Visionary Leadership
At the center of DreamMaker’s risk-mitigation strategy is the leadership of President and Chief Stewarding Officer, Doug Dwyer. His long-term vision has shaped a franchise model that emphasizes stability as much as growth. Doug has guided the development of our systems and processes that help protect franchisees while helping them achieve their business goals.
As Doug often reminds the team:
“To achieve excellence consistently in business, you have to go through the details every time.”
Amy Mosley Earp, our COO, is also a central piece in the DreamMaker machine. Amy’s role at DreamMaker has shifted over the years from Director of Marketing to her current role as Chief Operations Officer.
With more than 20 years at DreamMaker, her role as the COO and “Integrator” supports the team and drives the implementation of the Company vision.
Prioritizing feedback is something we take pride in, and actively pursue by conducting an annual survey of our franchisees provided by Franchise Business Review. This anonymous survey provides the corporate team with candid feedback.
Amy facilitates the Franchise Advisory Council, as well as oversees the franchise committees for technology, marketing and vendor relations. The mission of these committees is to create an environment where franchisees and the DreamMaker leadership team can come together to discuss changes, improvements, and concerns relating to business operations.
When asked about the role of the feedback mechanisms DreamMaker has in place, Amy said, “It’s important that owners aren’t just being told what to do. They should be part of the conversation.”
Bringing people together and letting their concerns and expertise be known creates invaluable insights that can lead to better systems and processes for the overall franchise network. This collaboration of the corporate team and franchisees truly represents one of our Values… that “success is the result of clear, cooperative, positive thinking”. The overall focus on detail throughout each department has built a culture of discipline and consistency that strengthens every system in the franchise model.
Coaching: Personalized Guidance Through Every Stage
The Coaching department is one of the most valuable resources DreamMaker offers, and is led by Dale Ressler, Director of Franchise Operations. Dale oversees the department, develops training systems, and works directly with franchisees to guide them as they implement DreamMaker’s business systems. His experience is rooted not only in operations but also in the field: Dale was previously a DreamMaker franchisee in Pennsylvania. He also holds an EPA Lead Certification, an Aging in Place certification, and is a licensed Home Improvement Contractor in Pennsylvania.
Dale is joined by a skilled team of coaches, including Renee Crews, a certified life coach and training specialist who also serves as office manager at the Orland Park, IL franchised location, and Roger Williams, an active DreamMaker franchise owner in Tyler, TX.
DreamMaker’s coaching support begins even before a franchisee opens their doors. The training journey starts with Foundations Prep, where the focus is on setting up the business and working with our real estate broker to locate a Design Center location. Foundations Core follows, where new owners are introduced to DreamMaker’s core systems. Additionally, they complete Discovering the Design for Your Life to uncover their “why” for business ownership. Next comes Simulation, which gives franchisees the chance to practice what they’ve learned in a controlled environment.
One of the most impactful experiences is the Week in the Life of a Franchisee portion of Simulation. New owners spend a week training at an existing DreamMaker location, working alongside coaches while experiencing the daily realities of running the business.
As Dale explains:
“We take them to a designated location in our network for a week, Monday through Friday, and we as coaches join them there. They get to experience all aspects of an active franchise. In that week, whatever is happening in that location is going to happen to everybody. We also have curriculum and topics that we are going to train on together in person, while new franchisees can see it in action.
Our new franchisees come away from that experience saying, ‘This helped bring it all together. Now I have a good feeling of what we did earlier and how it all fits together.’ It’s like providing a practice run — the scrimmage game, pre-season football, whatever analogy you want to use — that was our goal when we developed this training.”
By layering Foundations Prep, Foundations Core, and Simulation (including Week in the Life), the Coaching department ensures franchisees are prepared both technically and mentally for ownership. This approach minimizes risk by giving new owners the chance to learn, practice, and gain confidence before fully launching their business.
Compliance: Protecting Franchisees and Clients
DreamMaker’s Compliance department is led by Carly Kennett, Director of Business Operations. Carly joined DreamMaker in 2016 and has served in several roles before stepping into her current leadership position. She oversees day-to-day financial operations at the corporate office and manages legal, HR, compliance, and facilities. With a professional background spanning finance, real estate, and local television, Carly brings a wealth of experience to her role in protecting both the brand and franchisees.
