Big ideas + real-world hustle this week on The Franchise Advisory Board. Dave chats with Angela Olea — serial founder, franchise veteran, tech tinkerer, and the founder & CEO behind Sweet Influencers — about how franchisors and franchisees can use influencer marketing the smart way (hint: think local, not celebrity stunts). Angela walks us through the why, the how, and the landmines — from nano & micro influencers who actually move customers in a 15–25 mile radius, to measurement, contracts, FTC rules, and realistic budgets. You’ll hear practical pilot stories (an estate-sale client quadrupled traffic), concrete ROI thinking, and why franchisors should build guardrails instead of blocking social media altogether.Special thanks to our episode sponsor — ClientTether — for supporting conversations that help franchisors grow smarter.What you’ll learn

• Why nano and micro influencers (1k–10k followers, local reach) often outperform flashy celebrity spends for franchise-level impact.
  
  
• How to find authentic creators, vet for fake followers, and avoid legal/brand pitfalls (FTC disclosures, music licensing, usage rights).
  
  
• Practical measurement: establish baseline KPIs, use coupon/QR/discount codes to track conversions, and calculate ROI based on average ticket and lifetime value.
  
  
• Typical local pilot budgets and structure: expect to test with modest mixes (a healthy starter program around ~$2,000) and iterate using human + AI workflows.
  
  
• How franchisors can control narrative while empowering franchisees — build guardrails, provide training, and reuse creator content for long-term value.
  
  

Notable moments

• Angela’s origin story: meeting her muse on a plane and building Sweet Influencers from that spark.
  
  
• Estate-sale pilot that opened new demo markets (younger thrifters) and produced dramatic short-term lift.
  
  
• The laundry list of contract and compliance issues brands routinely miss — from FTC hashtags to music licensing and content reuse.
  
  

Resources & next steps

• Want a consult? Angela mentioned Sweet Influencers: sweetinfluencers.ai and connecting on LinkedIn for a free consultation and brand fit assessment.
  
  
• Start simple: map your ideal client profile, establish baseline run rates, and pilot a 3–4 month program to gather real data.
  
  

Thanks again to our sponsor, ClientTether — helping franchise leaders focus on growth (and letting us bring you guests like Angela).If this episode sparked ideas, share it with your marketing team, bookmark the ROI checklist, and — yes — consider dipping a toe into local influencer pilots for next year’s budget