1. EachPod

From Insurance to Cookies: The Wild Franchise Ride of Taylor & Shideler

Author
Franzy
Published
Thu 26 Jun 2025
Episode Link
https://franzy.podbean.com/e/from-insurance-to-cookies-the-wild-franchise-ride-of-taylor-shideleler/

Taylor Byington and Shideler Bennett went from pitching insurance door-to-door to opening nine Crumbl Cookies locations across three states.


In this episode, they share their unconventional path into franchising, including a failed startup, a surprise introduction to Crumbl, and what happened when they realized they were hundreds of thousands in the red. From living on couches to laying tile themselves, Taylor and Shy break down how they clawed their way back, what they learned about financing (and mis-financing), and why their new startup, Cover Panda, is built to help other operators scale smarter.


👉 Explore franchise opportunities at Franzy.com

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