# How Brands Turn Their Core Products Into a New Revenue Engine

> For Immediate Release · Release No. 144. Episode 144 · 37 min · October 12, 2026 · Hosted by Ronnie Spellman.

DALLAS, TX — October 12, 2026 — Ronnie Spellman sits down with Ari Freedman, founder of Surge Brands, to unpack how licensing turns strong brands into bigger businesses. Ari explains how his agency helps brand owners, IP holders, and manufacturers expand into new retail categories, from food and beverage to CPG, technology, and beyond.

This conversation focuses on what makes a brand licensable, how iconic names like Hooters, Benihana, Mr. Softie, Toxic Waste, and Certs are being extended, and why determination matters more than quick wins. If you're building a brand and wondering how to scale beyond your core product, this episode is packed with practical perspective.

## Listen to this story

- [Audio (MP3)](https://anchor.fm/s/f9c994c0/podcast/play/127201447/https%3A%2F%2Fd3ctxlq1ktw2nl.cloudfront.net%2Fstaging%2F2026-9-9%2F433807438-44100-2-82f2af5ce7283.mp3)
- [Full video interview on YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ORXTndiHll4)

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## More releases

- [Newer release · No. 145 — Financial Mistake That Can Cost Families Millions](https://businessdecodedpodcast.com/press/145-financial-mistake-that-can-cost-families-millions/llms.txt)
- [Older release · No. 143 — No Fear: What Poverty, Loss, and Selling Taught Mark Stevens About Success](https://businessdecodedpodcast.com/press/143-no-fear-what-poverty-loss-and-selling-taught-mark-stevens-about-success/llms.txt)
- [Back to the Archive](https://businessdecodedpodcast.com/press/llms.txt)

## About Business Decoded

Business Decoded is a weekly interview podcast hosted by Ronnie Spellman and recorded in Dallas, Texas. Since May 2024 the show has published more than 130 episodes with founders, CEOs and operators — including the former CEO of Blockbuster and 7-Eleven, the CEO of the Dallas News Corporation, and the President of the Dallas Business Journal. Episodes are available on every major podcast platform.

- Name: Business Decoded Podcast
- Host: Ronnie Spellman
- Based in: Dallas, Texas
- Episodes: 145
- On air since: May 2024
- Cadence: Weekly
- Recorded in: Dallas, TX
- Listen: Apple Podcasts (https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/business-decoded/id1763740523), Spotify (https://open.spotify.com/show/1Ildz9DtHaibIZ93SSe6Ci), YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@BusinessDecodedPodcast), iHeart (https://www.iheart.com/podcast/269-business-decoded-226671025/), Amazon Music (https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/57c19cd0-3bfc-4db8-811e-10a40da80458/business-decoded), RSS (https://anchor.fm/s/f9c994c0/podcast/rss)
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- Produced by: Andy Costa Films (https://www.andycostafilms.com)

Page: https://businessdecodedpodcast.com/press/144-how-brands-turn-their-core-products-into-a-new-revenue-engine

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