-- In a powerful new episode of Franchise Marketing Radio, Franchise Now spotlights the compelling story and vision of John Erlandson, Co-Founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Youth Athletes United. Hosted by Rob Gandley, the episode is a deep dive into what it takes to turn adversity into opportunity—and how franchising can serve as a life-changing platform for purpose-driven entrepreneurs.
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From surviving personal and professional chaos during Hurricane Sandy to co-founding a national youth sports franchise platform, Erlandson’s journey demonstrates resilience, innovation, and alignment. The episode outlines how a personal turning point led to a decade-long transformation into one of franchising’s most impactful growth stories.
After facing multiple setbacks, including job loss, financial instability, and natural disaster, Erlandson transitioned from corporate roles into a leadership position in franchising. He leveraged his experience in brand strategy and operations to help build a company dedicated to youth sports development.
That journey led to the founding of Youth Athletes United, a national platform composed of three distinct franchise brands—Soccer Stars, Amazing Athletes, and TGA Sports. With a mission to reach over one million children annually, the platform offers developmental, non-competitive sports programs focused on physical literacy and community engagement.
Learn more about Youth Athletes United: https://www.youthathletesunited.com/
The episode emphasizes the importance of local ownership in delivering quality programs. Youth Athletes United’s model empowers franchisees who live in the communities they serve, allowing for authentic relationships with parents, schools, and local leaders. This structure ensures a higher quality of service and a deeper connection to the brand mission.
The platform approach supports its franchisees with centralized resources, standardized curriculum, and digital systems designed to simplify operations. It is clear from the conversation that Erlandson and his team view franchising not merely as a business strategy, but as a vehicle for meaningful impact.
A key component of that strategy is a strong investment in technology. The company continually evaluates and integrates new digital tools to enhance both the customer and franchisee experience. The goal is to increase operational efficiency while maintaining a human-first service model.
The tech stack aims to create a seamless user experience for parents registering children and for franchisees managing their operations. From backend automations to front-end design, every feature is evaluated based on its alignment with the mission of expanding access to high-quality youth sports programming.
The podcast episode further explores Youth Athletes United’s approach to recruiting franchisees. Instead of traditional sales tactics, the company emphasizes clarity and alignment with its values. Potential franchisees are evaluated not just on business acumen, but also on their commitment to youth development and community engagement.
This values-first approach has led to high levels of franchisee satisfaction and strong systemwide growth. Independent assessments such as Franchise Business Review have validated this with consistently high ratings across categories.
The episode also explores the future vision of Youth Athletes United. Looking ahead, the platform plans to integrate advanced data and re-engagement strategies that follow children through their developmental stages. The goal is to provide personalized program recommendations as children grow, ensuring continuity in their sports education.
This proactive and data-informed strategy is designed to lower customer acquisition costs, increase lifetime value, and enhance user satisfaction. All components of the ecosystem—from software to marketing—are optimized around long-term customer engagement and community impact.
Franchise Now’s feature on Franchise Marketing Radio showcases how the integration of technology, franchise empowerment, and a mission-driven model can accelerate brand growth while making a measurable difference.
Youth Athletes United continues to grow its footprint nationwide and is recognized as a leading innovator in youth sports franchising. Its approach has captured the attention of private equity firms, industry consultants, and prospective franchisees seeking both profit and purpose.
Franchise Now encourages listeners and readers to learn more by exploring the episode and visiting Youth Athletes United’s official site. The story of John Erlandson and his team serves as both inspiration and instruction for how franchising can be leveraged to change lives—both for the entrepreneurs behind the business and the communities they serve.
Tune into Franchise Marketing Radio: https://franchisenow.ai/aipodcast
To explore more inspiring franchise stories and strategies, visit https://blog.franchisenow.ai and stay ahead in the world of franchising.
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