CATEGORIES

the baking Cure

FOR THE AUTHOR OF THE AMBITIOUS KITCHEN COOKBOOK, TREATS ARE GOOD FOR YOUR TASTE BUDS AND YOUR SOUL.

This Place Makes Money!

A restaurant chain was struggling. My agency gave it a redesign, and sales more than doubled at the stores we worked on. The secret? Rethinking the experience that people have inside retail.

Why Customers Come Back

What makes an in-person experience worth putting on autopay? This fitness studio founder has it dialed in.

THE BEST MARKETING DOLLARS I'VE EVER SPENT

Great marketing doesn't require huge budgets. We asked franchisees and franchisors to share their best marketing ROI-and their stories (on the following pages) will inspire you.

The $20 Bill That Became Priceless

As I built my snack-food brand, Sun & Swell Foods, I kept hearing the same advice: Hustle for your customers. Never turn down business. Obsessively focus on ROI. So that's what I did-and although my company grew, it wasn't profitable. This began affecting me emotionally. I love my brand and care deeply about its success. Its challenges started to feel like my own.

5 BRANDS GROWING IN LEAPS AND BOUNDS

Want to know how to rocket up in the Franchise 500 rankings? These brands all jumped over 150 spots since last year-and they're sharing the strategies behind their growth.

THE BOLDEST NEW IDEAS IN FRANCHISING

These eight innovative businesses are now franchising-and maybe in a few years, they'll be climbing the Franchise 500 list too.

from the HEART with Candace Cameron Bure

In my column as your Chief Spiritual Officer, share a meaningful verse that lifts my spirits and guides me in the right direction. hope it does the same for you!

make sleep your superpower

Sleep gives you mega energy and makes you smarter, stronger, happier, and healthier-and we're born knowing exactly how to do it. In this installment of our Power Up Program, WD Editor in Chief Meaghan B Murphy shares science-backed strategies to help, er, put you to sleep.

Life lessons

As WD's Rabbi in Residence, I'll share some ancient and universal Jewish wisdom that hope will help everyone lead a more beautiful life.

'The Sword We Refuse to Die On'

Some people tell Chip and Joanna Gaines to play it safe, and to keep doing what made them famous in the first place. But they're ready to take more risks-because that's the entrepreneurial way.

Many Happy Returns

Your home is one of the biggest investments you'll ever make. And while there is a lot about the real estate market you can't control, certain improvements do have an outsized influence on your property's bottom line. The good news is not all of these measures require a gut renovation or liquidating your life savings. We've compiled a list of projects, ranging in scope from a weekend refresh to a months-long endeavor, that will boost your home's value no matter where you live.

Evolutionary Perspective

One designer spent a decade and a half ensuring this San Francisco home flourished alongside its owners.

ROOM to PLAY

Clever details and layered style make this expansive new build feel like a family heaven.

A Little Vitamin Sea

In a seaside town, classic coastal decor and Indian textiles add up to a relaxing retreat.

EAST of EDEN

A West Coast artist brings new life to a vacation house with views of the Atlantic Ocean.

FRANCHISE 500 TOP 10

Meet the Leaders of the Franchise 500

You Can't Be One Thing Anymore

What's the most important skill in today's digital world? Tech super-connector Chris Lyons has an answer: It's the ability to collaborate.

HONEY IS A SUPERFOOD!

Winnie-the-Pooh isn't the only bear who loves honey.

time to hibernate

Do shorter days and less sunlight, not to mention frigid temperatures in many parts of the country, leave you craving a long winter's nap? We turned to the bears for a lesson in how to hunker down happily and beat those wintertime blues.

Are You Feeling the Squeeze?

Many companies are struggling with rising costs and tighter margins. We asked six business leaders to share their solutions.

MY PERFECT DAY with woman's day

In our heartwarming new TV series, WD Editor in Chief Meaghan B Murphy is the fairy godmother-like host, traveling across the country to astonish deserving folks (nominated by their loved ones) with bucket-list experiences, life-changing gifts, and big emotions.

I'M TURNING 35!

Adriana Carrig, founder and CEO of Little Words Project, believes the words you say to yourself matter.

READ THIS BEFORE MEETING A FRANCHISOR

Thinking about buying a franchise? You should meet the franchisor-and you should know exactly how to approach that meeting-to ensure you're making the right decision.

So You've Always Wanted...

...to be happier at home? Now's the time to make it happen. These creative spaces are now more coveted than ever-but the real payoff is in the joy they'll bring you.

Isn't It Grand?

Untouched land became more than a backdrop for one family's sophisticated forever home.

Hitting Refresh

A bit of good karma allowed a creative family of three to infuse a dated home in Santa Fe with new life.

Blessed up, the story of a champion

It's a journey of one man's heart, faith, perseverance, strength, redemption, and compassion that led him down a path to two championship titles and a professional career in the sport of boxing.

Back in the Day

Bokeh photo of the golden age dawns, a time of rebirth, where ancient wisdom returns to the earth indigenous ways, a guiding light's embrace, mother earth heals, in this sacred space. this is a time of change, a wondrous rebirth

Frederick Drew Gregory

He has achieved outstanding feats in the area of space, but when it comes to buzzing about achievements or giving credit to whoever is due, he somehow slips under the radar.