Franchise Everything

Key Takeaways:
How Matt and Dani Jamieson moved from long corporate careers into franchise ownership
Why they chose to leave Canberra and build a new lifestyle on the Sunshine Coast
How a connection to Coochie HydroGreen from 20 years earlier eventually led them back to the brand
How they reached High Rollers status just three and a half years after starting the business
Why the support of the Coochie HydroGreen network and other franchisees has been important to their growth
The challenge of hiring their first employee and making the transition from working in the business to working on it
How their previous corporate leadership and management experience helped them as business owners
 
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Welcome and introduction to Matt and Dani Jamieson, Coochie HydroGreen
1:10 Matt and Dani's career backgrounds in property law and public service
3:05 Their Sunshine Coast and Glasshouse Mountains Coochie HydroGreen territory
6:15 Choosing a business that would give them a more outdoor lifestyle
7:04 Their first connection with Coochie HydroGreen more than 20 years ago
8:22 Why they originally walked away from buying a Coochie HydroGreen franchise
9:28 Assessing the Sunshine Coast territory and its potential for growth
10:12 Transitioning from corporate careers into franchise ownership
11:29 Reaching Coochie HydroGreen High Rollers status after three and a half years
12:45 How training and support from other franchisees helped them grow
14:35 How the franchise structure protects their investment and creates collaboration
15:22 Learning the technical side of the lawn care business
17:05 Hiring their first employee and making the transition from working in the business
18:50 Adding another truck and planning for another team member
19:08 Dani's role in managing the backend of the growing business
19:56 How their previous leadership and management experience helped them build their team
20:16 Future plans for more trucks and potentially expanding into additional territories
 
Matt and Dani Jamieson are Coochie HydroGreen franchise owners who made the move from long corporate careers in property law and public service to building a business on Queensland's Sunshine Coast. After years of wanting to leave Canberra, they finally made the decision to prioritise lifestyle and began searching for a business that would allow them to work outdoors rather than remain in an office.
 
Their connection with Coochie HydroGreen began more than 20 years earlier, and after exploring other franchise opportunities, they returned to the brand and launched their own business in 2022. Their business reached High Rollers status after just three and a half years, which they credit to hard work, commitment and the support of the wider franchise network.
 
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Key Takeaways:
How Tamika transitioned from teaching in schools to running her own tutoring business
How Aiden moved from big-box retail management into the family business
The six-month financial plan that gave them confidence to leave employment and commit to the business
How they grew from one centre to five through a combination of new locations and acquisitions
The advantages and challenges of buying an established centre versus starting a new one
How they maintain a small-business feel while managing multiple centres and teams
Why demonstrating student progress is more important than simply focusing on school results
 
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Welcome and introduction to Tamika and Aiden Stender who have become the number one Kip McGrath store owners globally with their fifth WA centre about to open
1:34 Tamika's background in teaching and why the realities of working in schools left her wanting to make a bigger impact
3:07 Aiden's background in big-box retail management and initially supporting Tamika's tutoring business as a side venture
5:10 How rapid growth and purchasing their second centre turned the business into something they knew they could not walk away from
7:07 Expanding from one to two centres after a nearby long-term owner approached them about selling his business
8:58 The advantages of opening a new centre including choosing the location versus inheriting an existing centre and its client base
10:04 How existing teams and client relationships can make acquisitions easier while still requiring careful change management
11:02 Why their different personalities and perspectives are actually one of the biggest strengths of their partnership
13:41 What a typical day looks like for the couple and how owning the business gives them more flexibility with their two young children
16:26 Building children's confidence and creating a positive learning experience beyond simply improving academic results
20:32 Creating systems that can be replicated across five centres and making scalability achievable without adding unnecessary complexity
21:23 How AI is being used in the business for communication, ideas and productivity as the couple continues to scale
22:17 Why AI cannot replace the human relationships and confidence-building that are at the heart of tutoring
23:26 Preparing the fifth centre for opening and how their marketing strategy has evolved as the business has grown
25:11 Using real student results and positive progress to communicate the value of the business to parents
26:10 Why maintaining a small-business feel and helping every child feel valued matters more than simply becoming bigger
 
Tamika and Aiden Stender are WA-based Kip McGrath multi-centre owners who have grown their business from one centre to five and have become the brand's number one store owners globally. Tamika shares her journey from teaching into business ownership, while Aidan explains his transition from big-box retail management to joining the business full time.
 
