The Franchise Insiders

Congratulations to Rick, who is now a Puddle Pool Services franchise owner! 🐡

Rick saw more than pools that need cleaning. He saw an opportunity to build a business around recurring service, repeat customers, and a growing team.

One unit to start. A foundation to build on.

Rick did the work. He asked the hard questions, talked to existing franchise owners, and made the decision with his eyes open. That’s how it should go.

Huge shoutout to Kathryn Allen for guiding Rick through the process. As a franchise owner herself, she brings firsthand experience to helping others take that step.

Franchise owners helping future franchise owners. That’s what we’re about at The Franchise Insiders.

Rick, congratulations on this next chapter. Now go build it. 🏊‍♂️

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The franchisor can tell you why to buy their franchise.
We’ll help you figure out whether you should.

We’re franchise owners ourselves. We help successful professionals and investors decide whether franchise ownership makes sense and, if it does, which opportunities fit their goals, resources, and desired level of involvement.

Big news at The Franchise Insiders — welcome Elina Greenstein to the team!

Elina brings something to our clients that you simply can’t teach: she’s lived the journey.

She built a successful corporate career in tech, including time at Mastercard. But like so many of the executives we work with, she eventually started asking a different question:

Is there a way to build something of my own without starting completely from scratch?

That search led her to franchising — and ultimately to becoming a CMIT Solutions franchise owner herself.

Now she’s joining The Franchise Insiders to help other professionals navigate that same transition.

That matters to me.

We’ve always believed the best franchise consultants aren’t just people who know franchises. They understand what it feels like to put their own money on the line and become an owner.

Elina does.

She understands the corporate world.
She understands franchise ownership.
And she understands that the goal isn’t simply to find a “good franchise.”

It’s to find the right business for the life you actually want to build.

Jill and I are excited to have her with us.

Welcome to The Franchise Insiders, Elina Greenstein!

Another unit added! 🔥

Huge congratulations to our client Sweta, who just added a second Ultimate Longevity Center territory to her portfolio!

There’s something especially exciting about a client making the decision to expand before they’ve even opened their first location.

She saw the opportunity. She believed in the model. And she decided she wanted more.

And a huge congratulations to Kathryn Allen for guiding Sweta through the process and helping her secure another territory. Kathryn continues to absolutely crush it for her clients.

Sweta — congratulations on ULC #2! 🚀

This longevity movement is just getting started.

Not all franchise consultants have the same experience.

A new 2026 Franchise Consulting Index found the top 20% of consultants account for 63% of franchise placements.

Even more interesting: unit economics ranked #1 in what drives recommendations. Consultant commission? Just 3%.

If you’re investing hundreds of thousands of dollars into a franchise, don’t just ask what brands your consultant represents.

Ask what they’ve actually done.

Source: 2026 Franchise Consulting Index, TCX.

A huge congratulations to our client Nirav on officially becoming a 5-unit HB Protein Smoothies franchise owner!

Jill Johnson and I have evaluated hundreds of franchise concepts over the years, and HB is one of those brands that immediately made us pay attention.

Because HB isn’t really selling smoothies.

It’s building a daily habit around protein.

Consumers want more protein. They want to maintain muscle, look and feel better, and make healthier choices — without feeling like they’re constantly dieting.

HB turns that demand into something people can actually crave multiple times a day.

Breakfast on the way to work.
Lunch or a meal replacement.
Post-workout.
An afternoon protein fix.

35–50g of protein. Around 250 calories. And it tastes good enough that people actually want to come back.

That’s what I find so compelling about the model.

As HB founder Daniel Boone puts it:

“We don’t sell smoothies. We sell a daily habit that makes people healthier — and a multi-unit machine that pays you every time they come back.”

And Nirav isn’t thinking small.

He secured 5 territories with the opportunity to build a meaningful multi-unit business as HB expands across the country.

Congratulations, Nirav! Jill and I are incredibly excited to see what you build.

