There’s a moment in every founder’s journey where the ground gives way a little. You can retreat, or you can plant your feet and turn the slide into momentum. When Bennett Maxwell—the force behind Dirty Dough, now building at Craveworthy Brands and Franchise KI—faced a high‑profile lawsuit right as he started franchising, he did the latter. Not with bluster, but with transparency, humor, and a long‑view that put the brand’s values on display. That’s why I wanted him on the show.
I launched this podcast back in 2020 to be a repository of real, field‑tested franchise wisdom. Bennett’s story is a case study in reframing pressure, building scalable systems early, and selling with candor over hype.
Meet Bennett Maxwell
If you’ve followed the “Utah cookie wars,” you’ve probably seen Bennett’s work. He grew up in Utah, cut his teeth in door‑to‑door sales, scaled and exited a solar company, then acquired Dirty Dough when it was a single store. Within two years, the brand had opened around 100 locations (plus food trucks) and sold ~450 units.
Today, Bennett leads franchise development with Craveworthy Brands and runs Franchise KI—his brokerage focused on transparent, system‑driven sales. He’s also hands‑on with Glow Tanning and is writing a book on transparency in sales.
“There’s nothing in my life I’m hiding. Sharing openly with franchisees and employees creates trust and accountability.”
Key Lessons & Takeaways
Reframe the Hit: Turn Pressure into a Platform
Quote: “They claimed we copied their box… so I decided to fight. We leaned in publicly—social posts, jokes, billboards like ‘Cookies so good, we’re being sued.’ It caught fire.”
Watch or listen to this moment → 22:00
Why it matters: Most brands go quiet under legal heat. Bennett treated transparency as strategy—owning the narrative, not out of spite, but to clarify the facts and invite the public into the process.
Lead with Values, Not Fear
Quote: “Lawyers know law, not marketing. Our core values are to attack problems with lightheartedness, expect challenges, and embrace them. Would fighting this bring more fulfillment than quietly paying lawyers? Yes.”
Watch or listen to this moment → 27:40
Why it matters: Counsel informs decisions; it doesn’t make them. Values should. Bennett anchored decisions to joy, fulfillment, and service to franchisees—then acted accordingly.
Transparency Compounds Trust (and Outcomes)
Quote: “In my opinion, the number one reason it went away was public pressure… probably 10,000 ‘boycott’ comments.”
Watch or listen to this moment → 31:55
Impact metric: In the first six months of franchising they sold ~60 units; ~50 stores opened in year one, ~100 total opened (with tough lessons along the way).
Watch or listen to this moment → 33:12
Sell with Candor—Even When It “Unsells”
Quote: “We’ve been in business 15 years with zero closures, but there’s no guarantee you’ll succeed.”
Watch or listen to this moment → 43:12
Playbook note: Record sales calls. State the downsides. People are risking livelihoods—respect that. Paradoxically, honesty increases conversions and protects the brand long‑term.
Design for Scale on Day One
Quote: “We designed for national scale—warehouses, machines, systems—based on supporting 100+ locations, not just the few we had.”
Watch or listen to this moment → 43:12
Why it matters: Infrastructure precedes growth. If leadership is aiming for 1,000 units but teams are building for 100, you’ll outgrow your systems before your footprint.
How This Episode Impacted Me
What struck me most wasn’t the billboard bravado—it was the centeredness behind it. Bennett’s not chasing dopamine spikes; he’s aiming for joy and fulfillment now, while building durable systems for tomorrow. As someone who spends a lot of time in the trenches with franchisors and franchisees via ClientTether, this episode reinforced a simple truth: the most bankable growth lever is trust. Transparency isn’t a PR tactic; it’s an operating system.
Listen & Watch the Full Conversation
Watch the full episode YouTube
Listen to the podcast Podcast Hub
Connect with Bennett / brand Franchise KI
