The Franchise Woman September/October Issue

Sept/Oct 2020 $5.95

On the Shoulders of Giants Jane Plitt

Marketing Tips

Legal Tools

Business Trends

March/April 2020 1

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The Franchise Woman

Sept/Oct 2020 $5.95

On the Shoulders of Giants Jane Plitt

Leverage the Power of Women

to grow your brand

Marketing Tips

Legal Tools

Business Trends

March/April 2020 1

Jane Plitt will not rest until we all know the story of Martha Matilda Harper, the woman who pioneered the modern retail franchising model. We hope this interview will inspire you to learn more about Harper in Plitt’s biography, Martha Matilda Harper and the American Dream: How One Woman Change the Face of Modern Business.

Publisher/ Editor in Chief Elizabeth Denham elizabeth.denham@thefranchisewoman.com Managing Publisher Rebecca Monet rebecca@zorakle.com Designer Annie Malloy annie.malloy@thefranchisewoman.com Contributors Nancy Friedman, Michelle Hummel, Faizun Kamal, Julie Lusthaus, Rebecca Monet, David Keil, Michele Rempel, Susan Scotts Marketing Luke Reosti marketing@thecoterieforwomen.com

Let us help you grow your brand!

Find out how we can target your next franchise owner.

We strive to create an amazing resource for women in the franchise industry. We appreciate all ideas, feedback and questions.

Please contact us at any time. www.TheFranchiseWoman.com info@thefranchisewoman.com 206-705-3081

Contact Us 206-705-3081 6845 US HWY 90 East Ste. 105 PMB 155 Daphne, Alabama 36526 www.thefranchisewoman.com Entire contents copyright Š2020

Sept/Oct 2020

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IN THIS ISSUE

40

17

Departments 6 Letter from the Editor.

14 Great Habits Start in the Morning.

20 Cause Marketing Can Build Goodwill and Business.

34 The 3 Biggest Customer Service

Skills Needed for Your Franchise.

37 I am Woman.

22 Building Community in Uncertain 38 Tenacity. Grit. Determination.

Times.

Success.

24 Are Facebook Ads Worth it?

50 Featured Franchises.

26 Change Your Story.

52 Women on the Move.

32 Ongoing Legal Compliance for Your Franchise Explained.

4

The Franchise Woman

32

12 29

Features 10 On the Shoulders of Giants.

46 16 Snapology Lights Up Orla Plyant’s

Life.

48

28 Make a Living? Design a Life.

42 Reap What You Sow.

Leadership, Communication, and Community.

Yum! Brands- On a Mission to Elevate Women in Franchising.

Sept/Oct 2020

5

Letter from the Editors During this unusual time in the world, community is more important than ever. We all have had to find new ways to connect not only with work and school, but also with friends and family. In the September/October issue, “Community Engagement” is our focus. We are talking to women about how they engage in their communities and how they communicate effectively to build stronger relationships. We also announce a new project – The Coterie for Women!

The Coterie for Women is an online platform which empowers women from all experiences and perspectives to Live Richer Lives by providing community, resources, mentorship, support, education, opportunity and fun!

Please take a minute to check out our new website – you can even join for free for a limited time! Visit us at https://www.thecoterieforwomen.com/.

Our cover story this month is a story that, without author and historian Jane Plitt, may have been lost to history.

Jane has dedicated years to researching and telling the story of Martha Matilda Harper who was the pioneer and founder of modern-day retail franchising. As women in the franchising space, her contributions are ones we should all know and share.

We also interview Ericka Garza of Pizza Hut and Yum! Brands. She is on a mission to increase the number of female franchisees across Yum! Brands. She tells us what she is working on and why it’s important.

Orla Pylant, a Snapology franchisee discusses the importance of family and how Snapology offered her the flexibility to engage more with her family and build a community through education.

Laura Spaulding, the subject of Pride, tells her story of building an accepting and empowering community of her own when other communities failed her. If you want inspiration, this is a story you shouldn’t miss!

As an independent magazine, The Franchise Woman welcomes anyone who has something to offer to our female audience. We welcome all brands and make every effort to present stories that delve into the hearts of women across the industry.

Our podcast, Where Passion and Purpose Collides, has some exciting segments. Look for us on YouTube and Spotify.

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 Rebecca Monet Publisher/Editor-in-Chief Managing Editor

6

The Franchise Woman

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Are You Interested in Franchising, Business or Entrepreneurship?

Announcing The Coterie for Women founded by: Elizabeth Denham and Rebecca Monet

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Community Engagement

On the Shoulders

of Giants

by Elizabeth Denham

Harper’s Story

A lifelong advocate, activist and warrior for social justice, Jane Plitt has worked tirelessly for women’s equality. So, it is no wonder that when she came upon the story of Martha Matilda Harper, she was compelled to ensure Harper’s story was not lost to history.

10 The Franchise Woman

“If we don’t recognize how we have stood on the shoulders of others who have fought for equality for all, we are just repeating the mistakes of history,” Plitt said. “We have to personalize it and see the humanity.”

Before Plitt began her research and published her biography of Martha

Matilda Harper, few people were aware of the pioneer Harper was in launching the modern retail franchising model and her inventions in the salon industry.

“Stories are so important,” Plitt noted, “That’s why the Harper narrative is so important. We need models that all people can identify with.”

“

If we don’t recognize how we have stood on the shoulders of others who have fought for equality for all, we are just repeating the mistakes of history.

Harper was born in 1857 in Canada and spent 25 years as a domestic servant there and then in Rochester, New York. Over her years as a servant, she saved enough money to create a hair salon that used her hair tonic. She marketed her tonic, invented reclining salon chairs and was the first to create cut-outs in sink bowls to add comfort to her customers’ experiences. Her innovation and ingenuity led her to a successful career as an American business owner and entrepreneur in the beauty industry. She began retail franchising by assuring that the first 100 of her salons went only to low-income women and eventually built an international network of more than 500 salons , five training centers, and a full line of organic hair care products.

for her franchise.

She also didn’t use any dangerous chemicals in her tonic for more than 50 years,” Plitt explained. “Her business was ultimately taken over by men, and that changed. But the way she operated – out of principle – was not acknowledged in history, probably because she was a woman. I made sure my book was highly footnoted because I wanted there to be no doubt that this woman was the creator of modern retail franchising.”

“Martha pioneered the idea of social entrepreneurship – using business to create social change. She specifically targeted poor women

• Get Harper acknowledged in the National Women’s Hall of Fame and the American Business Hall of Fame

Plitt had four goals when she began the process of telling this story.

• Get the story printed

• Lecture at Harvard • Produce a mainstream movie or television show so the world can learn about Harper To date, Plitt has met the first three, and the fourth is pending.

Plitt’s Story Plitt’s accomplishments are also noteworthy in the fight for women’s equality in business and the reporting of women in history.

“So often we find ourselves fighting over the piece of pie, and that misses the point,” Plitt said. “We need to be enlarging the size of the pie.”

