Articles by Brian
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Attending #FranTech? Grab your team and have a treat on us! Stop by our food truck located directly across the AT&T Center. Can’t wait to see you th
Attending #FranTech? Grab your team and have a treat on us! Stop by our food truck located directly across the AT&T Center. Can’t wait to see you th
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Thanks to our employees, we’re ranked #9 on Fortune Magazine’s Best Workplaces for Technology
Thanks to our employees, we’re ranked #9 on Fortune Magazine’s Best Workplaces for Technology
Fortune’s annual ranking for the Great Places to Work award has been released.
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Rockstars & Choirboys
Rockstars & Choirboys
Great Article by Corey O'Donnell on the challenge of franchise consistency within their network.
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Brian Heppner shared thisFranchise Springboard has always been one of my favorite conferences, and this year didn't disappoint. It's always great to reconnect with old friends and make new ones, and I can honestly say I met more people this year than in years past. The conversations in the hallways and over coffee are what make this event special, and this year felt like the whole community showed up ready to share. A highlight for me was a great dinner with Darby Crain, Matthew Kunz, CFE, Kristopher Stuart, CFE, Michael O'Driscoll, CFE, Jonny Greenspan, Joshua Schure, CFE, Braedon Gaudet, Katherine LeBlanc, Bron Launsby, CFE, Jeffrey Leach, Brigham Dallas, Tony Hulbert, Michael Hartel, PhD, Cody Baier, CFE and Boris Katsnelson. Good food, better stories, and just all around great conversation. Thank you to the Springboard team for putting together another fantastic event, and to everyone who took the time to connect. If we met and didn't get a chance to finish the conversation, let's keep it going. My inbox is always open. Already looking forward to next year. #Springboard #Franchising #FranchiseCommunity Vendasta
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Brian Heppner shared thisIf you missed last week's WednesdayWise Webinar with Molly Maid USA, hosted by the International Franchise Association, here's what stood out from Molly Maid scaling AI across 239 franchise owners: But the bigger story isn't just the volume. AI is helping franchise teams spend less time on first response work, reduce reliance on call center resources, and free up people to focus on higher value parts of the customer experience. For franchise owners, that creates another opportunity: turn operational savings into dollars they can reinvest back into the business. AI isn't only about generating more. Sometimes, it's about doing more with what you already have. Vendasta #franchisemarketing #franchising #AI Jeffrey Leach Cody Baier, CFE
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Brian Heppner shared thisWhat would it mean for your franchisees if 30% of their previously lost calls turned into new customers? #franchisemarketing #franchising #franchisefamily #franchisegrowth Jeffrey Leach Cody Baier, CFEBrian Heppner shared this1 in 3 home service leads go straight to a competitor because no one answered the phone. Here’s how Blackfeather Digital reclaimed 30% of those missed calls without hiring new staff: Instead of replacing the human team, they built a hybrid safety net. Human First: Calls ring the in-house team directly. Smart Failover: If unanswered after 3 rings, the AI Receptionist takes over. Instant Action: The AI qualifies, books appointments, and syncs directly to the CRM—escalating to a human immediately if requested. The Results: - 30% of previously lost calls captured and converted. - AI became the #1 performer in booking rates month-to-date. - A caller even praised "the lovely lady who answered"—completely unaware it was the AI. Now, lead capture isn't the problem anymore. The new challenge? Coaching the team to close the sheer volume of meetings the AI Receptionist is booking for them. Read the full success story, link in comments!
