In this episode of The Alignment Podcast, Jacob sits down with JD Busch—franchise operator, consultant, and entrepreneur with over three decades of experience. JD has been through it all: starting young with KidFit, scaling multiple concepts, consulting with emerging brands, and making plenty of mistakes along the way.
Together, they unpack what really makes franchises succeed—or fail. JD shares why most franchise systems never scale, how to identify franchisees who will thrive, and why alignment between franchisor, franchisee, and team culture matters more than short-term wins.
Whether you’re thinking about franchising your business, buying into one, or simply want to sharpen your leadership lens, JD’s insights on team building, cultural alignment, and long-term growth will give you plenty to think about.
What you’ll learn in this episode:
Why most franchises never get past 100 units
How to approach franchisees like you would an executive hire
The cultural traits that separate top franchisees from struggling ones
How tools like Traction and personality profiling can help build strong teams
Why developing leaders from within is key to sustainable growth
