Training Impact Podcast

What does confident growth really look like for small businesses?
In this episode of the ⁠Training Impact Podcast⁠, Jeff Walter sits down with Matthew Gourgeot of ⁠Thryv ⁠to explore how small businesses adopt technology, build confidence, and scale without adding unnecessary complexity. While many platforms focus on features, this conversation highlights why enablement and education are just as critical as the software itself.
Matthew shares how Thryv supports small business owners who are balancing sales, operations, marketing, and customer relationships all at once. Rather than overwhelming users, Thryv embeds guidance and learning directly into everyday workflows—helping owners move from reactive problem-solving to proactive growth.
Together, Jeff and Matthew discuss why software adoption often stalls, how integrated enablement reduces friction, and why confidence is one of the most important outcomes of any training or technology investment.
This episode is especially relevant for training leaders, enablement professionals, and anyone designing customer or partner-facing platforms that need to deliver real business impact.
🎧 Learn more about the Training Impact Podcast: 👉 ⁠https://www.latitudelearning.com/training-impact-podcast/⁠
🌐 Explore Thryv: 👉 ⁠https://www.thryv.com⁠
 

In this episode of the Training Impact Podcast, Jeff Walter sits down with Jimmy McFeeters to explore how Protein Bar & Kitchen has scaled thoughtfully while protecting food quality, brand culture, and operational clarity. While many franchise brands chase rapid expansion, Protein Bar & Kitchen has taken a different path—one rooted in intentional growth, experienced franchisee selection, and operational simplicity.
Jimmy brings more than a decade of franchise development experience across multiple restaurant systems. Together, he and Jeff unpack what tends to break when brands grow too fast and what it takes to avoid those pitfalls. From real estate strategy and menu evolution to franchisee alignment and training, the conversation reveals the behind-the-scenes decisions that protect consistency as a franchise footprint expands.
Listeners will hear how Protein Bar & Kitchen evolved from a compact urban protein shake concept into a scalable quick-service restaurant without compromising taste or efficiency. By avoiding grills, fryers, and high-heat equipment, the brand has reduced operational complexity, simplified training, and created a better working environment for staff—advantages that become especially important in high-volume, non-traditional locations like airports.
Training plays a central role in the brand’s growth strategy. Rather than treating training as a one-time event, Protein Bar & Kitchen views it as a foundation for franchise success. Structured on boarding, ongoing field support, and operational reviews help franchisees execute with confidence while staying aligned with brand standards. The result is a system designed to support experienced operators and reinforce consistency across every location.
The episode also explores why non-traditional locations have become a strategic advantage. Airport environments provide immediate volume, early brand validation, and operational insights that inform improvements across the broader system. Combined with growing consumer demand for protein-forward, convenient meals, this disciplined approach has helped the brand achieve strong same-store sales growth in a challenging restaurant landscape.
This conversation offers valuable insights for franchisors, operators, and training leaders who want to scale without losing what makes their brand work. It’s a reminder that sustainable growth is built on discipline, clarity, and systems—not speed alone.
🎧 Listen to the full Training Impact Podcast: ⁠https://www.latitudelearning.com/training-impact-podcast/⁠
🔗 Learn more about Protein Bar & Kitchen: ⁠https://www.theproteinbar.com/⁠

What happens when a business grows faster than its systems?
In this episode of the Training Impact Podcast, Jeff Walter speaks with April Porter, co-founder of Secretsos, about why operational clarity is often the missing ingredient in organizations struggling to scale.
Many companies invest heavily in people, technology, and culture, yet still experience friction, burnout, inconsistent execution, and stalled growth. April explains that these challenges are rarely caused by a lack of effort or talent. More often, they stem from unclear processes, undocumented expectations, and systems that have not evolved alongside the business.
April shares how Secretsos helps organizations move beyond founder dependency and tribal knowledge by creating clear, documented operational frameworks. As companies grow, leaders often become bottlenecks, answering the same questions repeatedly and making decisions that could be handled by teams if the right systems were in place. This conversation explores how clarity allows leaders to step out of daily firefighting and focus on strategy, while giving employees the confidence to execute without constant oversight.
A major theme of the discussion is the difference between control and clarity. April explains that effective systems are not about micromanagement or rigid rules. Instead, they provide shared understanding around how work gets done and why it matters. When expectations are clear, accountability feels fair rather than punitive, onboarding becomes faster and more consistent, and performance conversations shift from emotion to objectivity.
Jeff and April also discuss the critical role documentation plays in training and development. When processes live only in people’s heads, training becomes inconsistent and heavily dependent on who is available to explain things. Documentation turns knowledge into an asset that can be reused, improved, and scaled. This creates a strong foundation for onboarding, role-based training, and ongoing development, especially in organizations that are adding new hires faster than leaders can personally train them.
The conversation highlights how many performance issues are mistakenly labeled as people problems. Missed deadlines, quality issues, and disengagement often trace back to unclear workflows or conflicting expectations rather than a lack of motivation. April explains how Secretsos works with organizations to identify these breakdowns and build systems that support people instead of exhausting them.
Listeners will also hear how operational clarity reduces burnout. When employees know what success looks like and how their work fits into the larger organization, they are more engaged and more effective. Clear systems allow teams to spend less time guessing and more time delivering meaningful results.
This episode is especially relevant for business owners, operators, and learning and development leaders navigating growth, change, or complexity. It offers a practical perspective on how operations and training must evolve together to create sustainable performance.
Learn more about Secretsoshttps://www.secretsos.com
 
