Kicking Off the Conversation
One of the things I love about hosting The Advisory Board Podcast is bringing in leaders who’ve done the work, taken the lumps, and built something remarkable. This episode’s guest, Ryan Parsons, is exactly that. He’s the CEO of Evive Brands and co-founder of Brothers That Just Do Gutters — the largest gutter franchise in the world with 400 territories. And yes, he confirmed for me that it’s not just the world… It’s the universe.
We talked about something every franchise system will face: technology. Get it right, and it’s a growth engine. Get it wrong, and you’ll be cleaning up a digital mess for years.
Build Your Tech Stack From Day One
I asked Ryan what he’d do differently if he could start over. His answer was immediate: bring in IT expertise on day one.
“I’d get it right on day one. So many organizations wait until they’re huge to think about IT, but by then you’ve created a digital mess.” – Ryan Parsons
If you’ve been around the block in franchising, you’ve probably seen the “Franken-stack” — a mishmash of tools with overlapping features, no integrations, and wasted spend. Ryan’s advice? Don’t let that happen. Bring in someone who can look years ahead, design your tech stack with scale in mind, and integrate the right tools from the start.
Data is the Ultimate Coaching Tool
Here’s something I’ve learned over the years: you can’t coach what you can’t see. Ryan and I are in lockstep on this.
“I am the world’s best coach when I know what I’m supporting — when I’ve got data.” – Ryan Parsons
Imagine opening a support call and saying, “I noticed your schedule rate is at 25%, but top performers are at 55%. Let’s figure out why.” That’s a different conversation than, “So… how are things going?” Data removes the guesswork, strips out the emotion, and gets everyone working from the same playbook.
Your Customers Are Giving You Gold
One of my favorite parts of this discussion was Ryan’s view on feedback. We agreed that customers — through reviews, surveys, even casual comments — are giving you a free consulting session.
“They actually paid you — and now they’re giving you gold on what you can do better for the next person.” – Ryan Parsons
The trick is to collect that feedback systematically, spot the patterns, and actually act on it. Don’t filter for only five-star reviews; the three- and four-star ones are where the improvement opportunities live.
Make the Experience Frictionless
Ryan dropped a line I’m going to use again: “How do I become the best company to never meet with?”
Whether you agree with that or not, the point stands — if your customers want to buy without a meeting, you’d better have the tools to make that happen. That could mean AI chat on your website, instant scheduling, digital contracts, or fast mobile payments. If you make it hard, they’ll go somewhere else.
Automate Wisely
Here’s my rule — and Ryan shares it — automate where technology does it better than a human, but never at the expense of the customer experience.
Lead routing, scheduling, follow-up reminders? Automate them.
Delicate conversations, high-value coaching, or resolving complex complaints? Keep a human in the loop.
As Ryan put it:
“Automate everything you possibly can that doesn’t provide a lesser experience for the client.”
Dave’s Takeaways
- Your tech stack is your foundation. Build it early, with scale in mind.
- Data visibility transforms support from reactive to proactive.
- Every customer touchpoint is feedback — mine it for insights.
- Friction costs you sales; remove it at every step.
- Automation is powerful — but only if it serves the customer first.
Connect with Ryan Parsons: LinkedIn | Evive Brands