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Brian Heppner shared thisInterested in learning how to get up to $10,000 in matched TikTok ad credits? Short-form video is one of the highest-performing formats in digital advertising today, and TikTok is leading the way. For franchises, that's a real opportunity, and a real challenge. Running consistent, on-brand TikTok campaigns across dozens or hundreds of locations usually means more tools, more vendors, and more headcount. Vendasta MatchCraft just made that simpler. As a badged TikTok Channel Sales Partner, our certified specialists now manage TikTok campaigns right alongside Google, Meta, and Microsoft in one dashboard, with AI-powered optimization handling setup and execution for every location. Scale from ten locations to ten thousand without adding headcount, and see it all in one consolidated report. Qualifying advertisers can also access up to $10,000 in matched TikTok ad credits for a limited time. Let me know if you're interested to learn more. See the full article here - https://lnkd.in/gVC3AFuR Vendasta #tiktok #franchisefamily #Franchising #TikTokAds #DigitalMarketing #Vendasta Jeffrey Leach Cody Baier, CFEVendasta Badged as a TikTok Channel Sales Partner; Connecting Local Advertisers to TikTok's Short-Form Video Platform | Vendasta %Vendasta Badged as a TikTok Channel Sales Partner; Connecting Local Advertisers to TikTok's Short-Form Video Platform | Vendasta %
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Brian Heppner shared thisToday's the day! Only a few hours left. Molly Maid USA rolled out an AI receptionist, Rosie, across hundreds of independent locations. No new hires. Just 24/7 answering, qualifying, and booking. The tech was easy. Getting hundreds of franchise owners on board was the real challenge. Hear it straight from the people who led it: Molly Maid President Michael Silva-Nash, CFE, Franchise Business Coach Jaclyn Drury, and our own Chris Deianni sit down for a fireside chat and live Q&A, co-hosted with the International Franchise Association. No pitch, just the real story. Last call to register - https://lnkd.in/egwzxxg2 Vendasta #franchising #franchisefamily #ifa Jeffrey Leach Cody Baier, CFE Braedon GaudetVendasta + IFA Webinar Series | No Lead Left Behind: How Molly Maid Put AI on the Front LineVendasta + IFA Webinar Series | No Lead Left Behind: How Molly Maid Put AI on the Front Line
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Brian Heppner shared thisWe're only 2 days away! In home services, the business that answers first usually wins the job. Molly Maid USA solved that network-wide with an AI receptionist named Rosie, no new hires required. She answers, qualifies, and books leads 24/7 across hundreds of locations. The tech wasn't the hard part. Getting hundreds of independent franchise owners to actually use it was. Join us this Wednesday, August 12 at 2pm ET to hear how they pulled it off. Molly Maid President Michael Silva-Nash, CFE, CFE and Franchise Business Coach Jaclyn Drury join our own Chris Deianni for a candid look at the rollout: what worked, what caught them off guard, and what they'd tell any franchisor considering the same move. This is a fireside chat with live Q&A, co-hosted with the International Franchise Association, not a sales pitch. Rolling out AI across a franchise network? This is the session to attend. Seats are limited, grab yours before Wednesday. #Vendasta #franchising #franchisefamily #ifa Register here - https://lnkd.in/egwzxxg2Vendasta + IFA Webinar Series | No Lead Left Behind: How Molly Maid Put AI on the Front LineVendasta + IFA Webinar Series | No Lead Left Behind: How Molly Maid Put AI on the Front Line
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Brian Heppner shared thisWe're only 2 hours away from our live 60-minute session co-hosted by Vendasta and TikTok, covering why TikTok ads work for local businesses, which formats perform, and a live demo.Brian Heppner shared thisThink TikTok ads only work for massive e-commerce brands? Think again. Local consumers are buying directly from TikTok, and agencies have a massive opportunity to lead the charge. Vendasta is teaming up live with TikTok for an exclusive joint workshop: From Scroll to Sale: TikTok Advertising for Local Businesses. What the live session covers: 🔹 Key ad formats built for local service providers and retailers 🔹 How to sell and order campaigns effortlessly using Vendasta MatchCraft 🔹 Details on unlocking up to $10,000 in matched ad credits for eligible clients Help local clients win their market before competitors catch on. Live Date: August 5 | 12 PM ET Hosted by: Vendasta & TikTok Registration link in comments.
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Brian Heppner shared thisIn home services, whoever answers first usually wins the job. So MOLLY MAID put a receptionist on every inbound call, across the whole network. They never hired a person. Her name is Rosie, an AI receptionist that answers, qualifies, and books leads around the clock. The hard part wasn't the tech. It was getting hundreds of independent owners to actually adopt it. On August 12 at 2pm ET, Molly Maid's President Michael Silva-Nash, CFE-Nash and Franchise Business Coach Jaclyn Drury sit down with our own Chris Deianni to walk through the rollout. What worked, what surprised them, and what they'd tell any franchisor weighing the same move. Fireside chat, live Q&A, hosted with the International Franchise Association. Not a vendor pitch. If you're rolling AI across a franchise network, this hour is for you. Vendasta Register here - https://lnkd.in/egwzxxg2Vendasta + IFA Webinar Series | No Lead Left Behind: How Molly Maid Put AI on the Front LineVendasta + IFA Webinar Series | No Lead Left Behind: How Molly Maid Put AI on the Front Line
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Brian Heppner reposted thisBrian Heppner reposted thisTikTok for Business ads are now live in Vendasta MatchCraft. Vendasta is now a badged TikTok Channel Sales Partner, which means our agency, publisher, and media company partners can now run TikTok campaigns for their local business clients in the same dashboard they use for Google, Meta, and Microsoft Ads. Same workflow. Same reporting. New channel. Our team, trusted by TikTok, handles the campaign work. Your team handles the client relationship. Limited-time offer: qualifying local business advertisers can earn up to $10,000 USD in matched TikTok ad credits. Talk to your account manager to lock in the offer for your clients. Read the full press release, link in comments! #TikTokTikTok for Business
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Braedon Gaudet, welcome to the #franchisefamily!
