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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
How to Scale Without Losing Your Brand Identity w/ Shana Krisan
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What happens when your franchise grows faster than the systems designed to support it?
Many brands dream about expansion, but growth creates a new challenge: maintaining the consistency, culture, and customer experience that made people fall in love with the brand in the first place. As locations multiply, leaders must find ways to support franchisees, protect the brand, and adapt to changing customer expectations without losing what made the business successful.
In this episode, Goldfish Swim School Chief Marketing Officer Shana Krisan shares what she's learned helping grow the brand from just 12 locations to more than 200 across the United States and Canada. She explains how strong systems, clear brand standards, local marketing support, and franchisee collaboration have helped Goldfish scale while staying true to its mission and customer experience.
Shana also opens up about leadership, hiring, authenticity, franchisee relationships, and the mission-driven culture that has helped Goldfish continue to grow while staying true to its purpose. She shares why building the right team is often more important than finding the latest marketing tactic and how strong partnerships, collaboration, and a clear mission have helped the brand scale without losing what makes it special.
Whether you're leading a franchise system, growing a multi-location business, or building a team that can scale with you, this conversation offers practical insights on growing without losing the identity that made your brand successful in the first place.
Connect with Shana:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shana-krisan-cfe-1a20581b/
Email: shana@goldfishfranchise.com
Website: https://goldfishswimschool.com/
Episode Highlights:How Shana found her way into franchising
- Growing Goldfish Swim School from 12 to 208 locations
- Maintaining brand consistency during rapid growth
- Supporting franchisees through systems and playbooks
- The balance between national and local marketing
- Hiring the right people as your organization scales
- Learning from franchisee innovation
- Building strong industry relationships and collaboration
- Leading with authenticity and self-awareness
- Scaling a brand without losing its identity
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
Website - https://shineexecutivecoaching.com/
Email - shannon@shineexecutivecoaching.com