Welcome to Franchise Now AI Radio, the podcast where franchising meets the future. I’m your host, Gemma, and every week we explore how artificial intelligence is reshaping the way franchise brands grow, market, and lead. Whether you’re a franchisor, franchisee, or just AI-curious, we’re here to break down the tools, trends, and transformations that are driving smarter, more scalable growth. And of course, I’m joined by my co-host and AI strategist, Rob Gandley, as we dive into today’s conversation. AI. Just hearing the term can make people feel, well, kinda overwhelmed, right? Like, where do you even start?Exactly. And I think that's where a lot of franchise teams get stuck. They see this huge, shiny AI toolkit, but instead of diving in, they freeze up. Too many options, not enough clarity.Yeah, and it’s like analysis paralysis kicks in. You start thinking about all the things it could do and then… you do nothing.Right. But what most people overlook is—you don’t need to start with a massive overhaul. The best way to begin is by solving one small problem, something repetitive that’s eating up time.Totally. Like for me, it was automating my initial lead responses. I mean, I’d spend hours every week just trying to reply to inquiries quickly…and honestly, it was draining.And that’s such a great example. Lead follow-up is one of those tasks that has to be done, it's critical—but it doesn’t really have to be a manual process anymore.Exactly. I set up this tiny workflow—literally just one trigger and one action—and bam. The AI drafts those initial emails for me now. It’s, like, saved me hours every week.Hours. And that’s what people don’t realize—it’s not about replacing everything you do. It’s about taking one piece, one task, and making it easier. Like building momentum, one win at a time.Yeah, and I gotta say, the confidence boost you get from seeing it work? It’s incredible. That one little workflow made me feel like, okay, I can do this AI thing.And that’s the key. Start small, pick a simple win, and build from there.You know, Rob, after realizing how much confidence that one small win gave me, I’ve been thinking—if someone else wanted to build their first workflow, where should they even begin? Like, what’s step one?Great question. Step one is to identify a trigger. In this case, let’s use something every franchise development team deals with—a new lead entering the CRM.Okay, simple enough so far.Right. So the trigger is the event that kicks everything off. A new lead enters the system. That’s your starting point. Now, step two is deciding what action the workflow should take.And here’s where things get interesting, right? Because this is where the AI does its thing?Exactly! The action could be something like setting up an automation workflow with a personalized email series to that lead. Picture this, instead of someone on the team fielding responses that come in at various times throughout the day and manually typing out a response, the AI instantly creates a professional email based on the lead’s profile or inquiry details and can even be setup to field questions and share a valuable piece of content. Wait, so it’s like having a virtual assistant that works 24/7, never needs coffee breaks, and never forgets to follow up?That’s exactly it. And here’s the beauty of it: it’s immediate. The lead gets a response within minutes, not hours—or worse, days—which means better engagement right off the bat.I love that. But I can already hear people saying, “This sounds great, but what if I mess it up? What if it gets too complicated?”Well, that’s the trap, isn’t it? Overengineering. People try to pack too much into their first workflow, and it gets messy fast. You’ve gotta keep it simple. One trigger, one action—that’s all you need to start.Yeah, I remember when I was setting up mine, I had to remind myself to, like, stay focused on just making that first email happen. It wasn’t about perfection; it was about getting one thing up and running.Exactly. The goal isn’t perfection—it’s momentum. Once you’ve got one small win, you can build on it.And honestly, seeing that first email go out automatically? It was amazing. I was like, “Oh, my gosh, I just saved myself hours without even lifting a finger.”And that’s the power of starting small. It proves that AI isn’t some far-off, sci-fi concept—it’s a tool you can use right now to make your day-to-day life easier.You know, Rob, after seeing how satisfying it is to have that first workflow in action, I’ve been wondering—how do you recommend people measure success from there? Like, how do they know it’s actually working?Great question. The easiest way is to document two things: time saved and results generated. For example, if you were spending, let’s say, two hours a day on follow-ups and now it’s taking you zero, well, that’s a measurable win right there.Oh, absolutely. And I mean, I’ll be honest, that was one of the most satisfying parts for me—realizing just how much time I wasn’t wasting anymore. It’s like suddenly you’ve got space to focus on, you know, the stuff that actually matters.Exactly. And here’s the thing—when you document those small wins, it builds confidence, not just for you, but for your whole team. It’s much easier to get buy-in for bigger projects when they can see real, tangible results from the small ones.It’s kinda like showing your work in math class, right? You’re proving the process works.That’s right. And trust me, I’ve been there. Back in the early days of digital ads, I remember starting super small—tweaking headline copy, testing bids—it wasn’t flashy, but those tiny changes added up fast.And now you're, what? Like the AI version of a franchise guru? Guess it paid off!Ha, well, it just goes to show that momentum compounds. With digital ads, as soon as one tweak worked, we scaled it. Same thing with these workflows—start small, nail it, and next thing you know, you’re automating marketing campaigns, appointment scheduling, reporting—you name it.That’s such a good point. I think what people forget is that it’s not about going all AI all at once. It’s about building, step by step.Exactly. You’re not trying to win a marathon on day one; you’re just taking that first step—and proving to yourself you can do it.Well, listen, if you’re out there thinking about this…just try it. Pick one task—just one! Automate it, time yourself, and who knows? Maybe next week, you’ll be saving hours without even realizing it.And if you need ideas or guidance, we’re here to help. Hit us up at FranchiseNow.ai for a free AI Opportunity Assessment. Let’s make AI work for you.On that note, Rob, I think we’re done for today. Thanks for the insights, as always. And to our listeners, don’t forget to subscribe and stay curious—lots more AI tips coming your way next time.Thanks, Gemma. And yeah, we’ll see you all next week. Start small, build big—that’s the way.

Quick Wins with AI Workflows

Quick Wins with AI Workflows