Ms. Shelton was the COO of a large franchise system and is currently the Senior Attorney for Shelton Law & Associates franchise law rm, as well as a franchisor owner in an international franchise system.

Ms. Shelton has been counseling Franchise / Business Opportunity clients for over 30 years. She especially enjoys working with small business owners assisting them to "Expand their Brand®". Since starting the law rm, she has been focused on providing the “Missing Piece” with legal services to small and emerging businesses. Her business savviness combined with her belief in mentorship is the backbone of the law firm’s slogan, “Your Outsourced In-house Counsel”.

Ms. Shelton focuses on ensuring clients are offered individualized service while handling Franchise Disclosures, registrations, legal creation, leases, trusts, and vendor distributions within a client’s business. Ms. Shelton has published many articles and has written books, including the newly published “Your Journey to Franchise Ownership – The Path from Employee to Business Owner” which is available on Amazon. She has been married for over 30 yrs. and has one son and a sponsored daughter from Haiti. In her spare time, she is the CEO of a Non-Prot, Raising a Nation Foundation and teaches leadership development in third world countries to future colleagues and volunteers at her church.

Phil is a retired Army Ocer and a Vietnam veteran. His military career included assignments as a eld artillery ocer and in military intelligence at the national level and while in Vietnam. Upon leaving active duty, Phil held senior management positions with national advertising agencies and enjoys a 25 year career in franchising.

With other veterans he formed a non-prot 501 (c) (3) organization which became Veterans’ Transition Forum (VTF). VTF provides free consulting services educating veterans and transitioning service members on the benets of franchising as their next career opportunity. Additional mentors, who are veterans themselves and experienced having worked in the franchise industry and/or successfully operated a franchise have joined the team. Today, VTF’s mentors guide veterans through the entire acquisition process including nancing a business.

After retiring from Naval Criminal Investigative Service. Mr Ridley and his wife Sharon bought in to the Brass Tap Franchise and built and established the location at the National Harbor, opening the location Jun 2017. The Brass Tap features craft beer and features 60 of best regional and national craft beers and over 100 bottles of various quality beers. The Brass Tap also features food and spirits and enjoys various entertainment options for patrons. Mr and Mrs Ridley are avid homebrewers of beer and wine and parlayed the hobby into a business.

Mr Ridley, served 29 years working for the Naval Criminal Investigative Service ascending to NCIS Acting Director, but primarily served as the Deputy Director running the day-to day operations of the organization. Mr. Ridley led an agency that investigates and defeats terrorist, foreign intelligence, and criminal threats to the United States Navy and Marine Corps wherever they operate: ashore, afloat, or in cyberspace. Mr. Ridley was appointed as NCIS Deputy Director in Feb. 2010 and responsible for overseeing all agency operations and investigations involving felony crimes, combating terrorism, and counterintelligence and security as well as information sharing with other law enforcement and security agencies. He retired as the Deputy Director in July of 2016.

With over 30 years in the restaurant and hospitality industry, Jim brings a wealth of experience and a deep passion for helping franchise owners succeed. A proud U.S. Navy veteran, he served for four years before transitioning into the restaurant business, where he worked in nearly every role imaginable—from bartender and general manager to trainer and operations leader on multiple teams.

For the past 14 years, Jim has been an integral part of FSC Franchise Co. and Brass Tap, serving as the Director of Franchise Operations. In this role, he not only oversees day-to-day operational excellence across the franchise system but also plays a key role in franchise development, training, helping new owners navigate the process of launching and growing their businesses.

Recognizing that franchise success requires more than just a great concept, Jim is committed to providing hands-on support and guidance.He and his team are available 24/7, ensuring that franchisees have the resources, insights, and mentorship needed to thrive. Whether it’s fine-tuning operations, enhancing profitability, or driving local marketing efforts, Jim takes a proactive approach to franchisee success.

As a Navy veteran, he understands the discipline, resilience, and teamwork that military members and spouses bring to business ownership. His mission is to help them leverage those strengths to build lasting and rewarding careers in franchising.