Benjamin Woodruff , co-CEO and partner at  WOOPS! Macarons & Gifting , has built a career grounded in entrepreneurial grit. From managing high-volume restaurants in his early 20s to becoming a key player in the franchising world, Woodruff’s journey is a testament to navigating challenges while keeping an eye on long-term success. In a recent  “Franchisor Hot Seat” podcast interview , 1851 Franchise Founder and Chief Growth Officer  Nick Powills sat down with Woodruff to discuss his accidental entry into franchising, the growth of WOOPS! Macarons & Gifting and the brand’s forward-thinking strategies. Woodruff shared insights into navigating the challenges of the pandemic and how innovation continues to fuel the brand’s success. A transcript of Woodruff’s interview with Powills has been provided below. It has been edited for clarity, brevity, and style. Nick Powills: What’s your backstory? How did you “accidentally” fall into franchising? Benjamin Woodruff: I started out managing high-volume restaurants in my early 20s in San Diego. After having my son, my family and I moved back east to Atlanta to be closer to relatives, and I began looking for a more stable job with better hours. That led me to a position at what is now Franchise Ventures, working in the lead portal space. I spent a few years selling lead generation to franchisors, attending conferences, and building relationships. Like many, I stumbled into franchising almost by accident. Powills: How did you get involved with WOOPS!? Woodruff: After my time in the portal space, I started my own consulting company focused on outsourced franchise development. Ironically, WOOPS! was my first client. Things took off much faster than I anticipated and before I knew it, I became deeply involved with the brand. Fast forward eight or nine years, and here we are. Powills: You’re now co-CEO of WOOPS! What was your vision when you stepped into the franchisor role? Woodruff: Honestly, I didn’t have a long-term exit strategy when I first joined. I was focused on taking things as they came. Over time, I’ve gained a deeper understanding of the private equity space and learned the value of building a strong financial foundation before considering an exit. We’re not in any rush to sell or exit. We’ve worked hard to build a great culture and team, and we love what we do. For now, we’re focused on continuing to grow the brand and support our franchisees. Powills: How did the pandemic affect WOOPS! and how did you navigate those challenges? Woodruff: The pandemic hit us hard. Pre-COVID, we were heavily focused on mall and transit-based retail, with small-format kiosks. When everything shut down, we lost about half of our system. One of the most difficult but necessary decisions we made was allowing franchisees to exit their agreements if they chose to, given the uncertainty at the time. That decision cost us, but it also left us with a stronger core group of franchisees. Now, we’re back to about 30 locations and focused on rebuilding to 50 units in the near term. We’re also exploring new formats, like a WOOPS! macaron trailer for events and festivals, which we’re excited to roll out. Powills: Does the macaron category create challenges for innovation, or is there room to grow? Woodruff: There’s plenty of room for innovation. We started out offering a broader menu but realized over time that focusing on one great product — French macarons — was the best strategy. Macarons are one of the most difficult pastries to make at scale, which creates a high barrier to entry. That’s a major advantage for us compared to other categories like cupcakes or frozen yogurt, which are easier to replicate. We also lean heavily into corporate gifting, which has been a growing segment for us. Franchisees can fulfill large gifting orders, and we handle distribution from our fulfillment center in New York City. Powills: What is the investment, and how do you address franchisee profitability? Woodruff: The total investment starts around $125,000, with a requirement of $50,000 liquid capital for our kiosk model, which is ideal for malls and transportation hubs. Our average unit volume (AUV) is around $290,000 - $300,000, with some locations exceeding $600,000. Profitability is key, and we encourage franchisees to leverage all revenue streams, including corporate gifting and pop-up events, to maximize their return. Powills: What’s your vision for the future of WOOPS!? Woodruff: Our vision is to continue evolving into a lifestyle brand that’s fun, approachable and innovative. We’re rolling out the macaron trailer and expanding our holiday market presence, which has been a big success. We’re also launching new programs, like a B2B lead generation initiative and an internal real estate team to help franchisees identify opportunities for pop-ups and events. Our goal is to make the brand accessible and scalable while maintaining the premium quality of our product. Powills: Any final thoughts for prospective franchisees? Woodruff: Transparency is at the heart of what we do. We’re not perfect, but we always strive to do what’s right for our franchisees. If you’re looking for a brand that’s honest, supportive and innovative, WOOPS! could be a great fit. What is WOOPS! Macarons & Gifting? WOOPS! Macarons & Gifts is the largest French macaron brand in the US, by volume at retail. We were founded by four friends in 2012 when they opened a hobby kiosk for 9 weeks and sold over $250,000 worth of macarons in that time period. "WOOPS!" there was a business. WOOPS! is a premiere gifting company that brings delight to consumers and businesses of all types with its array of pastries, flavors, color and quality. WOOPS! is a fast growing retail and digital brand primarily focused on gifting with over 5,350 locations using two retail formats: full-service, inline cafés and boutique kiosks. WOOPS! has a fantastic website where consumers and businesses can buy macarons and gifts for all occasions! Learn more about WOOPS! Macarons & Gifting:   https://woopsfranchise.com/ .