Owl's Edge

About Owl's Edge

This is the definitive bridge between Private Equity investors and Franchise Operators. Hosted by Susan Black-Beth who has 30 years of lived experience you’ll go from being smart to being wise. The Owl’s Edge features unfiltered interviews with industry titans and deep-dive educational sessions that look to the past to inform the future. Whether you are a PE investor looking to sharpen your underwriting with human capital insights or a franchise operator looking to scale your legacy without losing your value, this show is your unfair advantage. We want you to have an edge in the market!

Publisher

Susan Black-Beth

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

Yes

First episode

10 Feb 2026

Latest episode

25 Jun 2026

Latest episodes

10 of 13 episodes have a transcript.

1. 

   25 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Aligning Personal Values with Private Equity Success with Kristi Mailloux

   Host Susan Black-Beth interviews elite franchise operator Kristi Mailloux on aligning personal values with private equity success to maximize scaling potential.

2. 

   11 Jun 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Mastering the Art of Strategic Influence in Franchising

   Host Susan Black-Beth interviews Omar Simmons, founder of Exaltare Capital Management, about mastering strategic influence and sustainable growth in franchising.

3. 

   14 May 2026TRANSCRIPT

   How to Master Franchise Unit Economics Before You Scale with Todd Recknagel

   Host Susan Black-Beth interviews franchise expert Todd Recknagel about mastering unit economics before scaling to avoid costly mistakes and build a lasting legacy.

4. 

   30 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Award, Don’t Sell: James Young on Building Enduring Franchise Systems

   Host Susan Black-Beth interviews franchise executive James Young on building enduring franchise systems by awarding, not just selling, units.

5. 

   9 Apr 2026TRANSCRIPT

   Why Unit Economics are the Foundation of Franchise Growth with Jessica Wescott

   Host Susan Black-Beth interviews Stellar Service Brands CEO Jessica Wescott about how strong unit economics form the foundation for intentional franchise growth and inspired leadership.

6. 

   26 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   07 Keys to Becoming a Successful Franchise CEO with Christina Russell

   Host Susan Black-Beth interviews franchise leader Christina Russell about leveraging human connection for disciplined growth and better investment returns.

7. 

   19 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   06 Learn the Multi-Unit Franchise Growth Mindset with Mitch Cohen

   Host Susan Black-Beth interviews franchise veteran Mitch Cohen about cultivating a multi-unit growth mindset and prioritizing people for scalable success.

8. 

   12 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   05 Learn the Foundations of Franchising from Industry Leaders with Susan Black-Beth

   Host Susan Black-Beth interviews industry leaders to reveal how trust, kindness, culture, and support systems drive franchise success.

9. 

   5 Mar 2026TRANSCRIPT

   04 How to Maximize Exit Value in Franchising with Michael Isakson

   Host Susan Black-Beth interviews franchise veteran Michael Isakson about maximizing exit value by prioritizing relationship capital alongside financial capital.

10. 

    26 Feb 2026TRANSCRIPT

    03 Utilizing Human Psychology to Improve Franchise Portfolio Performance with Greg Nathan

    Host Susan Black-Beth interviews business psychologist Greg Nathan on leveraging human psychology to build high-trust franchise partnerships through respect, trust, and connection.

11. 

    18 Feb 2026

    02 Aligning Private Equity Objectives with Franchise Culture with Liberty Bernal

    Host Susan Black-Beth interviews franchise executive Liberty Bernal about aligning private equity goals with franchise culture, revealing the human impact of rapid change.

12. 

    11 Feb 2026

    01 Building Sustainable Franchise Systems with Bridge Builder Doc Cohen

    Host Susan Black-Beth interviews franchise legend Doc Cohen about building sustainable franchise systems through influence and partnership.

13. 

    10 Feb 2026

    The Owl’s Edge: Where Smart Franchise Operators and Private Equity Investors Get Wise

    Host Susan Black-Beth interviews franchise operators and private equity investors, sharing lived wisdom to bridge the boardroom and break room for extraordinary growth.

Inside a recent episode

Aligning Personal Values with Private Equity Success with Kristi Mailloux

Published 25 Jun 2026 · Transcript excerpt

[…] I'm going to talk about blind spots. So you've been a franchise or executive. You've been a multi-unit owner. And now you're investing in your experience. Which of those seats in franchising has the biggest blind spot to what it takes to be the other constituents? Well, in my opinion, through no fault of their own, if they're not a founder, many franchise executives or franchisor executives have never really truly run a franchise. themselves or a small business themselves. And some of them lack the experience and experiencing and driving new strategies to help the franchisees truly grow and especially lack the expertise and what we find of helping multi-units scale to new levels. […]

Who has been a guest on Owl's Edge

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Kristi Mailloux
• Omar Simmons
• Todd Recknagel
• James Young
• Jessica Wescott

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

15 ratings

Contact Owl's Edge

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Owl's Edge