Sept/Oct 2020

11

Plitt spent her life as a feminist who has advocated for women’s equality. She was the first Executive Director of the National Organization for Women, co-founded the Rochester Women’s Network, was an early leader of the Genesee Valley NOW Chapter, along with the Rochester chapter of NAWBO, national association of women business owners. She played a critical role in integrating men’s only grills in Rochester, eliminating help wanted women/men’s newspaper columns and integrating the Rochester Jaycees.

“As a child of the 60s, I was an activist for other people and other causes, and I suddenly realized women needed equal opportunity also,” Plitt said. “I became employed and realized I couldn’t eat with male colleagues because of

12 The Franchise Woman

men’s-only grills. That is not acceptable. Men and women should have the same opportunity and not be limited by biological happenstance.”

Plitt joined other bold men and women in the 70s who were beginning to rally around women’s issues.

“It was pretty empowering because we were making tangible, real change,” Plitt acknowledged.

“Before Title IX, girls were only allowed to be cheerleaders as a physical activity. Today, I delight in seeing women on teams – not only for the enjoyment, but also for the learning experience of being a team member.”

Plitt says she was and is to this day, committed to justice for all.

“It is uplifting to look at the peaceful protests and see a rainbow of people participating. Young to old, male to female, people of color and gay and straight,” Plitt said.

And while Plitt’s current focus is in telling Harper’s story, hers is a story of courage and progress as well.

“Hers is an amazing, real-life rags to riches story, and it is time to embrace Martha Matilda,” Plitt summed up.

It is also time to embrace Jane Plitt’s story.

To learn more about Jane Plitt and Martha Matilda Harper, please visit www.marthamatildaharper.org

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Health and Wellness

Great Habits

Start

in the Morning

by Kristen Horler, MS What is Your Routine?

Routine is everything and a break in routine can help you recognize how important consistency is to success.

Grab a piece of paper and a pen.

Write down every detail of how you started your day today.

Did you wake up to an alarm? What time? Did you hit snooze? If so, how many times?

What was the very next thing that you did?

Did you make coffee or tea? Brush your teeth? Workout? Shower?

Write it all down. Do you follow this routine every morning? What has changed in your morning routine since March?

It doesn’t matter if we’re talking about making improvements in your fitness, nutrition or business -- the first step to creating change

14 The Franchise Woman

is awareness. Now that you have written down what your morning routine looked like today, is there anything that you want to reduce or eliminate?

What Needs to Change?

When COVID-19 resulted in a shutdown, my morning routine changed dramatically. I was no longer getting up at 5:00 a.m. for crew practice, going for a run, or teaching a fitness class. This resulted in staying up late with my husband and watching Netflix. I soon began waking up with the sun, instead of to an alarm. I also found myself picking up my phone in the morning and spending up to an hour looking at the news to see what new, shocking information was available. I soon realized that I was struggling to start my workday before noon, which meant I was working late into the evening and missing quality time with my family. It was a vicious cycle that I wasn’t sure how to break.

“

…the first step to creating change is awareness.

I started small. I decided to set my alarm Monday through Saturday morning for 7:00 a.m. with a second alarm set for 7:30 a.m. My intention was not to look at my calendar, social media or news on my phone.

Instead, I decided to get up and get out of the house to exercise by the time my 7:30 a.m. alarm went off.

After a week, I had created new triggers and new habits...and even more importantly, I felt so successful!

Tips to Create Good Habits • Accountability is essential to success. Tell more than one person what you’re going to do and why you’re going to do it.

• Setbacks? The past is the past. Today is a new day and an opportunity to start again!

• Not sure where to begin? Look at your morning routine. What is one is simple thing that you can change tomorrow?

Kristen Horler is a recovering overachiever who is learning to let more stuff go that is not aligned with her values, priorities, and goals. As a former pastry chef turned fitness professional, Kristen created Baby Boot Camp shortly after her first child was born in August 2001. Eighteen years later, Kristen rebranded the company to MOMLETA. The new brand represents the company’s mission of inspiring moms of all ages and stages through fitness, nutrition, community, and business. Kristen is passionate about food, fitness, and inspiring wellness. She enjoys cooking, spending time with her family, and traveling. Visit www.momleta.com to learn more.

Sept/Oct 2020

15

Feature

Snapology

Lights Up

Orla Pylant’s Life

by Elizabeth Denham Snapology was not even a blip on the radar of Orla Pylant when she started her career as a CPA. But when she realized she longed for more flexibility to raise her children, Pylant found a new passion – education.

“I didn’t know it would be something I would love,” Pylant said.

“Even if I could go back in time and choose my career path all over again, I would choose this.”

Pylant worked for years as a CPA doing auditing, taxes and franchise accounting. She worked as a controller in the corporate office of a Wendy’s franchisee which became difficult as she began having children and juggling parenting with a demanding corporate job.

16 The Franchise Woman

“I was tired of getting up early, loading the kids up and dropping them off at daycare only to pick them up, feed them dinner, put them to bed and start over the next day,” she lamented. “I wanted to have something more flexible that allowed me more time with my children.”

Living in Louisville, Kentucky, Pylant and her family traveled to Indianapolis for a Lego show and she saw a Snapology postcard on a table. A bit later, she pulled the card out of her purse and decided to investigate.

“

I still get butterflies, and I get in there and I love it!

“I went to Pittsburgh to meet Laura (Coe) and things moved quickly from there,” she said. “Snapology has a good, family feel. You can reach out to corporate and to other franchisees any time you need to.”

While she made the leap from accounting to Snapology mostly because of her desire to spend more time with her family, Pylant stumbled into a career that she finds fun, fulfilling and fabulous!

“It just brings me to life,” she explained. “I still get butterflies, and I get in there and I love it.”

Pylant said she gets excited when she sees a kid have that “aha” moment and knows they will carry that for the rest of their lives.

“Snapology is great because it brings people together. And after being isolated for so long (during the pandemic), it’s great to see kids using their imaginations to build things and learn skills that will help them grow up and change the world,” Pylant said. “We use STEM programs, they build robots,

Sept/Oct 2020

17

they create. There is nothing better than being a part of that.”

Pylant said that while she has more flexibility, it is not easy to run a business. But Snapology makes it doable.

“I have been blessed in the sense that I’m able to be with my kids. That is a dream come true,” Pylant said.

“It’s not easy. There was a learning curve and I had to build a business, but when you get to invest in the lives of children through work and you are afforded the opportunity to be an engaged mom and still earn a living, what could be better?

Orla Pylant is the owner of Snapology of Louisville since 2016. Originally from Belize, she came to the U.S. for college and went to Spalding University. She is a CPA and has three children ages 7, 5 and 3. For more information about Snapology of Louisville, please visit snapology.com/location/louisville

18 The Franchise Woman

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By COVID-19 text our office line at 904.999.3133 Sept/Oct 2020

19

Marketing Tips

Cause Marketing

Can Build

Goodwill and Business

by Michele Rempel

Has there ever been a time when the call for a connection between business and social causes has been stronger? When many consumers expect businesses to take a stand on the social issues of the day? Several events in the US this year have caused a large number of businesses to inform their customers and audiences of their positions on everything from the pandemic to Black Lives Matter to sex trafficking to the upcoming Presidential election choices.

