S1Ep254 Franchise Growth and Leadership that Builds Stronger Brands with Todd Treml
FORDIFY LIVE: The Business Growth Show with Ford Saeks
Release Date: 10/30/2025
S1Ep271 Luxury Branding Strategy and Premium Positioning with Kathryn Porritt
FORDIFY LIVE: The Business Growth Show with Ford Saeks
Luxury branding strategy for premium positioning is not about surface-level aesthetics. It is about authority, perception, and strategic dominance within a clearly defined niche. For Kathryn Porritt, Founder and CEO of Iconic Empire, luxury branding strategy represents a decisive move away from commoditization and toward category leadership. Many businesses unintentionally anchor themselves in the middle of the market. They compete on incremental value, attempt to appeal to broad audiences, and rely on volume to sustain margins. Over time, this approach compresses pricing power and weakens...
info_outline
S1Ep270 Building an Accountability Culture with Sam Silverstein
FORDIFY LIVE: The Business Growth Show with Ford Saeks
Accountability culture is not about rules, consequences, or compliance. It is about ownership. It is about people choosing to keep their commitments because they believe in what they are part of. For Sam Silverstein, accountability culture is the defining factor that separates average organizations from extraordinary ones. Many companies talk about accountability. Few actually build it into the fabric of how they operate. Silverstein has spent decades challenging leaders to rethink what accountability really means. Too often, it is treated as something imposed from the top down. A missed...
info_outline
S1Ep269 AI for Restaurants and the Future of Restaurant Operations with Alex Hult
FORDIFY LIVE: The Business Growth Show with Ford Saeks
AI for restaurants is no longer a futuristic concept reserved for large chains or experimental kitchens. It has become a necessary response to an industry weighed down by complexity, disconnected systems, and operational blind spots. Few people understand that reality better than Alex Hult, a founder whose path into restaurant technology was shaped not by theory, but by lived experience. Alex’s journey into AI for restaurants began far from Silicon Valley. After a professional hockey career that took him around the world, he shifted into restaurant ownership, opening and operating multiple...
info_outline
S1Ep268 Franchise Scaling Without Burnout with Aaron Harper
FORDIFY LIVE: The Business Growth Show with Ford Saeks
Franchise scaling is often celebrated for its speed and size, but far less attention is given to the toll that rapid growth can take on founders and leadership teams. Scaling successfully is not just about adding locations or increasing revenue. It is about building systems, developing leaders, and creating a business that can grow without consuming the people behind it. Aaron Harper understands this reality firsthand. As Chairman of Rolling Suds and host of The Scaling Podcast, Aaron has become one of the most visible voices in modern franchising. His path to franchise leadership began far...
info_outline
S1Ep267 Franchisee Empowerment and Operational Confidence with Alisa Sparks
FORDIFY LIVE: The Business Growth Show with Ford Saeks
Franchisee empowerment begins with confidence, and confidence is built through clarity, structure, and support. For many entrepreneurs entering franchising, the promise of ownership can quickly feel overwhelming without the right systems in place. That reality is what Alisa Sparks set out to change when she founded Linden Creek. Alisa’s path to franchise leadership did not begin with franchising at all. Her background included managing complex, high-stakes budgets in the military before launching a home staging business out of her garage. What started as a creative venture quickly revealed a...
info_outline
S1Ep266 Employee Benefits Strategy for Smarter Business Growth with Reid Rasmussen
FORDIFY LIVE: The Business Growth Show with Ford Saeks
Employee benefits strategy has become one of the most important levers for sustainable business growth. As healthcare costs continue to rise and employees struggle to understand and use their benefits effectively, leaders are being forced to rethink how benefits fit into the larger picture of culture, retention, and performance. The companies getting it right are no longer treating benefits as a necessary expense, but as a strategic advantage. Reid Rasmussen has spent years helping employers navigate this shift. As Co-Founder and CEO of FreshBenies, Reid has built a company focused on cutting...
info_outline
S1Ep265 Scaling a Service Business with Bryan Clayton
FORDIFY LIVE: The Business Growth Show with Ford Saeks
Scaling a service business is rarely a straight line, but Bryan Clayton’s journey shows that grit, resourcefulness, and a relentless focus on customer value can turn even the most hands-on operation into a national brand. Bryan started with nothing more than a push mower and a desire to make extra cash. That small side hustle became Peachtree Landscaping, a company he grew to over $10 million in annual revenue and 150 employees before successfully exiting. But what came next would challenge every assumption about what it takes to build and scale in today’s economy. After selling his first...
info_outline
S1Ep264 Real Estate Strategies for Entrepreneurs with Katie Kim
FORDIFY LIVE: The Business Growth Show with Ford Saeks
Real estate strategies for entrepreneurs are no longer reserved for investors or industry insiders. Today, founders and business owners are turning to real estate as a growth vehicle that supports scale, diversification, and long-term stability. Whether it's through commercial redevelopment, creative capital, or public-private partnerships, real estate is offering entrepreneurs new ways to accelerate results while building community impact. Katie Kim brings firsthand experience to this space. She closed her first deal at just 16 and now leads more than $170 million in development projects as...
