RevOps Champions

Hosted by Denamico

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Episodes

120

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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EN-US

About the show

Why is it that some companies scale faster and more efficiently than others, when they have access to the same resources as everyone else? Funding, head count, resources––these things don’t guarantee success in any business. So, what is it that separates the companies that scale efficiently from the ones that struggle to get off the ground? On RevOps Champions, we talk with some of the brightest minds in B2B leadership to answer this very question. Tune in for insights and tips on how to align your people, streamline your processes, trust your data, and leverage technology to grow your business. This podcast is hosted by Brendon Dennewill, CEO and Co-founder of Denamico, a Diamond HubSpot Solutions Partner and technology consulting firm based in Minneapolis.

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June 10, 2026Episode 11940 min

119 | From Royalties to Rocket Fuel: Building Profitable Franchise Systems | Michael Iannuzzi

Michael Iannuzzi, Partner and Franchise Practice Leader at Citrin Cooperman, joins host Brendon Dennewill to unpack the financial and operational fault lines that quietly derail growing franchise systems. From the tension between top-line and bottom-line incentives to the infamous "100-unit ceiling," Michael brings a practitioner's lens to unit economics, royalty self-sufficiency, and the decisions leaders delay until it's too late. If you're scaling a franchise brand and wondering when to rebuild your systems, hire your next leader, or fire yourself from your current role, this episode delivers the framework.What You'll LearnWhy franchisors and franchisees have competing financial interestsThe metric that signals when real growth beginsWhat the "100-unit ceiling" looks like in practiceWhen to fire yourself as a founderHow to build a tech stack from day oneWhat private equity actually looks for in a franchise systemThe rule of threes and tens in franchise growthResources MentionedIFA (International Franchise Association)Restaurant Leadership Conference Franchise and Fitness Conference (Chicago) Citrin Cooperman Franchise Practice QuickBooks / XERO FDD (Franchise Disclosure Document) Franchisee Advisory Council (FAC) The Rule of Threes and Tens - Growth framework referenced by CEO of Rakuten Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see: Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's ConnectSubscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

June 3, 2026Episode 11844 min

118 | Operationalizing the Invisible Asset: RevOps Guide to IP Strategy and Valuation | Kary Oberbrunner

Kary Oberbrunner, Founder of Instant IP and Wall Street Journal bestselling author, joins Brendon Dennewill to challenge everything founders think they know about intellectual property. As AI accelerates IP theft across every industry, from musicians to franchise brands to solo entrepreneurs, Kary makes the case that protecting your ideas isn't a legal formality, it's a revenue strategy. If you've ever said "I don't mind if people steal my ideas," this episode will change how you run your business.What You'll Learn:Why thinking "I'm not an IP company" makes you a commodityThe shift from 17% to 90% intangible asset value in the S&P 500The offensive vs. defensive sides of IP strategyWhy using "TM" may actually invite theftHow AI is creating a new category of IP riskThe "publish, protect, promote" flywheel12 steps to becoming an IP companyResources Mentioned:Instant IP IP Toolbox"You Are an IP Company" by Kary Oberbrunner and Katie RobinoUSPTO (United States Patent and Trademark Office) Story Brand by Donald Miller Working Genius by Patrick Lencioni Strategic Coach by Dan Sullivan Suno Plaud AIMeta Glasses Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see: Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's ConnectSubscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

May 28, 2026Episode 11742 min

117 | Proactive Revenue Architecture: Future-Proofing RevOps with IT Stability & AI | Charles Chang

Charles Chang, Founder of Unified Technologies Group (UTG), joins Brendon Dennewill to challenge the way most organizations think about growth, arguing that the real bottleneck is never technology, it's the absence of documented processes, operational leadership, and a culture of prevention. Drawing on his experience in healthcare IT and multi-company ownership, Charles shares how his team is already deploying AI agents to replace repetitive workflows, using a "sandbox-first" rollout approach to avoid costly mistakes. If you're a RevOps leader trying to figure out where AI actually fits in your organization, and how to move fast without creating chaos, this conversation delivers a practical, security-conscious roadmap.WHAT YOU'LL LEARNWhy technology always comes last in the scaling orderThe hiring decision that separates scaling companies from stagnant onesWhat a "bookkeeper agent" looks like in a real businessHow to use Delegate and Elevate to identify AI opportunitiesThe sandbox-first rule for rolling out AI safelyWhen SMBs are actually outpacing enterprise on AI adoptionWhy visionaries need operational leaders to survive growthRESOURCES MENTIONEDEOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System) Delegate and Elevate (EOS Tool) Kolbe A IndexEOS Rocks / Quarterly Meeting CadenceAI Sandbox TestingLLMs (Large Language Models)Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see: Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's ConnectSubscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