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Sherri Fishman, CFE, it's always great to catch up with you as well. HUGE thank you to you, Brad Fishman, Lane Fisher, and everyone else involved in putting on such a great conference.
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Brian Heppner liked thisBrian Heppner liked thisAfter a long three weeks of traveling, it all culminated in the annual Springboard Conference and I couldn’t have asked for a better way to wrap it up. Springboard is one of my absolute favorite conferences. It’s all about emerging franchise brands learning from seasoned veterans, sharing ideas, and building meaningful relationships. No booths, no distractions — just great sessions, great conversations, and even better connections. Thank you to Eric Arnold and Gretchen Kaufman for hosting an outstanding event at their Xpressdocs office to kick things off. A big thank you to everyone who took the time to connect with me, and to the fabulous Springboard team for putting together another incredible event. Already looking forward to next year! ...and who could forget the fabulous BBQ at Terry Blacks! Darby Crain, Matthew Kunz, CFE, Kristopher Stuart, CFE, Michael O'Driscoll, CFE, Katherine LeBlanc, Bron Launsby, CFE, Brigham Dallas, Tony Hulbert, Michael Hartel, PhD, Boris Katsnelson, Cody Baier, CFE, Braedon Gaudet, Brian Heppner Jim F.
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Brian Heppner liked thisBrian Heppner liked thisI was in Dallas for Franchise Springboard this past week and met some pretty incredible people. I could not even begin to explain the community and how welcoming it was. This felt like a group of people that has each others back and are protective of one another, I loved the energy. I also took a lot out of the Key notes that I was able to attend more of that coming later Today I want to talk about the community. Jeffrey Leach, Brian Heppner and Cody Baier, CFE first as without them I would not have met half of the incredible people that I was able to throughout the event. Tate Fisher and Alexis Norby from Katalyst Group, Inc. for explaining their journey and how the Katalyst brand was created, if anyone needs help creating systems that allow Franchisors to scale effectively, this team has it down to a science and has been a major player int the space for over 20 years. Joey Goone, CSEP and Gabe Raskin who run Utopia Experience an incredible business helping plan and sponsor these types of events in a way that you can sit back and watch them strategize, implement and show up every step of the way from strategy to execution of the event itself! Surprisingly both on TV shows as well haha, they know what they are doing. Bron Launsby, CFE at Slick City Action Park has a story that is incredible and if you are looking to become a franchise owner I would highly recommend his brand, he is an innovator not stopping at the "this is what we do" but more focused on "what else can we do to add more value" and very relatable! Huge shoutout to the organizers and everyone who put on the event, it was a cool thing to be a part of!