“Cause marketing” is now the norm, and customers who see your marketing and visit your website often want to know where your business stands on various issues.

What exactly is cause marketing?

Cause marketing happens when a business supports a social issue or charity and also reaps marketing benefits from their stand and/or action.

20 The Franchise Woman

For example, a business might hold a golf tournament to raise funds for a local domestic violence shelter and encourage its customers to participate by donating personal care items to the shelter.

If your business or brand does not stand for something, especially in your local market, customers may look to your competitors. The number of consumers who say they would switch from one brand to another if the other brand were associated with a cause or charity has climbed to 87 percent, according to a Cone Cause Evolution Survey.

For franchisees, cause marketing can reap huge benefits, but can also get you in trouble with your franchisor if your “stand” or the charity you are aligning with does not match that of your franchise. Franchisors can

also benefit, but a “rogue” outlet can put your entire brand at risk if their non-compliant marketing causes confusion among customers and prospects. Done well, cause marketing unites franchisees and their employees with their communities and conveys a positive brand image, boosting their local profile.

Cause marketing certainly is not new, and there has always been a strong partnership between small business and giving back to the community.

The challenge today is to find a way to truly benefit and engage your community while remaining authentic and also (hopefully) increase your business’s bottom line as you increase your goodwill.

Here are a few steps to follow when launching a cause marketing campaign.

1

2

Decide how you want to support the cause. Do you want to focus on a big yearly event, such as a food drive or 5K (of course, COVID is a consideration this year), or include the cause as part of your monthly marketing campaigns and giving? If you have a tight budget, your support for an organization might be to serve as a donation collection point. Or you might create a donation matching campaign, where you match donations from the community up to a certain amount.

Pick a Cause. Ask your leadership team, employees and even some of your customers about what community organizations are of interest. Of course, the cause should be something you believe in and supporting it should give “warm fuzzies” to you and your team, whether or not you receive marketing benefits. The choice must be considered carefully, as small businesses can potentially lose customers if the cause is too polarizing Create a marketing plan. or political.

How will you communicate your support through social media, video, email and print? Will you create a hashtag to use in all your communications?

Consider how you can involve people in your community to spread the word, including the beneficiary and its supporters.

4

3

If your support is monetary, decide how you will share the final or ongoing amounts collected.

Set a budget. Track your expenses while tracking your revenue. Marketing results, “cause” or not, should be tracked.

Although this is often the toughest part of any marketing campaign, it’s helpful to establish a baseline of sales and leads, customer base size or other indicators prior to beginning.

Doing good is the right thing for society, whether it increases our bottom line or not. Cause-based marketing may not reap immediate benefits like a well-targeted and worded Google ad, but it will most likely bring

5

Be authentic. Consumers can see through phony or opportunistic marketing campaigns. How many of us rolled our eyes when we saw the 100th ad saying “we’re all in this together” at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic? Choose a cause or organization that you can truly get behind for the long term and that will benefit and even involve your local community.

positive results to your business and your community in the long-term if you stay consistent to your values and to your plan of action.

Michele Rempel is the founder and managing partner of Westvyne, a marketing and website design firm based in California and Illinois. For almost a decade, she and her team have been guiding their clients in what to say, how to say it, where to say it, and who to say it to in order to attract and retain customers. For more information about Westvyne, visit www.westvyne.com.

Sept/Oct 2020

21

Building Community

in Uncertain Times

by David Keil

I have focused my life’s mission to advocate and support women, share life lessons and help women scale their business. I am a husband of 32 years to a college professor whose doctoral dissertation focused on risk preferences in gender/pay issues, a father of a strong woman and have been a partner and coach to eight women founded or led franchise businesses including The Lash Lounge, Madison Reed, HoneyBaked Ham, Pure Barre, skoah, The Barre Code, City Row and Live Well.

a gap in information or connection, people tend to fill that void with their own fears or assumptions.

Even if your natural leadership style is to delegate through others, you must get in front of the team – visually if possible – and communicate often. I communicate on three levels: • Start by acknowledging the current state or naming any issue or uncertainty; be authentic, transparent and vulnerable to gain trust

I would love to share my thoughts on building community, particularly in these times of uncertainty

• Set clear goals and repeat them often – beginning with goals that impact people’s hearts (e.g. your health comes first)

1. Be a visible leader It is important to be out front and visible to your team. When there is

• Create a path of action, at a high level, even if issues have an unknown end date

22 The Franchise Woman

Open, live and regular communication to the whole team is one of the most effective means of establishing credibility, trust, community, and speed of decision making.

During COVID-19, we have held weekly all-hands meetings and established daily check-ins via our project management software, recreating the same ‘water-cooler’ or ‘walk-by’ conversations that are organic in a face-to-face workplace.

Touchpoints make clear that our top priority is for remote individuals to remain connected to the overall mission of the organization and to reinforce that their role and impact is valued and seen. Multiple points of contact let the team know that their leader is engaged, caring and present.

“

We used the crisis as fuel for creativity and invention.

2. Say “thank you” At Franworth, we were recognized as EY Entrepreneurs of the Year, in large part because of how we have built community. One simple way we do that is giving “Culture Bucks’ to one another. When we catch someone acting out our values, we write them a quick note on a form that looks like a dollar. Quarterly, we pick a few and read them out loud to one another.

A handwritten note takes 30 seconds, though its impacts lasts months.

3. Engage people’s heads, hearts and hands Capturing people’s heads via knowledge and information, goals, and strategies is necessary. Engaging people’s hearts – by checking ‘on’ them, not just ’in with’ them is even more important. In times of uncertainty, a casual ‘how are you doing’ does not suffice. I have moved to asking clear questions about a family member, challenges of a project or asking about feelings to get to the heart of the matter.

Finally, I have found that getting people focused on their area of impact/ control vs area of concern is the quickest way through a significant challenge. When a team’s hands are busy, they are creating a new beginning and are less likely to get trapped in ‘how things used to be.’

4. Give Back True joy comes when we give back to others. We do things as simple as organizing days where we give back at a food bank – as a team. We have also founded a nonprofit company (Franchise For Good) whose mission is helping nonprofits scale. It was a dream a year ago, and now we are helping create BuildStrong Academy which will train people in second careers in trade jobs. We build a community when we work on a goal beyond our own lives or livelihood, together.

5. Get creative / have fun In times of uncertainty, it is also important to have fun. We used the crisis as fuel for creativity and inven-

tion. Several of our businesses created new income streams in a matter of days; when consumers weren’t able to come to us, we went to them virtually. What would normally have taken months to plan and implement was accomplished in a matter of days.

These ideas were helped along by gathering functional groups of different concepts together (CEOs, field operations leaders, marketers) to cross-pollinate new ideas and create cross-brand programs.

