WOMEN AT
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THE TOP
Meg Roberts
President, Molly Maid
Was becoming CEO of an organization part of your professional plan? No, not specifically, but I’ve
How has your life experience made
you the leader you are today? I
was raised in a large family where you
take responsibility for one another at an
early age. I learned early that you can be
a guide, a teacher, a leader, and a learner.
The best leaders, in my opinion, are those
who continue to appreciate they can
learn from their team while also guiding
them. It’s not that different than a large
family dynamic.
learned more recently that leadership is
a bit of a natural tendency for me. I’m
always active, constantly thinking, and
really enjoying working with people on
challenges. Being the leader of my company just so happens to be where I put
those skills to work.
What do you love most about being president? Contributing to the
Role models? Without a doubt my
parents were my most significant role
models. They raised me to work hard
and taught me that shared success is the
best success. They groomed me and my
younger sister to be assertive and not
to be intimidated by our brothers. We
played hard together and learned to respect one another. Those early games
of pond hockey and driveway basketball
can really teach a young girl a great deal
about carving out your space!
success of others, be it our franchisees
or our corporate staff. Nothing is more
satisfying than watching others achieve
great things.
SYSTEM REVENUE: $199 million
How much of your time do you
spend at that, and what are you
doing to spend more? Having great
NO. OF UNITS: 445
PUBLIC OR PRIVATE: Private
GROWTH PLANS: $250 million by 2018
FOUNDED: 1979, Canada
BEGAN FRANCHISING: 1984, in the U.S.
Management gurus or books that
have deeply affected you: I was
recently exposed to Gino Wickman’s
Traction, which is the most exciting organizational behavior book I’ve read in
some time. A personal favorite though
is Business Leadership the Marine Corps
Way by Dan Carrison. As the daughter
of a Vietnam veteran, I can attest that
the leadership wisdom is unparalleled
and concepts of teamwork, respect, and
responsibility are outstanding. My father
always said “officers eat last,” and it’s a
good reminder that great leaders owe
their troops respect at every turn.
Has mentorship made a difference
in your professional and personal
life? I’ve had great mentors throughout
my career and in my personal life. My
most challenging boss turned out to be
my greatest mentor—he challenged me to
really exceed my expectations of myself.
YEARS WITH COMPANY: 6.5
YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 6.5
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: 0
impressed by the coaches—particularly
college coaches who inspire athletes of
all talent levels to perform. Pat Summitt,
the former women’s basketball coach at
Tennessee, who has more wins than any
men’s coach, was a truly inspiring coach
and leader. And now, as she suffers from
Alzheimer’s, she continues to leverage
her influence to draw attention to this
disease. She’s a powerhouse.
Advice for young female CEO
aspirants: Be your authentic self—
strengths, flaws, and insecurities alike.
A true leader is someone who can own
their imperfections while always striving to be better.
Leadership style: Firm in guiding
Female leaders you admire: I’m
a huge sports fan, but I’m always most
the direction, and collaborative in the
approach and execution.
executive leadership among our core
departments certainly allows me to focus more on strategies to improve our
business and accelerate our franchisees’
success. A growing percentage of my
time will be spent on strategy now that
I have great department leaders.
What do you like most about what
your brand/legacy represents? Our
service provides the free time families
crave and the peace of mind they desire
when hiring a professional to clean their
home. I believe Molly Maid, if personified, would be the most loyal neighbor
and friend, truly interested in the happiness and contentment of the families
around her.
What role does diversity play in
your management team? Our man-
agement team is diverse in talent, gender, religion, background, and beliefs.
Our differing points of view are part of
what makes us stronger. We challenge
one another to think differently.
If you are expanding overseas,
does being a woman affect growth?
No, we are not expanding overseas. n
Franchiseupdate
Franchiseupdate I S S U E I , 2014
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