1851

Bobby Brennan is the Vice President of Franchise Development at <a href="https://www.franchisefastlane.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchise-development-leaders-bobby-brennan-of-franchise-fastlane-2711366" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Franchise FastLane</a>, a company that acts as an agent of growth for a lot of emerging franchise brands. Since joining the company in early 2018, Brennan’s work with Franchise FastLane centers on helping three of the 14 brands the young company represents find and qualify leads organically in consultant networks.&nbsp;1851: How did you first get into franchising?&nbsp;Brennan: In 2009, I began working for a franchise called Complete Nutrition as a sales manager. I helped launch 20 locations in the western U.S. and out of the brand’s 200-plus locations, I managed 30. It was crazy to see how fast the brand was growing at such a young age, which got me interested in the franchising as a whole. When I ended up leaving corporate America, one of my colleagues that I worked with at Complete Nutrition, Ryan Zink, called me and asked if I wanted to join this company, Franchise FastLane, and everything just fell into place.&nbsp;1851: What do you love about the industry?&nbsp;Brennan: It’s something fast-paced. The industry gives a streamlined blueprint to franchisors. I love seeing people be successful, make a good living for themselves and make an impact on their community through the opportunities presented in the franchise industry. Being a franchisee gives people the chance to be their own bosses.&nbsp;<blockquote>Franchising isn’t for everyone, but a lot of people have that entrepreneurial spirit—I love seeing people take that leap of faith and invest in themselves. It’s scary, but there’s a reason so many people do it and take those risks.</blockquote>1851: What do you wish that you could change about the industry?&nbsp;&nbsp;Brennan: There can always be better education, both from candidates and franchisors. I think some franchise development organizations are known for selling it all at any cost. Also, when you’re working with these candidates, it’s important to be mindful and help them determine if this is the right fit for them—you can’t just look at the commission check. The last thing we want to do is have a franchisee that signs up and all of a sudden, they’re not the right fit. For the industry as a whole, we need to make sure we’re doing our due diligence and being more selective in terms of who’s being approved.1851: What is the biggest challenge franchisors are currently facing in franchise development and what are you doing to overcome it?&nbsp;Brennan: A lot of companies struggle with the franchise development process. When a company starts franchising with less than 100 units open, managing the development process and having an organized structure is difficult. You need to have someone dedicated to returning people’s calls. With a lot of brands, it’s usually someone wearing the franchise development hat and also wearing the president hat and they get stretched too thin, resulting in more than half of franchise inquiries left unanswered. There’s a lot of candidates out there looking to learn more about the business, but a lot of people don’t have a streamlined process or the bandwidth to be able to do that because of the cost.I think the biggest challenge is the development process as a whole and executing that streamlined process––that’s where Franchise FastLane steps in and serves that need. We want our franchisors to support and focus on their franchisees.1851: What do you think the biggest trend in franchise development in 2020?Brennan: I think we’re going to start seeing more niche and boutique brands. A lot of the brands that I focus on in the fitness space are more of a niche market compared to the larger, big-name gyms. We’re also seeing it in the education sector, too—these very hyper-focused and niche concepts are going to continue to do really well because they have that differentiator that serves a specific need for a group of people.&nbsp;&nbsp;1851: What's the No. 1 thing that sells franchises?Brennan: I think having a very organized and concise discovery process because it’s going to weed out people who aren’t a good fit and help people who are a good fit realize what the brand is all about. Having a successful discovery process is paramount to a brand. People will be able to figure out if this is a good opportunity for them.