Despite being forced to work remotely, our team members and portfolio companies’ leaders have actually grown closer. We’ve worked out together (virtually), held Friday happy hours on Zoom and shared favorite books and Netflix shows during our daily check-ins.

Leading and living during uncertain times is a challenge. I hope of a few of these ideas help you and your teams not only survive, but also build community as you live in these uncertain times.

Dave Keil is President and Chief Operating Officer of Franworth, which has 450 combined years of experience building and partnering with emerging franchise brands. Prior to Franworth, Keil led four franchise companies as CEO: The Lash Lounge, Pure Barre, HoneyBaked Ham and Haagen-Dazs Shoppes. Keil started his career as a Fortune 500 leader at companies like Frito-Lay, General Mills and Ecolab.

Keil received a bachelor’s degree in Industrial and Operations Engineering from the University of Michigan, and an MBA from the University of Kansas. Keil shares leadership insights via lessonsonpurpose.com, founded the nonprofit company Franchise For Good and was recognized by the Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal as one of the “Top 40 Under 40” leaders in the Twin Cities.

Sept/Oct 2020

23

Social Media

Are Facebook

Ads Worth It?

by Michelle Hummel As a franchisee trying to grow your customer base, you know there are two keys to success: positive word of mouth and advertising. Making your customers completely happy once they’re in your care is tough enough but knowing where and how to advertise effectively can be overwhelming.

You undoubtedly have been approached by local ad reps for radio, TV, magazines and newspapers.

These advertising costs can be astronomical, and they don’t always result in a cost-effective return on investment.

Consider this: say your target is women age 25-34 within a 5-mile radius of your business. Each of these traditional forms of advertising bases its rates on the number of people it reaches, regardless of gender, age or location. Why pay for demos that won’t result in customer acquisition?

Facebook Statistics According to Statistica, Facebook has billions of users across the globe, including 71 percent of American adults. Consider these numbers:

24 The Franchise Woman

• Of those 71 percent of Americans, 74 percent of Facebook users log in daily for an average of 33 minutes.

• In 2019, Facebook’s ad revenue was $69.6 billion.

• During the first quarter of 2020, Facebook said eight million active advertisers were using the social networking platform to promote products and services, up from seven million advertisers in the first quarter of the previous year.

• An average Facebook user clicks on 11 ads per month.

The numbers are rising because Facebook advertising acquires customers with a great return on investment.

Targeting Powers Facebook is a type of modern-day Big Brother. It knows the age, location and gender of each user, as well as their interests, hobbies, political affiliation and relationship status.

Do you have a Facebook, Instagram or Messenger app on your phone?

Then it also knows the types of businesses you visit, as well as how long you spend in each area of town. While this may be a little unsettling as a user, it’s gold when it comes to marketing your business.

When placing ads, you can be as general or as specific as needed to reach your customers. Want to reach men aged 34-52 who have kids in Manhattan? What about women aged 42 who like dogs and live within 2 miles of your business?

With Facebook advertising, you can easily reach your target market, and pay for just that market.

Types of Ads With Facebook, you have plenty of options for the types of ads you’d like to run, including website traffic, brand awareness, event, page likes, post engagement, product collection and more.

Website traffic is the most popular type of ad for marketers. By choosing the pay-per-click setting, you pay only for each click to people in your target market. Think of the examples above. If your ad was targeted to men aged 34-52 who have kids in Manhattan, some of those men might not be inter-

“

Facebook is a type of modern-day Big Brother. ested in your product or service.

With the pay-per-click setting, you will pay for your Facebook ad only when those men click on your ad and visit your website.

Costs per click vary widely depending on the time of year and the type of business, from $0.15 to $30+ per click. Whether you’re looking to drive customers to purchase something online or to learn more about your business (including location and hours), website traffic ads are incredibly effective.

The brand awareness objective gives the estimated ad recall lift metric, which shows the estimated number of people likely to remember your ad if asked within two days. This type of ad likely won’t draw as many customers as other types of ads, but it can be a handy tool for franchisees looking to determine potential draw in a new market.

Hosting an event? Event ads are great to draw attendees, and when

people respond they are attending, Facebook will send these users follow-up messages reminding them of the date and time. Depending on that users’ settings, Facebook will also let their connections know which events they’re attending so your message will be seen by their connections as well.

Page likes and post engagement ads are great for those businesses looking to grow the reach of their free Facebook Business page, as well as to increase the frequency of your posts appearing in your followers’ feeds.

Product collection ads are perfect for franchisees looking to advertise four or more products. These typically work best for eCommerce businesses so customers can click and purchase within minutes of seeing the ad.

Placement and Reporting

ads are placed, including the option of appearing on Instagram, as well as inside popular Facebook games.

During your ad’s run, you can monitor ad performance, as well as tweak the settings or stop the ad at any time. When the ad’s run is complete, the dashboard’s reporting will show a full suite of demographics and statistics that will help you determine the style, type and placement of future ads.

Your experience in placing Facebook ads is a huge determinant of price. Although Facebook has an extensive section of guides for posting ads, it’s easy to rack up huge bills when you’re not experienced with advertising on the platform — especially pay-per-click ads. If you’re new to advertising on Facebook or Instagram, it’s best to hire a professional to create and place the ads so you get the best return on your investment.

Depending on your ad creative, you are in control of where your

Michelle is the CEO and Founder of Web Strategy Plus, a full-service digital marketing agency, where her team of experts specializes in helping franchise owners develop websites, SEO and Social Media Strategies. A published author of three books in her series, “The Social Media Magnet: Everything You Need to Know to Attract Customers with Social Media.” She also holds a valuable Internet Marketing Degree and provides training to help individuals acquire Social Media Management Certification through Web Media University. Contact Michelle at michelle@webstrategyplus.com.

Sept/Oct 2020

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Business Trends

Change Your Story

If it is time to recreate yourself to achieve You 2.0, why not do what you enjoy and work from home all the time?

Were you able or required to work from home because of the recent pandemic and are wondering how you could go back to the office?

Did you enjoy the freedom from distractions that working from home provided? Do you need to be there for your children to help them with virtual learning

26 The Franchise Woman

or homework? Are you dreading returning to the grind of getting up early to get everything done before you leave for the day, only to have to fight rush hour traffic and sit in a cubicle from 8-5? If this sounds like you, now may be the perfect time to refocus your work “purpose” to be more in alignment with what

by Susan Scotts

you feel is most important to you and your family. You’re not alone, but how should you begin?

Why not have the opportunity to do what you enjoy while working from home? No, your boss is not likely to allow it and say ‘do whatever is best for you.’ But maybe it is time for you to take ownership of your career and future and do what is best for you and your family. You don’t need your boss’ approval. You only need to be open to exploring the possibilities which can enable you to achieve your income, lifestyle, wealth and equity goals.

