DBA. John Ngo
Founder | A2Z Franchise.
President of APAC Franchise Council.
President of FCC Vietnam
Franchise Consultant
Top 40 experts awarded by ASQ.
Serial Entrepreneurs.
Operational Excellence Master Black Belt.
Business Consultant, Master Trainer, Coach, Mentor, Author.
International Speaker.
MBA. Nick Neonakis
Founder and CEO of The Franchise Consulting Company, Great American Expos and The Franchise Journal.
Board of Advisor | A2Z Franchise, APAC Franchise Council & FCC Vietnam
Franchise Consultant
“I believe we are successful when our clients are successful.”
As the Founder and CEO of The Franchise Consulting Company, Great American Expos and The Franchise Journal, my mission is to help entrepreneurs succeed through franchising. Listening and giving objective advice is at the core of everything I do. These two parts of my mission reinforce each other and make my practice strong and enduring.
Nick Neonakis has over 20 years of franchise business experience with 10 years as a senior executive on the publicly traded franchisor level.
Mr. Neonakis is proof of the American Dream in action; his family moved from Greece when he was a boy and achieved success in this country through hard work and education. Now, his greatest joy - outside of his family - is in helping those who have made the decision to achieve independence through business ownership make their own dream a reality.
Mr. Neonakis' academic credentials include a M.B.A. in Finance, Marketing and Strategy from Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, a Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Trinity College in Hartford, CT and a degree from the Albert Ludwigs Universitat in Freiburg, Germany. In addition, he has taken numerous post-graduate courses in business, strategy and management. He speaks English and Greek and is comfortable in Spanish, French and German. He guest lectures on the topic of franchising at the Weatherhead School of Management and has been interviewed in several publications.
After his undergraduate studies, Mr. Neonakis moved to Santorini, Greece where he operated a small business for several years and had the opportunity to travel the world. After returning to the U.S., he moved to New York City - where he worked at the World Trade Center. As a financial advisor for Morgan Stanley and Charles Schwab, he enjoyed working with high net worth individuals and small businesses on financial planning and investments. He returned to school to get an M.B.A. in 2000.
After completing his studies in 2002, he entered the world of franchising and was hired by the leading publicly traded North American brand in the category of property services - FirstService Brands. This multi-line franchise company is the owner of franchised brands such as California Closets, Paul Davis Restoration, College Pro Painters, Certa Pro Painters, Floor Coverings International, Stained Glass Overlay, Handyman Connection, Pillar to Post, BrandPoint Services and TLS. As the Vice President of Stained Glass Overlay, the world’s largest decorative glass franchise with 320 locations in 38 countries and the Vice President of Floor Coverings International, the largest flooring franchise with over 100 locations in North America, he has been involved in every aspect of the franchisor / franchisee relationship.
From growing brands domestically and internationally, mentoring franchise owners and working with individuals to understand if franchise ownership is the right step for them, Mr. Neonakis brings a wealth of experience to the table. He believes his best skill is listening and asking questions. Today, Mr. Neonakis uses his 20 years of experience in franchising, finance and business to help people realize their dream of independent business ownership. Mr. Neonakis Lives in Coral Gables, FL with his wife Stephanie and their children - Megan, Max and Alex. In his spare time, he enjoys boating, fishing, traveling and cooking.
Pete Neonakis
COO | The Franchise Consulting Company.
Board of Advisor | A2Z Franchise, APAC Franchise Council & FCC Vietnam
Franchise Consultant
Florida| USA
Pete Neonakis hails from New Jersey and attended Texas State University, where he graduated with a degree in Communication Design. After completing his education, Pete joined the design teams of various prominent advertising agencies before starting his own design firm in Austin, Texas. After selling his business, he pursued his passion for philanthropy and globetrotting by spending several years travelling and investing across Asia, engaging in thrilling adventures such as scaling Mount Everest, swimming with whale sharks, wreck diving WW2 battle sites and visiting more than 50 countries worldwide.
