Franchise Canada Chats

To cap off Franchisee Appreciation Month, Franchise Canada Chats is releasing a bonus episode hosted by Steve Buors and featuring David Druker, president and CEO of The UPS Store Canada. Join David and Steve on this special bonus episode, sponsored by The UPS Store, as they discuss the world of franchising, the opportunities it affords business owners, and the hard work that franchisees put back into their communities.

On the final episode of Franchise Canada Chats season 9, Renée Boudakian is speaking with Pizza Pizza franchisee, Tahir Siddique, to discuss his 25 years of experience in the franchising industry, from working in the kitchen to owning his own location. Listen in as they dive into Tahir’s transition from employee to franchisee, what goes into operating a top-performing location, the role that community has played in his journey, and so much more!

Franchise Canada Chats and Renée Boudakian welcome Kimberly and Andrew Severson, two franchisees with Wild Birds Unlimited in South Surrey, BC, to talk about their experience as franchise business owners. They share insights from their experience in accounting and finance, buying franchise units through resale, moving locations, proper franchisor-franchisee communication, and everything that goes into the business of connecting people and nature, and doing it with excellence as part of a franchise community.

Renée is talking with Elijah Mack-Stirling about what it’s like to be a franchisee with Canada’s first Indigenous fast-casual cuisine franchise, Kekuli Cafe. Learn more about different financing considerations, leadership tactics integral to multi-unit success, the importance of safe spaces for Indigenous youth, ensuring adequate support systems in difficult times, and more. This episode was recorded on May 18, 2025. Content note: This episode includes mention of familial grief and missing persons. The Canadian Small Business Financing Act: https://ised-isde.canada.ca/site/canada-small-business-financing-program/en

On Season 9 Episode 12, Renée Boudakian, CFE, is joined by David Everitt, a longstanding franchisee with The UPS Store in Thunder Bay, Ontario. David’s family was part of The UPS Store’s original move into Canada. Today, David shares with listeners the nuances of working in a family business, operating in a rural area, supporting staff to ensure their success, the importance of forming connections with your local community and franchise community, and what it means to be an Area Franchisee.

Hand & Stone Massage and Facial Spa franchisee, Christopher Fisher, joins Renée Boudakian, CFE on the Franchise Canada Chats podcast to share his experience as a multi-unit owner in Ottawa, Ontario. Tag along to hear about Christopher’s decision to join a franchise instead of opening another independent business, various financing options for franchisees, the difference between an Area Developer and a Master Franchisee, and the importance of conducting adequate market research during the discovery process.

Renée Boudakian is sitting down with Justin Enns, a multi-unit franchisee with CertaPro Painters. Justin and CertaPro’s story first began in 2017 when he joined his father’s team. In 2023, he took over his father’s franchise and has continued to grow the business year over year. Justin’s passion really lies in business itself, and in this week’s episode he shares the work that goes into fostering a successful business, curating the right team, taking over an existing franchise, and getting involved with one’s franchise community.

Meet Jesse Pooni, a multi-unit franchisee with Tommy Gun’s Original Barbershop in British Colombia’s lower mainland. This week, Renée and Jesse are sitting down to discuss what can happen when one embraces an unexpected opportunity; the differences between taking over an existing franchise location and opening a brand new one; creating balanced partnerships in business; and the impact of forging connections in a local community.

On episode 8 of Franchise Canada Chats season 9, Renée is speaking with Shailen Vadera, a Crock A Doodle franchisee who's seen the system from all sides. As the founder’s daughter, Shailen has worked in the stores, with corporate, and now as a franchisee. Today she’s sharing all the insights she’s gained from this business, and shining a light on how a mathematical mind can help a creative business flourish. Pop in to hear about the relationship between a franchisor and its franchisees, why finding the right location for a unit is integral, different avenues for financial backing, and local store marketing as a key to success.

Renée Boudakian is sitting down with Christina Strudwick, an entrepreneur who’s personal experience with CEFA Early Learning led to her becoming a franchisee with the brand. Christina worked as the manager of a bank branch and oversaw a real estate portfolio before delving into the business world and opening her own CEFA location. Renée and Christina discuss the value of brand awareness, navigating business ownership during a global pandemic, financial preparedness, and the impacts of early learning opportunities on children… plus so much more!