You can become self-sufficient through business ownership, and the best part is having support by leveraging a proven system, with the tools, technology, marketing, systems and training already in place. This is what a franchise is all about. I know that when I say the “F” Word (franchise), you probably roll your eyes or think, “I can’t afford that,” but hear me out! Just because McDonalds or Subway are some of the better-known names, you don’t have to flip burgers or have a retail establishment to be a successful business owner. Food is only a small percentage of the thousands of franchise possibilities

out there. There are many essential home based, virtual or service based franchises that are affordable. There are opportunities that may excited you and align with your passion, such as tutoring, coaching or helping people in the community. There are thousands of possibilities in which you could leverage your talents or skills.

Some possibilities may allow you to hire/give jobs to other people in the community and leverage their talents so you can remain at home overseeing the business while still being present for your family.

Many franchises are reasonably priced and cost less than what a car costs! It may surprise you to know that there are several funding options available, making anyone’s dream of self-sufficiency attainable.

Some funding options provide you enough funds to pay the franchise, have working capital funds and even pay yourself a salary as the business ramps up.

If you are thinking that you would like to learn about some of these possibilities, there is no better time than now. Exploring possibilities

now allows you to have more options which ultimately keeps you in the driver’s seat. You can have a career that is best for you and your family.

A Career Ownership Coach can help you clarify your goals, needs and expectations and show you possibilities that enable you to achieve these goals. A coach can also connect you with funding resources to help make your dream a reality. What’s stopping you from learning ways that could allow you to live the life of your dreams?

Stop dreaming and start learning.

You may be pleasantly surprised.

If nothing else, you will gain free education and learn more about yourself in the process.

Susan Scotts is a multiple award winning career transition coach with The Entrepreneur’s Source® and possesses three decades of experience in helping empower individuals to become entrepreneurs through franchise business ownership. For a complimentary consultation, she can be reached at 561-859-9110 or SScotts@EsourceCoach.com.

Sept/Oct 2020

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Feature

Make a Living?

Design a Life.

by Faizun Kamal What kind of life do you actually want?

It’s a question I ask every client who wants to buy a franchise. In fact, it’s one of the very first ques-

28 The Franchise Woman

tions I ask. Their answers, I find, are telling. Most people draw a blank or stumble over their words. Others get very quiet, uncomfortable. Only a few answer thoughtfully, with intention and purpose.

Joshua Becker said, “The first step in crafting a life you want is to get rid of everything you don’t.” Most of us for over most of our careers have been running on the hamster wheel of the corporate world -the bigger house, faster car, expen

sive vacations. Living in a culture that extols the virtues of bigger, larger and more, our lives have become an endless, exhausting race to nowhere. Material aspirations are inherently not bad. Material aspirations, without a clear vision of what we want from our lives, however, turn us into hollow shells.

In 2015, I found myself laid off.

After years of doing work that did not fulfill me, I vowed to never do

that again. Not knowing what the next step of my life would look like, I asked myself the very question I now ask all my clients: “What kind of life do I actually want?” The answer that came back was stunning in its simplicity. I wanted to live a life where I used my skills to serve a purpose larger than myself, to earn a great income to support my family and to have time freedom to do what I wished with them.

That’s it. Viscerally, my answer filled

me with pure joy. Once I became ruthlessly clear on what I stood for, I proceeded to say “no” to everything that did not support the kind of life I wanted to design.

As I began designing my life, these three non-negotiables became the anchors that kept me grounded to my true north. In order for my life to be how I wanted it to be, it had to have the following.

1. Escape the 9-5 My husband and I have one daughter. The biggest regret of my life is that I almost completely missed the first year of her life. Other than pictures and home videos we took on our phones, I have almost no memory of that year. Working 80-hour weeks and always being on call, I was simply not there. Looking back on that time now, I can’t even remember what I was so busy doing.

Running on the corporate hamster wheel for years meant I missed out on a lot over the years. My time was never my own. In the next iteration of my life and career, I was determined to build whatever came next around her and my family. Not the other way around.

When our internal purpose aligns with the external world that we have created for ourselves, we are filled with a joy that is like nothing else! Interestingly, as I have now discovered, that joy then spreads and permeates to every other aspect of our lives as well!

What kind of life do you actually want?

2. Generate wealth What are you worth? What is your time worth?

As employees, we are involved in a daily transaction.

In exchange for our time and talents, our employers give us a paycheck. Unfortunately, being an employee these days means our time is no longer ours. Even on weekends and nights, we are expected to be “online” and ready to respond to every email. Are you compensated enough not just for your physical time in the office but also when you’re at home, with your family, on vacations (if you can actually take the time off)? What is the cost of missing out on a baseball game or a recital or simply being with your family?

Can you put a number on that?

Ultimately, true wealth for me wasn’t a specific dollar amount in the bank. True wealth meant time freedom. To spend my time doing work I love and spending time with my loved ones. There is a mysterious, magical alignment that happens when we finally spend our moments doing work that aligns with what we really want… which brings me to my last and final non-negotiable.

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3. Live life on my terms

What is your why?

As a franchise coach, I now own my own business.

I am finally doing work that is my calling. I utilize my strengths and gifts every day in the service of my clients. My work has allowed me to create the lifestyle I want. I set my hours and work around family responsibilities and obligations. As long as I have my laptop and phone, I can work from anywhere in the world – and I have! I only work with the people I want to work with. I wake up every morning excited and grateful for another day to provide value to others and do work that I love!

I don’t just help my clients find their “perfect fit” franchise; I help them move from career burnout to career love! I have worked with countless clients, who just like me, were seeking something for which they did not have a name. They were hungering for more purpose, more security, more time, more joy, more life. Every client is searching for a way to create a career that they love. This, in turn, helps create a life that they love.

Only by being brutally honest and intentional was I able to create the life that I now live, on my own terms.

• Are there moments in your life when you feel unfulfilled?

Do you feel as though you are caught in a life that no longer fits who you are?

Do you look at where you are and wonder how you got there?

If you have answered “yes” to these questions, you are not alone. I was all too familiar with these feelings myself. Every one of my clients lived with these feelings until they decided they could no longer go on just making a living.

If you are ready to design your life, let’s begin. What kind of life do you actually want?

Faizun Kamal is a nationally-renowned public speaker and career strategist. As CEO of The Franchise Pros, Faizun coaches people nationwide on making the transition from employee to entrepreneur. She provides guidance to embrace chaos, fear, insecurity and uncertainty as doorways of opportunity to help individuals find their “perfect fit” business based on an assessment of their personal, lifestyle and income goals. She guides clients to move beyond career burnout to build a sustainable career that they love! Email Faizun at faizun@thefranchiseconsultingcompany.com or call 443-604-6276.

30 The Franchise Woman

#1 Ranked S.T.E.A.M. Enrichment Franchise Snapology.com/franchise Sept/Oct 2020

31

Legal Tools

Ongoing Legal Compliance

for your Franchise Explained

by Julie Lusthaus

Your franchise has launched, and you are actively marketing and selling to franchisees in compliance with all applicable laws. There is no more need for legal advice or so you think. However, under federal and state franchise laws, there are ongoing registration and filing obligations. These include the following: Annual Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Updates

32 The Franchise Woman

Federal law requires that the FDD be updated annually within 120 days after the franchisor’s fiscal year end. In addition, some states have their own FDD update deadlines. If you offer franchises in those states, you must comply with both federal and state law.