Returning to the United States in 2013, he began his journey in franchise consulting after being asked to oversee the branding and marketing of the Franchise MBA. This introduced him to many top franchise companies in the United States, and since then he has worked on numerous franchising projects. Having worked with hundreds of clients, he has acquired a unique perspective and set of skills that enable him to guide entrepreneurs through the complexities of franchising.
With his deep understanding of marketing and branding, Pete shares his insights from the heart and from his vast real-world experience in building successful businesses from scratch. In addition to his franchise consulting practice, he is also the owner of a specialized beach sporting goods company based in Miami, which exports products all over the world.
Pete is passionate about anything that involves business, sun, sea, and sand.
Mike Martuza
Franchise Consultant
Massachusetts | USA
Mike Martuza is a highly skilled and motivated professional who has over 30 years of business ownership, franchising, consulting, coaching, business management, and corporate experience.
Prior to joining The Franchise Consulting Company, Mike’s career path has allowed him to experience businesses from many perspectives. Early in his career Mike spent more than a decade as an executive for several Fortune 500 and high-technology start-up companies. In that capacity, he developed extensive experience in identifying and evaluating potential business opportunities and successfully starting new companies. During the NASDAQ crash of 2000 Mike was downsized and, as a result, decided he wanted to be in control of his own professional destiny.
During the early 2000s Mike owned the New York State Master franchising rights to ActionCoach, a multi-national business coaching and training company. During that time, Mike launched the franchise in New York and built a foundation for exceptional growth through the creation of highly successful marketing, franchisee recruitment, and support strategies. Being a part of a franchise system was a key factor in Mike’s accomplishments as a fledgling entrepreneur.
After receiving a generous, unsolicited offer for the ActionCoach business Mike sold it in late 2004. Mike spent the next 3 years founding and running the Internet start-up company TestExchange. Deciding that he missed the franchise industry, Mike sold TestExchange and has, for the past decade, dedicated his time guiding other aspiring entrepreneurs seeking the same personal and financial success that he enjoys.
Mike has established himself as a leading franchise expert whose presence is known through books “The Franchise Rules”, newspaper articles, Internet blogs and a weekly radio show for entrepreneurs and business owners.
MBA. Rick Morgin
Franchise Consultant
California | USA
Rick Morgin’s passion for Franchise consulting comes from helping clients through their journey toward entrepreneurship with a Franchise model – business ownership, the American Dream. This includes identifying the types of industries, types of franchise businesses, and the costs involved to help you make the right decision. A decision that is as individual as you. Rick guides you so that you can make a sound business decision that will give you the best chance for success.
My consulting process matches client’s goals, what they want from a Franchise to the right industry and right franchise concept. Let me help you realize your dreams of business ownership.
Rick is an experienced and trusted finance and business development executive with over 30 years of experience in Franchising and companies such as WineDirect, Constellation Brands, Inc., Treasury Wine Estates, and Joseph E. Seagram & Sons. His strengths are his ability to build relationships with clients, Franchise companies,
customers, and senior executives. As an industry leader, “I have a proven track record of increasing profits, improving processes, and leading finance organizations. I understand Finance, Sales, and Marketing because I’ve worn the shoes of each discipline.”
Rick has an undergraduate degree in Accounting and a M.B.A in Agribusiness from Santa Clara University. He lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and three children.
Kevin Williams
Franchise Consultant
North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia | USA
Kevin Williams began his passion for business working in Sales and Marketing for Eastman Kodak, the #1 branded company in the world at the time. This adventure introduced him to various cultures all over the US moving from location to location gaining top level expertise in product sales and marketing along with major product launches. After fulfilling an almost 20 year career with Kodak, he moved on to other international companies. He was President and General Manager, Mexico, for AgfaPhoto, a German company and spent over ten years as Vice President, for a Japanese company managing hundreds of employees. This career involved negotiations with some of the largest companies in the world such as Walmart, Sam's Club, Costco and Target. The book, Kiss, Bow or Shake Hands, became his best friend as he travelled the world dealing with major clients.