Compliance may not be the most visible part of the business, but it is one of the most important. The team works across legal, finance, and brand standards to help protect both the franchisee and the company.
When new franchisees first join, they often assume compliance exists solely to protect the Franchisor. One of the ongoing goals of the department is to shift this perception; they are on the franchisee’s team, not the opposing side.
Carly explains:
“Our Compliance team not only safeguards the integrity of the brand but also serves as a trusted resource for franchise owners. We guide them through reporting requirements and deadlines, help them avoid potential pitfalls, and provide support that ultimately strengthens their businesses. Compliance is not just about oversight — it’s about partnership, empowerment, and building a foundation for long-term success.”
This proactive approach prevents issues before they escalate. For example, when a franchisee flagged irregularities in their financial reports, the compliance team partnered with them to uncover a discrepancy and correct it. By catching the issue early, the team not only resolved the problem but also showed the owner how to leverage the DreamMaker financial system.
DreamMaker’s financial system, including our standardized chart of accounts, also creates consistency across the network, turning data into insight and giving franchisees the opportunity to benchmark their performance against the group performance. This builds confidence to make better decisions for their businesses.
Marketing: Building Strong Foundations for Growth
Lead generation can feel daunting for new business owners, but DreamMaker equips franchisees with tools to help reduce uncertainty from day one. A key part of this support is the marketing simulation visit, where new franchisees experience a hands-on overview of how the Five Pillars of Marketing work in real life.
Brittany Newland, Consumer Marketing Manager, explains:
“We’ve created a marketing system that franchisees can trust. During the simulation visit, they see exactly how our resources and strategies come together, so they don’t have to guess where their next lead will come from.”
She added that this early support helps franchisees focus on what matters most: serving clients and building relationships. When opening a new franchise, Marketing steps in to provide local market insights on competitors and housing stock in the area. During simulation Training, they will also provide in-person training on many of the systems and platforms we offer. They will also connect the owner with public relations support, and our social media specialist, Fidel, to hit the ground running by the grand opening of their Design Center.
One of the ongoing trainings the marketing team has in place is monthly marketing roundtables. These roundtables are meant to bring owners together to speak about any issues or questions they have regarding our marketing tactics and systems, such as the email marketing platform, the direct mail platform, and the social media platform.
Our Digital Brand Manager, Taylor Chrisite, also has created many resources for using and maintaining these systems. Some of these resources include a Marketing Playbook, a Holiday Marketing Playbook, a Vehicle Signage Guide, and the very valuable Marketing Manual. Each of these resources offers professional suggestions and best practices for conducting your marketing tasks for the business.
“Our goal is to provide tools and strategies from the very start. By the end of the marketing simulation, franchisees leave knowing they have a structured approach to marketing their business.” Brittany said.
With these resources and hands-on guidance, franchisees can establish their local presence and grow their business with clarity.
Operations: The Backbone of Efficiency
Operational missteps can be some of the costliest risks in business ownership. DreamMaker helps franchisees to minimize these risks by providing standardized systems that cover everything from project estimates to completion. The overall DreamMaker system is overseen by our visionary leader Doug Dwyer, and our COO, Amy Mosley Earp.
The DreamMaker leadership team facilitates the various committees. Our coaching department handles the initial training, made up of Foundations Prep, Foundations Core , and simulation, including Week in the Life. Ongoing training is provided through peer groups, training events, roundtable discussions, one-on-one coaching and our Learning Management Center.
Our Compliance department watches for inconsistencies that can help you identify financial reporting challenges. The Marketing department helps the owner stay up to date and on track with marketing initiatives by providing resources such as the Marketing Manual and marketing playbooks.
These systems and processes all help franchisees avoid issues that waste time and resources. They also allow franchisees to run their businesses more effectively and efficiently, allowing owners to protect both quality and profitability.
A Team Approach to Risk Mitigation
DreamMaker’s approach to risk mitigation brings together every department — leadership, coaching, compliance, marketing, and operations — into one comprehensive support system. Franchisees benefit from proven processes and a dedicated team, giving them confidence as they navigate business ownership.
At DreamMaker Bath & Kitchen, franchisees are never left to face the risks of business alone – they are in business for themselves, but not by themselves.