WOMEN AT
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THE TOP
Sharon DiMinico
Founder and CEO, Learning Express
How has your life experience made
you the leader you are today? My
How much of your time do you
spend at that, and what are you
doing to spend more? When I started
father was an entrepreneur and instilled
in us the belief that we could do anything
we wanted to do if we worked hard.
this company, I worked 14- to 16-hour
days, 7 days a week for years. Now it’s
more 10-to-6, 5 days a week. It’s never
been a job to me—it’s a passion.
Role models? Mom, dad, professors,
and employers along the way.
“Our store
owners
provide their
communities
with exceptional
toys—the
building blocks
of social,
physical, and
cognitive
development.”
Management gurus or books that
have deeply affected you: Jack Welch.
Has mentorship made a difference
in your professional and personal
life? I take great pride in the personal
and professional growth of the people I
work with every day. We have an amazing team. I am not a micro-manager.
Our people are grateful that I trust them
to take on projects and run with them.
SYSTEM REVENUE: $130 million
NO. OF UNITS: 131
PUBLIC OR PRIVATE: Private
“I take great
pride in the
personal and
professional
growth of the
people I work
with every day.
We have an
amazing team.”
Female leaders you admire: I’m
GROWTH PLANS: 140 stores next year,
160 in 3 years, 180 in 5 years
FOUNDED: 1987
BEGAN FRANCHISING: 1990
YEARS WITH COMPANY: 26
What do you like most about what
your brand/legacy represents?
YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 23
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: 0
Leadership style: Set high expectations early on and lead by example. Always compliment good work and retrain
when mistakes are made.
Was becoming CEO of an organization part of your professional
plan? No. We’re not big on titles here.
not a very good networker, so I personally have no connection to other women
entrepreneurs. I think Meg Whitman has
an interesting story, as does Carly Fiorina.
The leaders in our company work the
longest hours—because they want to.
Advice for young female CEO
aspirants: Speak your mind. Remain
anyone! Seriously, there is a wonderful
sense of freedom when you own your
own business.
positive.
What do you love most about being CEO? That I don’t have to report to
That we provide a great opportunity for
people to spend more time with their family, make a good living, and have fun at
work. That our store owners provide their
communities with exceptional toys—the
building blocks of social, physical, and
cognitive development.
What role does diversity play in
your management team? The ex-
ecutive team is made up of three women
and one man. We have 31 employees, 20
women and 11 men.
If you are expanding overseas,
does being a woman affect growth?
How? We are not expanding overseas
at this time. n
Franchiseupdate
Franchiseupdate I S S U E I , 2014
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