Hosted by Jeff Walter, Founder and CEO of LatitudeLearning
In this episode of the Training Impact Podcast, host Jeff Walter, CEO of LatitudeLearning, sits down with Jake Wharton, Director of Franchise Growth at Bloomin’ Blinds, to unpack what it really takes to scale a franchise system—without losing the craftsmanship and care that made it successful in the first place.
Bloomin’ Blinds is a fast-growing home service brand specializing in residential window coverings, with more than 150 units and 80 franchise owners across the U.S. But behind that growth is a methodical, data-informed training program that blends eLearning, field coaching, and performance metrics to develop both business acumen and technical mastery.
Jake shares how his background in manufacturing and sales unexpectedly prepared him for franchising. “The biggest surprise,” he admits, “was how similar it was. Whether you’re supporting dealers or franchisees, success comes down to partnership and performance. We’re not trying to control them—we’re trying to equip them.”
That partnership mindset defines Bloomin’ Blinds’ approach to training. New franchisees begin with a comprehensive six-week onboarding journey, including four weeks of self-paced eLearning followed by two weeks of hands-on training at the company’s Dallas headquarters. Once launched, franchisees enter a 12-week field coaching program designed to bridge theory and practice—focusing on skill development, local marketing, and customer engagement. “We can teach knowledge in a classroom,” Jake explains, “but we can only teach confidence in the field.”
What sets Bloomin’ Blinds apart is how training continues beyond onboarding. Each franchise owner receives ongoing coaching tied to real business metrics—from reorder rates to customer reviews. When trends change, the data sparks a coaching conversation. “Even if a number isn’t perfect,” Jake says, “the trend always tells the truth. We’re focused on direction—whether you’re heading west toward your goal, or east away from it.”
Jake also highlights how franchisees scale their teams through a structured learning path for technicians and sales staff. New hires shadow owners, complete focused eLearning modules, and attend in-person product training in Dallas. The company even measures the impact of “trained versus untrained” employees, noting that proper training correlates with better installation quality, higher Google ratings, and reduced rework costs. “Once owners see that connection,” Jake adds, “they stop viewing training as an expense and start seeing it as an investment.”
As Bloomin’ Blinds continues to grow, data plays a central role in maintaining consistency. The brand’s performance dashboards flag anomalies in key indicators like customer satisfaction and operating margins. Jake envisions AI-driven analytics taking that a step further—automatically identifying when a franchise might need support before a human coach ever picks up the phone. “Imagine the system saying, ‘This location’s trending down in closing ratios—schedule a coaching call.’ That’s where we’re heading.”
Walter notes how Bloomin’ Blinds has already achieved what many brands struggle with: connecting training to measurable performance outcomes. “Most companies stop at knowledge acquisition,” he says. “Jake’s program moves through skill development and into real performance improvement. That’s where training becomes a strategic asset.”
Jake closes the conversation with advice for emerging franchisors aiming to scale: write everything down. “Process is the backbone of scalability,” he says. “When the founding team can hand off onboarding, training, and operations without losing quality, that’s when a franchise truly grows.”
For more on Bloomin’ Blinds’ franchise opportunities and training philosophy, visit www.bloominblinds.com.
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