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Name: Jennifer Dodd
Title: CEO
Company: Main Squeeze Juice Co.
Years in franchising: 30
Number of units: 25
Jennifer Dodd is the CEO of Main Squeeze Juice Co., a restaurant brand offering nutritionist-designed, superfood-centric menus featuring raw, cold-pressed juices, handcrafted smoothies, organic acai bowls, juice cleanses, shots, and more.
A seasoned branding and franchise executive, she is known for her ability to redefine brands, drive strategic growth, and deliver shareholder value. She’s led aggressive expansion and turnaround initiatives with a range of top-ranked franchise companies. Her experience includes more than 30 years as an executive for top brands across the food service industry. In previous executive roles, Jennifer led the successful execution of the brand redesign of Melting Pot. She guided innovative growth of the Tim Hortons U. S. franchise development and nontraditional development teams. In addition, she oversaw the expansion of one of Dunkin’ Brands’ top markets.
Jennifer has guided numerous brand redesigns and new market entries to lead successful organizational development. She has applied her skills at a $400 million-plus multi-brand QSR franchise group, a $200 million-plus privately held global casual dining chain, a tuition-based international education franchise organization, and a 1,500-unit franchise-licensed chain with businesses in more than 10 countries.
Jennifer has cultivated talent-rich and servant-leadership cultures within organizations, empowering employees to harness their potential and foster organizational team collaboration and community while delivering exceptional results.
What inspired you to pursue leadership in franchising/branding? Working for a franchisee at Wendy’s. I worked for a three-store franchise owner who maintained high standards, and I fell in love with the business. I respected the natural give and take between franchisee and franchisor that led to a winning venture. The franchisee worked hard and invested in the team, enabling us to maintain consistent brand standards. The mutual benefits of the franchise were clear to me, and I never looked back.
Can you share a defining moment that shaped your leadership style? My leadership style was directly shaped by my first-grade teacher, Mrs. Montgomery, who recognized that I was not performing to the best of my ability when I was homeless and hungry. Mrs. Montgomery stepped in and modeled incredible servant leadership, influencing me to take the steps that eventually rescued my life.
She encouraged me to look beyond my pain when I didn’t want to color in a sheet that exhibited a happy girl. I scribbled on the paper, and she held me accountable by giving it an F.
Then she walked me through a clean sheet. Without my knowing, she taught me visualization and affirmations by helping me imagine what the dream could be if I colored the sheet the way I dreamed it to be. What a glorious moment it was when my picture came back with an A.
She planted seeds of hope that were watered by other teachers, mentors, and leaders, inspiring the mission statement I wrote in 1993: “to breathe life into others.” Mrs. Montgomery helped me to:
How has your personal background influenced the way you lead? In childhood, I faced serious adversity that was driven by my father’s substance abuse. It caused my siblings and me to face unimaginable hardships. Finding a way to rise from the ashes strengthened my resilience and grit as a leader. I developed my love for humanity and a commitment to pay it forward.
My first job, serving as the Wendy’s girl mascot, taught me the power of disruption as a strategy to drive revenue. It also taught me that we can make the day brighter for the people we serve by delivering quality food with warmth and hospitality. I learned the importance of driving for results regardless of the obstacles, always keeping the top and bottom lines at the forefront. These lessons helped me develop the ability to drive exponential revenue and profits while making a difference in the lives of those we serve.
Working for a multi-unit franchisee for the first 14 years of my career prepared me to lead franchisor brands and corporations with an indelible understanding that the franchisees are entrepreneurs deserving of our respect and support. They are the true heroes of capitalism.