Franchisors should stop using their existing FDD by the 120th day after the end of their fiscal year and

prior to the expiration of the registration in any state with a different update deadline. Generally, once the new FDD is issued, franchisors should assume they need to provide the new FDD to prospects who received the old document but did not purchase before updating the FDD. They must also wait the required waiting period after providing the FDD before closing the sale.Â

Amendments to the FDD Federal and some state laws also require franchisors to amend their FDD if there has been a material event or material change. What constitutes materiality varies by state, but generally, it would be a fact, circumstance, or condition that would have a substantial likelihood of influencing the franchisee’s conduct or decisions. Whether something is a material change is determined from the point of view of the franchisee.

Examples of a material change may include a change in the franchisor’s ownership, corporate name or state of incorporation; reorganization of the franchise company; a lawsuit against the franchisor which may have a negative effect on its financial condition; or a change in franchise fees.

Under federal law, the franchisor must update the FDD with any material changes within a reasonable time following the end of each calendar quarter. However, states may have a different period.

As with the annual updates to the FDD, generally, franchisors should provide the amended FDD to prospects who received the old document but did not purchase the franchise prior to the event requiring the amendment and then

wait the required waiting period before closing the sale. If the material change relates to the financial performance representations made in Item 19, the franchisor must immediately notify prospective franchisees of the material change.

“

…franchisors must take care in applying for exemptions since they differ by state.

If a material event has occurred and the franchisor is in the process of updating or registering the FDD, best practice is to speak to an attorney before taking further steps to close sales in the pipeline.

State Franchise Filings

In states where franchisors are required to register their FDD prior to selling a franchise within that state, they must also renew and update their registration at least annually. In states where registration is not needed, franchisors may need to file a notice with the state, which may include both initial notice as well as annual state franchise filings. There are several states which do not require either registration or filing of a notice.

Exemptions from Registration Certain states provide exemptions from registration for specific types of franchisors or franchisees based on their size, wealth, experience or sophistication. However, franchisors must take care in applying for exemptions since they differ by state.

A particular transaction may be exempt in one place but not another.

Whether you are a new franchisor or an existing franchise company looking to expand into more states, consulting an experienced franchise attorney regarding filing and exemption requirements can save significant time and money.

Julie Lusthaus represents franchisors, franchisees and independent business owners. To learn more, visit her website at www.lusthausfranchiselaw.com

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Customer Service

The 3 Biggest

Customer Service Skills

Needed for Your Franchise

by Nancy Friedman

TOP DOWN MENTALITY Who is responsible when you receive bad customer service?

A. The company (top down)?

B. Management/direct supervisor?

C. The person who delivered said service?

D. The customer (self-imposed)?

Option A: TOP DOWN MENTALITY won hands down on our LinkedIn poll. Over 63% agreed IT STARTS AT THE TOP. When it comes to business, delegation is fine; however, when it comes to your service mentality, those at the very TOP need to be involved. Must be involved.

34 The Franchise Woman

Whether you’re the franchisor or the franchisee owner and have a staff, you have the same concerns. How do we keep our clients (customers), patients, students, – you name it – happy and coming back? That’s the big question.

Have a starting point. Below are only three points. Sadly, there’s not just one skill, and there are definitely more than three. However, in order to get you off on the right foot, here are the big ones you can start with today. Be sure your training is consistent, embedded into your mission statement, checked often and used on a daily basis. You brush your teeth every day – so why not use all the customer service skills you can on a daily basis?

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35

TOP DOWN MENTALITY TIPS 1. Listening Skills – “HUH?” “WHAT DID YA SAY?” and other caustic phases like that won’t do. Every time you ask a customer what they said is a red flag to them. It simply says “I wasn’t paying any attention to you.”

Especially on the phone, as well as in person.

Getting their order wrong says you weren’t listening/paying attention.

Sending the wrong information says you weren’t listening/paying attention.

And that goes for whether you’re a fast food or a service provider. Be a double-checker on it all.

Remember. We hear, but are we really listening? Are we paying attention?

2. Sympathy and Empathy – And be sure everyone knows the difference. * Sympathy – Sincerely feeling badly something happened and acknowledging it. * Empathy – Understanding how a customer feels that something happened and acknowledging it.

Do NOT say “I know how you feel.” We cannot know how anyone else feels!

Not acknowledging one way or the other of a situation is big cause for your customer to take their business elsewhere.

3. The Ability to Apologize Properly – Believe me, “SORRY ‘bout that” is NOT an apology. When we screw up, make a mistake or do something wrong, the words need to be, “My apologies.” Not, “Sorry ‘bout that.”

Wrong change, wrong order, or wrong information it’s “MY APOLOGIES.”

They say employees can only grasp three items at one time and for your information, it takes 21 days to change a habit. These are not overnight changes.

I promise to bring you more customer service skills in the upcoming months . . . unless you don’t want them. LOL! Remember, the customer doesn’t care how much you know, until they know how much you care.

Nancy Friedman, Founder and Chairman of Telephone Doctor Customer Service Training, is a popular keynote customer service speaker at franchise, corporate meetings and conferences around the country. VIRTUAL programs now available for sessions at your conference and for webinars. Visit: www.nancyfriedman.com; email or call her: www.nancyfriedman.com, 314-291-1012, in St. Louis, MO, Central time.

36 The Franchise Woman

I Am Woman

by Elizabeth Denham

I am a wife, a mother, a writer, a business owner.

I aspire to learn more, be more and offer more while content with today.

I am dreaming bigger than I ever have – putting self-doubt and fear aside Reflecting on who I am, identifying who I want to be Nurturing self while supporting others Learning patience in uncertainty, faith in the unknown.

I have been condemned and celebrated.

Devastated and joyful.

I embrace it all.

I embrace the messy, the uncomfortable, the challenging and the impossible.

I hold tight to resilience, fortitude, strength and family.

I walk through pain, fear, disappointment and frustration So that when I know joy, I feel it at the deepest levels Appreciating the beauty that comes from pushing through the trials Believing in the possibilities.

I cling to hope, love, faith and redemption While I look to the future – every day striving to be… …a tornado of joy.

Sept/Oct 2020

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Pride

Tenacity.

Grit.

Determination.

Success.

Policy & Pride Laura Spaulding’s path to success was one that would have defeated many. But for her, the obstacles in her way fueled her drive and fire to become successful on her terms.

“My experiences definitely pushed me to become self-employed,” Spaulding said. “Before I started my business, I had to lie and hide to feed my family.”

Spaulding’s story is all too common in the LGBTQ community. What’s not common, is Spaulding’s drive and unwillingness to accept that she could not have the life she wanted because of bigotry or discrimination.

“Until your rights have been voted on, you are privileged,” Spaulding explained. “I love that I have created a safe space in business for a diverse group of people.