For more info about LatitudeLearning.com visit our site at www.latitudelearning.com

In this episode of the Training Impact Podcast, Jeff Walter sits down with Kevin Trost, Co-Founder and President of Adminify AI, to explore how artificial intelligence is changing the way businesses scale, engage customers, and support channel partners.
Rather than focusing on AI hype or surface-level tools, this conversation digs into how AI assistants can function as a true execution layer inside a business. Kevin shares how Adminify AI helps organizations automate customer interactions across phone, text, web, and social channels while preserving transparency, personality, and trust.
Jeff and Kevin discuss why speed to lead has become one of the most practical and immediate AI use cases, especially in industries like home services, franchising, and multi-location businesses. Kevin explains how AI ensures no customer inquiry is missed and how it can intelligently route conversations, summarize interactions, and hand off to humans only when necessary.
One of the standout moments in the episode is a real-world example of an AI assistant navigating a complex customer objection without being explicitly trained for the situation. The story illustrates how modern AI can understand intent, identify concerns, and creatively problem-solve to achieve a defined business goal.
The conversation also explores why AI should be treated less like traditional software and more like an employee. Kevin explains that organizations often abandon AI tools too quickly, forgetting that they are willing to spend weeks training human hires. When AI is trained intentionally and given clear goals, it becomes a long-term asset that works continuously without fatigue.
For franchisors and channel-driven organizations, this episode offers practical insight into how AI assistants can standardize processes across locations, reduce risk for franchise owners, shorten training timelines, and create consistency without adding headcount at headquarters.
Jeff and Kevin also discuss transparency in AI interactions, why customers prefer knowing they are speaking with an AI assistant, and how adding personality to AI experiences can improve engagement and trust.
This episode is a must-listen for leaders in franchising, partner enablement, training, operations, and customer experience who want to understand how AI fits into the future of scalable business systems.
To listen to more episodes of the Training Impact Podcast, visithttps://www.latitudelearning.com/training-impact-podcast/
Learn more about Adminify AI athttps://www.adminify.ai

Most people assume franchising begins when an entrepreneur signs an agreement or opens their doors, but the real work happens long before that point. In this episode of the Training Impact Podcast, Jeff Walter talks with Jared Nassiff, Director of Business Development at Business Alliance, Inc., to uncover what truly happens behind the scenes of franchise development.
Jared explains how Business Alliance helps candidates understand their goals, strengths, lifestyle preferences, and financial expectations before they ever meet a franchisor. For consultants, the job is not selling. It is alignment. When expectations, capabilities, and support systems match, long-term success becomes far more likely.
A key theme throughout the conversation is readiness. Many emerging franchisors underestimate how much operational structure and training are required to scale. Strong brands document their processes, establish predictable workflows, and support their franchisees with onboarding, launch preparation, and ongoing learning.
Jared also breaks down what separates high performing franchise brands. They communicate clearly, follow defined processes, invest in continuous improvement, and maintain transparency during the discovery process. These qualities are visible to consultants and candidates almost immediately.
Training emerges as one of the strongest indicators of franchise readiness. Well designed training influences onboarding, customer experience, operational consistency, confidence, and long-term performance. It even impacts franchise validation when prospective buyers speak with existing operators.
The takeaway is clear. Franchise success depends on alignment, clarity, and well organized systems. Brands that invest in documentation, transparent communication, and strong franchisee training outperform those that focus only on selling more units.
Learn more at businessallianceinc.comListen to more episodes at latitudelearning.com/training-impact-podcast/

