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The Franchise Leaders Forum Podcast
Welcome to "The Franchise Leaders Forum," the ultimate podcast for entrepreneurs navigating the intricate world of franchising, brought to you by industry veterans Tracy Panase and Shannon Wilburn. This podcast is your go-to resource for franchise leadership insights, practical strategies to build and scale your franchise, and firsthand experiences from those who live and breathe franchising every day.
Leading the conversation is Tracy Panase, the dynamic force behind the Just Between Friends Franchise System. Tracy, who previously excelled as a top franchisee, took over the leadership reins in December 2022. Under her guidance, the brand is reaching new heights, emphasizing a strong culture, supporting franchisees, and ensuring families across the country can say “YES” to everything their kiddos need and want. Her fresh perspective and unwavering commitment to excellence make her a formidable voice in the franchising community.
By her side is Shannon Wilburn, the visionary co-founder of Just Between Friends. Starting from a simple idea in her living room in 1997, Shannon grew the company into a thriving network of over 150 locations. Her decision to pass the leadership to Tracy has infused the company with new energy and direction, and together, they bring a wealth of knowledge and passion to the podcast.
In "The Franchise Leaders Forum," Tracy and Shannon dive deep into the good, the bad, and sometimes the ugly aspects of franchising. Each episode features candid discussions, expert interviews, and real-life stories from successful franchise leaders who have faced and overcome challenges. Listeners will gain valuable insights into effective leadership, growth strategies, and the nuances of franchise operations.
Whether you're a franchisor, franchisee, or aspiring to enter the franchising world, this podcast addresses the pain points and challenges you face. From understanding franchise dynamics to learning how to support and grow your franchisees, Tracy and Shannon provide actionable advice and inspiration.
Tune in to learn from the experiences of others, gain new perspectives, and equip yourself with the tools to navigate your franchising journey with confidence.
Join us on "The Franchise Leaders Forum" and become part of a community dedicated to leadership, growth, and success in franchising.
This podcast will provide answers to questions and topics like:
- Tips for Franchisees, Franchisors and vendor partners
- How to scale a franchise business
- Why is leadership important in franchising?
- How do I grow my franchise business?
- What are the trends in franchising?
- What is the challenge of franchising?
- How do I get involved in a franchise business?
- Franchise success stories
- Franchise marketing strategies
The Franchise Leaders Forum Podcast
Leading with Passion, Purpose & Loyalty w/ Paul Pickett
What does it take to build a franchise brand that puts people first and thrives for over thirty-five years?
In today’s episode, Paul Pickett, Chief Development Office of Wild Birds Unlimited (WBU), shares what has been key in making WBU successful over the last 35+ years.
The first key to success is having a strong values-driven culture. Paul shares how his mantra of “How you do anything is how you do everything” has helped shape not only his leadership but the franchise’s commitment to excellence, genuine feedback, and fostering a voice for every team member and customer. And Paul unpacks how WBU has maintained its strong people-first culture despite growing to over 360+ locations. Paul digs into his “How did we do” culture, transparency with feedback, and why being open to criticism (and actually doing something about it) is critical for long-term success.
Paul’s career with Wild Birds Unlimited has perfectly combined his love of birds, nature and people. Paul joined the WBU team as the first full time employee in 1989 shortly after graduating with his Master’s Degree in Biology/Ornithology from the University of North Dakota. He has over 35 years of experience in working with potential franchisees as they join the WBU team and manages all of the real estate and legal responsibilities for the WBU system. Paul is a frequent speaker at franchising conferences and sits on the IFA’s Convention Committee and Franchisor Forum. Additionally, Paul is co-founder and Chair of the IFA Franchise Pride Leadership Council, serves on IFA Foundation’s Board of Trustees and is a member of the IFA Foundation’s Diversity Committee. One of the highlights of his career was chairing the 2018 Franchise Update Leadership and Development conference. In 2020, Paul was honored to receive the IFA Women’s Franchise Committee Crystal Compass Award for his significant contributions through leadership within the franchise community. Paul was recently awarded the 2023 Ronald E. Harrison Diversity Award, honoring his commitment to fostering equity, diversity and inclusion in our community.
So, if you are looking for actionable insights on how to build lasting franchisee satisfaction, integrate feedback into your company DNA, and lead with both empathy and uncompromising ethics then this episode is for you!
Connect with Paul
LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-pickett-cfe-2b5b7711/
Episode Highlights:
- Paul Pickett’s early career and origins with Wild Birds Unlimited
- The growth of Wild Birds Unlimited from 28 to over 364 locations
- Importance of
Franchise Directory - https://www.sba.gov/document/support-sba-franchise-directory
Franchise Registry - https://www.franchiseregistry.com/
Current SBA SOP - https://www.sba.gov/document/sop-50-10-lender-development-company-loan-programs
Connect with Tracy
Personal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracy-panase/
JBF LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbfsale
JBF Franchise System - https://jbfsalefranchise.com/
Email: podcast@jbfsale.com
Connect with Shannon
Personal LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/shannonwilburn/
JBF LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/jbfsale