21 for '21: Female fast risers share their journey (It's getting better all the time!)

Each year, beginning in 2014, we’ve dedicated our first issue of the year to Women in Franchising. We asked 21 female franchise leaders (“fast risers”) a set of questions intended to show readers what they do, how they got there, and where they’re headed—along with some personal and career advice and encouragement to women looking to make their own mark in franchising in the years ahead. Based on their responses, we created some fun stats from this year’s group of female franchise leaders: Age: From 23 to 56, with an average of 37 Title: Across the board: founder, CEO, president, COO, CMO, CIO, CDO, and various other roles in franchise development, marketing, training, technological, and real estate Years in franchising: From 4 to 16, with an average of just under 10 years (which translates into more than 200 total years of franchise experience!)

Units: 9,153 total, from 6 units to more than 2,000, with an average of 436 Industry: We made sure to select women working in different industries, from service brands to food brands. We hope our 21 for ’21 selection will inspire women aspiring to grow in franchising, even during these highly challenging times. Women clearly have made strong inroads in many roles at franchise companies, a trend we wholeheartedly applaud and support.