In this episode of the Training Impact Podcast, Jeff Walter sits down with Ed Powers, Director of Operations at Broken Yolk Cafe, to unpack how a beloved San Diego breakfast spot grew from a single Pacific Beach landmark into a multi-state franchise system. Ed’s career journey—from regional operations leader at Chili’s to helping build Broken Yolk’s franchise infrastructure—offers practical insight into what it really takes to scale a restaurant brand without losing its soul.
Ed shares how the story of Broken Yolk Cafe begins with long lines, loyal customers, and steady demand that drew interest from would-be franchisees long before the company was ready. For years, the founder, John, resisted franchising despite constant inquiries. But over time, the opportunity became impossible to ignore. The question wasn’t whether people wanted more Broken Yolk locations—it was whether the business could scale without sacrificing the experience that made it iconic.
When Ed rejoined the brand, Broken Yolk Cafe was still transitioning from a single-market favorite to a system ready for expansion. With 41 locations across seven states, the challenge became creating structure while protecting the local charm customers loved. Ed explains how his role shifted from daily restaurant oversight to building systems, supporting franchisees, and ensuring the brand’s consistency as new owners brought the concept to new markets.
Scaling required solving real operational puzzles—product procurement across state lines, supply chain consistency, and maintaining quality standards as the footprint grew. Ed describes these challenges not as burdens but as opportunities to strengthen the system, streamline processes, and create a support model designed for long-term franchisee success.
A recurring theme in the conversation is the importance of listening. With dozens of locations and a diverse franchisee base, there are always more ideas than resources. Ed emphasizes that the only way to prioritize effectively is through direct franchisee feedback—understanding what operators truly need, not just what seems helpful from corporate. Jeff connects this to his own experience in partner training: every idea sounds valuable until ten franchisees say, “That’s nice, but here’s what we really need.”
This constant dialogue ensures that support programs actually solve problems, whether they involve training, staffing, menu execution, or operational efficiency.
Ed and Jeff dive into the cultural side of scaling—how to maintain passion, pride, and consistency when expanding to new regions. They discuss real examples of franchise systems boosting learner engagement, including a program Jeff highlights that increased training completions by 60 percent through a creative cultural initiative. Ed notes that these efforts matter because stronger training and clearer expectations make every unit better, whether the team works directly for corporate or for an independent franchisee.
Looking forward, Ed sees Broken Yolk Cafe continuing to expand toward the 50-unit mark and beyond, developing the systems, standards, and support structure needed to grow responsibly. With demand strong and brand recognition spreading far beyond San Diego, the next stage of growth is focused on strengthening franchise support, protecting product quality, and preparing operators for success in increasingly competitive markets.
Ed’s story underscores a simple but powerful truth: scaling a franchise brand isn’t about speed—it’s about structure, support, and staying close to the people who run your restaurants. Broken Yolk Cafe’s growth has been fueled by operational discipline, a willingness to listen, and a commitment to preserving the experience that made the original location famous. For franchise leaders, this episode offers a grounded look at what it takes to grow without losing your identity.
Learn more or visit a location near you at:👉 https://www.thebrokenyolkcafe.com/

In this episode of the Training Impact Podcast, Jeff Walter sits down with Matt Shepanek of the National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence to explore how ASE shapes technician competence, shop performance, and customer trust across the automotive service industry. The National Institute of Automotive Service Excellence has long served as the gold standard for technician evaluation, and this conversation offers a behind-the-scenes look at how ASE continues to evolve as vehicles and technologies change.
Matt explains how ASE develops its certifications, updates its assessments, and adapts to rapidly shifting vehicle technology. Today’s automotive landscape includes electric and hybrid vehicles, advanced diagnostics systems, sophisticated driver assistance technologies, and constantly updated digital platforms. This rapid evolution requires training programs that are accurate, structured, and aligned with real-world service demands. Matt details how ASE collaborates with technicians, educators, manufacturers, and service leaders to build assessments that reflect what technicians actually face in the field.
Jeff and Matt also discuss how ASE certification strengthens career development by providing a clear, credible pathway for technicians who want to advance their skills and stand out in a competitive workforce. For employers, ASE certification brings consistency to shop performance and gives managers confidence in the skill levels of their teams. For customers, ASE represents trust. A shop displaying the ASE Blue Seal signals that it invests in training and that its technicians have demonstrated their competence through nationally recognized standards.
The conversation also explores the future of technician readiness. As vehicles become more software-driven and diagnostic-heavy, technicians must blend mechanical knowledge with analytical and digital skills. Matt shares how ASE continually updates exam content to match industry needs and ensure technicians remain informed, capable, and confident. Jeff and Matt highlight how this level of rigor helps repair facilities reduce errors, improve workflow efficiency, and deliver a better customer experience.
Another important topic in the episode is education and workforce development. Matt discusses ASE’s close partnerships with training institutions, technical schools, and employer-based academies. These relationships help build stronger pipelines of skilled workers and ensure that training aligns with the expectations of modern repair environments. As the demand for qualified technicians grows, standardized assessments and consistent training frameworks play a critical role in preparing the next generation.
Whether you are an automotive technician, a shop owner, an educator, a franchise leader, or a training professional, this episode provides practical insights into how ASE standards influence performance, safety, and long-term industry health. The discussion shows why credible assessment and structured learning are foundational to technician success and why ASE remains so essential to the automotive service industry.
Learn more about ASE at https://www.ase.com
Listen to the full Training Impact Podcast episode at https://www.latitudelearning.com/insights/portfolio/28-ase/

