MEET the
Franchise PLAYBOOK
team
learn more about CHRISTIAN
CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT
Chief marketing officer
learn more about Steve
Steve Miller
Franchise Development Director
learn more about zach
zach nolte
Co-Founder / COO
learn more about Dan
dan claps, CFE
FOUNDER / CEO
We are a team of franchise executives with proven track records in all aspects of franchising from marketing to operations, franchise development and everything in between. Our team is franchisee-first and everything we do looks to add value for our franchisees.
OUR TEAM
MEET OUR FRANCHISING EXPERTS
DALE COHEN
OUTSIDE COUNSEL
learn more about DALE
Susan Duane
Franchise Development COORDINATOR
learn more about SUSAN
Dan has been in the franchise space since 2014. He started as a Business Broker with a franchise system called Murphy Business and Financial. Dan specialized in franchise resales as well as helping people purchase new franchise territories.
In 2016, Dan went on to Co-Found Career Transition Leads (CTL). A sister company to the International Franchise Professionals Group (IFPG). Career Transition Leads generates franchise candidates for franchise consultants and franchisors. CTL became the leader in lead generation for Franchise Consultants with a full-time call center. Dan ran and grew that company until May of 2022 when he successfully exited the company when it was acquired by a private equity firm.
After his exit Dan went on to study franchising and craft his next venture. During this time Dan obtained his CFE (Certified Franchise Executive), a highly regarded franchise designation that shows a commitment to franchising and upholding the upmost professionalism for the industry. He also became a very active member of the IFA (International Franchise Association). After attending dozens of franchise conferences and becoming a student of franchisors, Dan identified gaps in the traditional franchisor system and set out to fill those gaps through Franchise Playbook. In his spare professional time, Dan is the Co-Host to The Franchise Founders Podcast as well as the Author of The Franchise Playbook.
In his spare professional time, Dan is the Co-Host to The Franchise Founders Podcast as well as the Author of The Franchise Playbook. When he is not at work, he enjoys working out, reading and trying new restaurants where he lives in the West Village, NYC.
Founder / CHIEF EXECUTIVE OFFICER
Dan Claps, CFE
Zach has been in franchising since 2014. He started as the Operations Manager at Kitchen Solvers franchise focused on bringing efficient processes to the Kitchen Solvers business model. In 2015, Zach became the Chief Operating officer and in 2017, he was promoted to President. In 2016, Zach founded a new franchise called Kitchen Wise and successfully sold the company in 2019. Since being in franchising, he has successfully implemented systems, models, and best practices that allow franchise partners to run their businesses effectively and efficiently. He is very hands on with all the franchise partners and the franchise support team but more focused on management, operations, and strategic growth training.
“Knowing that entrepreneurs start businesses with little to no training in management, my passion truly lies in management, coaching, and seeing our partners become leaders over time,” Zach says. Prior to Franchising, Zach was the Distribution Center manager for Mathews Inc. Mathews Inc. is a world class manufacturing facility specializing in archery products. He gained knowledge about Lean/Six Sigma manufacturing and how to effectively manage people. He got his degree in management and psychology while attending the University of Minnesota-Duluth. When he is not at work, he is spending time with his wife Jess and his two sons Greyson and Jhett. He also enjoys hunting, fishing, fitness and grilling.
CHIEF OPERATING OFFICER
zach nolte
Steve has had a diverse 12-year sales career. Steve started his career in the Pharmaceutical and Medical Device industry. After earning a presidents club award at Alcon Pharmaceuticals, Steve left the medical device industry to pursue an entrepreneur journey that involved being a part of several start-up companies in several different industries.
Steve is currently working on his CFE (Certified Franchise Executive).
Steve was a collegiate football player at West Chester University of Pennsylvania and earned his degree in Business Finance.
When he is not at work, he is spending time with his girlfriend Kayla and his two daughters Skye and Aria. Steve and his family also foster dogs as part of the Artemis Project, and they currently have 4 dogs. Steve also enjoys fishing, the outdoors, sports and fitness.
FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Steve Miller
Christian is a results-oriented marketing leader and brand strategist with over 20 years of experience leading impactful marketing programs for large corporations and franchise brands. Working in franchising since 2016, Christian brings deep expertise in franchise marketing including brand management, marketing technology and automation, consumer lead generation and franchise development.
Before joining Franchise Playbook, Christian served as the VP of Marketing for Mayweather Boxing + Fitness, Scenthound and led digital advertising and social media programs at Self Esteem Brands (parent company to Anytime Fitness, Waxing The City, The Bar Method and Basecamp Fitness). Prior to working in franchising, Christian held several marketing, public relations and digital roles across several industries (financial services, CPG, higher education, politics) and in-house for brands like Best Buy, Thomson Reuters and Securian Financial.
Christian holds a Master of Business Administration in Brand Management from the University of St. Thomas and Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations and Political Science from the University of Minnesota. He currently resides in West Palm Beach, FL.
CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER
CHRISTIAN BETANCOURT
OUTSIDE COUNSEL
DALE COHEN
Dale Cohen is a Partner at Akerman LLP. She focuses her practice on domestic and international franchising, distribution, and licensing law. Dale advises new emerging brands as well as widely recognized mature brands with respect to structuring and implementing their franchise, distribution, and licensing programs. Her experience includes drafting franchise, master franchise, and license agreements and preparing domestic and international franchise and master franchise disclosure documents (FDDs); securing registration and/or exemptions from applicable franchise and business opportunity laws in the United States and abroad; structuring, drafting and negotiating complex system-wide supplier agreements; establishing and helping to implement domestic and international franchise compliance programs; and, counseling franchisors on a variety of franchise relationship issues, such as franchise termination and strategies to avoid and resolve franchisee disputes.
Dale also has a wealth of experience in franchise-related mergers and acquisitions (including assisting private equity firms with the purchase and sale of franchise systems), sophisticated franchise-related financing transactions (including the securitization of a franchisor’s royalty stream), and general corporate law.
FRANCHISE DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR
SUSAN DUANE
Susan joins our team with over a decade of experience in business development and content creation. She has worked for numerous brands and supported franchise-based organizations with sales support, sales marketing and lead funnel nurturing. Susan has a passion for working with individuals that want to own a business and networking with people throughout the sales process.
Susan has a Bachelor of Science in Business from Daemen Univerity and currently resides in her hometown of Buffalo, NY.
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Franchise Playbook™ is an incubator and franchisor of dynamic mobile franchise brands. We create, own and operate franchise brands where franchisees can thrive supported by the brightest minds in franchising, championship caliber partners and technology, and a proven Playbook. We help aspiring business owners avoid the curveballs of starting a business.
OUR VISION
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The Franchise Founders podcast is where you’ll hear right from the source how people like you have been able to buy and build their businesses across different industries all over the country.
The Franchise Founders Podcast
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