May 13, 2026Episode 11648 min

116 | The Resilience Roadmap: Crisis-Tested Frameworks for High-Pressure Execution | Dave Sanderson

Dave Sanderson, the last passenger off US Airways Flight 1549, known as the Miracle on the Hudson, brings 37 years of sales leadership and hard-earned crisis experience to a conversation with Brendon Dennewill about what it actually takes to build resilient teams and make decisions under pressure. From the ASSESS Framework and the A-to-I Affinity Model to the VCR leadership structure developed with Chad Jenkins, Dave unpacks the systems that separate leaders who hold the line from those who collapse when pressure compounds. If your organization is navigating uncertainty, low trust, or execution breakdown, this episode is the blueprint you didn't know you needed.What You'll LearnWhy trust outranks competence in high-stakes hiringThe three levers for managing your mental state under pressureCaptain Sullenberger's unique ability, and what it means for your teamThe VCR Framework: Vision, Capability, ReachHow the ASSESS Framework works in real-time crisis decisionsThe A-to-I model: Access to Influence to AffinityWhy "proximity is power" is your fastest path to growthResources MentionedResilience Partners Group"Moments Matter" by Dave Sanderson "Never Split the Difference" by Chris Voss "Selling in a Post-Trust World" by Larry Levine Tom Hopkins"The Five Dysfunctions of a Team" by Patrick Lencioni ASSESS frameworkIs your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see: Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's ConnectSubscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

May 6, 2026Episode 11544 min

115 | Lead the Market or Lose It: Radical Transparency in the AI Era | Marcus Sheridan

Marcus Sheridan, author of They Ask You Answer, a partner at IMPACT and the co-founder of several forward-thinking tech and consulting companies, including PriceGuide, AI Trust Signals, and Question First Group, joins Brendon Dennewill to challenge why B2B companies still refuse to talk about pricing, even when the data is overwhelming. Marcus breaks down how AI-powered agents are about to reshape the buyer journey entirely, and why brands that withhold pricing information will be algorithmically penalized within 18 months. If your franchise, dealership network, or multi-location brand is watching leads slow down and ad spend climb, this episode is a direct explanation of why, and what to do about it.What You'll LearnWhy $35M came from one 45-minute articleThe AI agent behavior reshaping how buyers searchWhat Google's 'Have AI Check Prices' feature signalsHow pricing estimators 3x organic leads instantlyWhen franchisors must stop asking for buy-inWhy sunk cost fallacy is killing franchise brandsThe 3% sales habit that builds immediate trustResources MentionedThey Ask You Answer by Marcus SheridanEndless Customers by Marcus Sheridan PriceGuide.aiAI Trust SignalsQuestion First GroupMarcusSheridan.com Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see: Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's ConnectSubscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

April 21, 2026Episode 11455 min

114 | The Franchise Fix: Mastering Unit-Level Economics and Leadership Systems | Aicha Bascaro

Aicha Bascaro, CEO and Founder of the American Franchise Academy, joins host Brendon Dennewill to challenge the assumption that a successful single-unit operator is ready to scale. Drawing on 35+ years across Domino's, Popeyes, and Olive Garden, Aicha breaks down the four business systems every franchisee must build before adding a second location, and why skipping them creates what she calls "the hell zone." From unit economics and P&L literacy to the pod-based growth model and the CRM gap in service-based franchises, this conversation is a masterclass in operational architecture for anyone building a multi-unit enterprise.What You’ll LearnTransition from operator "doer" to visionary "leader" skills.Navigate the "Hell Zone" of multi-unit scaling successfully.Master the four critical buckets of business systems.Understand joint employer liability’s impact on franchise training.Optimize unit economics through rigorous weekly KPI dashboards.Leverage AI agents to enhance 24/7 lead management.Resources MentionedThe Franchise Fix by Aicha BascaroAmerican Franchise Academy (AFA) International Franchise Association (IFA) HubSpot CRMIs your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see: Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's ConnectSubscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

April 15, 2026Episode 11346 min

113 | Cult Brands, Identity, and AI Intuition: How Franchise Brands Break Through | Ingrid Schneider

Ingrid Schneider, Founder and CEO of Stay In Your Lane and Train In Your Lane, joins Brendon Dennewill to challenge how franchise brands approach AI adoption, brand identity, and scaling past the critical 30-unit ceiling. Drawing from years of fractional C-suite work across franchise and multi-location systems, Ingrid unpacks why companies that skip education and jump straight to implementation almost always fail, and what a smarter, more human path to AI transformation actually looks like. If your franchise brand is stalled, scaling, or just starting to explore AI, this conversation reframes the entire conversation.What You'll LearnThe franchise growth wall at 30 unitsMarketing problem vs. identity problemThe education-first framework for AI adoptionAI intuition as a core team skillCult brand philosophy at the local levelWriting AI policies that feel like permission slips Resources MentionedTrain In Your LaneStay In Your Lane HubSpot AI ROI CalculatorFigmaInternational Franchise Association (IFA) Is your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see: Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's ConnectSubscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

