Mark Schnurman seemed to be hitting his stride as a successful commissioned franchise broker. He had a unique system for generating franchise leads using offshore labor (or bots). His “The Perfect Franchise” had grown to 30 “consultants” (commissioned brokers) in just a few years. He had flooded social media with his book-promoting persona as a franchise expert. Then, out of the blue, he inexplicably picked a fight with the foremost investigative reporter in franchising – one with a track record of never giving in to bullying. Were things just going too well for him? Or did Schnurman have secrets he was desperate to keep hidden?
(UnhappyFranchisee.Com) In December, 2024, publisher Sean Kelly warned numerous franchise brokers that an allegedly predatory franchise promoted on their sites had dozens of franchisee complaints submitted to the FTC.
Every broker group except Mark Schnurman’s The Perfect Franchise immediately removed the discredited franchise from their sites.
Commissioned franchise broker Mark Schnurman – whom Kelly had never known nor had written about before – sued him and Unhappy Franchisee for defamation for suggesting Schnurman promoted the predatory franchise (which he did).
Mark Schnurman’s attorneys stated that they’d drop the lawsuit if Kelly would sign an agreement promising to delete the current content and to never write about him, his company, his consultants or his associates ever again.
Schnurman’s suit is the very definition of a SLAPP* – a Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation.
It’s an attempt to bully and cause harm in order to get immunity from scrutiny, to be able to mislead individuals and families without some fact-checker’s warnings…
Schnurman’s motive, it seems, is to keep Kelly from warning prospective franchisees that two of his top consultants have been sued for racketeering… and lost. And that another received a $30K+ commission for a recommendation that financially devastated a disabled military Veteran.
Rather than focusing on becoming a true consultant and only recommending proven franchise opportunities with low franchise turnover rates, Schnurman, it seems, would rather put his energy into suppressing lawful, protected speech that might educate or warn the individuals and families, including military Veterans, whose blind trust earns him and his The Perfect Franchise brokers huge commissions.
Kelly politely declined Schnurman’s demands and opted, instead, to proceed, as he had in the past: with a relentless investigation with continuous public updates.
As long as the lawsuit was active, he’ll prioritize uncovering, revealing and discussing the secrets that Mark Schnurman and his The Perfect Franchise broker consultants are so desperate to keep hidden from the public.
This Index page will be ground zero for that ongoing investigation.
Here is an Index of the ongoing expose into Mark Schnurman and The Perfect Franchise.
In our first 10 years, we soundly and publicly defeated every challenger to our right of free speech. For ten years after that, no franchise selller was foolish enough to sue us. Then broker Mark Schnurman – whom we hadn’t known or written about – hit us with a bizarrely frivolous SLAPP.
December 2, 2024 Guess Who’s Still Promoting Phoenix Franchise Brands? (UPDATED)
December 6, 2024 Mark Schnurman, The Perfect Franchise, Threatens Me with Legal Action. For Written Slander.
December 10, 2024 Mark Schnurman, The Perfect Franchise, Contributes to Our Cease & Desist Letter Collection
January 29, 2025 BULLIED BY BROKERS: TPF Franchise Brokers SLAPP* Consumer Watchdog
January 29, 2025 Mark Schnurman, The Perfect Franchise Lawsuit: Documents & Timeline
NJ Attorney Shaun Blick is reportedly Mark Schnurman’s cousin. Eric J. Warner appears to be an independent lawyer jockeying for a position at Blick Law. He reportedly joined the firm in January, 2025 but does not appear on the firm’s website. Both are the subject of ethics complaints we submitted in PA and NJ.
February 12, 2025 NJ Ethics Committee Member Shaun Blick Hit With Attorney Ethics Complaints [Coming Soon]
February 12, 2025 Blick Law Attorney Eric J. Warner Named in Ethics Complaints [Coming Soon]
January 30, 2025 The Perfect Franchise Consultant Brandon Wilson Was Sued for Racketeering, Fraud
January 30, 2025 The Perfect Franchise Partner Patrick Elsner Was Sued for Racketeering, Fraud
February 3, 2025 The Perfect Franchise Consultant Brandon Siegfried is a “Cereal Entrepreneur” who Promoted Anchored Tiny Homes
Coming soon Patrick Simmons: The Perfect Franchise Consultant with ZERO Franchise Experience
Coming soon Who Are The Perfect Franchise Consultants?
February 3, 2025 FocalPoint Coaching CEO Thompson, Kris Simonich on The Perfect Franchise Podcast
February 3, 2025 FocalPoint Coaching Franchise: List of Former Owners
Fetch! Pet Care Franchise Posts
Spray Foam Genie Franchise Posts
All Phoenix Franchise Brands Posts
Is the DonutNV Franchise Too Good to be True?
Franchise Brokers: Have ZERO DonutNV Franchise Owners Failed?
DonutNV is NOT a Franchise Success Story… And May Never Be
DonutNV Franchise Earnings Claims: Accurate? Or Intentionally Deceptive?
Has IFPG Stopped Promoting the DonutNV Franchise?
Do DonutNV Franchise Sellers Support Free Speech & Full Disclosure?
Mosquito Hunters Franchise Warning: Is it REALLY Perfect for Veterans & First Responders?
Happinest Mosquito Hunters Franchisee is an Iraq War Combat Veteran
Play THE FRANCHISE GAME – MOSQUITO VERSION. Mosquito Franchises Ranked Best to Worst.
GARAGE FORCE Franchise Complaints
Is GARAGE FORCE Hiding Franchise Failures?
* SLAPP is an acronym of Strategic Lawsuit for Public Participation. It is used here as a general, non-legal term meaning a seemingly meritless lawsuit that appears to have been filed with the sole intention of silencing a critic. It is the author’s opinion that Schnurman’s lawsuit is a SLAPP. There has not (yet) been a ruling by a judge or jury declaring Schnurman’s lawsuit a SLAPP.
Tags: The Schnurman Effect, SLAPP, Strategic Lawuit Against Public Participation, PA, Mark Schnurman, Mark Adam Schnurman, The Perfect Franchise, franchise consultants, franchise brokers, Blick Law, attorney Shaun Blick, attorney Eric J. Warner, Phoenix Franchise Brands, Fetch! Pet Care franchise, Reporters Committee for Freedom of the Press, Brandon Wilson, Brandon Siegfried, Patrick Elsner
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