John Francis Bio
John has a LIFETIME of experience in franchising. His exposure to franchising began when he was just a child in his family’s hair salon system, “The Barbers,” which was the 1,000-plus unit, publicly traded and international organization that franchised the brands Cost Cutters, City Looks and We Care Hair. He later joined the family business, playing a major role in the integration and merger of The Barbers into Regis Corporation in 1999.
With more than twenty-five years of hands-on experience in the franchise industry, John Francis has served as a franchisee, franchisor, investor and Board Member for organizations such as Sport Clips, Cost Cutters, Super Cuts, Inner Circle, Office Pride, Just Between Friends, Dream Maker Bath & Kitchen, Culligan Water, Big Frog T Shirts, PostNet and the International Franchise Association.
Today, John shares his perspective and expertise as a ZorForum Moderator, Brand Consultant, Board Member, Director and Advisor and Speaker to help franchise systems and professionals “see what they don’t see” and achieve their highest levels of success. You can’t tell John a franchise situation he hasn’t lived or experienced – that experience will help your system!
John Francis Speaking Intro
Our next speaker is known by many in the franchise industry as “Johnny Franchise.”
Having grown up in the franchise industry, John Francis had the opportunity to watch and learn from some of the best in the industry – experiences that shaped his decades long career and inspired his passion for “franchising done right.”
John’s franchising career began in the mid 1980’s when he became involved with his family’s franchise system, The Barbers, which was the international franchisor for Cost Cutters, City Looks and We Care Hair. There, he played a large role in the $59 million acquisition and integration of their 1,000-plus salon franchise organization before moving on to roles as a franchisee, franchisor, investor and Board Member for organizations such as Sport Clips, Cost Cutters, Super Cuts, Inner Circle, Office Pride, Just Between Friends, Dream Maker Bath & Kitchen, Culligan Water, Big Frog T Shirts, PostNet and the International Franchise Association.
Today, John pays it forward by offering his perspective, experience and advice to help franchise systems and professionals see what they don’t see and achieve their highest levels of success.
Please join me in welcoming John Francis…
John Francis A/V & Room Requirements
Please provide John with the following:
- A PC Computer with PowerPoint
- Wireless microphone (preferably a clip-on lavalier)
- A screen and projector appropriate for the size of the room and group
John Francis Testimonials
“John was an awesome resource that I was connected to through a mutual contact. He took the time to review our FDD and gave great feedback that I honestly had not received before. We have some really solid notes for our next FDD renewal and things to consider until then. He was super willing to help and happy to do it! It make this process a lot easier when you have happy people to learn from. Thank you, John!!”
KELLY PETERSON, Franchise Development & Support
Casa de Corazón
AUGUST 2021
“If you have the opportunity as a franchisee or a franchisor to work with John 'Johnny Franchise' Francis, I say run, don't walk to meet up with him. Not only is he extremely experienced, he is very professional, while being kind and constructive. He has generously stepped in to anticipate and solve a few items for me as we re-launch our new acquisition of a wonderful emerging franchise brand, and he is frankly an unexpected gift with his pin-point accurate advice and wisdom in busting through obstacles for our office. Personally, I find him very warm-hearted, direct and refreshingly honest, while finding a way to be efficient and pragmatic during our meetings. He embodies his brand of 'Next Level Franchising' and I am very grateful to have been introduced to him. Looking forward to many more years of working together and shortcutting past some mistakes with his terrific guidance. Thank you, John!”
GERALDINE SMYTHE, CEO & President
iKids & Franchise
JULY 2021
“The Franchise Lifecycle series is an outstanding program and I cannot recommend it highly enough! The information helped me make it through the toddler phase while also providing me with some great insight and things to think about as I plan for future stages. Additionally, the time spent with John after completing each stage is invaluable. He has a strong personal desire to help franchisees maximize their personal potential as well as the potential of their businesses. The program is worth every penny!”
JASON SEDLAK, Owner/Operator
College HUNKS
June 2021
“We were very pleased with our virtual conference and John did not disappoint! With the time allotted, he was spot-on with what he provided to our attendees. What I really liked was the attendees who engaged in the pre-conference program video series, participating in asking questions and getting more out of it. His stories tied in great with his message and impact. It was a job well done! Standing ovation!”
ANGELA OLEA, CEO
Assisted Living Locators
November 2020
“John Francis did an outstanding job as our keynote speaker for this year’s virtual conference! He hit a home run with us! His message was perfect timing for our group, especially during COVID. To hear where we are with our growth, it was nice to hear that with all the changes we’ve made, along with the growing pains we’ve experienced, his presentation was the right message for our size system. John was well-prepared, understood our brand, our culture and our desired outcomes.”
MARK ALIVERO, CFO/Chief Strategy Officer
Assisted Living Locators
November 2020
“John and his team were great to work with. Very adaptable to the format and structure of our event, as well as how we wanted him to interact with our franchise system. And the content was “spot on” at pointing out how to identify yourself in the lifecycle of a franchisee, as well as whether you were trending towards a healthy or unhealthy set of behaviors at that stage of your franchise career. Wouldn’t hesitate to have him back to perform a ‘deeper dive’ on some of the items that he covered in a limited amount of time!”