Who or what has most influenced your philosophy as a leader or changemaker? Early mentors like Mrs. Montgomery and Ray Biondi, a vice president and senior partner at RTM Restaurant Group, taught me to look for unique talents in others and help them develop. Edna Morris, a restaurant industry veteran and leader with more than 30 years of experience, is a champion of all people and a wise business advisor. Carin Stutz, president and CEO of Native Foods, modeled financial expertise for me as a young operations leader. Barbara Timm-Brock, CEO at eTrack Tech, served on my personal board of directors for years, and Julie Zucker, partner and CMO at Branded Strategic Hospitality, mentors me in next-generation reach and marketing strategy. Billy Boozer, a cutting-edge AI tech executive, advises me on AI strategy. My most important influencer is my husband, Jesse Dodd, who has been devoted to my personal growth since he asked me out in that Wendy’s drive-thru. He speaks truth to power, wrapped in love and candor, and makes the day great no matter the challenge I face.
What significant changes or innovations have you led within your brand? I led the rebranding of Main Squeeze Juice Co. out of the starting gate, and the team worked hard to deliver a more than 30% sales trend change within four months of my arrival. We followed with the relaunch of our fast-casual restaurant brand that delivers a menu of real, natural ingredients. Through digital media, we told people how our delicious food and beverages help people power their day and fuel their wellness lifestyles.
How did you implement those changes, and what results did they bring? I engaged trusted strategic advisors to support our incredible team, who are equally invested in the mission of Main Squeeze Juice Co. We enrolled supplier partners and drove profitable partnerships. Franchise owners trusted the brand’s strategic repositioning. Their faith was rewarded as we were able to invest in every franchise and affiliate store by supplying the equipment and installation of the new digital menu boards across the chain at no cost to the owners. This was the first time in the brand’s history that the franchisor paid for system-wide upgrades. This drove improved franchisee relations, and customers appreciated the upgraded digital experience. The net result was quarter after quarter of growth.
What role have you had in adopting new technologies, including AI? We own our own tech stack at Main Squeeze Juice Co. and have used AI to lighten the burden of redundant work for our team. We’ve also applied AI to marketing and reputation management support. Most significantly, we’ve used it for code development, saving us considerable time and money.
The advancement in AI has been transformative for updating frameworks, identifying bug fixes, and implementing optimizations. When our Android app had critical issues, we used Claude to diagnose the problems, develop solutions, and get fixes deployed quickly, which was work that previously would have required bringing in outside developers.
We’ve also partnered with organizations like Spillover, Know, ChowAI, and LandedAI that deploy AI strategically, improving our partner relationships through more efficient, frictionless solutions.
How do you identify when it’s time for a brand to evolve? Change is coming at lightning speed, but there are core tenets that can guide brand evolution:
Have you led similar change initiatives at other brands? Yes! I have been blessed to work with giants in my career and support or lead rebranding efforts at Arby’s, Dunkin’ Brands, and Melting Pot. I had the pleasure of leading Melting Pot through its award-winning global brand evolution.
How do you communicate change effectively to franchisees? Involve the corporate team early and listen to their ideas and feedback. Empower them to always be on the balls of their feet. They are invaluable partners in getting the message to the franchisees and their teams.
Once the departmental leads are all in, share early and often with the franchise advisory council. An engaged advisory council process is invaluable.
Franchisees get more engaged when you help them understand the “why, what, and how” undergirded by WIIFM (what’s in it for me). Franchisees invest in the dream you share of the brand’s future. When it comes to change, present a business case that is rich with data and insights that illustrate predictable consistency and then invite them to weigh in. Even when we disagree, I want them passionate and engaged. Coming together is always possible when both parties believe they are valued and heard. That buy-in drives adoption and fuels success.
What obstacles have you encountered while driving change, and how did you overcome them? I have stepped in to lead where trust was fractured or even obliterated. These types of challenges are difficult and rewarding. With strong board and investor support, this is where I thrive.
It’s hard work to rebuild trust because leadership is a heart business. We can lead most effectively if each person is willing to give us a little piece of their heart. They may not even realize it, but that’s a requirement for a unified purpose that’s focused on making a shared dream a reality. This takes time to develop. As a leader, you have to do the hard work.
