Bold Women in the C-Suite: Robin Gagnon

By: Franchise Update Magazine | 3,484 Reads | 5 Shares

Featured in: Franchise Update Magazine: Issue 1, 2023

%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E+Robin+Gagnon%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EBrand%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E+We+Sell+Restaurants%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3ETitle%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E+CEO%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EAge%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E+50%2B%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EYears+in+franchising%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E+10%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3ENo.+of+units%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E+37+franchisee-owned+territories+in+8+states%2C+2+company+locations+handling+45+states+nationwide%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EHow+important+is+making+bold+moves+in+a+woman%26rsquo%3Bs+path+to+the+C-suite%3F%3C%2Fstrong%3E+Bold+moves+are+a+critical+part+of+any+woman%26rsquo%3Bs+path+to+the+C-suite.+Women+have+the+unique+ability+to+empathize+in+the+workplace+and+communicate+in+a+very+responsive+and+approachable+way.+The+downside+to+that+style+is+that+it+can+be+interpreted+as+a+weak+approach+to+business+unless+it+is+married+with+bold+strategies+that+push+brands+forward.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EDescribe+bold+moves+you%26rsquo%3Bve+made+in+your+career.%3C%2Fstrong%3E+I+finished+my+MBA+with+my+sights+set+on+a+career+path+in+Fortune+100+companies.+This+was+after+cutting+my+teeth+in+small+companies+at+an+early+age.+Despite+success+in+the+corporate+world%2C+I+swapped+my+role+as+VP+of+strategic+marketing+with+a+Fortune+100+firm+to+launch+our+startup%2C+We+Sell+Restaurants.+At+the+time%2C+there+was+no+specialized+approach+to+business+brokerage+for+restaurants.+There+was+no+firm+with+the+discipline+to+say+%26ldquo%3Bno%26rdquo%3B+to+representing+every+vertical+and+there+was+no+systemic+technology+to+tie+the+approach+together.+That+bold+move+paid+off+in+our+becoming+the+largest+restaurant+brokerage+firm+in+the+country%2C+with+franchisees+across+the+nation+and+a+corporate+office+that+services+45+states.+In+addition%2C+the+profile+of+a+business+broker+in+the+industry+was+overwhelmingly+male+%2899%25%29+and+between+55+and+58.+I+challenged+every+single+profile+in+the+industry+to+outperform+individually+and+for+my+firm.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EHow+did+you+envision+those+moves+changing+the+brand+you+were+with%3F%3C%2Fstrong%3E+We+disrupted+the+business+brokerage+industry.+Before+this+brand%2C+there+were+general+brokers+and+there+were+people+who+handled+restaurants%2C+but+there+was+no+specific+targeted+approach+to+service+one+vertical+in+a+unique+way.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EHow+has+your+leadership+helped+evolve+the+brand%3F%3C%2Fstrong%3E+I+am+always+pushing+forward+and+believe+a+brand+that+is+not+in+forward+motion+and+continuing+to+challenge+itself+and+its+team+members+is%2C+in+fact%2C+falling+back.+I%26rsquo%3Bm+always+trying+to+be+on+the+bleeding+edge+of+technological+advances+and+improvements.+I+am+also+thinking+of+ways+to+leverage+what+we+have+developed+in+other+ways+for+the+franchise+industry.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EWas+there+pushback%3F+How+did+you+handle+that%3F%3C%2Fstrong%3E+At+a+certain+level+of+success%2C+there+is+always+going+to+be+pushback.+It+is+simply+not+in+my+DNA+to+go+slow+or+stop+growing%2C+so+I+am+always+pushing+forward.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EHow+are+you+imparting+a+culture+of+boldness+to+other+women+in+your+organization%3F%3C%2Fstrong%3E+I+model+behavior+that+encourages+taking+risks+and+learning+from+other+women.+I+chair+the+IFA%26rsquo%3Bs+Women%26rsquo%3Bs+Franchise+Committee%2C+whose+mission+is+to+%26ldquo%3Bpromote+women%26rsquo%3Bs+participation+in+franchising+by+providing+international+networking+opportunities+for+the+exchange+of+ideas%2C+resources%2C+and+experiences.%26rdquo%3B+I+launched+the+Women+in+Franchising+on+Clubhouse%2C+a+weekly+social+meetup+around+topics+where+there+is+real+sharing+and+community+among+the+industry.+Hosting+this+program+each+week+provides+connections+for+women+building+their+careers%2C+those+ready+to+mentor+others%2C+and+those+who+attend+just+to+listen.+I+advocate+for+women+in+our+brand.+Despite+real+progress+in+the+industry%2C+the+lion%26rsquo%3Bs+share+of+transactions+is+still+brokered+by+men.