Together, they discuss their growth through new centres and acquisitions, the importance of word-of-mouth and strong relationships with parents, how they divide responsibilities as a husband-and-wife team, and their approach to developing their people and using AI. Despite their continued expansion, Tamika and Aiden remain focused on maintaining quality, supporting their teams and ensuring every child feels valued and sees genuine progress.
 
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Key Takeaways:
How Battery Zone evolved from a single battery store into a growing franchise brand
Why specialist battery retailers continue to thrive despite increasing competition
The advantages of Battery Zone's hybrid franchise model for automotive businesses
Why mobile roadside battery services represent the future of the business
How Battery Zone trains and supports franchisees from day one
Why centralised marketing and Google Ads are critical for franchise success
Charlie Carter's vision for expanding Battery Zone across Melbourne before scaling nationally
 
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Welcome and introduction to Charlie Carter founder of Battery Zone from the Melbourne Franchising Expo
0:26 What Battery Zone does and why specialist battery expertise is still in high demand
1:30 Building Battery Zone after identifying a gap in the battery retail industry
2:08 Why batteries are a growing industry driven by increasing demand and technology
3:20 Growing Battery Zone carefully while remaining a hands-on franchisor
4:30 Why Battery Zone is moving from retail stores to a hybrid franchise model
5:39 How automotive businesses can increase revenue by adding Battery Zone to unused floor space
6:07 The phone call that inspired the hybrid Battery Zone franchise model
7:32 Launching Battery Zone's new roadside battery franchise opportunity
8:22 Why Battery Zone is focusing on Melbourne before expanding across Australia
8:51 Franchise training support marketing and Google Ads managed by head office
10:29 Why ongoing customer follow-up and centralised marketing help franchisees succeed
11:09 Charlie Carter's vision for growing Battery Zone across Melbourne before national expansion
 
Battery Zone has built a reputation as a specialist battery retailer and roadside battery service, providing solutions for everything from cars and trucks to caravans, boats and smoke alarm batteries. In this episode of the Franchise Everything Podcast, Glenn Walford speaks with Charlie Carter, Founder of Battery Zone, about how years of industry experience helped him identify an opportunity to create a customer-focused battery business that has now evolved into a franchise model.
 
Charlie shares why Battery Zone is shifting from traditional retail stores to hybrid and mobile roadside franchises, allowing franchisees to reduce overheads while expanding their services. He also explains how comprehensive training, centralised Google marketing, and ongoing franchise support help franchisees build successful businesses, while outlining his strategy of perfecting the Melbourne market before expanding nationally.
 
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YouTube: https://youtu.be/xf4Q0sngzpY
 
Appear on our Podcasts HERE https://www.franchiseeverythingpodcast.com.au/

Key Takeaways:
Why transaction insurance is becoming a game changer for Australian business sales
How buyers and sellers can both benefit from additional protection during a business acquisition
Why this insurance has traditionally only been available for large corporate mergers and why that's changing
How the product can reduce financial risk and improve buyer confidence
Why franchise businesses are particularly well suited to this type of protection
How lenders, accountants, lawyers and business brokers can benefit from understanding this new solution
TIMESTAMPS
0:00 Welcome from the Melbourne Franchising Expo and introduction to Paul Benjamin founder of Benjamin & Benjamin Insurance
0:40 Introducing a new transaction insurance product for buying and selling businesses in Australia
1:06 Why transaction insurance has traditionally only been available for business sales above $100 million
2:12 How warranty and indemnity insurance protects both buyers and sellers during a business sale
3:42 Why transaction insurance is particularly valuable for franchise businesses and resale transactions
4:13 How lawyers, brokers and insurers work together throughout the transaction process
5:35 Reducing transaction risk improving buyer confidence and supporting business finance approvals
6:02 Why this insurance product has only recently become available for Australian small and medium businesses
7:03 Making due diligence simpler while still protecting buyers from hidden risks
8:28 How claims are handled and why the policy provides confidence after settlement
9:56 Helping buyers protect significant investments and retirement savings when purchasing a business
11:18 Working with accountants lawyers brokers and the Franchise Council to bring the product to market
11:56 Final thoughts on how transaction insurance can improve business sales across the franchise industry
 
Buying or selling a business is a major financial decision, and in this episode of the Franchise Everything Podcast, Glenn Walford speaks with Paul Benjamin, Founder of Benjamin & Benjamin Insurance, about a new transaction insurance product now available for Australian small and medium-sized business sales. Previously only used in large corporate mergers and acquisitions, this solution is designed to reduce risk and provide greater confidence for both buyers and sellers throughout the transaction process.
 