After shaking the dust off his feet with the corporate environment, he moved into the franchising and real estate world (residential and commercial) bringing his expertise to those looking for a change or to add value and flexibility to their current employment position. Having years of experience in both of his new roles, he is well prepared to cross cultures of varying degrees and bring a professional approach to the process of his client's needs.
He is a Cum Laude graduate of Shorter University, Rome GA. He is married to his high school sweetheart, with two grown children and five grandchildren.
Rudy Frederico
Franchise Consultant
Texas | USA
A consultant is defined as a professional who provides expert advice and guidance in a specified area. This kind of advice comes with experience in the field. Rudy has been in franchising for over 30 years working for franchisors in a variety of capacities and owning two franchises of his own. In that time, he has helped open more than 750 retail service and food concepts across the United States. Rudy is uniquely positioned to guide motivated individuals through the process of identifying and selecting the right concept for them and introducing them to quality brands that fit the goals and aspirations of each client.
As a franchise owner, Rudy has been through the process that lies ahead of you. This kind of experience is invaluable. There are so many choices and decision points in the process. Following a proven plan helps provide a clear roadmap to a decision that can change your life.
In addition, our company, and Rudy in particular, is helping people with existing businesses explore the possibility of growing their footprint under the franchise model. Imagine your business with dozens if not hundreds of locations around the country or around the world. You can do this with the right guidance and us in your corner. We can help make that happen.
Dan Goldbeck
Franchise Consultant
Georgia | USA
Dan dug deep into the world of franchising several years ago, after years of working for successful organizations in the Corporate world. Having spent much of his career working for others, he felt like there was a bigger opportunity out there where he could make a meaningful impact. He then started the rigorous process of exploring franchise possibilities. However, he found that with every conversation and evaluation, he became overwhelmed and confused. Seeing there were literally thousands of options out there, it led him to countless more questions. Finally, after receiving the help of some very talented and tenured Franchise Consultants, he was able to crack the code of franchising. He has since learned everything from how to evaluate the most intricate financial details to how to get clarity on which models make the most sense based on your desired outcomes.
His true talent, passion, and purpose is now found in offering free guidance and information to those in a similar position to what he once was. Having learned a great deal about the various brands, models, and opportunities that are available to people of all ages, walks of life, and income levels, his primary focus is to provide support by looking through the lens of the candidate to gain an understanding of what the best path is, whether franchising, or not. He seeks to identify your unique talents and aspirations, and assist you in achieving your goals quicker by finding an opportunity that’ll meet your lifestyle goals and provide income that ultimately leads to generational wealth. Dan looks forward to chatting with you soon and helping make your dreams a reality!
Carlos Guardado
Franchise Consultant
Texas (USA), Vietnam, El Salvado.
Over 15 years of experience in result oriented Continuous Improvement Management with track record of optimization of processes through the deployment of Lean Philosophy in organizations. Certified Lean Six Sigma Black Belt and depth Project Management skills proven by leading organization and their leaders to achieve their True North Metrics.
I am fluently in both English and Spanish, and love to develop the Spanish community for A2Z Franchise globally.
Dave Block
Attorney
Dave Block is a practicing attorney, licensed in Illinois, and has received certification from The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania in AI for Decision Making.
After more than 25 years as CEO of Nu-Dell Manufacturing Co, Inc., Dave began his second career as a lawyer, board member, and advisor, with a focus on tech.
He serves as a senior Advisory Board contributor to MetaProp, one of the world’s largest venture capital funds within the real estate tech sector, with over 150 startup investments.
Dave also serves as Senior Counsel and advisor to RoboJob USA, a leading automation and robotics supplier to the industrial markets in the U.S. and Europe.
In Vietnam and China, Dave counsels numerous companies doing business in the U.S. to help control their legal costs, find the right attorneys for their needs, and represent their interests.