Every strong franchise system I’ve ever been part of rests on one thing: relationships. Processes matter, playbooks matter, technology matters — but they mean very little without trust at the core. That’s why this conversation with John “Johnny Franchise” Francis on The Advisory Board Podcast stuck with me.
Johnny’s been in franchising his entire life. He’s lived it from every angle — as a franchisor, franchisee, developer, supplier, and advisor. What I’ve always appreciated about him is that he doesn’t posture as the guy with every answer. He’s someone who listens deeply, asks the right questions, and genuinely cares about helping brands get it right.
This episode is a reminder that the real work of franchising isn’t theoretical. It’s people’s work. It’s long-game work. And when you get the franchisor–franchisee relationship right, it becomes the engine that drives everything else.
Meet John “Johnny Franchise” Francis
Johnny grew up inside a franchise system that eventually reached 1,000 locations before being sold in 1999. His parents built the brand the right way, and that early exposure shaped how he sees franchising today. After that first big exit, he went on to work in five more brands as a franchisor, franchisee, and developer.
One of my favorite ways he describes himself is this:
“I’m not a know-it-all. I’m a share-it-all.”
If you’ve ever met him at a conference, you know that’s true. He’s the guy who will sit in the hallway and walk you through a problem if you catch him between sessions. He’s also the creator of Father’s Eve and a very intentional girl dad — someone who built his work life around being present at home.
Johnny lives at the intersection of experience and humility. That’s what makes his take on franchise relationships so valuable.
Franchising Depends on Interdependence, Not Hierarchy
Johnny makes it clear that a franchise system only works when both sides recognize how much they rely on each other. The franchisor isn’t above the franchisee; they’re interdependent.
“The franchisor is dependent on the franchisee, and the franchisee is dependent on the franchisor… When that relationship is fully developed, it becomes interdependent.”
Franchisors control who gets into the system and set the standards, tools, and structure. Franchisees do the heavy lifting in the field — they execute, operate, and bring the brand to life in real markets. When both understand that they need each other to win, the relationship moves from tension to alignment.
The First Red Flag in Any System Is Blame
If you want to know how healthy your franchise relationships are, listen for blame. Johnny points out that when things start to slide, people tend to look outward instead of inward.
“When you start blaming the other side, you’re in trouble. There’s always enough blame to go all the way around.”
Franchisors might say, “That franchisee just doesn’t get it.” Franchisees might say, “Corporate doesn’t support us.” Those reactions are usually symptoms, not root causes.
Johnny reframes the core question from “Whose fault is this?” to “How do we solve this, and what’s my part in the solution?” That shift alone can change how a brand responds to tension and underperformance.
Training Isn’t a Phase — It’s an Ongoing System
One of the most practical points Johnny raises is about training. A lot of emerging brands overestimate what a single onboarding event can do and underestimate how much ongoing development their franchisees need.
“The reason they don’t do it right is because they don’t know how. And the reason they don’t know how is because they weren’t trained — or the training was incomplete or inconsistent.”
Early-stage brands often launch with enthusiasm, run a strong initial training program, and then assume the job is done. But franchisees evolve. Their needs change. Markets shift.
The brands that win over time treat training and support as continuous responsibilities, not boxes to check. They revisit, update, and expand training so franchisees always know how to execute the model well.
Franchisee Innovation Is a Strength, Not a Threat
Some of the best ideas in any franchise system come from the people running the model day in and day out. Johnny emphasizes that when franchisees try new approaches and find something that works, franchisors should be paying attention.
“When the franchisee finds a better way… the franchisor should be looking for that, welcoming it, polishing it up, and distributing it across the brand.”
He calls this “constructive evolution.” It’s what happens when both sides reserve the right to get smarter and make the system better together.
The key is structure. Innovation needs a path — through advisory councils, pilot programs, or field tests — so good ideas get vetted, refined, and shared without turning the brand into a free-for-all.
5. Advisory Councils Are a Secret Weapon When Done Right
Johnny has helped both launch and repair Franchise Advisory Councils (FACs). He’s seen what works and what fails.
“When advisory councils are unstructured, unclear, or lack accountability, they fail. But when they’re managed properly, they’re incredibly powerful.”
A broken FAC is one where:
- Meetings are boring or repetitive
- There’s no clear agenda or accountability
- It turns into a complaint session without resolution
A healthy FAC, on the other hand, becomes a structured way for franchisees to provide feedback, surface issues, and contribute to the brand’s evolution. Johnny suggests building one before you hit a crisis and typically around the time the system grows to a point where you no longer know every franchisee personally.
Vulnerability and Long-Term Thinking Build Stronger Brands
One of the biggest mindset shifts Johnny advocates for is around vulnerability. Many franchisors feel pressure to appear infallible, especially when franchisees are paying royalties and expecting answers. Johnny pushes back on that.
“The franchisor has to have the mindset of the long game. You’re not going to have all the answers, but you have to be committed to mutual success.”
He contrasts short-term, greed-driven thinking with a long-term commitment to franchisee success. When franchisors are obsessed with squeezing out a little more revenue, franchisees feel it and resent it. When franchisors stay focused on franchisee profitability and sustainable growth, they earn trust — and grace when things don’t go perfectly.
That mindset becomes even more important when private equity enters the picture. Capital isn’t the problem; culture is. Brands that stay anchored in integrity, mutual success, and long-term thinking are the ones that last.
Wrap Up Thoughts
Talking with Johnny reinforced something I’ve seen over and over again in my own work with franchises and in my own ownership experience: the systems, tools, and playbooks only work as well as the relationships behind them.
A few key reminders I took away from this conversation:
- When blame shows up, it’s a signal to slow down and look deeper.
- Training can’t be a one-time event. It has to mature along with the brand.
- Franchisee innovation is an asset — as long as you give it structure and a path.
- Advisory councils, when built early and run well, become one of the most powerful tools in the system.
- Long-term thinking and vulnerability build trust in ways that no top-down directive ever will.
At the end of the day, franchising is a relationship model wrapped in a business model. If you invest in the relationship, you give the model room to thrive.
Listen & Watch the Full Conversation
Watch the full episode on YouTube
Check out the podcast hub channel
Connect with John “Johnny Franchise” Francis on LinkedIn and learn more about ZorForum.