Paul explains how transaction insurance can benefit franchise businesses by protecting investments, supporting finance approvals, and providing greater certainty after settlement. The discussion also highlights the important role of accountants, lawyers, brokers, and franchise advisers in bringing this innovative solution to market, making it a valuable episode for anyone involved in buying, selling, or advising franchise businesses.
 
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YouTube: https://youtu.be/spCHggS7P9M
 
Appear on our Podcasts HERE https://www.franchiseeverythingpodcast.com.au/

Key Takeaways:
How Himanshu went from delivery driver to franchise owner without ever working for anyone else
Why choosing the business over buying a house paid off in two and a half years
How he built community trust in a conservative Australian suburb through local sponsorship
Why the four to nine evening model makes Town and Country a genuine lifestyle business
What staying consistent for ten years with one brand can lead to
TIMESTAMPS
00:00 Welcome and guest introduction Himanshu Gandhi franchise owner Town and Country Pizza and Pasta Lara Victoria
00:37 Arriving in Australia in 2016 as a Masters engineering student and starting as a delivery driver at Town and Country Geelong Waterfront
01:21 Rising through every role from delivery driver to kitchen hand pizza maker kitchen supervisor and store manager in just three years
06:14 Asking Joe Rossi if he was ready to own his own store after 10 years with the same employer
07:31 Buying an existing 13 year old store in 2023 and how visa conditions and timing aligned perfectly
07:55 Choosing to put savings into the business rather than a house and paying off the loan within two and a half years
09:47 Navigating years of visa uncertainty through COVID and the path to permanent residency
10:16 How Himanshu blended into the conservative Lara community by sponsoring local footy netball soccer and the RSL
11:54 Managing a team of 30 people and how rising through every role shaped his management style
12:20 Work culture in India versus Australia and why the lifestyle model here changed everything
13:20 Operating just four to nine in the evenings six days a week and why the lifestyle model suits his family
14:38 How central marketing is handled by Town and Country while Himanshu focuses on local community support
16:01 Plans for a second store in regional Victoria within 45 to 60 minutes drive and what consistency means for the next step
17:01 Stay consistent put your focus on hard work and the opportunity will come towards you
 
Himanshu Gandhi arrived in Australia in 2016 as a Masters engineering student with no plans to stay in hospitality. He took a delivery driving job at Town and Country Pizza and Pasta as a side hustle, and a decade later he owns one of the brand's stores in Lara Victoria. He has never worked for anyone else. His entire Australian career from delivery driver to kitchen hand, pizza maker, kitchen supervisor, store manager and now franchise owner has been with the same brand under the same managing director Joe Rossi.
 
He opens up about choosing to put his savings into the business instead of buying a house, paying off the loan in two and a half years, navigating years of visa uncertainty through COVID, winning over a conservative Australian community by sponsoring every local footy netball and soccer club he could find, and running a lifestyle friendly four to nine evening model with a team of 30. With permanent residency around the corner and a second store in his sights, his advice is simple: stay consistent, keep showing up and the opportunity will come to you.
 
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Appear on our Podcasts HERE https://www.franchiseeverythingpodcast.com.au/

Magdel Barnard did not plan to run a tutoring franchise. She was a chartered accountant with her own practice in South Africa, moved to New Zealand and went straight back into accounting.
 
Then a mum in the school playground told her something was wrong with her son's reading. The school reports said otherwise. The educational assessment did not. What followed was a tutoring course, a kitchen table classroom, a friend asking if her son could join in, and a phone call to Kip McGrath. That was ten years ago. She has never looked back.
 
In this episode of the Franchise Everything Podcast recorded at the Kip McGrath conference, Magdel shares what that decade actually looked like. Why switching from accounting to tutoring means giving up control of the outcome. 
 
Why she tells every student to choose their hard now or face it later. Why she makes sure every child in her centre understands the financial sacrifice their parents are making to be there. And why no AI tool on the planet can replace a tutor who looks a struggling student in the eye and says I know you can do this.
 
