Franchise growth is hiding a legal liability

Franchise sales are rising—and so is the legal liability hiding inside that growth. Leighton and Travis break down the FTC disclosure rules that motivated sales teams are quietly bending, why that compliance problem is almost never the root issue, and what the IFA convention in Las Vegas revealed about where franchisors are really feeling squeezed heading into 2026. Plus: why stable interest rates won't save a cautious consumer, and the AI strategy gap that had surprisingly little buzz on the show floor.

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.