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Brian Heppner liked thisBrian Heppner liked thisBack from #FranchiseSpringboard in Fort Worth, and I'm more convinced than ever that franchising is one of the strongest business models out there. As an ecosystem, a top priority is to help emerging brands find the development strategy that enables healthy, sustainable growth. The ecosystem must work together for everyone to be successful. A few things that stuck with me: 🔹 Talk to everyone. Franchisors, franchisees, suppliers, advisors, investors. You don't know what you don't know, and some of the best insights came from hallway conversations I didn't plan on having. 🔹 Great speakers. The sessions were practical, honest and full of lessons from people who've been in the trenches. 🔹 Experience is everything. The brands that thrive focus on three experiences at once: the customer experience, the employee experience and the owner experience. If one breaks down, the whole system feels it. Sponsoring the Headshot Boot was a highlight. Those that had their headshot taken, please open the email and select one for touchup and background selection. Lastly, Mark McGrath/Sugar Ray can still bust-a- move after all this time! Thank you to Lane Fisher, Brad Fishman and the entire Franchise Springboard team for bringing this community together. Already looking forward to next year! Tate Fisher, Alexis Norby, Karen M Wenning CFE, Carli Showmaker, Marty Ferrill-CFE, Marisa Michnick, Fred J Kirvan, April Porter, Alex Skruch, Scott Morgenroth, CFE, Shane Evans, Matthew Haller, Gary Liskovich, Brynn Gibbs, JoyAnn Kenny-Charlton, Kim Collier, CFE, Jim F., Bron Launsby, CFE, Dr. John P. Hayes, CFE, Jonathan Hill, Sherri Fishman, CFE, Red Boswell, MBA, CFE, CFC, Dan Claps, CFE CEO of VODA Cleaning and Restoration, Aaron Harper, Jeffrey Leach, Brian Heppner
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Brian Heppner liked thisBrian Heppner liked thisWhat I learned this year that I want you to know: Stress is not a status symbol. You are worth more than your output. You can begin again. Even when you didn't expect to have to. AI is not the enemy. And brand is back. This year was one of the hardest seasons I've walked through professionally. But looking back I am proud of how I kept showing up - even when I wasn't exactly sure where I was going. Marketing is momentum. And I've got some behind me. 🎉 Happy birthday to me.
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Brian Heppner liked thisBrian Heppner liked thisJust like that, conference season is upon us. The question I’m getting most heading into fall conference season? “𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗺𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗱 𝗶𝘀 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗮𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝘆𝗲𝘁?” My answer probably isn’t the one people want to hear. There isn’t one. In my opinion, the franchise development “monoculture” is dying. The days of finding one channel that works, pouring money into it and waiting for leads are pretty much over. That being said, here are a few trends I’m watching as brands build their 2027 budgets: → 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗮𝗴𝗮𝗶𝗻. Activations, outbound, direct mail and good old-fashioned nurturing are having a moment. → 𝗖𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗰𝘆. Portals and broker networks are evolving because buyers have more information, and more skepticism, than ever. → 𝗣𝗮𝗶𝗱 𝗱𝗶𝗴𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗳𝗹𝘂𝘅. Organic content is increasingly valuable, while the right paid strategy depends heavily on your brand, category and candidate. → 𝗔𝗜 𝗶𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗰𝗹𝗼𝘀𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱-𝗴𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗹. We’re not fully there yet, but I’d absolutely be testing. → “𝗣𝗿𝗲-𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀” 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘀. More data doesn’t give you permission to spam people who haven’t raised their hands. Nurture them like humans. The big takeaway: stop looking for the secret channel. The brands winning in 2027 will probably be the ones willing to test more, work the pipeline harder, and understand exactly who they’re trying to reach. If you disagree, find me at one of the approximately 270 franchise conferences we’ll all be attending this month. Let's have a chat about it 😎 See you tomorrow Aaron Harper and Joshua Schure, CFE. Missing you Courtney Stillings, CFE!
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Brian Heppner liked thisBrian Heppner liked thisAnother game with a Lower hat on chasing greatness but the first game i’ve attended as a proud longhorn dad. 100k people stood shoulder to shoulder in 100+ degree heat and watched their team fall apart under pressure against an absolute powerhouse of a team. 5 minutes into the 3rd quarter bookies had us losing at a 98% chance. The odds were quite literally nearly impossible. But nobody left..everyone kept standing. A bunch of young men ignored the odds and the pressure and marched back to one of the greatest combacks in recent college football history. Perserverence, grit, and sometimes completely ignoring the odds are what it takes to achieve greatness. Good game to my columbus colleagues, I am sincerely looking forward to returning the smack talking from last year! 🤘 #Proudlonghorndad Christopher DePatria
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Brian Heppner liked thisBrian Heppner liked thisNothing like the 6am Amtrak to DC to start the week of Advocacy. With the IFA and the franchise community. Can't wait to educate the hill about the all important American Franchise Act. #IFA # Franchise #Franchisee #smallbusiness #AFA.
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Brian Heppner liked thisBrian Heppner liked thisLooking forward to doing my part to support the American Franchise Act on Capitol Hill next week. I am grateful for the opportunity to support an industry that has contributed so much to so many, including myself and Suttle-Straus. Wisconsin will be in the house!
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