FranPro features operators their brands consider among the most successful and profitable in the system. We also asked those brands what they built to help create that success. The answers may permanently change how you evaluate a franchise.
You've heard from franchisees who built something real. What you haven't heard is what their brand built before they ever showed up. The systems. The training. The margins. The support structure. The reason their result was repeatable — and not just luck.
FranPro is the only event that sits down with both. The operators who lived it. And the brands that made it possible.
After 40+ operator conversations and 20+ franchisor conversations, one thing became clear: the candidates who struggle don't pick bad brands. They pick brands without understanding what the brand actually built — and whether it fits who they are.
"I've been in franchising for 30 years. I've never heard franchisees say 'I wish I would have found this sooner' — until this brand."
— Rob Lancit | VP of Franchise Development | Stratus Building Solutions
Every insight below came from a real franchisor interview. These aren't marketing claims. They're what brands said when Lance asked the questions most people never ask.
Stratus Building Solutions — VP Rob Lancit has worked in franchising for 30 years. He had never — in three decades — heard franchisees say they wished they'd found the brand sooner. Until Stratus.
Koala Insulation — Only one franchisee came from the insulation industry. Carson Suppé calls the rest "corporate refugees who follow the blueprint." Industry outsiders outperform industry insiders.
Ellie Mental Health — Built their entire brand around one observation: "You can't pour from an empty cup." Chris Pash will explain why that philosophy changed everything.
Assisting Hands — VP says with genuine pride: "We still have our soul intact." He'll explain what that means — and why he says "proudly not owned by private equity" with that specific emphasis.
Presurvan — Founder Ty McBride was told he couldn't replace historic windows. "Treat them like Abraham Lincoln made this window." That constraint became a $100,000 opportunity.
NTV360 — Founder Todd Bourgeois tracks a 98–99% first-touch yes rate on placements. It's not because his salespeople are that good. It's because the offer is genuinely that different.
System4 — CEO Scott Kubec tracks one number across his entire network. Same number for three years straight: 26.5% average margin. Most candidates never think to ask about it. They should.
Painter1 — VP Ewell Smith describes two new franchisees overwhelmed in a training room — a school principal and a GM finance exec. Then the mentor showed them his pie chart. Their body language changed completely.
A Buyer's Choice — Dustin Longpre started as a franchisee himself. Going out to meet realtors wasn't sales. "I looked at it as an opportunity to make new friends." He'll tell you what happened next.
Scenthound — VP Tony Nicholson says three industries in franchising you can't go wrong with: your kids, your pets, your aging parents. He calls it ROEI — Return on Emotional Investment.
Glow Sauna Suites — Co-founder John Kutac walks every candidate through the math: spend more, complicated operations, lower returns vs. spend less, simple model, double the EBITDA.
Hello Sugar — VP Ana Ferlan is not an esthetician. Zero hair removal experience. She was a receptionist at Hello Sugar. Now she's VP of Development and a franchisee. And the majority of owners are men.
Smart Market Solutions — Jeff Marsh spent 27 years building the healthy vending revolution. Then AI came along. It watches inventory every day — and makes one specific recommendation that doubles revenue without adding a single new customer.
Rush Bowls — CEO JD Tulloch makes a promise to every discovery day candidate: "Come hungry." Franchisees from fast food say their customers are completely different people.
These aren't sales pitches. They're what happens when you ask brands the hard questions on camera. Sessions available for a limited window.
There's a question every candidate should ask every franchise brand — and almost nobody does. Not "what are your average unit volumes?" Not "how long until I break even?" The question is: "What did you actually build for the people inside your system?"
The brands that perform best built something for the franchisee — not just for the brand.
"We don't make money off the supply chain. We need your store to succeed for us to succeed."
— JD Tulloch | Rush Bowls CEO
The brands with the best retention told the truth about what they couldn't do.
"We still have our soul intact."
— Dan Durney | Assisting Hands VP of Franchise Development
The brands whose franchisees stay longest built the culture before they sold the brand.
"The business model gets them interested. The culture makes them decide."
— Rob Lancit | Stratus Building Solutions VP
Every brand in FranPro agreed to one thing: to be asked the questions most brands never get asked. What they built. What they got wrong early. What they'd do differently. What they know now.
Three 15-year terms. No renewal fees. In 30 years, Rob had never seen that.
90% of homes are under-insulated. One owner came from insulation. The rest: corporate.
Proudly not PE-owned. Emphasis on proudly.
No grills. No fryers. No cooking. A healthy bartender setup — since 2004.
26.5% average margin. Three years straight. Not a range. A consistent.
You can't pour from an empty cup. They built the brand around that.
The mentor pulls out a calendar on day one. Same call. Every week. For a year.
The product is legally required. Very few businesses can say that.
98% first-touch yes rate. Because you're giving something away, not selling.
Declared essential during COVID. The industry never slowed.
The only franchise with all forms of hair removal. Team are also franchisees.
1,000+ machines deployed. Zero maintenance issues.
Making dogs healthier. Not just cleaner. The category didn't exist until they built it.
Zero terminations. Zero ceased operations. We're proud of that.
Half the opening cost of competitors. Double the EBITDA.
Started as a side hustle after someone said you can't replace a historic window.
The franchisee keeps 100% of the job revenue. Every dollar of a $149 job — theirs.
The brand flies out for your first meetings. Day and a half. Together.
Why some franchisees build something extraordinary — and others in the same system struggle.
What the brand actually built — and what they'd tell you that most brands won't.
What both sides reveal when put together.
Live Q&A with Lance Hood.
Personalized brand match for qualifying attendees. No cost.
Lance spent years on both sides of this conversation. He's sat across from candidates who were confused and circling the same decision for years. And he's sat across from brands who were building something real — and others who were not.
After 40+ operator conversations and 20+ brand conversations, he built FranPro to put both sides in one place — and let the candidate decide what's true for them.
"Most candidates ask brands the questions brands are prepared to answer. FranPro asks the questions brands weren't expecting — and records what they say."
— Lance Hood
"I've been in franchising for 30 years. I have never heard franchisees say they wished they'd found a business sooner — until I came here."
"We're proudly NOT owned by private equity. Emphasis on proudly."
"You can't pour from an empty cup. We built the entire brand around that."
"Zero terminations. Zero ceased operations. We're proud of that."
"We don't make money off the supply chain. We need your store to succeed for us to succeed."
Most events give you the operator. Most brand presentations give you the brand. Nobody puts them in the same room and asks both sides to be honest about the same thing. FranPro does.
When Merirae Tackett says she didn't buy a job — she bought a retirement — you believe her. But when Tyler Woodard tells you that Spavia's Park Meadows location has been open 17 years and still has founding members from day one — suddenly you understand why she could do that.
The operator's result and the brand's infrastructure are two halves of the same story. When you only hear one half, you're guessing. When you hear both — you're deciding. That's the difference between FranPro and everything else.
The operators who thrived inside those brands built something worth talking about. Both conversations are here. Available for a limited window. Sessions rotate when new ones drop.
Save My Spot — No Cost →No credit card · No sales call · No obligation
There's a question Rob Lancit asks every candidate considering Stratus: "What would change for you if you heard from ten operators who all said the same thing — that they wish they'd found this sooner?" Most candidates have never been asked that. The answer is: everything. That's what FranPro is for.
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Both sides of the franchise relationship. One place. No spin.