Steve Lajiness
VP of Franchise Development
Steve Lajiness’ franchise career dates back to his very first job in high school where he worked with a local franchisor. This position not only provided a solid basis for understanding the franchise space, it sparked a lifelong passion and set the stage for a phenomenal career helping others turn their dreams into reality.
Joining BrandONE as Vice President of Franchise Development, Steve brings with him 35 years of experience and a unique understanding of the franchise business model. One of the reasons Steve is such a force in franchise development is because he understands both sides of the equation. Early in his career, he worked on the operations and customer service sides of the business. He also became a multi-unit franchisee, successfully managing two different brands and gaining yet another perspective of the business model.
Down the road, Steve’s focus shifted to helping franchisors successfully develop new brands and reach expanded levels of growth from coast to coast. Since 2006, and drawing from a lifetime of his own experiences, he’s assisted 13 unique brands in quickly achieving their desired franchise representation, often helping them “hit capacity.”
He continually strives to ensure his candidates have all the information they need to make an informed choice and one thing is clear – his approach works. To date, he’s had the pleasure of assisting over 1,000 individuals transition into franchise ownership! Steve’s work isn’t done yet though. His ultimate goal is to have a friend in every major city across the U.S. that he’s helped break into franchising!
Steve and his wife, Kim, who also works in franchising, met through their careers. The couple has two children, Brooke and Zack, of whom they’re extremely proud. Brooke has earned her Doctor of Physical Therapy degree and is married with a beautiful daughter of her own. While Zack, the younger of the two, is completing his apprenticeship as an electrician as well as managing a portfolio of several real estate investment properties.
When he’s not gearing up franchisors and franchisees for success, Steve also enjoys scoping out the real estate scene, as well as hitting the slopes, traveling, and keeping up with ATV sports whenever possible!