+Our+brand+is+changing+that+by+recruiting+female+franchisees+and+promoting+corporate+team+members+who+are+setting+industry+records.+We+promote+women+within+our+organization+and+encourage+them+to+be+their+best.+That+sometimes+means+coaching+them+around+finding+their+voice%2C+breaking+out+of+a+comfort+zone%2C+and+pushing+forward+boldly.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EWhat+motivates+you+as+a+leader%3F%3C%2Fstrong%3E+The+success+of+our+franchisees.+Each+time+I+see+them+grow+from+launch+to+success+and+create+generational+wealth+for+their+family%2C+I+am+so+inspired+and+motivated+to+do+more.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EWhat+are+some+ways+women+leaders+in+franchising+can+drive+change%3F%3C%2Fstrong%3E+Promote+and+advance+women+on+your+team.+Mentor+and+coach+women+to+be+successful+leaders.+It+is+not+an+innate+process+and+requires+development+and+study.+Give+to+others+in+the+industry+through+the+gift+of+your+time%2C+absolute+focus+and+attention+to+their+needs%2C+and+sharing+of+your+talent.+You+will+be+an+agent+of+change+for+those+you+help+grow.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EWhat+role+has+mentoring+played+in+your+career%3F+How+did+you+meet+your+mentors%3F%3C%2Fstrong%3E+I+have+been+blessed+with+multiple+mentors+over+the+years.+Some+are+directly+related+to+franchising.+Others+are+business+leaders.+I+also+have+people+I+trust+to+just+serve+as+a+sounding+board+for+ideas+and+to+provide+feedback.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EDescribe+one+of+your+biggest+failures.%3C%2Fstrong%3E+What+did+you+learn%2C+and+how+did+it+contribute+to+greater+personal+or+business+success%3F+One+of+my+biggest+failures+is+when+someone+I+trusted%2C+mentored%2C+and+coached+to+great+results+left+the+company+and+attempted+to+copy+our+business+model+despite+a+noncompete.+It+was+devastating+on+multiple+fronts.+I+felt+the+sting+of+failure+because+someone+I+had+such+faith+in+and+taught+so+much+could+be+so+disloyal.+It+was+financially+costly+to+sue+this+individual+as+well.+Ultimately%2C+he+was+sanctioned%2C+fined+by+the+court%2C+and+ordered+to+pay+all+of+our+fees.+As+the+events+wound+through+the+court+system%2C+I+learned+that+the+victory+was+not+in+the+judge%26rsquo%3Bs+ruling+in+our+favor+but+that+the+things+he+was+attempting+to+copy+were+in+the+past.+We+had+continued+to+evolve+the+customer+experience%2C+the+marketing%2C+and+the+overall+business+model.+Thus+I+learned+that+our+brand+and+its+success+cannot+be+knocked+off+or+imitated+because+of+our+commitment+to+continuous+improvement.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EWhat+is+one+of+the+toughest+decisions+you%26rsquo%3Bve+had+to+make%2C+and+how+did+it+affect+your+life%3F%3C%2Fstrong%3E+I+had+to+put+franchise+growth+on+hold+for+about+2+years+when+Eric%2C+my+husband+and+business+partner%2C+lost+his+hearing.+Since+his+birth%2C+Eric+only+heard+through+one+ear%2C+something+most+people+never+noticed.+A+relatively+routine+operation+on+his+only+hearing+ear+in+2018+resulted+in+total+deafness.+Over+the+next+2+years%2C+he+would+ultimately+undergo+four+operations+before+getting+a+cochlear+implant+and+relearning+speech+and+sound+through+this+device.+For+those+2+years%2C+he+and+I+could+communicate+only+through+an+Android+phone+and+Google%26rsquo%3Bs+Transcribe+feature+since+he+did+not+sign+or+read+lips.+We+had+to+really+balance+which+things+we+could+take+on+during+that+time.+Ultimately%2C+we+made+the+decision+to+pause+franchise+growth+and+focus+on+getting+his+hearing+to+100%25.+It+was+absolutely+the+right+decision+for+our+family.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EIf+you+could+do+it+all+over+again%2C+knowing+what+you+know+now%2C+what+would+you+do+differently%3F%3C%2Fstrong%3E+I%26rsquo%3Bm+not+sure+I+would+change+very+much+about+my+journey.+My+small-business+experience+led+me+to+my+MBA+and+a+bigger+business+approach.+That+came+full+circle+to+launching+a+startup+brand+in+a+niche+no+one+knew+about.+Each+path+on+my+journey+fed+my+confidence%2C+knowledge%2C+and+belief+in+where+I+go+next.%3C%2Fp%3E%0D%0A%3Cp+dir%3D%22ltr%22%3E%3Cstrong%3EWhat+advice+do+you+have+for+aspiring+female+leaders%3F%3C%2Fstrong%3E+Make+friends.+Attend+industry+events.+Reach+out+to+others+and+highlight+and+celebrate+their+successes.+Don%26rsquo%3Bt+wait+to+be+asked.+Step+up.+Take+responsibility+and+shine+in+what+you+do.+That+will+get+you+the+attention+to+move+to+the+next+step.+When+you+are+given+a+responsibility%2C+outstudy+and+outperform.%3C%2Fp%3E

Published: April 10th, 2023