Allison Dudas

Christa Mruz, alongside her husband Javier Cruz, owns 2 Two Maids territories in New York and Connecticut. They've had their business for 9 years and are always learning and improving. Read their story!

In this podcast episode, we go through the Most Innovative Franchise Brands of 2026. We announce the Top 10 brands and delve into what it means for a brand to be innovative and why that might interest someone looking to invest in a franchise.

Shawn and Shelsey are the faces behind Travelin’ Tom’s Coffee and Kona Ice of NW Ellis County in Texas. This married team loves being part of local schools, businesses, celebrations, and events. As a truly family-owned and operated business, they even have their 9-year-old daughter helping on the truck whenever she can. Shelsey has a background in healthcare and business development. Shawn worked for the Railroad for 15 years and has since expanded his background into sales and customer service.

Heather Noble co-owns Lightspeed Restoration of Greater West Austin with her husband, Keith. They opened earlier this year, in 2026, and have four employees. Originally from Austin, she lives in Liberty Hill alongside her husband, their four kids, and two dogs. She blends her more than 22 years of insurance experience with a passion for helping people through stressful property damage situations.

Becoming a travel agent sounds like an exciting career! But how do you get clients, especially if you have no prior experience? We talked to several Cruise Planners franchisees about how they got started.

Folake's Mathnasium franchisee story is about how he left the world of cybersecurity to begin a career where he could make an impact on his community.