For today's episode, I sit down with Todd Recknagel from Three20 Capital Group. Todd dives into franchise investment and his family office's strategic operations. He outlines their focus on franchise companies and their collaborative strategy with private equity firms, leveraging extensive franchising experience. This approach has cultivated a successful track record, emphasizing the importance of active involvement in deal creation, management guidance, and industry knowledge utilization. The conversation highlights the investment philosophy and operational model of Recknagel's family office, established after successful exits from multiple companies, targeting middle-market entities and facilitating growth without excessive capital commitment to any single deal.

Todd also discusses investment management practices, such as liquidity handling and the value of proprietary deal sourcing, are discussed, along with the critical role of operational excellence in enhancing portfolio company value. He emphasizes the profitability of franchisees as a key performance metric, demonstrating a deep understanding of the franchising model and a strategic, risk-balanced investment approach.