Female Fast Risers - Kristen Pechacek

Name: Kristen Pechacek

Brand: MassageLuXe

Title: Chief Growth Officer

Age: 30

Years in franchising: 9

No. of units: 69

What attracted you to franchising? I have always been an entrepreneur at heart. The only thing better than owning your own business is helping others fulfill their dreams of entrepreneurship. To me, there is no greater joy than to provide a framework to someone that allows them to achieve their dreams. Regardless of what your franchise business is, your purpose to exist is so your franchisees can carry out your business purpose. 

What was your first job in franchising? I worked on the marketing team for the Minnesota Vikings. Many people do not think of the NFL as a franchise at first glance, but it is! This role was my window into what life on the franchisor side would be like.

What do you attribute your success to? I live to work because I love what I do. Hard work and dedication are, of course, things you must have to be successful. Outside of those things, I have so many people to thank for their mentorship and friendship over the years. Without the relationships I have built in the franchise community I would not be where I am today. The great thing about franchising is that we are all in the same business of making our franchisees successful. Because of this we can learn from each other. 

What challenges and obstacles have you overcome in your career? Like any business, franchising has peaks and valleys. You win and lose with your franchisees. The recent pandemic was not the optimal time for someone to start with a new organization, but the opportunity and trust within the leadership team and the MassageLuXe approach built my confidence to take the leap and not look back.

Describe your journey to your current position: I was introduced to franchising on the franchisee side with the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings when I was 18. They were a client of mine after some success in a digital marketing consultation company I’d started at a young age. After a few years of working with them, I decided to take a full-time position with the company. I found the relationship between the franchisor and franchisee fascinating and made a move to the franchisor side with Self Esteem Brands a few years later. After 5 years there, I was introduced to MassageLuXe. I immediately fell in love with their approach to health and wellness and their corporate team’s work ethic. They share my purpose in franchising. It is a perfect fit. 

What are your future career goals? To make aspiring franchisees successful and to share my love and support for franchising in any way I can. My hope is that by continuing to help franchisees achieve success I will continue to be tasked with the responsibility of growing an organization.

Advice to young female executives in franchising: Wake up every day with an appreciation and understanding of what your franchisees have done. They invested into the work you are doing every day and are trusting you to build something they can flourish in. Take the time to get to know them and to build relationships with them. In doing so, you will start to approach your work and the decisions at hand differently.