In this episode of the Training Impact Podcast, host Jeff Walter speaks with Jolynn Ledgerwood, founder of Elevate Your Talent, to explore how creativity, neuroscience, and tactile learning can reshape the way teams solve problems. Elevate Your Talent helps organizations unlock deeper thinking, strengthen collaboration, and move beyond traditional training methods that rely heavily on lecture-based content and left-brain processing.
Jolynn explains how hands-on engagement taps into a different part of the brain, enabling individuals to access more creative, intuitive, and innovative ways of thinking. Using LEGO Serious Play as a core methodology, Elevate Your Talent introduces a structured, research-backed technique that brings clarity into environments where teams often feel stuck, siloed, or overwhelmed by complexity.
Many organizations turn to Elevate Your Talent during their most challenging moments because traditional brainstorming does not spark the insights they need. Jolynn describes how LEGO Serious Play activates the prefrontal cortex and unlocks what she calls eighty percent more brain power. When people use their hands to build models that represent ideas, obstacles, or aspirations, they separate personal emotion from the concept. This creates psychological safety and makes it easier to explore ideas honestly, challenge assumptions, and uncover insights that typically stay hidden.
Jeff and Jolynn walk through real examples of how this approach has helped teams break down silos, navigate policy changes, visualize system-wide impacts, and strengthen communication across departments. Educators have used LEGO Serious Play to examine how new regulations affect classrooms and budgets. Corporate groups have applied it to solve workflow issues and uncover blind spots. Sales teams, often difficult to engage in training, stay more energized and focused when they have a tactile element that invites them into the discussion.
The conversation also highlights how tactile learning fits naturally into external learning environments such as franchise networks, dealer programs, and channel partner ecosystems. Many franchise systems already rely on blended learning models that combine self-paced courses and instructor-led workshops. Adding a hands-on, exploratory layer gives franchisees and partner teams a way to articulate goals, identify concerns, and think strategically about their business operations. This aligns with extended enterprise training models where communication, clarity, and alignment matter as much as content.
Toward the end of the episode, Jolynn reminds listeners that adults stop playing far too early in life. The loss of play can reduce creativity, strain resilience, and limit problem solving. Rediscovering play is not unprofessional. It is a strategic choice that allows individuals to bring their full cognitive and emotional capacity to their work.
This episode offers a powerful look at how Elevate Your Talent uses creativity to transform learning experiences and help teams think differently, communicate more openly, and solve problems with greater insight. LEGO Serious Play is more than an activity. It is a structured, evidence-based framework that elevates engagement and leads to solutions that traditional approaches often overlook.
Learn more about Elevate Your Talent:https://elevateyourtalent.co