38 The Franchise Woman

by Elizabeth Denham

Spaulding’s story is harrowing. She was kicked out of her home at 17 when she came out as lesbian and has not spoken with her family since. She moved in with a friend to finish high school and then enlisted in the military. It wasn’t long before the “don’t ask, don’t tell” military went on a mission to out Spaulding and two others and forced them out of the military.

“They asked, we didn’t tell, and they went on a witch hunt to get us out,” she reported. “One month I was given an award and the next, I was stripped of all accomplishments and discharged. They literally took the clothes off our backs and put us out. One of the women who was discharged later died by suicide. The military was her life.

That discharge was the cause of her death.”

Adding insult to injury, because of the discharge papers, finding employment was nearly impossible.

“The military had stamped ‘homosexual’ on the discharge papers, and no one would hire me,” Spaulding said. “I had to petition to have the papers changed so that I could work. I wish I had saved that now – it’s historic.”

After spending some time in Michigan with a friend, Spaulding threw a dart at a map and landed in Knoxville, Tennessee. She enrolled in the University

of Tennessee at Knoxville, worked a restaurant job, but faced housing discrimination in the process of getting settled.

“We couldn’t rent a one-bedroom apartment,” she recalled. “They would not rent to a same-sex couple. They wouldn’t even rent us a two-bedroom – same reason. At that point, I had it. I was in awe. I

Until your rights have been voted on, you are privileged.

Sept/Oct 2020

39

“

I had to lie and hide to feed my family.

just couldn’t believe it. I had it out with the woman at that point. The South is not a friendly place to live.”

In spite of and even because of her struggles, Spaulding decided she would live her life on her terms.

After working as a police officer and narcotics detective, she realized she would never have the life she wanted if she didn’t make it on her own. She started slowly doing crime scene cleanup and grew her business into one of the most successful, fastest-growing franchises specializing in crime scene cleanup.

Even so, she still faced discrimination.

“I have never gotten a loan for my business,” she said. “When I went for one to begin franchising, I was told by four straight, white men in a bank, ‘We are going to pass.’ There was no reason given, and I met the criteria. But at the time, I was married to a woman.”

Spaulding’s team is diverse and her company, a haven for those who need it.

40 The Franchise Woman

“It makes me happy to provide refuge,” Spaulding said with pride. “We only have two heterosexual, white males on our team. Everyone else is diverse. And we support them unconditionally. For us, the customer is not always right. We have had some issues. One customer, after an estimate, said ‘we don’t want any gays in our house.’ We just told them that we were not the right company for them. We do not accommodate that behavior.

Some companies will, and I believe when you do that, you compromise your ethics.”

Pride

For Spaulding, organizations like the newly formed Pride Council of the International Franchise Association are a good step in the right direction. Her participation in the National Gay and Lesbian Chamber of Commerce has been a game-changer that has opened doors for her.

To know Spaulding is to love her.

Her grit, tenacity and desire to provide opportunity and success for others are inspirational.

“My goal with my business is to make 100 people millionaires through Spaulding Decon,” she said.

And while social change is slow, Spaulding is not. There is no doubt she will achieve her goal.

To learn more about Spaulding Decon, please visit: https://spauldingdecon.com/

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41

Feature

Reap What You Sow

by Rebecca Monet

As a behavioral scientist and developer of a suite of psychographic assessments used to predict franchisee compatibility and performance, I’m frequently asked if there are some common traits of successful business owners. I could go on and on about franchisee-franchisor fit and how that impacts success, but I will spare you. Instead I’d like to share with you the one trait super-performers possess in spades: they are givers.

The battle of the ego.

Our egos tend to resist the idea of giving. The ego only cares about our wants, needs and interests. For some, fear prevents them from being generous. Many have been programmed with a scarcity mindset. Others were taught that to survive or to be successful we must look out for ourselves. Giving confronts our fear and boldly claims that we are not held captive by our thoughts of lack. As Maya Angelou says, “Giving liberates the soul of the giver.”

42 The Franchise Woman

You reap what you sow.

You likely have read The Go-Giver, by Joe Berg and John David Mann. In it if you recall, Pindar, a frustrated salesman, learns that happiness, fulfillment, satisfaction and success are by-products of serving others—not the result of seeking these things for their own sake. This positive-sum, almost altruistic focus in business is likely embodied by most entrepreneurs who have built successful businesses.

Yet, this ‘you reap what you sow’ law speaks to all facets of our lives. An acorn when planted, watered and given sunshine will bring forth an oak tree. It will not bring forth savory grapes that you can turn into wine.

Similarly if we sow greed, we bring forth grief, sorrow and unhappiness. If we sow selfishness, we bring forth loneliness, estrangement and disconnection.

In contrast: • Love when shared gives rise to more love.

• Success when shared creates further success.

• Friendliness when given brings forth friendships.

• Knowledge when shared generates wisdom.

• Money when given provides opportunity.

• And so it goes.

A generous woman gives of her time, money and talent. She does so without keeping score.

She listens to the needs of her children, spouse, friends, employees and customers and looks for ways to serve. She gives 100% placing their needs ahead of her own. There are days she is tired of course, but there is great satisfaction and oh so much more by giving authentically of herself.

Unlike the woman who complains she is cold but refuses to put a log on the fire, the thoughtful actions of a generous woman act as kindling to a fire

that will never extinguish. Zig Ziglar said it this way, “You will get all you want, if you help enough other people get what they want.”

Odd but real nonetheless.

Ironically, this universal ‘you reap what you sow’ law works even when you have less than altruistic motives. Many businesses strategically engage communities where they desire influence by giving to causes these communities find worthy. This gives them a competitive advantage.

As the world becomes ever more uncertain, there is an increasing need for trust and

belief in the good. Customers, employees and communities expect more from business than just a single-minded focus on the bottom line. Companies who can show their value in actions and inspire their people to give and make a difference, do well.

There are many benefits to developing a culture of generosity and social responsibility. Giving will: • Build your reputation and increase brand equity • Enhance your relationship with your customers and drive consumer preference

• Improve engagement and retention of your employees and customers Most importantly, giving will drive your growth. BrandZ, the largest global brand equity platform which covers over 100,000 brands across 45 countries, states that businesses with a clear brand purpose, those seen as making lives better, on average, grew three times faster in value.

Giving acts as a boomerang.

It’s almost like magic. The more we give of our time, money and talent the more we receive.

However, to do so requires

Sept/Oct 2020

43

the casting off of ego and fear and embracing the sow and reap mentality. Do you want more happiness, fulfillment, satisfaction and success?

Then sow more. Serve others. Give on purpose and to a purpose. Ask yourself each day, “How can I be of service to someone today?” Give

freely with no intention of receiving anything in return. As Winston Churchill wisely stated, “Happiness is not so much in having as in sharing. We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” What kind of life will you choose to make?

