Franchisor Stories
From childhood lessons in franchising to leading a billion-dollar travel franchise, Shultz shares his insights on success, challenges and supporting franchisees.
Brian Shultz is the chief information officer for Cruise Planners, a travel franchise organization with more than 2,500 franchisees across the United States. Cruise Planners empowers franchisees to sell travel services — including cruises, hotels, escorted tours and Disney vacations — through a comprehensive business-in-a-box model. Franchisees benefit from marketing, operational and financial systems, allowing them to build a fun and fulfilling career. In recent years, the company has achieved over a billion dollars in travel sales annually, showcasing its position as a leader in the industry.
Shultz was recently featured on Nick Powills’ “Franchisor Hot Seat” podcast, where he shared his journey into franchising and insights into the Cruise Planners model. During the interview, Shultz explains how his background as a software developer and early experiences with his family's franchise paved the way for his current role. He describes Cruise Planners as an accessible opportunity for entrepreneurs, noting that the initial investment starts at just $10,995, with additional programs for veterans, teachers and stay-at-home parents.
Reflecting on his early exposure to franchising, Shultz shares how his parents owned a burger franchise in a mall food court. While the venture faced challenges, it gave him an appreciation for the support a good franchisor can provide. “When you get into a franchise, the business is sort of created for you,” Shultz said. “A lot of the logistics, a lot of the supply chain, a lot of the business makings ... are solved for you.” He notes that this structure was a critical reason his parents chose franchising, even though the endeavor didn’t succeed due to limited corporate support and market challenges.
Shultz also discusses the role of franchisee effort in success, emphasizing that Cruise Planners provides the tools, but franchisees must leverage them. “You always get out of it what you put into it, like every business,” he said. For top producers, he explains, it’s about reliability and customer trust. “They are just really good at ... being the type of person that somebody can rely upon to take care of their needs.” These insights underline Shultz’s dedication to supporting franchisees, shaped by his personal experiences and his commitment to fostering a collaborative franchise system.
A transcript of Powills’ interview with Shultz has been provided below. It has been edited for clarity, brevity and style.
Nick Powills: Cruise Planners hits the “Franchisor Hot Seat,” coming up next. Brian, first you, then the brand. How did you accidentally fall into franchising? What's your franchise backstory?
Brian Shultz: My backstory, Nick, is I'm a software developer by trade. For a number of years, I worked for a small company in South Florida. We ended up doing business with large franchise organizations. We did a lot of work for Subway Corp, which is not a small brand. When I was a child, my family owned a franchise. Franchising has always been something I’ve been around in my professional and personal life. I worked in a few franchises over the years. You gravitate toward things you know, and that’s how I landed at Cruise Planners years ago.
Powills: What kind of franchise was your family into?
Shultz: They owned a burger franchise in a mall food court. Down in South Florida, we have a franchise called Miami Subs, where I worked as an employee for a number of years. You learn a lot in the food service industry about how much is controlled and mandated by the corporate side of things. The structure and processes they put in play were interesting. It was great for a small business owner to buy into something pre-built. That’s what attracted my parents at one point.
Powills: So your parents bought this burger brand. Did they scale it? Did they have one unit?
Shultz: They had one unit. Unfortunately, it wasn’t the most successful venture. It was the brand’s first foray outside its core market. There wasn’t much of an appetite — no pun intended — for that type of product in the new market. They gave it a good run but couldn’t grow with it. My experience with Subway was the opposite. It was super successful. I worked with franchisees and saw how they grew their businesses, with many becoming multi-unit owners and achieving good scale.
Powills: How old were you when your parents owned the franchise?
Shultz: I was 10 years old, something like that.
Powills: I’m always curious about this. Did you think it was cool your parents owned a restaurant? How did you process that as a kid?
Shultz: I always thought starting a business seemed monumental. I remember asking my father, “Wait, you’re going to open a restaurant?” My father worked in retail sales his whole life. He explained that franchising provides a pre-built business. Logistics, supply chain and business makings are solved for you. I thought that was a cool way to go about it. As a small business owner, especially if it’s not your comfort zone, having those elements pre-built struck me as unique and valuable.
Powills: Were you in tune with the dinner table conversations and stress your parents went through?
Shultz: Very much. In the food service business, you deal with unexpected challenges like turnover. The corporate side didn’t support the franchisee as needed, which added stress. Whether it was food costs or bringing new products to market, my father would feel abandoned by corporate. They invested time, energy and money and wanted it to succeed but there was a disconnect. Reflecting on that, I now use the experience to focus on supporting franchisees. It’s really important to me and the entire corporate team.
Powills: Did your parents ever get back into franchising?
Shultz: They did not. I don’t think they’re opposed to franchising because of the experience, but they’d definitely avoid food service franchises. They’re retired now.
Powills: Let’s get into the brand. How do you explain what Cruise Planners is?
Shultz: Cruise Planners is a travel franchise organization with franchisees across the U.S. We sell travel to customers. Our name suggests cruises, but we’re a huge producer of land travel, too. That includes hotels, escorted tours, Disney World vacations and more. Franchisees evaluate our business-in-a-box model, which includes marketing, operations, systems and financials. Their job is to sell leisure travel and grow their network. It’s a great career doing something fun. We’ve been around for 30 years, doing over a billion dollars in travel sales in recent years.
Powills: How many trips or vacations are booked annually systemwide?
Shultz: Tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of trips annually.
Powills: How many franchises do you currently have?
Shultz: We have over 2,500 franchisees. Some have been with us since the company started.
Powills: What’s the cost to get in?
Shultz: It’s $10,995 if you’re brand new to travel. We have programs to reduce that cost, like for those with travel experience. We also focus on key markets like teachers, stay-at-home moms, military, police and firefighters. A good portion of our network comes from these groups.
Powills: What do you put in Item 19?
Shultz: I’m not sure off the top of my head. That’s not my area.
Powills: Back-of-the-napkin question: If I bought your business and created a quarter-million-dollar investment model, what would that look like?
Shultz: We work with franchisees to map out marketing approaches. While our corporate marketing is already covered, franchisees can supplement it with their own efforts, like local events or fairs. We provide guidance to track investments and returns. We have a coaching team to help franchisees analyze performance and improve strategies. Franchisees leverage our assets and their own efforts to grow sustainably.
Powills: Sometimes the difference between good and great in franchising comes down to the grit and hustle of the franchisee. Franchisee A follows the system passively, while Franchisee B builds relationships in their community. It’s not rocket science.
Shultz: Exactly. Franchise owners must understand their strengths, weaknesses and opportunities. They need to build brand awareness in their community through events, networking and other activities. Early efforts make people aware of your brand. Then it’s about converting those contacts into sales and delivering great experiences to build loyalty and referrals. Our top producers excel because they’re reliable and trusted by their customers. Transactional relationships don’t sustain businesses. Building relationships does.
Powills: My favorite question is: What am I doing right? Asking this of your customers or franchisees provides valuable insights. Brian, you just gave a great representation of your approach. Thanks for sharing your story.
Shultz: Thank you for having me. It was a great time.
Powills: For Brian, I’m Nick. This was another “Franchisor Hot Seat.”
Watch the full interview here.
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