Ford Breaks Barriers in Franchising While Living With Tourette Syndrome
If you’re a regular on LinkedIn and follow franchising, chances are you’ve seen one of Cassidy Ford’s genuine and inspiring video clips. Whether she’s openly sharing her daily struggles and victories or shedding light on life with Tourette syndrome, Ford’s candid storytelling has captured hearts and sparked impactful conversations.
Ford’s example offers a master class in leadership. Her ability to share her thoughts with vulnerability, champion diversity in franchising and inspire others has made her a role model — not just in franchising, but anywhere.
Ford’s struggles with Tourette syndrome began at age 17 when she developed motor and vocal tics, though it took eight years to receive a diagnosis. “I’ve proved a lot of people wrong over the years by forging ahead in business despite my ‘annoying’ or ‘distracting’ tics,” she says. Ford has long been a champion for neurodiversity and diversity in franchising, and continues now as director of franchise development at Prism Specialties, a restoration concept under the EverSmith Brands umbrella. Her openness about her condition has paved the way for others to feel seen, understood and empowered.
In 2018, Ford shared her first LinkedIn article, a raw and heartfelt “coming out” about living with Tourette syndrome. “I can’t hide my condition, so I’ve embraced it,” she explains. That vulnerability resonated deeply, creating awareness about neurodiversity in the workplace. Since then, her platform, The Franchise Ticker, has become a hub for amplifying discussions about mental health and diversity in franchising.
At EverSmith Brands, Ford has found a workplace that values her unique contributions. “EverSmith Brands is an incredible organization. They support my initiatives and encourage me to seize opportunities to spread awareness. Not only that, my team has embraced my ‘quirks,’ and my tics are now good icebreakers in meetings or Meet the Team Days. I’m grateful to be on a team that embraces my differences and goes out of its way to utilize the strengths provided to me by my neurological conditions,” she says. EverSmith Brands also supports her advocacy work, including efforts with the International Franchise Association’s Pride Council and lobbying on Capitol Hill for inclusion (below).
“Advocacy has always been part of my life,” Ford says. From self-advocating as a child to amplifying others’ voices today, she’s focused on fostering respect and understanding. “Here’s what I’ve learned: You must have a sense of humor, stay vulnerable and authentic, ask for help, rely on others, and find that piece of resilience inside yourself on the tough days, even when you have no idea where to search for it. These lessons have served me well in both my personal and professional lives.”
Q&A: Cassidy Ford, EverSmith Brands
I am grateful to be on a team that embraces my differences.
1. What does leadership mean to you?
Leadership isn’t about skill or expertise. Leadership is an attitude and a practice. If I sit and think about the truly amazing leaders in my life and career, they’ve shared three characteristics — humility, transparency and resilience.
2. What’s your favorite mantra or motto?
“God doesn’t call the equipped; he equips the called.” Wherever that call comes from for us — God, fate, the universe — I feel this applies to everyone. We may not feel like we are ready to step up to the plate, but that’s part of ‘stepping up.’ More often than not, in the process of elevating ourselves, we must simply seize the opportunity, make the move and grow along the way.
3. How did you discover franchising?
I didn’t! Franchising discovered me. In 2012, I was looking for a career change and was eventually connected with the founder of an emerging restaurant brand called How Do You Roll?, which had just made its debut on ABC’s Shark Tank. They were struggling to keep up with the response to the show, and I accepted the job not knowing a thing about franchising. The founder sat me down at a desk with a phone and a stack of 1,500 paper leads. He told me,‘ You can say this, you can’t say that and, oh, we don’t have an Item 19. Start calling!’ The rest is history.
4. What is your greatest career accomplishment?
My greatest career accomplishment was a personal decision to leave my friends, my family and my comfort zone and move across the country to work at Huddle House. I say this because it set the stage for every professional accomplishment that followed. I had to learn to be brave and take risks, closing doors behind me and walking through the open ones ahead without looking back.
5. Who do you admire in franchising?
The franchising community is full of incredible people who teach me new things every day. Clarissa Bradstock, CEO of Any Lab Test Now! (CRESSO Brands), has left a fingerprint on my life and career in a way I could never repay her for. She demonstrates the type of humility and resilience I want to embody as a leader, all packaged up as the kindest human being.
