Buying a 30+ year franchise brand sounds exciting but the reality is far more complex. 

In this episode of Franchise Everything, Glenn speaks with Anya Haywood, Managing Director of Seal-A-Fridge, about what it truly takes to acquire, stabilise, and modernise a legacy franchise business. 

In Episode 146 - From managing franchisee expectations to resisting the urge to make fast changes, Anya reveals why patience, listening, and data-driven decisions matter more than quick wins.

Anya also dives into Seal-A-Fridge’s next growth phase — sustainability, corporate accounts, and building long-term franchisee profitability through smarter systems and education. 

If you're thinking about buying a franchise brand, leading change in an established network, or scaling a service-based franchise the right way, this episode breaks down the real strategy behind sustainable franchise growth.

0:00 Introduction

0:33 Seal-A-Fridge’s 37-year history and franchisee-to-franchisor ownership shift 

3:06 Preserving organisational knowledge when acquiring an established brand

5:14 Managing unrealistic franchisee requests while protecting long-term relationships

6:55 The key phases of acquiring a franchise brand and where Seal-A-Fridge sits now 

11:19 Moving into product stewardship as a long-term environmental and business focus at the 18-month mark 

13:51 Leadership advice for anyone acquiring a franchise brand or stepping into a change mandate 

15:27Wrap up

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