In this episode of the Training Impact Podcast, Jeff Walter sits down with Amber Burke, Chief Operating Officer of Burn Boot Camp, to explore how one of America’s fastest growing fitness franchises maintains its signature experience across more than 380 locations. What emerges is a closer look at how consistent training, thoughtful certification, and a philosophy centered on connection fuel both member transformation and system wide performance.
Amber shares the origins and mission of Burn Boot Camp. The brand was created to give women and families a place to grow stronger physically, emotionally, and mentally. It pairs high energy group workouts with personal training level coaching, requiring more than choreography or general instruction. It depends on a system that ensures every workout reflects shared standards of safety, progression, and member engagement.
A major driver of that consistency is the national programming model. Every location follows the same daily focus, progression, and coaching cues, all built around principles like progressive overload and movement integrity. Whether a member trains in Charlotte or California, they get the same elevated experience. This level of alignment allows the franchise system to scale without losing the essence of the product.
That consistency only works with a strong training engine behind it. Every location must have a Burn Certified Lead Trainer, a role that goes far beyond technical coaching. Lead trainers complete an immersive onboarding experience at headquarters, where they learn how to translate Burn Boot Camp’s philosophy into high energy group environments with 40 to 120 members in a session.
They are evaluated not only on fitness knowledge, but on how they build connection. Trainers are expected to know every member by name, deliver personal encouragement, and engage the room with intention. A detailed accountability checklist defines what great looks like inside a Burn Boot Camp session. This mix of structure and meaningful interaction creates an environment where members feel supported and inspired.
Amber explains how Burn Boot Camp keeps locations aligned through a framework called the Blue Carpet Experience. This system tracks product quality, customer experience, and adherence to training standards. When performance indicators slip, headquarters may recommend refresher training, module based reeducation, or optional onsite coaching to help teams reset and regain momentum.
The annual Franchise Summit also plays a major role. With more than 1,100 attendees, the summit offers immersive training for both fitness teams and franchise partners. High performers share insights, refine skills, and help move the brand forward. The summit reinforces a core belief inside Burn Boot Camp: training is not an event but an ongoing cycle of learning and improvement.
Burn Boot Camp shows how franchise training becomes a strategic advantage when programming, certification, and culture align. The brand’s ability to deliver a personal, high quality fitness experience at scale is powered by strong training systems, consistent expectations, and a deep commitment to community.
Learn more about Burn Boot Camp at ⁠https://burnbootcamp.com⁠
Explore more episodes of the Training Impact Podcast at ⁠https://www.latitudelearning.com/training-impact-podcast/⁠

n this episode of the Training Impact Podcast, host Jeff Walter sits down with Wyatt Borchetta Platt, Revenue Operations Leader at Design Pickle, to unpack how scalable creative systems and smarter processes help companies grow without sacrificing quality.
Wyatt brings a rare blend of experience across sales ops, marketing, and cross-functional leadership. He explains how organizations can use structured creative workflows, automation, and data discipline to keep marketing moving at the speed of growth. From B2B SaaS and agencies to franchisors and enterprise brands, Wyatt breaks down why scalable creative support has become mission-critical.
🧩 Who Design Pickle Serves
Wyatt explains that Design Pickle supports brands with high creative demand—B2B SaaS, enterprise teams, agencies, and growing franchise systems. Instead of juggling freelancers or variable agency costs, organizations get a flat-rate creative service for graphics, ads, videos, presentations, and branded assets.
The result: consistent quality, predictable timelines, and a creative engine that scales with demand.
🚦 When Companies Should Bring in Creative Support
Emerging brands often start with DIY design. But as they grow:• Franchisees need marketing support• Campaigns multiply• Digital ads expand• Timelines tighten
Wyatt breaks down why this is the point where internal teams become overloaded—and why a dependable creative partner becomes essential.
⏱️ Time & Cost Efficiencies = Real ROI
Success comes down to two levers:
Saving time for leaders and teams
Saving money by eliminating unpredictable creative costs
Design Pickle handles production work so teams can focus on strategy, growth, and customer experience.
🤖 AI: “The World’s Smartest Intern”
Wyatt shares how AI speeds up ideation and workflow—but why human creativity still matters. AI assists with drafts and variations, while designers handle quality, nuance, and brand protection.
Hybrid = speed + craftsmanship.
🧪 Fixing Bot Traffic & Broken Funnels
One of the episode’s most surprising topics: bot traffic.Wyatt explains how poor attribution, fake clicks, and automated traffic distort ad spend and conversion metrics. Better data, verification layers, and tighter conversion loops help teams reclaim wasted budget.
🚀 The Future of Creative Scale
Wyatt believes the winning organizations will pair:• Creativity• Operational discipline• Clean data• Reliable systems
Combined with Design Pickle’s scalable creative support, brands can run faster without losing consistency.
📘 Advice for Growing Franchisors
Start with the fundamentals:• Know your CRM• Understand digital marketing• Build a repeatable brand system
Once the foundation is set, a partner like Design Pickle accelerates everything from franchisee marketing to campaign execution.
🔗 Explore More
👉 Design Pickle: https://designpickle.com/👉 Training Impact Podcast (Full Episodes): https://www.latitudelearning.com/training-impact-podcast/