0:00 Welcome and guest introduction Magdel Barnard franchise owner Kip McGrath Auckland New Zealand
0:50 Background as a chartered accountant in South Africa and the move to New Zealand
2:00 Taking a tutoring course specialising in dyslexia dyspraxia and dysgraphia to help her son
2:52 How helping her son led to contacting Kip McGrath and becoming a franchise owner
3:04 The emotional moment of finding out her son was struggling and the guilt that followed
5:00 How New Zealand's curriculum changes in 2025 are creating a new wave of students falling behind
7:05 Why the curriculum change is both an opportunity and a challenge for the business
8:17 How an accountant convinced Kip McGrath she was the right person to run a tutoring centre
10:28 The key difference between accounting and tutoring: success is no longer fully in her hands
11:23 Why AI can assist tutoring but can never replace human motivation and belief in a student
13:52 Choose your hard: the philosophy she uses with every student and parent
16:18 What a typical week looks like running Monday to Thursday afternoon sessions
17:24 The flexibility of franchise ownership compared to a corporate accounting career
18:12 The acceleration strategy: identifying the highest impact gaps rather than filling every one
19:24 Plans for multi-centre expansion and the challenge of finding passionate afternoon tutors 
 
Franchise Recruitment Marketing - Appear on our Podcasts HERE 
 
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Joe Papiccio is the co-founder of Plumbing Bros, a fast growing national trades franchise headquartered in Perth.
 
While his co-founder James Riddle leads the day to day franchise operations, Joe has carved out a specialised and highly valuable role within the business as the person responsible for winning the major tenders and contracts that provide Plumbing Bros franchise partners with guaranteed long term revenue streams.
 
In this episode of the Franchise Everything Podcast, recorded at the FCA Franchise Forum on the Gold Coast, Joe breaks down exactly how Plumbing Bros wins the major tenders that set their franchise partners up with guaranteed work for years.
 
0:00 Welcome and guest introduction Joe Papiccio co-founder of Plumbing Bros at the FCA Franchise Forum
1:00 What a tender is and how contractual work builds long term revenue for franchise partners
2:30 The difference between reactive maintenance and preventative maintenance in a tender contract
3:44 How the tender process works from subscription notifications to information sessions and submissions
5:35 What goes into a tender submission: methodology storytelling resources and pricing
7:19 Why some tenders are worth walking away from and the criteria for saying no
9:12 How AI tools like ChatGPT and NotebookLM have halved the time it takes to complete a tender
11:30 The full tender timeline from brief to evaluation to finalist interviews: six to eight weeks
12:30 What it feels like to win a business defining tender and why Joe calls himself a rainmaker
14:00 What happens when an incumbent fails to deliver and the tender comes back around
14:50 The key advice for winning tenders: competitive pricing honest storytelling and backing your systems
 
Franchise Recruitment Marketing - Appear on our Podcasts HERE
 
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Joe Rossi is the managing director of Town and Country Pizza and Pasta, a 36 year old Victorian founded franchise brand with 14 high volume locations across Victoria and Western Australia.
 
A finalist at the FCA Awards for franchise innovation, Joe leads a business that blends traditional hospitality values with a genuinely tech forward approach to operations, training and customer experience.
 
In this episode of the Franchise Everything Podcast, recorded at the FCA Franchise Forum on the Gold Coast, Joe breaks down how Town and Country Pizza and Pasta is using AI not to replace hospitality but to strengthen it.
 
TIMESTAMPS
 
0:00 Welcome and guest introduction Joe Rossi managing director of Town and Country Pizza and Pasta
0:43 Town and Country Pizza and Pasta: a 36 year old brand with 14 locations across Victoria and Western Australia
1:23 The national growth strategy and what it means to be a traditional brand with a tech forward mindset
2:04 How technology evolved in the business before and through COVID and why the fundamentals of hospitality must not be lost
3:37 Why Town and Country focuses on high volume per location over simply chasing store count
4:24 How AI is being used for site selection training franchisees ordering forecasting and customer data analysis
5:38 How AI is reducing friction in the ordering process and improving the customer experience
6:09 How AI is being used in back of house to break down kitchen timeframes and improve efficiency
6:38 The AI powered hardware training product that delivers staff training with minimal human intervention
8:00 Why Town and Country has not changed its position on third party food delivery aggregators
9:16 Why growing deliberately and focusing on consistency is more important than rapid expansion
10:07 Why AI is being used to feed timeless hospitality values rather than replace them
10:46 Why human interaction will become more valuable not less in an AI driven world
11:18 Wrap up
 
Franchise Recruitment Marketing - Appear on our Podcasts HERE 
 
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Nathan Hornby has spent 15 years in franchising and is now head of franchising at Plumbing Bros, one of Australia's fastest growing trades franchises. And they do something most people don't expect. They don't recruit plumbers. They recruit white collar franchise partners. People who can read a balance sheet, lead a team and actively grow a business in their community.
 