Remember: If you sow sparingly you reap sparingly. If you sow generously you reap generously. (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)

Rebecca Monet is chief scientist and president of Zorakle Profiles. Zorakle Profiles is a franchise-specific solutions provider of psychometric assessments. Zorakle’s SpotOn! meta-analysis provides insight no singular profile, survey, algorithm or assessment can. Zorakle’s SpotOn! science determines franchisee-franchisor compatibility and predicts performance. Zorakle reduces recruitment and support costs while increasing franchisee validation and performance.

44 The Franchise Woman

Looking Forward Coming in November:

the “Work/Life Balance” Issue Reserve your space today.

Reach out at info@thefranchisewoman.com Sept/Oct 2020

45

Feature

Leadership, Communication One thing Meg Roberts has learned over the course of her career is that building community requires effective and adaptable communication.

“My passion is brand-building and business-building, especially in the franchising industry,” Roberts said.

“Franchising allows you to have a direct relationship with the people you are supporting. That is why I love it and why I am good at it.

Every franchise system is different.

Every individual is different. So, your communication must adapt.”

46 The Franchise Woman

and

Community Roberts, CEO and President of the Lash Lounge, started her career in the advertising world at an agency in Chicago focusing on branding, television commercials and the like.

Thirteen years ago, she stumbled upon franchising, and has never looked back.

by Elizabeth Denham

In her first role in franchising, as Vice President of Marketing with Service Brands International, Roberts worked with Craig Donaldson and learned many lessons about leadership and communication.

“Craig talked about communication in terms of firm, fair and friendly.

As a new executive, I was nervous about the ‘firm’ sometimes, but this approach was the most valuable leadership lesson I have learned and I apply it to every form of communication,” Roberts said.

Donaldson’s mentorship helped inform Roberts’ leadership style and approach.

“With Craig, there is no difference between who he says he is and who he actually is. I feel like he could fire someone, and they would say, ‘thank you,’ ” she mused.

“What I learned from how was not what do to, but how to do it. – with sincerity, empathy and authenticity.”

“

Roberts believes she is respected as a leader because she is a real

person who is interested in the livelihood and success of her franchisees’ businesses.

“I want people to feel they can come to me in an unintimidating way. I think it’s important to show our vulnerabilities and flaws,” Roberts noted. “I have never wanted to appear to be someone who has it all figured out. I hope I show a good example and inspire the people I work with.”

Lately, Roberts has been busy reaching outward and upward in the franchising industry and putting her leadership and communication skills to work. She sits on the board of the International Franchise Association (IFA) and promotes a message of bipartisanship.

“I want the IFA to take messages to the Hill using a more bipartisan approach. Small business comes from both parties, and the more we can find less divisive ways to communicate, the more we can accomplish together,” she said.

I think it’s important to show our vulnerabilities and flaws

Roberts was also active in lobbying Congress on the last round of COVID relief, the HEALS Act advocating for changing the narrative to better promote and protect employees.

As a new brand, Roberts values the importance of com-

munity outreach and support. As the Lash Lounge grows, they have a few things under consideration to participate in elevating women in business.

“The Black Lives Matter movement made us realize we are not doing enough to thoughtfully consider how we are contributing to longterm solutions in making sure we have a strong representation by women of color in our system,” she said. “We are looking at how we can potentially provide scholarships for women of color in the beauty industry and offer opportunities for women to have not just minimum wage jobs, but successful careers.

We are excited about our young brand and looking forward to empowering women to be successful, independent and strong.”

To learn more about the Lash Lounge, please visit https://www. thelashlounge.com/

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Feature

Yum! Brands –

On a Mission

to Elevate Women in Franchising Ericka Garza is on a mission. She wants to change the demographic of franchisees to include more women and minorities from the inside out – starting with her company. She currently serves as Director of Franchise Recruitment for Pizza Hut, US. And leads the Philanthropic & Community pillar for YUM’s Multi- Cultural ERG. In addition, sits on YUM’s LIFT2 Council (Leading

48 The Franchise Woman

Inclusion for Today and Tomorrow).

Garza has the smarts, perseverance and passion to succeed.

“I’m excited to work along a talented team dedicated to ensuring, as a company, we are doing more than just checking a box,” Garza said.

“Our plan is to create pathways to entrepreneurship for women and minorities in the Yum! ecosystem.

by Elizabeth Denham

It is important that we be a home for qualified female franchisees throughout our four brands.”

The first step Garza’s taken within her organization is to elevate and amplify the existing franchisee female voices within the Pizza Hut family.

Yum! Brands includes Taco Bell, KFC, Pizza Hut and the Habit Burger Grill.

“We have a tremendous opportunity to increase the presence and voice of women franchisees within the organization. It takes a smart, strong, fearless woman to have that voice.”

The company is committed to supporting women in our franchise organizations to succeed, grow and retain Garza noted.

The next step is exploring and expanding the paths to allow entry

to more women. While she works to elevate the women franchisees we already have in the company; Garza also has set aggressive goals to drive more women into the Pizza Hut Brand.

“There are women who deserve the opportunity, but they may not have the financial backing or the funding. Ensuring women have an equitable access to financing from banking institutions will be vital,” she said.

Garza and her counterparts at KFC and Taco Bell are in the planning stages of executing the first ever virtual professional development conference for women in franchis-

“

ing slated for Fall 2020. The conference will bring together women leaders across YUM! Brands to support diversity, networking, leverage learnings and collaborate.

“We are so excited about this conference, and we believe it will go a long way toward helping us move forward in elevating women in the company and attracting women to our brands,” Garza said. “Stay tuned for more information!”

To learn more about Yum! Brands, please visit https://www.yum.com/ wps/portal/yumbrands/Yumbrands https://franchise.pizzahut.com/

I will do whatever it takes to make sure we, as a company, are doing more than just checking a box.

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Women on the Move The Franchise Woman would like not only to inspire women to achieve their dreams of successful business ownership, but also to recognize women who are owning it, killing it and making big moves in the industry.

Adrienne Berkes

Amanda Hall

Pieology Names Adrienne Berkes New Chief Marketing Officer

Clean Juices Names Amanda Hall as Chief Operating Officer

52 The Franchise Woman

Elizabeth Redmond Elizabeth Redmond has been promoted to chief accounting officer at Choice Hotels.

Kendra Schneider Kendra Schneider recently launched her franchise, Caring Transitions of Papillion, Nebraska.

Meghan Cook Emerging Leader - Meghan Cook was named Emerging Leader at the 2019 Tropical Smoothie Café Virtual Summer Celebration.

Stacy Cooper GYMGUYZ has hired Stacey Cooper as its new Vice President of Franchise Operations.

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Contact Us Let us help you grow your brand! Find out how we can target your next franchise owner.

We strive to create an amazing resource for women in the franchise industry.

Please contact us at any time.

206-705-3081 www.TheFranchiseWoman.com info@thefranchisewoman.com

54 The Franchise Woman

PUSHPA KUNWAR The Patch Boys Las Vegas, NV

TAMARA HOLMES The Patch Boys Central VA

LEA RUBINSTEIN The Patch Boys Ocean County, NJ

LISA KALEZIC The Patch Boys Raleigh, NC

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