WOMEN AT THE TOP, continued
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has stock options in our company.
Was becoming CEO of an organization part of your professional
plan? No. I am a CPA and was a
controller for a subsidiary of United
Airlines when we decided to start our
company. I aspired to be a Fortune 100
CFO but didn’t envision being either
a CEO or an entrepreneur.
What do you love most about being CEO? I enjoy developing strategy
at the enterprise, brand, and franchisee
levels. Working with franchisees to set
longer-term goals and to build a strong
organization that can maximize their
potential is the most rewarding thing
I do. I host 2-day strategic planning
sessions for approximately 75 franchisees each year.
How much of your time do you
spend at that, and what are you
doing to spend more? My time
spent on strategy for our enterprise
and the brand as well as developing
strategy with franchisees has increased
to approximately 75 percent of my time
in the past year (up from 25 percent)
and I love it! I implemented the EOS
(Entrepreneurial Operating System)
process in Traction, and appointed an
“integrator” who runs the day-to-day.
Now I have two direct reports (my
“integrator” and my executive assistant), compared with eight direct
reports a year ago.
What do you like most about
what your brand/legacy represents? We get to help moms and
dads and grandmas and grandpas live
their best life possible. We provide
the best quality care so their families
can have peace of mind knowing that
their loved ones are receiving the care
they need, earned, and deserve. I get
the privilege of knowing that we make
a difference every day.
What role does diversity play in
your management team? We hire
the most qualified person for each role,
embracing an equal opportunity mindset
that allows us to diversify our options
when searching for the best candidate.
For example, we have two strong women
on our leadership team: our amazing
chief clinical and quality officer and me.
If you are expanding overseas,
does being a woman affect growth?
I have been on international trips to
Canada and the U.K. and did not find
this to be an issue. I have thought about
an increased likelihood of success by
sending members of my leadership
team as we contemplate expansion in
markets such as Asia or th R֖FF