Letter from the Editors

March is Women’s History Month, and we, at The Franchise Woman, are happy to say that we celebrate women each and every month! It is important to recognize the work that has gone before us as we look at where we are now and where the future will lead. In this issue, we take the perspective of legacy as a celebration of this month. What does it mean to our featured women to leave a legacy? How does franchising empower them with generational wealth? How are they using their legacy to give back?

Our cover story is a perfect example of all of these qualities. Mother Toya Evans along with daughters Chanel Grant and Lauren Williamson are building an empire of franchising brands and bringing health and wellness options to Prince Georges County in Maryland. They are looking for ways to bring their family generational wealth, but they are also conscious of giving back to their community. Chanel spearheads a nonprofit, “A Bigger Picture” to mentor middle and high school girls and has big plans for expansion of that program.

Gary Fortcher, Kathleen Mulligan and Brooke Cassidy of Wild Birds Unlimited tell their story of a child buying her parents’ business, keeping in the family, and what that means to watch it continue to support the next generation. Charlie and Tiana Watkins are a father-daughter team from Waters Edge Wineries in Elizabethtown, Kentucky.

In a special column of Causes and Community, we interview Yinghua Vera Wang about her nonprofit, Miss Fashion Week and her platform, She Marketplace. She is on a mission to change the perception of beauty starting at the heart of where beauty is defined – fashion and pageants. She uses her message to young girls, “You are enough!” as a mantra to help redefine beauty for girls at a young age.

Tune in to our regular columns for great advice and perspective on marketing, social media, legal tools and more!

The Coterie for Women is in full swing and has some great programming coming this year. If you are looking for community, resources, mentorship, support, education, opportunity and fun, join at https://www.thecoterieforwomen.com/.

Our podcast, Where Passion and Purpose Collides, has some exciting segments. Look for us on YouTube and Spotify. We have also launched a new video series, The Gift of the Struggle in which women bravely share struggles in their lives and how they persevered to find the gifts of those struggles. You don’t want to miss these inspiring stories here.

We salute our Franchise Women for using their time, talents and treasures to make the world a better place. If you have a great story, please reach out. We can’t wait to meet you!

Fiercely,

Elizabeth Denham

Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Rebecca Monet

Managing Editor