What's Next in Franchising

C.J. Bailey didn't plan to spend 14 years in the restoration industry. He started in carpet cleaning, got handed the PuroClean account, and never left—eventually becoming the person responsible for how one of North America's largest restoration franchise networks thinks about technology.

In this conversation, Leighton Healey and C.J. dig into what a real franchise AI strategy actually looks like: why PuroClean started with training before touching anything else, how their SPAR vendor program balances franchisee freedom with brand standards, and why C.J. believes cybersecurity is now as much a brand issue as an IT one.

If your system is trying to figure out how to respond to the AI moment without losing franchisee trust, this episode is worth your full attention.

What is What's Next in Franchising?

What’s Next in Franchising is a podcast for leaders scaling home and commercial services franchises, where growth puts real pressure on operations, teams, and culture.

Each episode explores what changes as franchise systems grow—across labor, technology, training, and field execution—through a weekly franchise news review and in-depth conversations with operators and executives actively building service brands.

The show is hosted by Leighton Healey, CEO of KnowHow, who has led from every seat in franchising: franchisee, franchisor, and now a technology founder. This vantage point shapes grounded, practical conversations focused on how to scale without losing quality, consistency, or trust in the field.