When sons Ben and Sam were growing up, I taught them two rules that would get them far in life: “Timing is everything” and “less is more.”

Whether they were 9 or 20, if I asked them what mom’s life rules were, they could spit them out by rote. The rules were easy to remember because at every opportune occasion over the years, I would ask, “Which of my rules applies here?” They never missed a beat.

“Timing is everything” was particularly apropos when Ben was in junior high. “See your dad sitting at his desk paying the bills?” I asked him. “Now would not be the time to ask him for money to buy baseball cards. Timing is everything.” (I was a soft touch, so there was no need for that lesson with me.)

But “less is more” was invaluable in so many situations, too. Perhaps less information is more when tattling on your brother, especially when you’re not entirely innocent. And it definitely applies when you’re at the soda fountain at a fast-food restaurant, mixing other flavors with your Coke. (Rule of thumb: two works, seven do not.)

Both of these life rules also apply to adults, and I was reminded of this while reading Franchise Times. This month we feature our Fast & Serious project: The ranking of the fastest-growing franchise brands that are growing in a smart, sustainable manner.

Our editorial team put a lot of time and effort into reporting on these 40 companies. Common threads are themes like simplicity and streamlining, or dare I say, less is more.

For Todd Graeve, CEO of Scooter’s Coffee, the No. 3 brand on this year’s list, keep it simple is his constant refrain. “Companies never drift to simplicity,” he told Franchise Times. “You’re always sort of fighting the headwinds of becoming unnecessarily complex. It doesn’t mean you can’t innovate, but we have to have fences around who we want to be.”

Is the menu board too complex? Are there too many strategies for growing units? Said Graeve, “It’s staying committed to who we are, and an acute focus on unit-level economics.”

Tommy’s Express, a car-wash chain based in Michigan and No. 1 on our list, has its own singular focus: “My dad said, build a good business, and that’s what we’re doing,” President Ryan Essenburg told FT Senior Editor Beth Ewen when she recently visited their headquarters. Essenburg is the grandson of one of the founders and son of Tom Essenburg.

The elder Essenburg said he’s “always trying to find a better way of doing things, and improve things and simplify.”

And while simple is good, almost every brand leader talked about the importance of putting people first. For instance, Tom Gordon, co-founder and CEO of Slim Chickens, No. 5 on the ranking, pointed out one of their many tactics to grow the chain that stands out to him. “Personally, we always think about how we want to be the franchisor the franchisees love…”

Brandon Landry, CEO of No. 11 Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux, requires every franchisee to know what the brand stands for “before they put on an apron or start battering shrimp.” Employee recognition is key, which helps with retention which translates into higher sales. “It’s all about being a great human,” he said.

And anyone who’s been around franchising for a while won’t be surprised that the timing is right for a new slew of success stories. Keeping it simple and focusing on franchisee profitability is the “less is more” lesson. But, I could add a third life rule: When it comes to people, more IS more. I’m calling Ben and Sam right now to update them.