And if you’re looking at the explosive growth of protein and wondering where the franchise opportunity might be…

I’d be paying very close attention to HB.

Another 3 HB Protein Smoothies units are officially spoken for.

Congratulations to our client Rahul on his investment in 3 HB Protein Smoothies locations — and to Kathryn Allen for guiding him through the process and helping him find the right fit.

What I find interesting about HB right now is who is buying it.

In just the past few months, HB has attracted experienced multi-unit restaurant operators, including a group operating 120+ locations across brands including Papa Murphy’s and Crumbl, plus a separate 6-unit Houston development deal. The brand now reports 200+ units in development.

That doesn’t guarantee what happens next.

But sophisticated operators tend to pay attention to the same things we do:

Is the consumer trend real?
Are the unit economics compelling?
Can the operation stay simple as you scale?

HB sits at a pretty interesting intersection.

Dessert-style smoothies with 35–50g of protein, a small 900–1,200 sq. ft. footprint, no drive-thru requirement, and a model designed around relatively simple operations.

And then there’s the Item 19.

HB reports $503,681 in 2025 sales at its corporate location and $163,656 in adjusted unit-level EBITDA (32.49%) after accounting for the franchise royalty and marketing expenses. Those are historical corporate-store results, of course, and individual results will vary.

That’s a combination that gets my attention.

Rahul saw it too — and rather than thinking about one location, he secured three.

Congratulations, Rahul. And great work, Kathryn.

Can’t wait to see what you build.

Great people. Great choices. Great returns.

Congratulations to The Franchise Insiders clients David and Mercy on becoming Montessori Kids Universe franchise owners!

David and Mercy were looking for more than just a business. They wanted an opportunity that could combine strong business fundamentals with the chance to make a meaningful impact in their community.

Montessori Kids Universe stood out with its premium early childhood education model, recurring tuition revenue, high student retention, and a system designed to allow entrepreneurs to enter the education space without an education background.

A great fit — and a great job by Jay Orosa and Carolina Orosa guiding David and Mercy through the process and helping them find the right opportunity.

Congratulations David and Mercy! We can’t wait to see what you build.

Huge congratulations to Brian Gross, CFP® for joining The Franchise Insiders 20 Intro Club in August.

What makes this accomplishment especially impressive isn’t just the number.

It’s the different franchises Brian connected those candidates with.

A prospective franchise owner may come to us because they saw one specific brand. But that doesn’t automatically make it the right franchise for them.

Brian takes the time to understand their background, financial position, target market, goals and the role they actually want to have in the business.

Sometimes the franchise they originally inquired about is a great fit.

Sometimes there’s a completely different opportunity that makes far more sense.

That’s where a great franchise consultant earns their keep.

Brian knows the brands in his portfolio. He knows how to evaluate a candidate. And most importantly, he knows how to connect great prospective franchise owners with great franchise opportunities.

20 qualified introductions across multiple brands in August is an incredible month.

Great work, Brian. 👏

Congratulations to our client Salvatore on investing in 3 Ultimate Longevity Center franchises!

This was a smart diversification move for Sal. After several months of diligence, he decided to add ULC to an already strong business portfolio — securing a prime multi-unit territory in the Northeast.

There’s a lot happening in the longevity space right now, but very few brands have the combination of momentum, leadership and consumer interest that Ultimate Longevity Center has built.

Jill and I really enjoyed working with Sal through the process and couldn’t be more excited to see what he builds.

Congratulations, Sal!

Congratulations to Gregory on becoming an Ultimate Longevity Center franchise owner!

Morgan Noller did a fantastic job getting to know Gregory, understanding what he was looking for, and helping him identify ULC as the right fit.

That’s what great franchise consulting is all about… not just finding a franchise, but finding the right franchise for the right person.

Great work, Morgan, and congratulations to Gregory and his team. We’re excited to watch what you build!