]
Purpose Driven Entrepreneurship and Building Impact with David Sauers
Purpose Driven Entrepreneurship is about more than building companies. It is about creating businesses that align with values, serve people with excellence, and leave a lasting legacy. In a world where profit often overshadows purpose, entrepreneurs who choose to build with impact stand out as innovators and leaders. David Sauers exemplifies this philosophy. As an […]
How Company Culture Drives Business Growth and Lasting Freedom with Josh Cunningham
Company culture is more than a buzzword—it is the foundation that determines whether a business simply survives or truly thrives. In a marketplace defined by constant change, culture has emerged as the key driver of growth, employee retention, and the freedom leaders seek when scaling their companies. Few leaders embody this truth more than Josh […]
Franchise Growth and Leadership that Builds Stronger Brands with Todd Treml
Franchise growth and leadership are at their best when they blend business performance with human connection. Growth on paper can look impressive, but the true measure of a brand’s success lies in how it serves its people — both the customers who trust it and the teams who carry its mission forward. Great leaders […]
Scale with Purpose, with Outsource Access Founder & CEO Brad Stevens
Scale with purpose is a concept many leaders talk about, but few execute at the level of Brad Stevens. As Founder and CEO of Outsource Access, a virtual staffing firm that has grown to over 500 employees in just four years, Stevens has built a business that blends systems thinking with social impact—and he’s just […]
Debrief to Win with Fighter Pilot and Business Consultant Cujo Teschner
Debrief to win isn’t just a military practice—it’s a business imperative. At least, that’s how Robert “Cujo” Teschner sees it. A retired U.S. Air Force fighter pilot and the founder of VMax Group, Cujo spent years training elite teams to perform under pressure, make split-second decisions, and lead with accountability. Now, he works with businesses […]
Franchisees First with PuroClean’s President & COO, Steve White
Franchisees first is more than a leadership philosophy—it’s a measurable strategy that has driven real results across one of North America’s leading franchise systems. For Steve White, President and COO of PuroClean, this approach has become the foundation for building a high-performance brand with strong franchisee alignment and sustainable growth. With over 35 years of […]
Lessons in Championship Leadership with Ross Bernstein
Championship leadership is rarely about talent alone. It’s about consistency, values, and the willingness to do the unglamorous work—especially when no one is watching. For Ross Bernstein, a Hall of Fame speaker and best-selling author of nearly 50 sports books, that truth has been reinforced across thousands of interviews with the world’s top athletes and […]
YouTube Lead Generation Tactics with Nate Woodbury
YouTube lead generation is no longer reserved for influencers chasing millions of views or creators banking on viral content. For service-based professionals, coaches, and course creators, YouTube has become one of the most tactical, scalable platforms for attracting high-quality leads—when used with strategy and purpose. Nate Woodbury has made a name for himself by […]
Franchise Growth Strategies and Brand Storytelling with Nick Powills
Franchise growth strategies have never been more critical. In an era where consumer attention is fragmented and competition is fierce, the brands that thrive are those that go beyond selling products and services—they tell stories that resonate. Few people understand this better than Nick Powills, founder of No Limit Agency and publisher of 1851 Franchise, […]
Leadership and Wealth Management Strategies with Paul Carroll
Wealth management is often seen as a numbers game—assets under management, returns, tax exposure—but for Paul Carroll, it’s always been about people first. As the CEO and founder of Avion Wealth, Carroll has spent nearly two decades building a firm that redefines what it means to serve high-net-worth individuals and families. With a philosophy rooted […]
Leading with a Growth Mindset in Franchising with Larisa Walega
Leading with a growth mindset isn’t just a buzzword—it’s a transformative approach that defines how businesses adapt, innovate, and thrive in competitive markets. For Larisa Walega, Chief Growth Officer at Ziebart, this mindset has been the foundation of a remarkable career and a driving force behind the evolution of a 65-year-old global brand. Ziebart is […]
Authentic Personal Branding with Prince EA
Authentic personal branding has never been more important—or more misunderstood. In an era where AI-generated content floods the internet and social media algorithms reward superficial engagement, how can entrepreneurs, founders, and creators cut through the noise and actually connect? That’s the question at the heart of this powerful episode of Fordify LIVE! The Business Growth […]
Supporting Healthy Employees and Team Members with Cody Beard
Supporting healthy employees isn’t just about offering perks—it’s about creating a workplace culture where well-being translates into productivity and long-term success. Few understand this better than Cody Beard, owner of Prime IV Hydration & Wellness in Wichita. With years of leadership experience in manufacturing and a deep commitment to health, Beard brings a unique perspective […]
AI Hearing Technology, Leadership & Legacy with Brandon Sawalich
AI hearing technology is redefining what it means to stay connected, healthy, and high-performing in today’s fast-moving world. Leading that transformation is Brandon Sawalich, President & CEO of Starkey—the only American-owned major hearing aid manufacturer and a global pioneer in intelligent hearing solutions. With over 30 years at Starkey, Sawalich has led the company from […]
Spa Franchise Growth & Purpose-Driven Leadership with Allison Langenderfer
Spa franchise growth is evolving beyond the basics of service menus and storefront expansion. Today, the most successful wellness brands scale by blending luxury with purpose—offering not just treatments, but experiences that restore, connect, and inspire. One brand leading this shift is Spavia Day Spa, co-founded by Allison Langenderfer. What began as a single-location concept […]
Customer Experience Franchise Growth with Scott Ball
Customer experience franchise growth has become the difference-maker for brands that aim to scale in today’s competitive market. It’s no longer enough to have a recognizable logo or a trendy product. Brands that grow—and stay relevant—are the ones that build a following through memorable, customizable customer experiences. At the center of this movement is […]
Franchise Business Growth and Leadership That Scales with Ryan Parsons
Franchise business growth isn’t just about systems and strategy—it’s about building a model that scales while staying rooted in purpose. The challenge? Most entrepreneurs either chase fast expansion without infrastructure or lose momentum by over-engineering before gaining traction. So how do you strike the balance between rapid scale and sustainable leadership? Franchise leaders often face […]
Scaling Franchise Growth with Troy Hooper
Scaling franchise growth in today’s competitive and tech-driven economy is no small feat. If you’re a brand looking to expand nationally or internationally, how do you structure your business to support sustainable growth without sacrificing brand consistency or operational quality? That’s exactly the kind of question this week’s episode of Fordify LIVE! The Business Growth […]
Franchising a Better Future for Aging in Place with Sean Fitzgerald
Aging in place is quickly becoming one of the most pressing issues for families, healthcare providers, and communities across the country. As the population ages and more seniors choose to stay in their homes longer, the question isn’t just how to support them medically—but how to ensure their living environments are safe, functional, and […]
Empowering Franchise Ownership with Alesia Visconti
Franchise ownership is one of the most accessible and scalable paths to business success—but only when paired with the right strategy, guidance, and support. Alesia Visconti, CEO and President of FranServe, has built her career on making that path clearer, faster, and more impactful for aspiring entrepreneurs around the world. Alesia leads FranServe, the world’s […]




