Franchise FastLane Rear View Mirror: What Happened in October

At Franchise FastLane, the Halloween spirit was in full swing this October! From spooky desk decorations to frightfully fun costumes, our team had a spook-tacular month. Beyond the festive decor, the real excitement came from the incredible success shared by Franchise FastLane and our brand partners. Join us as we look back on the highlights and happenings in our monthly recap! 

One of the many things that makes Franchise FastLane great is our employees. In October, we welcomed two new rock stars to our growing family of FastLaners. Our new SVP of Marketing, Joy Shadley, comes to Franchise FastLane with some very impressive credentials. A highly experienced marketing veteran with over a decade of c-suite level experience, Shadley is experienced in driving growth at the brand level, increasing revenue, and boosting consumer engagement; as evidenced by her track record across multiple industries. Shadley earned a Bachelor of Science in International Business from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln and completed MBA coursework at Northwestern University. During a career that began in product management, Shadley has worked in a variety of industries including insurance, SaaS, finance, and CPG - all while maintaining a thriving independent consulting practice. Prior to joining Franchise FastLane, she worked with multiple startup companies and entrepreneurial clients, helping them scale operations, determine optimal go-to-market strategies, and set measurable KPIs.

“I’m very excited to join the team at Franchise FastLane, an organization that has earned a well-deserved reputation as the undisputed industry leader among franchise sales organizations,” stated Shadley. “I hope to bring a dynamic mindset and out-of-the-box thinking to an organization that’s already established a highly successful and efficient marketing operation. Each of the high-performing brands in Franchise FastLane’s portfolio deserve nothing less, and we hope to elevate their profiles even further as we look to drive growth at both the unit and multi-unit level.”

Karen Johnson also joins Franchise FastLane as our new Director of Legal Services. Johnson graduated from the College of Saint Mary with a Bachelor of Arts in Paralegal Studies. Karen and her husband met in college and have been married for over 18 years. Together they have five wonderful children. They are  also blessed with two furry friends, Willy and Herbert. 

This month we saw two internal promotions of Connor Castleman and Ashley Fechner.  

Connor Castleman was promoted to the role of Qualifications Manager! Connor has been a dedicated member of the Franchise FastLane family for the past four years and has consistently demonstrated skill, commitment, and passion to our business. In this new role, Connor will be leading both brand recruitment qualification and lead qualification - driving both efforts to ensure we bring in the best brands and qualified leads to our portfolio.  

We are also thrilled to announce that Ashley Fechner, who has been with Sales Support, is taking on a new and exciting role as our Event Coordinator! In this position, Ashley will be responsible for organizing our network conferences, Franchise FastLane events and supporting the sales team. Ashley’s drive and commitment have been clear from day one, and we’re excited to see her continue to grow and contribute in even more impactful ways. 

There Were Some Scary Good Conferences to Attend 

Just because the year is nearing a close doesn’t mean there’s any letup in the world of franchise conferences. The month of October was a busy one for our franchise development directors. 

Franchise Sidekick SKIP Adventure West – Napa, CA – Franchise FastLane was in wine country to network with franchise sales and development professionals, brand executives, and some of the industry’s most talented advisors at Franchise Sidekick.  

FranNet Fall Meeting – San Antonio, TX – We sent a large group to attend FranNet’s Fall Meeting. It was the perfect opportunity to hear insightful discussions, attend interactive workshops, and experience invaluable networking opportunities tailored to attendees navigate the latest trends and emerging opportunities in franchising. We hosted a group of consultants with our partners at Benetrends for a wonderful dinner to continue building relationships with our valued friends! 

FastLane Brands Make Franchise Times’ Top 400 List… 

Franchise Times magazine released its annual Top 400 rankings and four FastLane brands made the cut! Earning a spot on this prestigious list is a data-driven process where brands are evaluated on their five-year sales histories, financial figures, and unit volumes. Here are the FastLane brands included in the Top 400 and their ranking on the list: 

• Strickland Brothers 10 Minute Oil Change (No. 313)  

• The Brothers That Just Do Gutters (No. 349)  

• Koala Insulation (No. 355)  

• Five Star Bath Solutions (No. 375) 

Five FastLane Brand Executives Named to the 2024 “Women of Wonder” List 

Franchise Dictionary Magazine dedicates its fall issue to women in franchising, celebrating the leadership and contributions of 50 standout women in the industry who earn a spot on their “Women of Wonder” list. FastLane is proud to share that five of our female brand executives were singled out for this prestigious recognition. Congratulations are in order for:  

• Amanda Gingold – Co-Founder and COO of DonutNV 

• Amanda Lightcap – President of Degree Wellness 

• Sarah Nuse – Founder and CEO of Tippi Toes 

• Ellen Rohr – Co-Founder and Board Member of Zoom Drain 

• Courtney Yeager – Founder and CEO of The Tox 

BrandNews Updates 

Time for our roundup of brand-specific updates in October, with several notable accomplishments: 

• Gameday Men’s Health – seems like a very short time ago, we were congratulating this brand for opening its 100th franchised location. It’s incredible to note that this brand just hit their goal of 200 clinics open, making this brand the largest men’s health network in the US!  

• Strickland Brothers 10 Minute Oil Change – this brand’s parent company, Accelerated Brands, was just earned the No. 1 ranking on the Triad Business Journal’s Fast 50 – a celebration of the fastest growing brands in the central region of North Carolina for the second time! 

• EverLine Coatings and Services – more congratulations are in order for this FastLane brand, which recently celebrated the opening of their 100th location. Hip Hip, Hooray! 

During the month of October, our Franchise FastLane family got to embrace the season and spirit of Halloween on two occasions, a desk decorating competition and a classic Halloween dress up some of our FastLane and CarPool  brands.   

As October wraps up and we dive into fall, we’re excited to look back on a month of growth and accomplishments in the FastLane. From welcoming new team members to celebrating brand milestones, it’s been a great start to the season. We’re eager to see what the final months of the year have in store! 

Are You Ready to Take Your Brand to the Next Level? 

Franchise FastLane is a proven franchise accelerator and our mission is to responsibly drive extraordinary growth for the chosen few. If you are interested in learning more about the possibility of joining the FastLane or CarPool, please click here to submit an application. To keep up with all the latest happenings, make sure you follow us on LinkedIn, like us on Facebook, and check out our collection of photos on Instagram.