Franchise Fuel: Smarter Growth, with Vern Nicholson

Personal Purpose, Professional Growth

This special edition of Franchise Fuel: Smarter Growth takes a step back from franchising to share a more personal story about purpose and growth. It begins with the origin of my 2018 book, The Asterisk, and the friendly rivalry that sparked it while I worked at a lodging research company in the early 2000s. Surrounded by devoted New England fans while cheering for Pittsburgh, I started comparing the two organizations and uncovered the leadership and cultural factors that fueled sustained success. The Asterisk is available wherever books are sold, including Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Books A Million, and Google Books. From there the episode moves to what matters most at home. I celebrate my wife, Candice Nicholson, the 2024 Michigan Teacher of the Year and a Michigan State University Distinguished Alumni. I share my transition into the role of Vice President of Strategy and Growth at Vetro Media after more than two decades in digital marketing. I talk about our daily walking routine that helped me lose 30 pounds and find renewed focus. I also reflect on conversations at The National Franchise Show with leaders from Beyond Juicery and Eatery and Breadless, and on insights from the Detroit Digital Empowerment Summit. Finally, I invite listeners to like, comment, and subscribe.