From Hostess to VP: A Leadership Journey

This chapter chronicles the remarkable rise of a leader within a billion-dollar brand, starting from their early days as a hostess. It emphasizes the significance of personal initiative, adaptability, and the lessons learned through hands-on experiences in the food service industry. The narrative also explores the interplay of ambition, financial perceptions, and effective communication that shaped their leadership journey and strategic approach to entrepreneurship.

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Episode notes

Trey Lockerbie chats with Kat Cole, former President and COO of Focus Brands, a portfolio company with household names like Cinnabon, Carvel, Jamba, Auntie Anne's, Schlotzsky’s, and more. They explore the power of brands and how it fuels billion-dollar enterprises. Focus Brands as a whole generates around $5B in revenue per year and Kat takes a deep dive into how these brands came to prominence.

IN THIS EPISODE, YOU’LL LEARN:

02:09 - Kat’s rise from being a Hooters waitress at age 18 to being a VP of Hooters by age 26.
22:21 - What it was like to be placed at the helm of Cinnabon during the great recession and how she pulled off a miraculous turnaround.
26:40 - Operating principles that can be applied to any business.
41:21 - The importance of community while building a brand and so much more!

*Disclaimer: Slight timestamp discrepancies may occur due to podcast platform differences.

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