POWERHOUSE WOMEN
IN FRANCHISING
How did you rise to the top? From a
young age, I knew that I wanted a career
in business and that I someday wanted to
run a company. Being the CEO has always
been my goal. I’ve consistently put myself
in situations to get the work experience to
continue to build my resume. I’ve looked
to improve my management skills, critical
thinking, and strategic thinking skills. I wanted
to ensure that I was doing something every
day toward fulfilling the goal of getting to
the C-suite. I read business books to build
management knowledge. I volunteered for
new and incremental assignments wherever
possible. I have served on volunteer boards
to generate incremental experience.
What did your career path look like?
After graduating from Pepperdine University, I accepted my first job with Fluor Engineers and Constructors. Next, I worked
in purchasing for Beckman Instruments
where I handled contracts and negotiations.
Then I worked as sales coordinator in the
franchise sales department of Sir Speedy
for one year and was quickly promoted to
western operations manager. My responsibilities included opening new centers as
well as handling purchasing, inventory control, and shipping. After a few years in this
management role, I accepted the position of
vice president of franchise development for
Sir Speedy. I moved from this role to vice
president of training and communication,
working to motivate franchisees and implement sales and marketing programs. Later,
I was promoted to group vice president of
marketing and training. When Sir Speedy
acquired MultiCopy Europe, I became
managing director of the organization in
Amsterdam. In 1999, I became the president
and COO of PIP Printing and Document
Services when I accepted the challenge of
transforming the PIP franchise network.
In 2009, I joined Fastsigns International
as CEO/president. I was selected by the
private equity firm that owned Fastsigns
to replace the founder of the company.
Was becoming a CEO/president always part of your plan? Absolutely.
Since I was in junior high school, it’s always
what I wanted to do. I spent time during my
childhood working alongside my father in
our family business. Some people wanted to
be a marine biologist or a nurse—I wanted
16
to be a CEO or head of a company. I’m a
big believer in goal-directed behavior and
I’ve made sure that I was consistently doing things that helped me achieve that goal.
Do you have a mission statement for
your business life? It’s simple: Make a
positive difference every day!
How did you prepare yourself and set
goals that led you to the C-suite? Early
in my career, I attended a seminar where Zig
Ziglar taught a 7-step goal-setting and achieving formula. I have worked to consistently
implement that formula as well as teach it
to other people. Setting and achieving goals
can take time, but I’ve learned that setting
goals properly and implementing the 7-step
goal-achievement process can lead to great
rewards and payoff. Ziglar taught me the
importance of stating the goal and setting
a timeline or deadline. By identifying the
obstacles, you can figure out ways to overcome them. Identify people who can help
you achieve your goals, including mentors.
Determine the benefits of achieving your
goals and determine the skills needed and
then develop them. Once you know your
goals, develop a plan of action and when
you want to achieve them. It’s critical to
schedule time for working on your goals.
There are several required key competencies for success in the C-suite. I worked
consistently, with a plan, to develop those
competencies. They include driving for
results, building high-performance teams,
acquiring and developing outstanding people,
communication and interpersonal skills,
leading and managing change, and vision
and strategic focus. I worked to develop and
improve my skills in each of these areas.
This process works for any type of goal,
personal or business.
When and where did you gain leadership experience/knowledge? Throughout my career, I have accepted positions
of increasing management scope. I gained
leadership experience in franchising and
printing early in my career. During my firs