info_outline
S1Ep263 AI in Franchise Marketing with Angela Olea
FORDIFY LIVE: The Business Growth Show with Ford Saeks
AI in franchise marketing is shifting from experimental to essential. As competition grows and margins tighten, franchisors are searching for smarter, more efficient ways to reach the right leads, tell better brand stories, and scale with authenticity. The next phase of growth won’t be built on outdated marketing tactics. It will be led by those who embrace innovation, data, and tools that work in real time. Angela Olea knows that space well. As the founder of the nation’s first senior placement franchise, she not only pioneered an industry, she built and scaled it into a national brand....
info_outline
S1Ep262 Mental Fitness for Business Leaders with Chance Potts
FORDIFY LIVE: The Business Growth Show with Ford Saeks
Mental fitness for business leaders is quickly becoming a differentiator in how companies grow, lead, and navigate adversity. As the demands of business ownership and leadership increase, so does the need for tools that strengthen focus, performance, and resilience. The conversation around mental fitness has moved far beyond motivation and mindset. It now sits at the core of how individuals and organizations operate at their best. Chance Potts, Founder of One More Benefit, has dedicated over three decades to coaching people through the challenges of leadership, business, and life. His...
info_outlineFranchise growth and leadership are at their best when they blend business performance with human connection. Growth on paper can look impressive, but the true measure of a brand’s success lies in how it serves its people — both the customers who trust it and the teams who carry its mission forward. Great leaders understand that sustainable expansion is built not only on systems and strategy but also on empathy, purpose, and shared values.
For leaders who have scaled hundreds of franchise locations, the challenge is never just about numbers. It is about creating frameworks that deliver consistent results while still leaving room for individual ownership, community connection, and personal pride in the work. Balancing structure and soul is the hallmark of effective franchise growth and leadership, and it is a balance Todd Treml knows well.
As CEO of Touching Hearts at Home, Todd brings a lifetime of franchise leadership experience to one of the most meaningful industries in business today: senior care. His path spans from helping grow household names like Play It Again Sports and Plato’s Closet to guiding mission-driven brands like Snap Fitness, Pedal Pub, and now Touching Hearts. Each of these ventures offered different challenges and lessons, but they all shared a common thread — the importance of people-centered leadership. Across every chapter, Todd has focused on empowering franchise owners, supporting local success, and strengthening the connection between brand values and community impact.
Todd’s leadership style is grounded in clarity, accountability, and compassion. Having worked across industries ranging from retail and wellness to experiential services and now healthcare, he understands that the best franchises are built on trust and transparency. Under his guidance, Touching Hearts at Home continues to expand nationwide while holding firmly to its purpose: helping people stay independent, safe, and connected through compassionate in-home care. This combination of operational discipline and heartfelt service exemplifies what modern franchise growth and leadership should look like — results-driven yet people-focused.
Ford Saeks, who recently spoke at the Touching Hearts annual convention, has long emphasized the same philosophy. In his view, true leadership happens when strategy and culture align. Systems, processes, and marketing drive scalability, but purpose is what gives growth staying power. When organizations prioritize relationships between franchisors and franchisees, leaders and teams, and brands and customers, they create loyalty that cannot be replicated.
Franchise growth does not happen by accident. It is built on trust, consistent communication, and a clear vision for the future. Todd’s approach centers on supporting franchise owners not just as operators but as entrepreneurs. By providing tools, training, and mentorship, Touching Hearts empowers its network to deliver exceptional service while maintaining profitability. That balance of purpose and performance is what distinguishes the brand in a competitive market.
The senior care industry is growing rapidly as populations age, but success requires more than meeting demand. It takes leadership that understands both the operational complexity and the emotional impact of the work. Todd’s decades in franchising have shown that when leaders focus on the “why” behind the business, they inspire teams to deliver at the highest level.
For business owners and executives alike, the lesson is clear: franchise growth and leadership are inseparable from culture. A company that leads with authenticity, invests in people, and embraces innovation builds more than a brand. It builds a legacy.
Touching Hearts at Home continues to prove that profitability and purpose can go hand in hand. Under Todd’s guidance, the company is not just expanding; it is setting a new standard for what it means to grow with compassion and lead with integrity.
Watch the full episode on YouTube.
Join Fordify LIVE every Wednesday at 11 a.m. Central on your favorite social platforms and catch The Business Growth Show Podcast every Thursday for a weekly dose of business growth wisdom.
About Todd Treml
Todd Treml is the CEO of Touching Hearts at Home, a leading national in-home care franchise dedicated to providing compassionate, professional support for seniors and adults with disabilities. With decades of experience in franchise leadership, Todd has guided major brands including Play It Again Sports, Plato’s Closet, Snap Fitness, and Pedal Pub. His commitment to empowering franchise owners and leading with purpose continues to drive the growth and impact of Touching Hearts at Home. Learn more at TouchingHearts.com.
About Ford Saeks
Ford Saeks is a Business Growth Accelerator who has helped generate more than a billion dollars in sales worldwide, working with companies from start-ups to Fortune 500s. As President and CEO of Prime Concepts Group, Inc., he specializes in helping businesses attract loyal customers, expand brand awareness, and ignite innovation. Ford has founded more than ten companies, authored five books, and holds three U.S. patents. He is also recognized for his work in AI and marketing strategy, helping organizations use modern tools to drive engagement and results. Learn more at ProfitRichResults.com and watch his show at Fordify.tv.