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The O.H.I.O. Fund Report℠ — a podcast dedicated to elevating Ohio’s collective ambition by highlighting the most compelling stories of innovation and growth throughout the state. Each episode carries the industrious DNA of Ohio, exploring the state’s economic renaissance across advanced manufacturing, digital infrastructure, biotech, healthcare, energy, data centers & AI, consumer goods, and logistics advancements.
This episode of The O.H.I.O. Fund Report features Anna Dey — a multi-unit, multi-brand franchise entrepreneur based in Northeast Ohio.
Anna has spent the past decade building a portfolio of franchise businesses across Ohio, operating across brands including Anytime Fitness, Clean Eatz, Smoothie King, The Vitamin Shoppe, Barrio Tacos + Tequila, and goGLOW. Along the way, she’s developed a unique perspective on franchising as a path to entrepreneurship and today works with aspiring entrepreneurs through The franSPOT, helping others navigate the process of becoming franchise owners.
Alongside her for-profit work, Anna is also the founder of 24 in 24 — an endurance running event that has raised over $3 million for children battling life-threatening illnesses across Ohio.
In our conversation, we discuss:
- Anna’s path from first-time franchisee to multi-brand operator
- How the franchise model actually works — and why it’s often misunderstood
- The tradeoffs of scaling across multiple brands vs. focusing on one
- What separates strong franchise operators from the rest
- Building teams, delegating, and evolving as an entrepreneur
- The story behind 24 in 24 — and how it became a community institution
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For more on The O.H.I.O. Fund: check out & subscribe to future content @ www.theohiofund.com
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