The first step is giving the franchisees a piece of your heart, showing up, and welcoming them to speak truth to power. Solve their problems quickly, always having their back, and stay in the fight.
How do you maintain momentum when new ideas face resistance? Lay down the groundwork that addresses resistance. This involves listening to the hum, what is and is not being said by your internal and external customers, engaging the FAC and frontline operators often, and publishing test results with data and insights. These steps drive greater adoption and create brand ambassadors. It is tough to get 100% engagement, but franchisees who become allies drive success.
What lessons have you learned from an initiative that didn’t go as planned? Failure is critical for a successful life. I believe in measuring everything, listening to the advice of business experts, and leveraging data to reach a predictable outcome. The flip side is I would rather be 90% buttoned up and moving forward than being too cautious. My definition of successful failure is:
Whatever you do, just keep failing successfully!
How do you balance short-term pressures with long-term vision? If you follow The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People by Stephen Covey, there are principles to keep in mind:
How do you build and motivate high-performing teams? I have spent my career devoted to the success of others. I work to live it authentically. I’ve been told that the sincerity of my commitment is evident, and the net result is that it drives trust quickly. Once I earn trust, I can use my superpower, which is identifying the natural, raw talents of others. When I help team members see their own talents, it almost always opens a door for them to apply their abilities with purpose. The genie is free from the bottle and never to return. That’s a beautiful sight to see! It’s super rewarding for me as a leader, mentor, and friend.
What practices help you connect with employees and franchisees at every level?
How do you build buy-in and bring others along when pushing for change? I learned early on that people buy in when they have skin in the game. That’s not just equity; it’s allowing others to play a part in designing the platform, building the dream, and setting the goals. Once they help create the masterpiece, they will buy in at a whole new level.
This is where the fun comes in for a leader. Your job is to cast the initial vision and support the team so that they can go all-in and apply their talents in a high-trust environment. It doesn’t matter if they are franchisees, team members, or supplier partners; all boats rise with this model.
How do you mentor or empower the next generation of leaders or changemakers? The first step is spending time with them. Another principle from The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People is to “seek first to understand and then be understood.” Ask open-ended questions and assume you know nothing. Speak less and listen more. That allows the other person to feel valued and respected. They will naturally ask you for input and advice. I have numerous junior mentors and find the lessons learned from the give-and-take of our relationships to be invaluable.
What excites you most about the future of your brand or the industry? We are in the people business. We always have been and always will be. The advancement of AI and robotics is incredible as it will allow us to deploy humanity to do what we do best, which is serve others with sincere hospitality and grace. We do more than feed people in the restaurant industry. If done right, we are feeding body and soul. That is something AI will never replace.
How do you stay true to a brand’s core while still adapting for the future? Keep your focus on the people you serve. Measure their satisfaction and remain open to the idea that brand building is never done. We are in a constant break-fix-rebuild mode, so leverage your talent and resources and use all the technology at your disposal to build effectively and sustainably.
Where do you see the greatest opportunities for women in franchising? Women are brilliant and tenacious leaders with the hearts of lions, nerves of steel, and work ethics that cannot be matched. These natural skills will play to our advantage in franchising. As we adopt technology at a rapid pace, our humanity becomes more important. Whether as entrepreneurs, franchisees, or franchisors, women will rise to the occasion again and again.
If you could give one piece of advice to your younger self, what would it be? Invest your talent wisely to be sure you get the return on your investment. Your talent is the most valuable asset you will ever invest in, so develop it, invest in yourself, and hone your craft. Plug yourself in with a team committed to a meaningful mission that you believe in.
What advice would you give to leaders who want to create lasting impact? Think of yourself less and others more. If you do that, you’ll find your needs are taken care of, and you’ll be surrounded by passionate rainmakers! Never take credit for the work of others. Always give it away as that’s nitrous fuel for others, and they’ll return the fuel to the mission.