Franchising student Reed Miller learned from people in the industry who have “been there and done that” when he attended Springboard, an event for emerging franchisors, last month in Philadelphia.
Titus Center Advisory Board members Brad Fishman, CEO of Fishman PR, and Lane Fisher, partner at Fisher Zucker, founded the conference and paid for Miller to attend. The conference typically draws more than 400 franchise executives.
Miller, a senior studying business management with a concentration in franchising, said he was grateful for the chance to attend and for the time the business leaders gave him while he is still a student.
Titus Center Director Dr. John P. Hayes said the university was blessed again this year to send a Titus Center student to Springboard, which he called “one of the best franchise conferences in the U.S.A.” Hayes expressed gratitude toward Titus Center Advisory Board members Fisher and Fishman, for their generous support.
“Springboard is a unique opportunity for our students to experience,” Hayes said. “More than a dozen students submitted applications for Springboard this year.”
Miller, of Sarasota, learned from CEOs and other franchise professionals through their presentations and in one-on-one conversations, he said.
Dr. John P. Hayes, Reed Miller and Brad Fishman pose for a photo at Springboard, the conference Fishman and fellow Titus Center Advisory Board member Lane Fisher founded. “It was a great opportunity to learn more about franchising and make connections with people in the industry who have been there and done that,” he said. “It was also a great opportunity to learn more outside the classroom setting.”
The people he met were willing to share their mistakes and successes, and the conference had a “really good community feel,” he said.
Miller will apply what he learned when he goes to work for United Franchise Group (UFG) as a franchise development representative in January. He completed internships with UFG last spring and this past summer. The experience confirmed that he wants a career in franchising, Miller said, and it brought to life what Titus Center Director Dr. John P. Hayes had been teaching in the classroom.
“It was definitely a great learning experience to be able to see that first hand in the day to day operations,” Miller said.
Photo 1: Dr. John P. Hayes, Reed Miller and Lane Fisher pose for a photo at the Springboard conference that Fisher and fellow Titus Center for Franchising Advisory Board member Brad Fishman founded.
Photo 2: Dr. John P. Hayes, Reed Miller and Brad Fishman pose for a photo at Springboard, the conference Fishman and fellow Titus Center Advisory Board member Lane Fisher founded.
