Meet Nick Furlong
Nick and his partner Gemma bought Razzamataz Sutton Coldfield in June 2015 and quite simply, transformed the school and created a thriving business for themselves.
In the almost ten years since they have been in the network, the couple got married, had a little girl and supported one of their managers to transition into a franchisee and run her own successful Razzamataz school. This is in addition to creating a wonderful, supportive community where young people can thrive and enjoy the many benefits of performing arts education. Through their dedication and passion, Nick and Gemma have inspired countless students, fostered creativity, and provided opportunities for young people to build confidence, make lifelong friends, and explore their potential.
Nick is now turning his attention to helping new franchisees joining the Razzamataz network as part of the Onboarding Success Team, bringing his wealth of experience and enthusiasm to share his learnings and guide them toward achieving their goals.
He says: “I’m looking forward to helping them to find the ambitious, growth mindset required, where they are constantly striving to thrive and always learn and be better. The one thing we did in the first year that was so helpful was to know our numbers and stats and be really ambitious in our target setting, pushing ourselves not to compare with businesses of a similar size, not even to aim for the biggest Razzamataz schools, but to think even bigger, setting our sights on being the best we could possibly be. I’m excited to share more top tips like this to help others achieve incredible success too.”
Meet Nikki Senior
Joining the line up in our new Onboarding Success Team is Nikki Senior, an experienced franchise professional who is passionate about growing businesses in a sustainable way. Having spent her career in business development and growth, Nikki retrained as a coach because she recognised that having the right mindset is the key to creating success, both in business, and in life.
Nikki will be joining the four experienced Principals who bring a wealth of knowledge and hands-on experience to the Onboarding Team, whose main aim is to ensure the success of the entire network. Nikki will be strengthening the team by offering mentorship to help every Principal, enabling them to navigate business growth with confidence.
“I’m passionate about providing high levels of support to franchise partners, as well as helping franchisors develop the skills and competencies of their support teams,” says Nikki. “As a mum of two and a previous customer of Razzamatazz Nottingham, I’m very excited to be joining this mission to inspire children and develop confidence.”
Meet Samantha Wingfield
Samantha was a very successful performer, having worked around the world on cruise ships, at Disney, on the West End stage, in TV and films as well as playing the leading role in the musical The Producers.
During the pandemic, she started to re-evaluate her life, with her priorities’ changing to a more settled home life. This led her to looking into Razzamataz and in September 2021, she became the franchisee of Razzamataz Leighton Buzzard.
Today, Sam is an award-winning franchisee, runs a thriving school, is married and has recently become a new mum. She began her Razzamataz journey with very limited business experience and is delighted to join the Onboarding Success team to share her learnings and the many benefits that being part of an established franchise brings.
Sam says: “I think it’s a great way for new franchisees to feel involved in the network from the beginning. I am so passionate about this business and I hope that I can help pass on all the things that I’ve learned. It takes resilience and support to launch a new business, and I know that having a strong network behind you can make all the difference.”
Like many in the network, Sam had not run a business previously, so will be able to relate to many concerns from new franchisees as she explains: “I can still remember how scary it was at the beginning and having someone to talk to during those exciting and nerve racking times will be so beneficial for new franchisees and I am thrilled to be there for new members of our network to lean on. The year I launched, I was at every local event, standing outside supermarkets, handing out flyers, market stalls, the lot! This really helped get my face in to the community and allowed me to chat to lots of different parents and get them excited about this new school.”
Meet Debbi Ledwith
Debbi Ledwith, Principal of Razzamataz Newbury, is a multi-award-winning entrepreneur who was recently presented with the prestigious Business Mum of the Year award at the Women’s Business Awards. This international event featured 300 finalists representing 92 countries, highlighting Debbi’s remarkable achievements.
Now, Debbi is bringing her expertise and passion to a new role as part of the Razzamataz Onboarding Success Team, where she will support and mentor new franchisees during their first year in business.
During her own first year as a franchisee, Debbi absorbed all the guidance possible explaining: “I took other Principals’ advice and was always ready to open a new class if I had the space and the interest. This is something that I have followed diligently for the last ten years.”
Together with maintaining a structured approach and setting clear, actionable goals, Debbi has created a thriving school and plans to share these practical strategies, along with her personal insights, to help new franchisees in their journey as she explains: “I am looking forward to helping new franchisees find a system that works for them, to record and organise all the info they need so that it is easy to find and to work with.”
Her journey from a secondary school teacher to a thriving business owner is nothing short of inspiring. Motivated by a desire for a better work-life balance and more time with her three children, Debbi transitioned from teaching to focus on her Razzamataz franchise, building a successful business and a lifestyle that suits her needs. Debbi is excited to share her experiences to help others achieve their goals.
Why join a franchise?
The new Onboarding Success Team is just one of the many reasons why a franchise is appealing to entrepreneurs looking for a proven business model. With access to extensive training, ongoing mentorship, and a supportive network of like-minded individuals, Razzamataz franchisees are equipped with the tools they need to succeed. Razzamataz offers the perfect balance of creative independence and guidance, ensuring you can thrive while making a difference in the lives of children and young people.
Curious
Connect with us to find out about opportunities to run your own Razzamataz Theatre School in your area and be part of a highly supportive community.
Book a Discovery Den and learn more about the opportunities available: https://www.razzamataz.co.uk/franchis…/book-discovery-den/
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Strong brand recognition
Email franchise@razzamataz.co.uk for more information!
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Not having run a business before, Gemma was drawn to the franchise route in order to get as much support and guidance as possible as she explains: “I looked at several different theatre school franchise options but what really stood out with Razzamataz was just how warm, welcoming and lovely everyone was. So far, the support and training has been great. There are many different people on the team, which is the reason I joined a franchise. Of course there are lots of things I can pull from my professional work experience but I’ve never run a theatre school before so this advice and reassurance is just invaluable.”
