Founderology Forum

Fueling growth from 1 cup to 100+ locations

Brandon Knudsen, co-founder and CEO of Ziggi’s Coffee, shares critical advice on how he bootstrapped Ziggi's from a single coffee shop to more than 100 locations across 22 states.

March 18, 2026

On this episode of the Founderology — Built to Breakthrough podcast, I talk with Brandon Knudsen, co-founder and CEO of Ziggi's Coffee and a member of the inaugural class of Visionary Restaurant Founders recognized at the Founderology Growth Summit. Brandon and his wife Camrin have bootstrapped Ziggi's from a single coffee shop to more than 100 locations across 22 states, with 200 more in development — no private equity, no outside investors. Brandon held nothing back about what that journey actually cost them.

The licensing deal that failed before franchising even started

Before Ziggi's ever sold a franchise, Brandon tried licensing first. No fees. No royalties. Just handed over the playbook.

It fell apart.

The systems he and Camrin had been running for 12 years could not survive without them in the room. What Brandon did next — spending his own money to stress-test the model on his own managers before selling it to anyone else — is a strategic lesson in how to franchise the right way. Every emerging franchisor needs to take this lesson and immediately apply it to their business.

Fifteen-hour days and the texts that never got returned

Brandon began franchising so he would not have to do everything himself as he and Camrin grew Ziggi's.
He then spent the next three years doing more of it than ever — driving to Realtor meetings, sitting through planning departments, showing up at construction sites and taking every call from every franchisee.

Until the day he realized he was the bottleneck.

The business was in the stuck zone – too big to be small and too small to be big.

The $400K COO he refused to hire

Brandon needed executive-level talent. The company was not in a position to take on six figures plus 10% of the business.

So, he found another way.

The fractional leaders he brought in did not just fill gaps — one of them changed the entire culture overnight without hiring a single new person. If you are a Founder who thinks you cannot afford high-level strategy, Brandon's path will change your mind. Hear the critical decisions he made to bring affordable executive talent.

The one question he asks every struggling franchisee

When a franchisee calls Brandon and says they are struggling, he asks the same question every time.

The answer is always the same.

His philosophy on why you should never spend a dollar on marketing until the house is in order — and why the best-performing Ziggi's locations all have one thing in common — goes against everything the industry tells you.

The data backs him up. You know you want to know this critical question.

The advice that will hit you harder than you expect

Brandon closes with something personal — about the stores that keep him up at night, the success he forgets to celebrate and the one thing every Founder needs to hear when they are in the middle of the grind (literal in Brandon's case).

It is simple. It is real. If you are deep in the Stuck Zone right now, it might be exactly what you need.
If you are a Founder asking yourself, "What do I do next?" this episode answers that question in so many real and meaningful ways.

Listen now wherever you get your podcasts and hear real insights and real solutions from Founders who are building brands to breakthrough. This is the community you have been looking for to grow your business!

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