In this episode of the Franchise Everything Podcast, recorded at the Franchise Industry Awards Forum Day in Brisbane, Nathan breaks down the weekly reporting system implemented by CEO and co-founder James from day one, the three word framework of prioritisation, organisation and delegation, and why a record revenue month can still leave you cash flow negative.
 
If you run a trades business, manage a franchise network or just want to understand what disciplined cash flow management actually looks like in practice, this one is for you.
 
0:00 Welcome and guest introduction Nathan Hornby
0:27 What Plumbing Bros does and why it looks for white collar franchise partners
1:00 Why significant top line revenue does not always mean healthy cash flow
2:00 Working with franchise partners weekly to understand when money is actually coming in
2:44 How different payment terms across multiple daily jobs creates cash flow complexity
3:41 Training franchise partners in cash flow from entry level and ongoing weekly reporting
4:48 Weekly cash flow meetings and when Plumbing Bros insists on them
5:31 How to handle bad payers without damaging valuable client relationships
6:10 Weekly cash flow forecasting: non-negotiables, income expected and supplier bills
7:15 How invoicing delays can blow out payment terms from 30 to 90 days
8:09 The three words that drive the Plumbing Bros approach: prioritisation, organisation and delegation
9:06 Building an offshore admin and bookkeeping team to support franchise partners
10:24 The biggest cash flow challenge: is it sales volume or management of existing work?
11:07 Why a diverse payment portfolio is the real solution to cash flow stability
11:39 How Plumbing Bros differentiates itself through proactive cash flow management
12:17 Wrap up
 
Franchise Recruitment Marketing - Appear on our Podcasts HERE 
 
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In this episode of the Franchise Everything Podcast, host Glen speaks with Darren Schultz, co-founder of Stellarossa, at Stellarossa Coffee Headquarters in Brisbane.
 
Darren shares his journey from leaving school in Bundaberg and unexpectedly starting a hairdressing apprenticeship, to working in hospitality overseas, running his own salon, and eventually discovering the coffee industry through Brisbane’s Park Road cafe scene. 
 
His early career shaped his customer service skills, resilience, and ability to connect with people, which later became essential in building franchise businesses.
 
The episode also explores how Darren launched Expresso Mobile Coffee, one of Australia’s early mobile coffee van franchise concepts, before going on to co-found Stellarossa in 2009. Darren explains the lessons learned from franchising, the importance of proving a business model before expanding, and how Stellarossa has grown into a recognised cafe franchise brand with around 25 locations, drive-through concepts, and international expansion plans including India and Sri Lanka. 
 
0:00 - Welcome and guest introduction
0:56 - Why understanding the leaders behind franchise brands matters
2:40 - Trying a pre-vocational course and discovering what was out there
5:11 - The interview with the ex-Stefan salon team and the telephone role play
8:01 - Finding his groove and earning $51 a week as an apprentice
9:00 - Working in a men's fashion store and being rescued back into hairdressing
10:28 - Working in a bar cafe in Covent Garden and falling into hospitality
11:55 - Teaching water skiing and getting a job by chance in Greece
14:51 - Heading back to London a second time and landing a management role
17:48 - Coming home to Australia and a stint back in Bundaberg
19:42 - Reconnecting with Sam Canino and moving to Brisbane for hairdressing
22:08 - What hairdressing taught him about understanding franchise buyers today
23:06 - Running his own salon for 12 to 13 years and doing very well
27:27 - Park Road Milton as the epicentre of Brisbane coffee in the late 90s
30:43 - Pitching the concept to a head chef and launching Expresso Mobile Coffee
31:40 - Why mobile coffee had never been done in Australia before
34:32 - The challenge of getting coffee right in all climates from a mobile van
37:31 - Meeting lawyer Derek Sutherland and making the franchise agreements
39:26 - Buying out his business partner in 2007 and running Expresso with his wife
40:25 - Jonathan Payne coming on board as Expresso business partner
42:16 - The deal Darren made with Jonathan before taking him on as a partner
44:41 - Phil DiBella stepping back from the cafe concept due to wholesale client pressure
45:40 - Finding the name Stellarossa in an architectural magazine at the dentist
46:38 - Phil Cronin coming on as co-founder and how a 45 year friendship became a business
49:00 - Where Stellarossa is today with 25 stores and international expansion
51:26 - Drive-through Stellarossa stores and what is next for the brand
52:18 - Wrapping up and why knowing the leaders behind franchise brands matters
 
Franchise Recruitment Marketing - Appear on our Podcasts HERE
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