
Franchise Secrets Podcast · 2026-06-09 · 32 min
What happens when AI becomes a requirement instead of an advantage? In this episode, Erik Van Horn sits down with Shaina Denny to discuss how artificial intelligence is transforming franchising, why most brands are still underutilizing it, and what franchisors and franchisees should be doing right now to stay competitive. Shaina shares how she uses Claude and ChatGPT in her own business, why she expects employees to be 10x more productive with AI, and how franchisors can leverage projects, SOPs, living brand manuals, and knowledge systems to scale more efficiently. They also discuss the difference between using AI as a simple content generator versus using it as a strategic business tool that improves operations, hiring, training, and execution. Whether you're a franchisor, franchisee, executive, or entrepreneur, this conversation will challenge how you think about productivity and the future of work. In this episode you'll learn: Why 10x productivity is becoming the new expectation How franchisors are currently using AI Claude vs. ChatGPT vs. Lovable vs.