WOMEN AT
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THE TOP
Marla Topliff
President, Rosati’s Pizza
life? Actually yes. It’s an odd story, but
How has your life experience made
you the leader you are today? My
one of my mentors was a young man 20
years my junior who was my supervisor
when I was a sales manager at Welcome
Wagon and they were purchased by a
large conglomerate, CUC International.
I have no formal business training besides
what I learned by the seat of my pants,
and Paul became my teacher, mentor,
and friend. We traveled the country together, with him teaching me the finer
points of big business and me teaching
him the intricacies of sales. We are still
friends today.
father started taking me to work with
him when I was 7 years old, which helped
me to build a great work ethic at a very
young age. My dad was an entrepreneur
in the truest sense of the word, and his
lessons have stuck with me. With each
new career change, including my career as a stay-at-home mom and PTA
volunteer, I gained new insights and
knowledge that helped guide me from
one level to the next. But the recurring theme always comes back to my
number-one rule, which is to always
treat everyone the way you want to be
treated. Respect is the key to success.
Female leaders you admire: Kat
Role models? My dad was my greatest
role model. He taught me the importance of maintaining a balance between
hard work and family, and he led by
example when dealing with the public.
Honesty, manners, and integrity were
his commandments—values I live by
to this day. I am also inspired by Dawn
Sweeney, who I believe sets the standard
for everything that a good leader should
be. As the president and CEO of both
the NRA and the NRA Educational
Foundation, Dawn sets the bar high
and is both tough and fair-minded. She
has an open ear, heart, and mind and
takes the time to listen to people, then
act accordingly. And in a world where
women may have to fight a little harder
to climb that next step up the ladder,
Dawn’s success is an amazing inspiration to women everywhere.
Management gurus or books that
have deeply affected you: I was
introduced to Ken Blanchard’s One
Minute Manager years ago. I swear by
it and buy copies for many of my franchisees. And yes, as clichéd as it is, I am
a Stephen Covey fan and the 7 Habits
is a favorite of mine.
Has mentorship made a difference
in your professional and personal
40
Franchiseupdate ISS U E I, 2 0 1 4
SYSTEM REVENUE: $165 million
NO. OF UNITS: 171
PUBLIC OR PRIVATE: Private
GROWTH PLANS: 15–20 units a year
FOUNDED: 1964
BEGAN FRANCHISING: 2005
YEARS WITH COMPANY: 14
YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 9
INTERNATIONAL LOCATIONS: 0
“Don’t compete
for attention—
just go out
and grab it by
doing great
things.”
Cole would be one. Kat has such a great
story and she’s such an inspiration—another tough, no-nonsense leader who
is not afraid to play on the big board
and is well respected on all levels. She
is a generous and classy lady who likes
to give as much as she receives. Kathleen Woods would be high on my list
of great leaders as well. Kathleen is one
of the smartest ladies I know, and when
I need a hand she is my go-to guy. She
is one of the hardest-working people
in the business and is right now in the
process of expanding her new franchise
chain, Suzy’s Swirl, while busily managing her thriving consulting business.
Kathleen has amazing charisma—as
soon as she walks into a room, she
immediately grabs your attention and
keeps you focused, engaged, and energized. She is an impressive woman
and Suzy’s will be taking the world by
storm very quickly.
Advice for young female CEO aspirants: Don’t be afraid to reach beyond
yourself. Always look at the playing field
as level and take home court advantage.
Don’t compete for attention—just go
out and grab it by doing great things.
Leadership style: Simple. More listen-
ing, less talking, and giving my employees
a chance to prove themselves on their
own. As I said, I am a Ken Blanchard
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