Franchise Development Leaders: Bobby Brennan of Franchise FastLane

1851 Franchise

1851 connected with Brennan to learn more about why he feels so at home in the franchise industry and the trends his work as Franchise FastLane’s VP of Franchise Development has revealed across the industry.

franchise-development-leaders-bobby-brennan-of-franchise-fastlane

Paris Baguette

Photo of array of Paris Baguette pastries

Paris Baguette Redefines Morning Routines With Fresh Breakfast and Premium Coffee Strategy

paris-baguette-breakfast-strategy-growth

TruBlue Home Service Ally

TruBlue’s Home Maintenance Plans: Peace of Mind for Homeowners

trublues-home-maintenance-plans-peace-of-mind-for-homeowners

Caring Transitions

Caring Transitions Targets Peoria, Illinois, for Franchise Growth

caring-transitions-targets-peoria-illinois-for-franchise-growth

Caring Transitions Celebrates a Strong Start to 2025 With 19 New Franchise Sales and Momentum-Building Training Events

caring-transitions-celebrates-a-strong-start-to-2025-with-19-new-franchise-sales-and-momentum-building-training-events

Right at Home

Right at Home 30th Anniversary in Home Care with Right at Home Logo

Celebrating 30 Years of Excellence and Future Innovations in Home Care

celebrating-30-years-of-excellence-and-future-innovations-in-home-care

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands - 1851 Franchise

DoorDash Expansion Could Reshape Delivery and Operations for Franchise Brands

doordash-acquistions-deliveroo-sevenrooms

Crumbl Franchise Investment - TSG Consumer Partners -  1851 Franchise

TSG Consumer Partners Takes Minority Stake in Crumbl, Signaling Franchise Growth Potential

crumbl-franchise-investment-tsg-consumer

Yum Brands Reports Strong Q1 Results with Big Boost from Taco Bell

yum-brands-reports-strong-q1-results-with-big-boost-from-taco-bell

QSR: McDonald’s Gains Momentum With Chicken Innovation, Value Deals and Franchisee Support

mcdonalds-franchise-recovery-chicken-strategy-value-deals-2025

The Future of Franchising: Trends and Predictions for 2025 and Beyond

the-future-of-franchising-trends-and-predictions-for-2025-and-beyond

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: Building Your Brand’s Growth Machine

ultimate-guide-to-selling-franchises

franchise supplier award design with Locate AI logo and 1851 Franchise badge

Franchise Real Estate Services | Locate AI — Emerging Leaders in Franchise Support

locate-ai-emerging-leaders-in-franchise-support

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How to Position Your Value Proposition

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How to Position Your Value Proposition — Point of Differentiation

how-to-position-your-value-proposition-with-a-point-of-differentiation

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How to Clarify Your Positioning – The “Why You/Why Now”

the-ultimate-guide-to-selling-franchises-how-to-clarify-your-positioning-the-why-youwhy-now

Franchisee spotlight image with Randy and Sandy Craft, Children's Lighthouse logo on blue background

The Crafts’ Successful Journey from New Parents to Children’s Lighthouse Franchisees

the-crafts-successful-journey-from-new-parents-to-childrens-lighthouse-franchisees

Franchisee spotlight graphic with photo of Amy Lepke and family and Papa Murphy's logo

After 14 Years as a Stay-At-Home Mom, Amy Lepke Returned to Papa Murphy’s — This Time as an Owner

papa-murphys-franchise-amy-lepke

Franchisee Spotlight with Micki Waters and Papa Murphy's Logo

Work Mom: How Micki Waters Became a Mother Figure to Her Entire Papa Murphy’s Team

work-mom-how-micki-waters-became-a-mother-figure-to-her-entire-papa-murphys-team

District Taco Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

franchise-deep-dive-district-tacos-franchise-costs-fees-profit-and-data

Layoffs Surge to Pandemic-Era Highs, Opening Doors for Franchise Growth

layoffs-surge-to-pandemic-era-highs-opening-doors-for-franchise-growth

Franchisee spotlight image with photo of Robert Trujillo and UWRG logo on blue background

How Robert Trujillo Expanded His Construction Business With UWRG

how-robert-trujillo-expanded-his-construction-business-with-uwrg

Franchise Development Leaders: Bobby Brennan of Franchise FastLane

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS