In Commemoration of Pride Month 2024, Franchise Leaders Discuss Their Support of the LGBTQIA+ Community
To kick-start Pride Month 2024 activities, the International Franchise Association’s Franchising Pride Council recently hosted an educational webinar on the importance of allyship with the LGBTQIA+ community. The Franchising Pride Council, established in 2019, is leading the IFA’s efforts to support diversity and inclusiveness among franchisors, franchisees and employees.
Experts who led the presentation were Patti Rother, Franchising Pride Council member and president of Stay in Your Lane franchise consultancy; Ingrid Schneider, Stay in Your Lane founder and CEO; and intern and University of Michigan student Ella “Ruby” Cole. Cassidy Ford, director of franchise sales for Entrepreneur Media, moderated the panel of franchise leaders.
Allyship and the Bottom Line
In addition to defining important terms (including intersectionality, heteronormativity and intersex), these experts offered examples of allyship (such as using preferred pronouns, acknowledging implicit bias, and using inclusive language).
Participants also discussed how allyship with the LGBTQIA+ community is good for business, citing the following research:
- Inclusive organizations are 73% more likely to reap innovation revenue, 70% more likely to capture new markets and 36% more likely to have above-average profitability, according to Harvard Business Review.
- Data from McKinsey and Company shows that companies ranked among the top 20% for gender diversity in executive teams were 25% more likely to be profitable than businesses in the lowest 20%.
The Panelists
Pete Baldine, Moran Family of Brands
I just developed a core belief that I should be kind to everyone and be inclusive and be as good a person as I can possibly be.
Why are You an Ally with the LGBTQIA+ Community? Baldine explained that he comes from a family of Italian immigrants who faced discrimination in America. This prompted his parents and grandparents to make sure to treat others with respect and fairness, a value they instilled in Baldine. He said he also experienced discrimination as one of a few white people at a predominantly Black college in Baltimore. “I think between my upbringing and that experience, I just developed a core belief that I should be kind to everyone and be inclusive and be as good a person as I can possibly be.”
How Do You Put Your Allyship to Work in Your Organization? The Moran Family of Brands’ core values are dedication, respect, integrity, vision and engagement. As the franchise management company’s president, Baldine said it’s important that he and the leadership team practice what they preach. As an example, Baldine cited an interaction a manager mishandled with an unhappy customer who was gay. Baldine credited co-founder and CEO Barbara Moran for rectifying the problem and making it clear to other employees that the behavior exhibited by the manager isn’t acceptable or tolerated.
Paige Robinson Dosch, American Family Care
This community of people enveloped me with so much love and respect and openness that I just decided I was going to protect them.
Why are You an Ally with the LGBTQIA+ Community? Dosch said her allyship stems from her inclusive upbringing and an early work experience at a restaurant where the majority of her coworkers were LGBTQIA+. “I was new. I was clumsy. I had no idea what I was doing, but this community of people enveloped me with so much love and respect and openness that I just decided I was going to protect them as much as I could and show them the same openness that they had shown me.”
How Do You Put Your Allyship to Work in Your Organization? As the vice president of franchise development for American Family Care, she said showing acceptance and compassion toward all people is critical to her work. “Our core business model has always been very patient-centric and focused, so that’s something that’s always been non-negotiable for us,” she said. Dosch’s goal as a leader is to ensure everyone feels welcome and safe.
Tim Weiderhoft, Central Bark
It was very natural and normal that I was around a lot of different people with different backgrounds and different ideas.
Why are You an Ally with the LGBTQIA+ Community? Weiderhoft attributed his support for the LGBTQIA+ community to growing up valuing and respecting everyone. “It was very natural and normal that I was around a lot of different people with different backgrounds and different ideas,” he said.
How Do You Navigate Pushback to LGBTQIA+ Policies or Initiatives? At Central Bark, he makes it clear from the moment a candidate comes to Discovery Day that compassion and respect are the core of the business. “We actually have a big, huge sign that we make sure we point out and we talk about, which is that we don’t discriminate against dog breeds, so you better believe we’re not going to discriminate against human beings either,” Weiderhoft explained. “So, we try to make it playful so that it’s something we can talk about right away.”