RUSSELL MORGAN, CEO
Assisted Living Locators
November 2020
“As I started planning our annual conference I had a clear vision of what I wanted. I needed someone relatable! The minute I saw John Francis speaking, I knew it was a perfect fit! John took the time to get to know our company, culture, brand and it really showed! His presentation was RELATABLE…ENGAGING & INSPIRING! We had lots of great feedback and we loved that he took the time to join our pre-conference event the night before so he could meet and chat with our franchisees. That’s someone who really cares!”
ALYSON LEWIS, Franchise Development
Go Minis
November 2019
“Implementing an Advisory Board has been the best decision! John helped us through every step of the process, hearing our needs and weaknesses and introducing us to people to fill the needs we had. The value that he brought to the table in terms of knowledge and connections was tremendous – so much so that we asked him to be one of our board members. He is a perfect fit for our organization. John facilitates our quarterly meetings, keeping us on track and helping us get through each agenda item in a timely manner. John is a solution finder and I can’t imagine my advisory board without him. If your brand is entertaining the implementation of an Advisory Board – please don’t wait…do it today!”
SHANNON WILBURN, CFE| Co-Founder & CEO
Just Between Friends Franchise System, Inc.
November 2018
“I could see a shift in our franchisees after just 90 minutes with John Francis. He offered up clear, concise best practices for our franchisees during our annual conference, and he was able to relate to each and every one of them – no matter where they happen to be in their franchisee lifecycle.”
TERRENCE GROTH| Chief Operating Officer
Lunchbox Wax
January 2018
“As a successful company that is relatively new in the franchising world, we consider ourselves so fortunate to have found John Francis to tap into his wealth of information and experience. When confronted with an unfamiliar situation, I often find myself thinking, ‘What would John Francis do?’ – I trust his opinion and decision-making in every facet of franchising implicitly.”
JAMIE DILLON| VP Marketing
Lunchbox Wax
January 2018
“John Francis is a great communicator and has a wealth of information to offer. John explained the importance of strategic thinking, vision and planning when considering future expansion within a franchise system. He provided spot-on analysis and explanation. He left our group feeling empowered and ready to take the next steps to grow the brand.”
RENEE MALONEY| Co-Owner & CFO
Painting with a Twist
September 2016
“Working with John was a very positive experience. We provided him with an arsenal of information in preparation for our event, which went smoothly in the way of flow and delivery. The crowd, which was a very seasoned group of owners who have “heard it all” over the last 20 years, was very engaged. His approach is very inviting, humble and open minded.”
ELLEN GREER| Regional Director
The Maids – New England Region
October 2015
“All of our franchise owners found the information and your professionally relaxed presentation style beneficial.”
CORY CZEPA | President & CEO
Live 2 B Healthy Senior Fitness
“John’s personal experience growing up in the franchise hair care business, as well as his later involvement with other franchises and businesses, gives him a unique insight into our business. He has excellent business judgement, and his involvement in other franchise systems is valuable in that he can share some non-confidential best practices with us.”
GORDON LOGAN | CEO & Founder
Sport Clips
“John has twice recently been a featured speaker at our events, which targeted a franchisee audience – specifically, helping them strengthen their personal businesses and networks while building a better relationship with their franchisor. The content John discussed made a definite impact on the franchisees in attendance. Many cited his presentation (and specific segments of it) as being revelatory, whether as new ideas for improving their own business or as reassurance that the issues they’ve encountered are not unique to them and can be overcome.”
ERIC STITES | CEO & Managing Director
Franchise Business REVIEW
“John is my uber board member. From his franchise experience and his time-management skills to his professionalism and work ethic, it’s very hard to find someone with all these traits. He doesn’t miss a thing.”
VAS MANIATIS | Founder & President
Seva
“John is a true professional in every sense. He served as our Keynote Speaker at Seva’s President’s Cabinet Conference in April of 2015. Not only did our Franchise Partners remain engaged by his message throughout the meeting, but they also liked him as a person and enjoyed getting to know him throughout the day. John also collaborated with me on the event for weeks in advance. He made sure that the message he delivered aligned with our company and it’s values.”
KARI COMROV-MARTINEZ| Sr. Director of Spa Operations
Seva
“I’ve worked with John at many levels over the years and have found him to be a thoughtful strategic thinker with a deep understanding and knowledge of franchising and the franchise relationship. Most recently, John has advised our ownership group and guided us to implement a new system to improve efficiency and accountability in our organization. I can sincerely say John has made a positive difference at PostNet and I would not hesitate for a second in recommending that others use him in a similar role as an advisor or board member.”
BRIAN SPINDEL| Co-Founder & President
PostNet
“John Francis spoke at our Area Developers meeting and they were instantly impressed with his credibility and experiences. He was well prepared and did a lot of homework on our organization and needs so he could maximize his value. We have already seen good results as our AD’s are more focused than ever. John hit a home run for Office Pride.”
TODD HOPKINS| President and CEO
Office Pride
John Francis Partial Client List
- ADP
- Assisted Living Locators
- Big Frog Custom T-Shirts & More
- Casa de Corazón
- College HUNKS
- Cost Cutters
- DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen
- Franchise Business REVIEW
- Go Mini’s
- iKids & Franchise
- Inner Circle
- International Franchise Association
- Just Between Friends
- Live 2B Healthy
- LunchboxWax
- Office Pride
- Painting with a Twist
- PostNet
- Seva Beauty
- Sport Clips
- The Maids
