The Franchise of the Future
by Paul Ehlinger & Bridget Johnston
Franchising is at a crossroads. The old playbook is fading - AI, shifting consumer expectations, and a new generation of owners are rewriting the rules. This book is your blueprint for what comes next.
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"A practical blueprint for using AI to sharpen decision-making and strengthen teams."— Scott Greenberg, author of The Wealthy Franchisee
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From the Creators
This book is just the beginning. Explore the tools and conversations shaping the future of franchising.
Flamel AI
The AI-powered platform helping multi-unit brands scale their local marketing. Flamel turns corporate guidelines into localized, on-brand content, ads, review responses, Google Business Profile updates, and more for every franchisee - automatically.
Behind the Franchise
The podcast that takes you inside the minds powering today's fastest-growing franchise brands. Hosted by Paul Ehlinger, each episode features C-suite executives and brand leaders sharing strategies, bold ideas, and practical takeaways you can put to work immediately.
About the Book
The franchise industry generates over $800 billion a year, but the playbooks that built that success are straining under rising labor costs, shifting consumer expectations, and AI hype that's hard to translate into ROI. The Franchise of the Future gives franchisors and multi‑unit operators a clear, practical roadmap for using AI to grow, not just to experiment.
Adapt or Be Left Behind
Consumer habits, workforce expectations, and technology are changing faster than most systems can update their manuals. This book shows how leading brands are using AI to protect margins, improve unit‑level performance, and keep franchisees ahead of disruption—instead of reacting to it.
AI & the New Tech Stack
From AI‑driven local marketing and scheduling to predictive inventory and smarter site selection, you'll see where AI fits in a modern franchise stack and where it doesn't. Real case studies and plain‑English explanations help you cut through buzzwords and focus on tools that actually move the P&L.
Attracting the Next-Gen Franchisee
Millennial and Gen Z owners expect data‑driven playbooks, automation, and modern support on top of a strong brand. The book unpacks what motivates them, how AI can make your system more attractive to sophisticated operators, and how to deliver "freedom within a framework" without losing brand control.
From Unit Economics to Ecosystem Thinking
Tomorrow's strongest brands won't just sell units—they'll run intelligent networks that learn from every transaction, campaign, and support ticket. You'll learn how to turn your system's data into compounding value using the book's practical tools, including an AI glossary, vendor due‑diligence checklist, and a 90‑day pilot plan you can start immediately.
What People Are Saying
"Franchise systems that thrive in the next decade will be those that marry a wealthy franchisee mindset with intelligent technology. The Franchise of the Future gives our sector a practical blueprint for doing exactly that — using AI to sharpen decision-making, strengthen teams, and turn every transaction into a marketing opportunity."
Scott Greenberg
Author, "The Wealthy Franchisee"
Meet the Authors
Paul Ehlinger
Co-Author
Paul is the founder and CEO of Flamel.ai, an AI-powered marketing platform that helps franchises create personalized local content at scale while maintaining brand standards.
He co-founded Sixty8 Capital, a $20 million pre-seed fund, and served as Director of Operations at Gifthealth, which grew to over $30 million in revenue before acquisition. He also helped develop two patented neurovascular devices at Medtronic and Wallaby Medical, used in more than 30 countries.
Paul holds an M.S. and B.S. in Biological Engineering from the University of California and the University of Missouri. He lives in Cincinnati with his wife, Lina.
Bridget Johnston
Co-Author
Bridget is an Indianapolis-based creative thinker with a background in education, marketing, and artificial intelligence.
Her work was featured in museums around the world before she led marketing for Pattern89, which was acquired by Shutterstock. She later joined Flamel.ai and simultaneously bootstrapped Backstroke alongside its co-founders.
She's written for C-SPAN and The Marketing Artificial Intelligence Institute, and has created content in conjunction with NASA, National Geographic, Disney, and Nickelodeon. Bridget holds a B.A. in Professional, Technical, Business, and Scientific Writing from Purdue University.