Franchise to Framework and the People-First Profit Strategy - Dana De Vito

Today we welcome Dana De Vito, a longtime business owner, franchise operator, and co-founder of Elite Performance Associates. From owning Jack in the Box and Scooter's Coffee franchises to coaching business leaders, Dana shares his insights on responsible growth, the difference between consulting and coaching, and why defining a desired end statematters more than tactics. This conversation digs into lessons learned from franchising, building culture, and balancing ambition with life outside of business.

Timestamps:

00:01 – Intro & welcome to the show

00:32 – Meet Dana De Vito: from teacher-track to consulting

03:02 – Moving to Prescott & buying Jack in the Box franchises

04:55 – Lessons from fast food ownership & team development

06:03 – The ups and downs of franchising relationships

07:36 – Why Scooter's Coffee: leadership culture & systems

10:10 – Consulting vs. coaching: the real difference

13:38 – Why some owners act—and others never do

18:14 – Crisis survival: losing 97% of revenue & bouncing back

20:50 – Expanding reach: writing books & people-first profits

24:30 – Speed kills: when growth gets ahead of control