The “Undercover Boss” Playbook for $100M by Jeff Dudan, Homefront Brands CEO

Focus on scalable opportunities: Only invest time and resources in businesses with the potential for significant growth (e.g., $100M+), rather than getting bogged down in 'shitty little businesses' that offer low returns on time.

Centralize common services: Leverage centralized systems for functions like call centers, lead generation, and marketing to reduce operational burdens and costs for individual franchisees/teams, allowing them to focus on core service delivery.

Prioritize early-stage support: Provide consistent coaching and feedback in the first 90 days of a new business or manager's tenure to establish proper habits and avoid costly 'change management' later on.

Cultivate an internal locus of control: Encourage and hire individuals who take personal responsibility for outcomes rather than blaming external factors. This mindset is crucial for overcoming challenges inherent in entrepreneurship.

Build relationship equity: Actively engage with your team members, managers, or franchisees (the 'front line') to build trust and gather unfiltered feedback, which is essential for innovation and addressing issues proactively.

Understand the 'product' is people: Recognize that your success is tied to the success and well-being of your people (employees, managers, or franchisees). Offer 'love love' and 'tough love' along with the necessary tools and support.

Determine leadership capacity: Be aware that individuals have varying capacities for leading teams. This directly influences the potential size of their business, whether through employees, subcontractors, or referral partners.