In this episode, host Paul Ehlinger sits down with Michael Ramsey, Co-Founder of Strong Pilates. Michael shares his journey from becoming one of the first F45 franchisees to building Strong Pilates into a rapidly growing global fitness brand. From scaling his first franchise business to 100+ Strong Pilates locations across 15 countries, he reveals the strategies behind international expansion, brand positioning, marketing innovation, and building a connected fitness experience.

In this episode, host Paul Ehlinger sits down with Felicia Reeves, CMO at Empower Brands, for a second conversation about how AI is reshaping the agency-client relationship. Felicia shares her perspective from the brand side on what happens when AI starts taking over more of the tactical work, and where agencies need to create new value as execution becomes faster, cheaper, and more automated.

In this episode, host Paul Ehlinger sits down with Michele Henry, the founder and CEO of FACE FOUNDRIÉ. Michele shares the story behind building FACE FOUNDRIÉ from a single concept in the Twin Cities into a rapidly growing facial bar franchise with 86 locations open and more than 100 expected by the end of 2026. From launching a franchising program just as the COVID-19 pandemic shut down businesses to building a leadership team capable of supporting accelerated growth, Michele reveals the lessons, mindset, and strategies that have helped FACE FOUNDRIÉ scale.

In this episode, host Paul Ehlinger sits down with Liz Bauer, Senior Director of Marketing for RoHoHo. Liz shares her 27-year journey from the retail world into franchise marketing and how she has adapted through the rise of digital marketing, social media, and now AI. From going digital to testing dozens of AI platforms today, Liz breaks down how technology is changing the way franchise marketers work, and why the human element still matters.

In this episode, host Paul Ehlinger sits down with Nick Dan Bergman, Chief Marketing Officer of LT Agency, to explore how consumer discovery is changing and what franchise marketers need to do about it. Nick shares insights from LT Agency’s franchise research on the rise of social media as a search engine, the growing influence of AI, and the evolving balance between national brand consistency and local authenticity.

In this episode, host Paul Ehlinger sits down with Kim Gubera, CEO of PIRTEK. Kim shares her journey from accounting and commercial landscaping into franchising, eventually becoming CEO of a 200+ location franchise system. From learning franchising by doing to leading PIRTEK through major growth and a private equity partnership, she breaks down what it takes to build a resilient franchise brand in a rapidly changing economy.