Female Fast Risers - Tiffany Betts

Name: Tiffany Betts

Brand: Pizza Inn

Title: Brand Marketing Director 

Age: 41

Years in franchising: 10

No. of units: 150+

What attracted you to franchising? The entrepreneurial spirit that was attached to franchising. Franchising grants individuals the ability to be their own boss while also having a support system. This was the most appealing element to me. 

What was your first job in franchising? Field marketing coordinator at Papa Murphy’s Pizza. This was an entirely new position the brand had created for the central region locations and was an immediate immersion into the franchise world. I had direct day-to-day contact with all store franchisees and worked to innovate and support their local marketing efforts by strategizing new ideas and helping implement current ones. This role solidified my passion for franchising and helped me realize how much I wanted this to be my long-term career path.

What do you attribute your success to? The key to my success has always been the way I approach and tackle a brand when I first start a role. I learned this strategy from my first director at Papa Murphy’s, David Schauer. The key to being successful in any role is learning the brand inside and out, developing relationships with your cross-functional teams, and knowing from day one that no question is off the table. I’ve been successful in my roles because I don’t allow myself to ever think I know everything. I am inquisitive and always ready to learn something new.

What challenges and obstacles have you overcome in your career? Cultural environment is vital as you progress in your career. Sometimes there can be limited viewpoints as companies and departments can lack a diverse think tank, compared with where there’s a melting pot of ideas and strategies based on different cultures, education, and overall life experiences. You realize that your voice and perspective matter and are important. The management and executive structures during your career can be male-dominated, and one of the obstacles for me is making sure to speak up, not hesitate to share and suggest a different perspective, and bring my ideas to the table. I challenge myself daily to show my passion and emotion for the brand mission, because passion is key to company growth.

Describe your journey to your current position: I started in the franchise world as a field marketing coordinator at Papa Murphy’s Pizza. This role set the tone for my development plan because I knew I would end up in franchising long term. I spent 4 years at Papa Murphy’s completely immersed in franchising and learning the ropes of local store marketing, franchise operations, and media strategy for specific regions. Because I am always seeking more opportunities to learn, I took a break from franchising to work at the University of Phoenix and explore the digital advertising world. Here I learned about strategic digital marketing and national brand marketing development. When I came back to franchising, I knew that wherever I worked I had to be able to champion the brand on a normal day, and that’s why I started at La Madeleine as a field marketing manager. I then moved into a leadership role at Pizza Inn, and the past 4 years there have allowed me to grow in a multitude of ways. In 2019, I reached the executive level and was promoted to brand marketing director. Achieving this milestone in my career was a true honor because I knew my team valued me as a partner and major contributor to the brand. This past year I grew in my role and continued to support and lead the marketing efforts for more than 150 locations across the country.

What are your future career goals? My goals for 2021 are to focus heavily on what I can do for Pizza Inn’s long-term success. This year has established a new normal in franchising, and my team needs to help adjust and stabilize our franchisees. My goals are centered around helping each franchisee restore their revenue and community base to as close to where it was before the pandemic.

Advice to young female executives in franchising: Ignore the noise. Be resilient. Know that you can plan as much as you want, but you have to be open to the reality that things will change, and that as a leader you must be up for the challenge to jump into action and be ready to adapt. Also, as a woman, remember to use your voice and bring your unique perspective to the table. Support other women and build on each other’s successes. We can all learn from one another and create something special.