April 7, 2026Episode 11243 min

112 | The Franchise Systems Behind The Back Nine Golf's Growth to 160+ Locations | Brady Carlsen

Brady Carlsen didn't set out to build one of the fastest-growing franchise brands in the country, he walked in as a customer and spotted what insiders couldn't see. As Co-Founder and COO of The Back Nine Golf, Brady shares how a deliberate "less is more" philosophy, no food, no staff, no complexity, became the engine behind 160+ locations and 300 in the pipeline. For franchise operators and RevOps leaders managing distributed networks, this episode is a masterclass in building revenue systems that scale without you in the room.What You'll LearnWhy eliminating staffing costs, not adding revenue streams, was the key unlock to Back Nine Golf's franchise modelHow building proprietary software from day one gave The Back Nine Golf the automation and vendor flexibility that off-the-shelf tools couldn'tThe "Rule of 3 and 10", what breaks at each growth stage and how to anticipate it before it spreads across your networkWhy marketing asset delivery (not the product itself) became the first major operational bottleneck at scaleHow The Back Nine Golf's Brand Development Council keeps 160+ franchisees aligned without top-down mandatesThe one thing Brady would build earlier: a disciplined marketing system, and why it matters more than the product at scaleResources MentionedThe Back Nine Golf IFA (International Franchise Association)Franchise Operations ManualIs your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see: Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's ConnectSubscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

April 1, 2026Episode 11142 min

111 | From Growth to Scale: How Smart Franchisors Build Systems That Last | John Francis

John Francis, "Johnny Franchise", has seen franchising from every angle: franchisee, franchisor, multi-unit owner, and now strategic advisor to over 50 brands. In this conversation with Brendon Dennewill, John cuts through the AI excitement with two questions every franchisor board should be asking, and most aren't. What you'll hear isn't just about technology. It's about what actually drives performance at scale: clear leadership, franchisee trust, and the discipline to focus on what really matters. If you're building a franchise system, or helping one grow, this one's worth your time.What You'll LearnThe two AI questions every board should be asking, and why most leadership teams can't answer them yetWhy growing and scaling aren't the same thing, and what breaks when you confuse the twoHow franchisee due diligence failures keep showing up as the root cause of underperformance across entire systemsWhy structured communication, not good intentions, is what keeps franchisors and franchisees aligned during rapid growthHow accountability, not strategy, is the real differentiator between high-performing and stagnant franchise organizationsWhy the best AI opportunity in franchising right now is repackaging what's already working, not building something newResources MentionedIFA (International Franchise Association)Multi-Unit Franchising Conference Franchise Advisory CouncilsFranchise Mastermind Advisory Board ConsultingIs your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see: Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's ConnectSubscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!

March 11, 2026Episode 11038 min

110 | The Activation Gap: Turning Positioning Into Pipeline | Rob Wormley

Rob Wormley, Founder of WG and Groundcrew Partners, joins Brendon Dennewill to expose the gap most companies never talk about, the distance between a polished positioning strategy and actual revenue execution. Whether you're running a SaaS startup or a home services franchise, the problem is the same: great frameworks gathering dust in Google Drive while pipeline stalls. Rob shares how he helps leadership teams cut through the noise, pick the right 90-day plays, and build messaging that creates urgency, not just awareness. What You'll LearnWhy positioning is an operational imperative, not a marketing problem, and who should actually own itHow the strategy-to-activation gap silently kills revenue in both tech startups and franchise businessesThe inverted funnel framework Rob uses to move from brand identity → market strategy → 90-day tactical executionWhy AI-generated messaging creates a "same data, same output" commoditization trap, and the human layer that fixes itHow home service franchises can use AI phone assistants to capture revenue they're currently leaving on the tableThe messaging audit every leadership team should run this quarter before spending another dollar on campaignsResources MentionedWG Groundcrew PartnersChatGPT / Claude / Gemini Google Business ProfileZapposIs your business ready to scale? Take the Growth Readiness Score to find out. In 5 minutes, you’ll see: Benchmark data showing how you stack up to other organizationsA clear view of your operational maturity Whether your business is ready to scale (and what to do next if it’s not)Let's ConnectSubscribe to the RevOps Champions NewsletterLinkedInYouTubeExplore the show at revopschampions.com. Ready to unite your teams with RevOps strategies that eliminate costly silos and drive growth? Let's talk!