Franchise Snacks — S2E3: Why I Wrote The Last Employee | George Knauf

In May 2025, George Knauf stood on the stage of the inaugural IFA World Franchise Show in Miami — the only franchise consultant invited to keynote — and something crystallized that thirty years had been building toward. Franchisees exit at 3–6x EBITDA. Franchisors exit at 15–20x. Same industry. Same transaction. A fraction of the value. That gap is not inevitable. It is a knowledge gap. In this episode, George shares the moment that became The Last Employee: The Rise of Ownership — and why May 1st, 2026 is the right moment for this book. Knauf's Hierarchy of Franchising, the Orca Franchising program, and thirty years of conversations at the most consequential crossroads of people's professional lives — this is where Season 2 starts.

The Last Employee: The Rise of Ownership launches May 1st. ISBN: 979-8-234-05050-2. Published by MyPerfectFranchise Publishing.