Female Founders
business with my family unless they ask
me about it. When I’m with my family,
my focus is on my family.
What are your top 5 favorite things
to do? Traveling, cooking, spending
time with my husband and two children,
spending time with my sisters and girlfriends, reading.
What are 3 key words to describe
yourself? Creative, motivator, calming.
LESSONS/ADVICE
What’s the most important lesson
you’ve learned so far? Always listen to
your gut. If something doesn’t feel right,
then it isn’t right. Sometimes you get so
caught up in the excitement of growing
your business and seeing your dream become a reality that you choose to ignore
these voices.
If you could do one thing differently,
what would it be? I would have gathered
as much advice from as many franchise
experts as I could when I was starting out.
Nonetheless, I learned many lessons firsthand that have made me wiser, stronger,
and a better leader today.
What’s the best piece of advice you
have ever been given? My dad used
to always tell me that if something sounds
too good to be true, it probably is. As I
mentioned, it is so important to listen to
your gut feeling.
What advice would you give to other
women considering starting their
own franchise brand? Surround yourself
with as many mentors as you can. Joining
the IFA is a great first step. Get in front of
people in the industry who will give you
their time and share their experiences. I
always take the time to share what I’ve
learned with anyone who asks me, and I
have found that most entrepreneurs will
do the same.
WHAT’S NEXT
What would you like to achieve in the
next 5 years? I would like to see our current
owners grow their businesses and become
multiple-unit owners. I would also like to
see our brand meet our goals for expansion in the U.S., as well as internationally.
What’s coming up that you’re excited
about? We’ve spent the past year and a
half getting our systems in place, so I’m
excited about the growth of the company.
I’m also excited to hit the road and start
visiting our franchise locations again. It’s
important to keep a pulse on the business
so you can know exactly what to work on.
I went on a South and Southeast tour last
year, and this year I’m visiting our New
York, California, Florida, and Midwest locations. I can’t wait to see the great things
our owners are doing around the country,
as well as the smiles on all of the children’s
faces. I can’t imagine a more rewarding
business to be involved in! n
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