Franchise Show

Listen to Jeff & Gini talk with Barbara Moran on "Women In Franchising". As Co-founder of Moran Industries, Inc., Barbara Moran has over 18 years experience within the franchising and automotive industry. Currently Barbara presides as President and CEO of Moran Industries franchising automotive service brands ranging from transmission repair, general engine repair & diagnostics to vehicle accessories and now commercial & residential window film installation. Moran Industries service brands include Mr. Transmission, Multistate Transmission, Milex Complete Auto Care, Alta Mere Toys for Your Cars, Dr. Nick’s Transmission and recently added Smartview Window Solutions, with locations in 26 States. Moran Industries is a member of the International Franchise Association and Barbara serves on the board acting as Chair to the Franchise Relations Committee. She is also a member of several professional organizations, including Automotive Aftermarket Industry Association (AAIA), Automatic Transmission Rebuilders Association (ATRA), Automotive Service Association (ASA), Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO) and the National Association for Female Executives.

02 Jeff & Gini were hungry when interviewing Todd Parent, Extreme Pizza! Todd studied abroad in Parisin 1987, where he gobbled down hundreds of crepes with nutella and bananas from the local corner stands. After graduating with a degree in economics and French from the University of Vermont, Todd worked at US Trust in New York Cityas a financial planner, where he quickly found that his entrepreneurial nature was stifled. Todd left U.S. Trust and followed his passion for food working for the New Jersey-based Varsity Club restaurant group, where he was able to learn every aspect of the restaurant business. In 1991, he headed west to Aspen, Colorado, where his passion for food dovetailed perfectly with his passion for extreme sports. In 1993, Todd left Aspenand moved to San Franciscowith his business partner to start their very own take-and-bake gourmet pizza restaurant. Extreme Pizza is the leading purveyor of innovative pizzas, subs and salads. It is a one-of-kind restaurant experience that delivers delicious food fare, prepared fresh daily. Homemade sauces, locally grown vegetables, all-natural cheeses and the highest quality meats available, make their menu offering irresistible. Founded in 1994, Extreme Pizza boasts 41 locations nationwide, as well as international. The company’s philosophy “Extreme. Not mainstream” shines through every aspect of its business from its signature pizzas like the Adrenaline Rush and Everest, to the extreme sports-themed paraphernalia that adorn every store.

Jeff & Gini work off their pizza rush by talking next with Fred Cox, National Event Mgmt and Chuck Cavuoto, Diversified Health & Fitness. After working for years in the family business, Fred joined National Event Management full-time 15 years ago and has been a key figure in developing new concepts and events for National Event, which has become one of North America's largest show production companies. In his role as President, Fred oversees the production of 27 annual business ownership events across North America showcasing over 1,700 businesses to 65,000 prospective owners annually. From 1998 until February 2004, Chuck Cavuoto was International Franchise Sales Director for Lady of America Franchise Corporation in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. In January of 2005, he was promoted to President and held that position until the December 2005 when Charles left the company. He then founded BizFran, Inc. a business and franchise consultant firm in Fort Lauderdale, Florida that he owned and operated until the inception of Zoo Franchise Corporation. Diversified Health & Fitness gave away two franchises at the Franchise & Business Opportunities Expo In Ft. Lauderdale, Florida, May 30 and 31, 2009.
Diversified is a franchisor of a suite of integrated fitness franchise brands, including The Zoo Health Club, Rejuvenate Health Fitness and Medspa, Sedona Fitness For Women, ShapeXpress, Fit For Her, Liberty Fitness, FitZone, Access Fitness, The Blitz, Ultimate Woman, Butterfly Life, and 123 Fit. In less than two years, Diversified, chaired by health club veteran Roger Wittenberns, has grown exponentially from one club to over two hundred franchised health clubs across the globe.

Jeff & Gini go pub-crawling with Mike Sanford, of The Greene Turtle, and bring along the kids for a fun family outing. J. Michael (“Mike”) Sanford will soon be celebrating his 20th anniversary with The Greene Turtle Sports Bar and Grille, a chain of 22 casual dining restaurant and sports bar locations first opened in Ocean City, Md., in 1976. The Greene Turtle combines comfort food, a casual atmosphere and a sports bar theme, and is a popular year-round destination for families, friends and sports fans of all ages. Mike joined The Greene Turtle in 1990 as general manager of its newly opened third location, based in Laurel, Md. and the rest is history. He is credited with having had the vision in 2001 to begin franchising the concept. That vision was realized in 2002 when the first franchised unit of The Greene Turtle opened in Towson, Md. Today, as President and Chief Executive Officer of The Greene Turtle Franchising Corporation, Mike provides the leadership necessary to grow the company while building brand equity. And that’s no short order: The Greene Turtle sold a majority share to a private equity partner in 2007, and late last year launched its most ambitious growth effort ever, aimed at expanding from its current 22 locations to 150 open, under construction or committed to within five years.