Erik Van Horn and Jeff Herr break down one of the most explosive franchise categories ever created: salon suites. They reveal how the model went from unknown to industry-dominating, why private equity rushed in, and what made it one of the highest-leverage real estate plays in franchising. From early headwinds and financing challenges to scaling 10,000–29,000 sq ft locations, this episode offers a candid, behind-the-scenes look at disruption, growth, and building enterprise value in a new market. Timestamps: 00:00 – Creating a Disruptive Franchise Category 02:50 – Storytelling Lessons From Napa 05:10 – Discovering the Salon Suite Opportunity 08:20 – The Real Estate Insight Behind Salon Suites 11:50 – When Sola Took Over the Industry Conversation 17:10 – Industry Resistance & Stylist Education Challenges 23:00 – The Million-Dollar Buildout Era Begins 27:30 – Financing Breakdowns and SBA Pullback 31:50 – Why Private Equity Loves This Model 38:40 – Scaling Into 10,000–29,000 Sq Ft Mega-Locations Connect with Erik Van Horn: 🌐 Website - https://franchisesecrets.com/ 📷 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erikvanhorn/ 👍 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erik.v.horn/ 💼 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhorn/ Best Franchise Starter Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMlgRgsBAo4LWNCMSOthnK0r&si=TD1z25-ie2d23rGm https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMle5_OUXiuLbc_UPBtz1vTE&si=uCOgDya1VnnCarDf https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMk2Kw07KwZGWgF8UTx9N5_T&si=ZldjBOqFanGE-JUL #Franchising #Growth #Disruption