Joining Renée Boudakian this week is Salima Mussaji, a franchisee with Spirit of Math—an after-school program for high-performing students. Salima and her husband had always been interested in owning their own business, and with Salima’s experience as a teacher, plus Spirit of Math’s reputation, they found the right fit for them with this franchise system. Tune in to hear about franchising in the supplemental education industry, the nuances of introducing a business to a new territory, and the impacts of supplemental education.

Renée Boudakian and Cédric Léveillé are sitting down to discuss his experience as a Fibrenew franchisee. Cédric worked with Fibrenew as a technician for 3 years before taking over his uncle’s franchise, and has gone on to expand the team, open a workshop, and move to a larger space. In this episode they’ll explore franchise growth, the importance of leadership skills, and how to build and care for a team of dedicated employees.

This week, Renée Boudakian explores franchising from two different viewpoints as she’s joined by Sabai Thai Spa’s CEO and founder, Nuttha Goutier, and their newest franchisee, Stella Hoang. See both sides of the franchising coin as we explore onboarding and training processes, franchise tradeshows, franchisor/franchisee alignment, and creating an immersive experience for customers.

Renée Boudakian is joined by Sean Bannerman, a former member of law enforcement who saw an opportunity to leap into the world of franchising. Now a master franchisee with Oxygen Yoga & Fitness, Sean shares the mechanics of making a career change with franchising, multi-unit ownership, master franchising, and the significance of work-life balance.

Join Renée Boudakian and Priya Vadivel as they discuss Priya’s experience as a franchisee with British Swim School. Learn about her business, the importance of swimming lessons for kids and infants, the unique opportunities that come with opening a franchise, and the ins-and-outs of multi-unit franchising.

Renée Boudakian is talking with Foxy Box Laser & Wax Bar master franchisees Mathieu Doyon and Valerie Bacon, about bringing the franchise to their province. Find out how a former cosmetic nurse and a serial entrepreneur joined forces to grow Foxy Box throughout Quebec!

After 17 years working in IT, Sohail Iqbal felt the urge to start his own business. He considered the food industry, but first consulted friends who also had their own businesses. He landed on The UPS Store as the right choice and has since grown his franchise empire to over six locations. Guest host Angelee Brown of FranOvation joins Franchise Canada Chats as we sit down with Sohail to discuss: -How he consulted friends and family in order to find his ideal business opportunity; -How franchising allowed him to automate systems between locations; -The technology he leverages on a day-to-day basis for his business; -The challenge of learning new systems while teaching new employees.

Franchise Canada Chats is proud to welcome the CFA's 2024 Franchisees of the Year, Alicia Baker and Candice Parent. The franchisee of the year award recognizes top performing franchisees who build strong connections with their communities. Alicia Baker started as the sole employee of DermaEnvy Skincare’s Halifax location before opening her own location in St. John’s at just 21 years old. This year, she won the Franchisee of the Year award in the brick-and-mortar category. Where many join with years of working experience and working capital, Alicia’s previous part-time employment provided the pipeline to small business ownership. Candice returns to Franchise Canada Chats as the Franchisee of the Year in the home- and mobile-based category. After taking over the Windsor MOLLY MAID Canada franchise in January 2022, she grew the revenue by 47 per cent. The next year she continued that growth, exceeding the company average in both years.

Welcome back to Franchise Canada Chats. Today’s guest is Anita Mushitsi, a multi-unit franchisee with British Swim School. Anita got involved in the aquatics industry following a near-drowning incident in her family. She began to take pool safety seriously—seriously enough to invest in a franchise. So, on this episode, we’re going to take a deep dive into the aquatics franchising industry.

This episode's guest is Ken Regular, a franchisee with The UPS Store. He came to franchising after two decades as a journalist where he met criminals, celebrities, politicians, artists, and business leaders. During one interview the CEO of a multinational company told him, “The most honest people I know are in business because you can’t strike a deal with someone you don’t trust.” As a skeptical reporter, Ken found the statement difficult to believe but the words stuck in his mind. As his media career grew, so did his interest in business. Juggling family life and their employers' demands during COVID-19, Ken and his partner Vicky decided it was time to make a move. They opened The UPS Store in Brooklin, Ontario in the middle of a pandemic lockdown. Now more than three years later, their business is growing as they build relationships and trust with their clients. In addition to running their business, Ken is a board director with the Whitby Chamber of Commerce, and Vicky serves on The UPS Store's Franchise A