Why The Steel Forge?
Building a successful career in the retail, food, services, and franchise industries that lets you achieve your career dreams and ambitions, whatever they may be, takes more than hard work. You need intentional growth, the right tools, and a community that supports and challenges you to reach your fullest potential.
This isn’t just a network. It’s your career launchpad. Your growth accelerator. Your leadership gym.
Join now and discover what we have created for you and all the benefits you can get.
Join the club
The Steel Forge Club is a transformative community designed to guide retail, food, services, and franchise team members & leaders on their journey to achieve their goals.
Built on the principle that "steel sharpens steel," this membership-based program offers three progressive development tracks (Forges) that take members from unit management mastery through multi-unit leadership to ownership readiness.
Choose Your ForgeChoose the Right Forge for Your Career Stage of Growth
Unit Management
FORGE I
For team members, shift leads, assistant managers, and GMs mastering business management and people leadership.
Goal: Become a confident, high-performing Unit Manager.
Multi-Unit Leadership
FORGE II
For District Managers and Area Leaders mastering multi-unit management, leadership, and team development.
Goal: Become an Effective Multi-Unit Leader.
Ownership Readiness
FORGE III
For leaders preparing for ownership, with a focus on financials, access to capital, business partner selection, business planning, and franchise selection.
Goal: Transition from employee to business owner.
** Do not skip ahead. Each Forge builds on the last. Master your level before you level up.
You’re not just building your career. You’re forging your future!
Membership Benefits
Every member of The Steel Forge Club gets the complete toolkit for transformation. From the moment you join, you'll have everything you need to accelerate your growth, connect with like-minded professionals, and build the skills that separate high performers from the rest.
This is your comprehensive success system, designed to turn ambition into achievement.
Here's what you'll get:
- Monthly expert-led coaching calls
- Leadership & Management tools and templates
- Access to online business education
- Library of recordings for your career growth
- Private transformative community
- Milestone recognition & spotlights
- Welcome gift:
Steel Forge pin, notebook, pen, and forged metal mantra token
This Club Is for You If:
- You’re a team member hungry for career growth
- You’re a leader ready to level up
- You manage people and want to do it better
- You want to boost your confidence and skills
- You dream of one day owning your own business
Turn your ambition into progress and change the course of your career!
Join us in the FireMeet your Coach,
Aicha Bascaro
I’m Aicha Bascaro, a franchise veteran, career coach, founder of the American Franchise Academy, and leader of The Steel Forge.
I’ve been in the trenches of the franchise industry for over 35 years - and I’ve seen the good, the bad, and the ugly. I know what makes franchisees successful and what makes them fail.
From my first job as a pizza delivery driver, I grew through the ranks of global Franchise brands like Domino’s Pizza, Popeyes, and Olive Garden.
Then in 2016, I founded the American Franchise Academy, where I've been able to help hundreds of franchise owners and their leaders succeed and grow their profits.
Now, through The Steel Forge, I am helping front line leaders who want to achive more, by sharing the real-world lessons, strategies, and systems that enabled me to rise from crew member to CEO and entrepreneur. My goal is to teach them how to build a profitable future in the retail, franchise, food, or services industries.
Join this transformative community and take your first step toward a powerful future!
35+
“Aicha brings a wealth of knowledge and context to our conversations. Aicha gives us more value than what we pay for.”
“Without Aicha’s guidance, we would be in a very difficult situation. If you apply the lessons and everything Aicha teaches - you’ll get your money back 10-fold.”
