Hiring the wrong marketing leader can quietly destroy franchise growth. In this episode, Erik Van Horn and Aren Johnstone break down why CMOs from outside franchising—especially those coming from e-commerce or big-brand backgrounds—struggle and often fail inside franchise systems. They reveal why franchising operates more like a political system than a corporation, how franchisees hold real power, why innovation gets blocked, and the cultural mistakes that erode trust. If you're scaling or building a franchise, this episode will save you years of painful hiring mistakes. Timestamps: 00:00 — Why outside marketers fail inside franchise systems 02:17 — AI, prep, and Aren's approach to productive conversations 04:28 — Inside vs outside franchising: the hiring dilemma 07:29 — How Franchise Ramp stays franchisee-first 09:42 — Why top-tier vendors avoid emerging brands 13:09 — Big-budget marketers vs the reality of franchising 17:39 — Why inside hires get stale & outside hires hit walls 23:09 — The political structure of franchising 30:48 — Managing difficult franchisees while protecting culture 41:41 — The winning hiring formula Aren recommends Learn more about Franchise Ramp here: https://franchiseramp.com/ 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 #Leadership