Why This NASCAR Driver Left Racing for Franchising | Dr. John P. Hayes - With Brad Coleman Artwork

The Franchise Hot Seat Podcast with Dr. John P. Hayes - Director, Titus Center for Franchising

Internationally recognized speaker, personal business coach and Amazon best-selling franchise author Dr. John Hayes offers an honest look at everything involved in researching, evaluating and purchasing a franchise business. On this podcast, Dr. John P Hayes interviews Franchisors, Franchisees, and has solo episodes giving valuable advice in the Franchise Industry. Since 1979, John Hayes has worked in the franchise community as a consultant, franchisee and franchisor. He’s one of an elite group worldwide that has actually owned and operated franchises, including serving as CEO of a major American franchisor company, and advised franchisors and franchisees. He is the author of several franchise-related books and countless articles that have appeared in media worldwide. Dr. Hayes has served for many years as an advisor to franchisors, franchisees and small business owners internationally. His areas of expertise include management development, marketing, customer service, training and strategic planning. He is the author or co-author of 18 non-fiction books including Franchising: The Inside Story, Start Small, Finish Big, You Can’t Teach A Kid To Ride A Bike At A Seminar, and most recently Buy “Hot” Franchises Without Getting Burned. Keywords: franchise tax board , chick fil a franchise , the franchise guy , best franchise to own , franchise business , buying a franchise , franchise opportunities , opening a franchise , owning a franchise

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The Franchise Hot Seat Podcast with Dr. John P. Hayes - Director, Titus Center for Franchising

Why This NASCAR Driver Left Racing for Franchising | Dr. John P. Hayes - With Brad Coleman

August 17, 2026 • Dr. John P Hayes • Season 1 • Episode 75

0:00 | 35:06

John Hayes interviews Brad Coleman, a former NASCAR driver who acquired Safeway Driving School and transformed it into a franchise system. Coleman shares how his racing career equipped him with business skills such as boardroom communication, contract interpretation, and the significance of culture and a playbook. He discovered franchising through his father and opted for it after data from Texas revealed that Safeway graduates had a significantly lower crash rate compared to other driving schools. Coleman elaborates on Safeway’s comprehensive instructor training that standardizes judgment-based teaching while allowing for individual coaching styles. He also outlines the responsibilities of franchisees, which include community marketing, hiring instructors, and managing vehicles. The conversation also covers exclusive territories, the importance of quality growth over franchises that are sold but not opened, the use of personality profiling (DiSC), lead generation, learning from errors, competitor analysis, and instructor strategies for dealing with anxious students.

- With Brad Coleman

TIMESTAMPS:

01:10 Racing Prepared Him For Boardrooms.

01:55 NASCAR Taught Contract Reading Skills.

02:45 Race Teams Are Just Franchise Playbooks.

06:55 Driving Schools Require Human Judgment.

08:10 Every Lesson Follows A Rigid System.

10:00 Technician Franchisees Limit Market Dominance.

14:50 Passionate Growth Beats Fast Growth.

18:00 First Loser Is Not An Option.

21:50 Personality Profiles Predict Franchise Success.

25:30 People-Persons Make The Best Owners.

30:00 Never Launch A Website On Friday.

32:30 Analyze Competitors To Win Without Crashing.

LINKS:

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