A Leading Franchise Accelerator Celebrates National Women’s History Month with Insights from Women Across the Organization
Every March, Americans celebrate National Women’s History Month, which was designated by U.S. Congress in 1987 to recognize the achievements and contributions of women throughout history. Female leaders have emerged in every sector, from business, government and education to research, health care and sports. While progress is still needed in achieving parity between men and women in business, the number of women in corporate C-suite positions is up from 17% nine years ago to 29%, according to a McKinsey & Co. study. And a Guidant study shows women increasingly pursuing franchising, with 39% of female entrepreneurs surveyed choosing to establish new franchise locations in 2024.
Franchise FastLane, led by CEO Carey Gille, boasts more female leaders than any other franchise sales consultancy. In celebrating National Women’s History Month, these influential executives share their insights.
Franchise FastLane Celebrates Women in Business
Carin Skowronsky, Senior Director of Franchise Development
Franchising allows for flexibility, enabling women to balance entrepreneurship with personal and family responsibilities.
In her six years with Franchise FastLane, Carin Skowronsky has worked closely with more than 2,000 entrepreneurial candidates seeking franchise ownership. A self-described “connector,” Skowronsky has a passion for matching qualified candidates with the emerging brands in Franchise FastLane’s portfolio.
Q: What makes women natural entrepreneurs?
A: When you look at a high performing female franchisee or entrepreneur, you most commonly see this individual radiating grit, tireless effort, passion, patience and strong mentorship traits. She plays to win each day she wakes up, levels up her business year over year, and tends to operate with a sky’s-the-limit mentality.
Q: Why do you think there are so many female leaders at the helm of brands in FastLane’s portfolio?
A: I think it shows that Franchise FastLane values visionary, growth-oriented leaders who are breaking barriers and building strong, sustainable businesses. These are women with a super-sized vision of making a difference. In working with female-owned brands, FastLane demonstrates its commitment to diversity, inclusivity and innovation, recognizing that great franchisors come from all backgrounds. Often, this includes women who show up in less common or non-traditional spaces. Our female-led brands bring fresh perspectives, strong leadership and a passion for empowering others – aligning perfectly with FastLane’s mission to grow and scale high-potential franchises with the right partners. At its core, this emphasis reflects our dedication to supporting brands that inspire, disrupt and drive long-term success, regardless of who’s at the helm.
Q: What makes franchising so attractive to women?
A: Franchising allows for flexibility, enabling women to balance entrepreneurship with personal and family responsibilities and the million other things we take on in our day-to-day lives. Franchising also values collaboration and leadership development, creating opportunities for women to build, scale and lead successful businesses within a network of like-minded professionals. With more franchises actively championing diversity and inclusion, women continue to break barriers, bringing fresh perspectives and innovative leadership to the space. It’s truly refreshing to see so many more leaders emerging from this space.
Kelly Macht, Director of Franchise Development
Franchising is increasingly becoming a more welcoming space for female owners, leaders and contributors.
Kelly Macht, a 12-year franchising veteran, believes success for women in business is all about opportunity, and franchising offers a way to continually challenge oneself in the quest to achieve greatness.
Q: Why is it important to advocate for women in business, and franchising in particular?
A: Working for the franchise accelerator Franchise FastLane, founded by a visionary female leader, has profoundly shaped my commitment to advocating for gender equality in franchising. This unique perspective empowers me to take swift and decisive actions aimed at promoting inclusivity and representation throughout our network. I actively contribute to initiatives that support female franchisees and encourage female ownership in our brand, fostering an environment where women can thrive and share their experiences. By championing a brand that embraces women and their on their families, I am not only helping to elevate women within our network, but also inspiring future generations of female entrepreneurs – the children who watch and learn by example – to pursue their passions in this dynamic field. My own journey personifies a commitment to creating a more equitable landscape in franchising, where every voice is valued and heard.
Q: Why is franchising so attractive to women?
A: Franchising is increasingly becoming a more welcoming space for female owners, leaders and contributors, and this shift is evident in the growing number of women who are breaking barriers and thriving in this field. One of the most empowering aspects is the abundance of support networks and resources specifically designed for women, which foster a sense of community and collaboration. Additionally, the franchise model often provides a structured pathway to success, allowing women to leverage established brands while applying their unique insights and leadership styles. The flexibility inherent in many franchise opportunities also enables women to balance personal and professional commitments more effectively. Overall, franchising not only encourages female entrepreneurship but also celebrates diverse perspectives that enrich the business landscape.
Dana DeMarino, Director of Franchise Development
Franchising is definitely making moves to help more women step into business ownership roles.
Dana DeMarino is a world traveler who never turns down an opportunity to experience new things – franchising included. DeMarino developed a passion early on for franchising and owns two franchises.
Q: How does the franchising continue to close the gender gap?
A: Franchising is definitely making moves to help more women step into business ownership roles. The sheer number of available resources is just unmatched. There are mentorship programs, financing options specifically for women and just more support in general to help female franchisees succeed. For me personally, franchising completely changed my life. It gave me the confidence and resources I needed, and I’ve been able to take what I’ve learned and apply it to so many other areas of my life! The more women who eventually see what’s possible and have the right support network to rely on, the more that gender gap is going to continue closing.
Jessica McLean, Vice-President of Franchise Development
Franchising fosters an environment that allows everyone of all genders to contribute, develop and lead just as they are.
Jessica McLean is no stranger to franchising, with more than a decade of experience working with more than 1,000 candidates to make their entrepreneurial dreams become a reality.
Q: How has the scope of franchising changed over the years?
A: The most significant shift is related to education and exposure. There is more franchising-related education available than ever before. As a result, more and more people of all ages are recognizing that franchising doesn’t equate solely to fast-food restaurants like Subway or McDonald’s. There is a great deal of beauty and power in knowledge and understanding! This has subsequently led to a shift in both the volume and demographics of people exploring business ownership.
Q: Why is franchising so welcoming to female owners, leaders and contributors?
A: Franchising is welcoming in general. One of the things that made me fall in love with it during the early stages of my career was the people; ask anyone who has been doing this for 10-plus years, and I bet they would say the same. Franchising fosters an environment that allows everyone of all genders to contribute, develop and lead just as they are. The your-success-is-our-success mentality eliminates gender, race, age, etc. from the equation. It is a community dedicated to helping each other succeed through education, execution and collaborative work.
Q: What makes Franchise FastLane a place where female leadership is celebrated?
A: Our CEO Carey Gille! She is one of the primary reasons that I decided to leave the franchise brand I was with for years and start with Franchise FastLane. One of FastLane’s previous VPs of development and I were acquainted for years and his influence caused me to keep an eye on FastLane’s progress as a company. I will always remember a keynote presentation that Carey gave as a part of a virtual conference when the pandemic hit. I was so inspired by her story and life journey both personally and professionally. Beyond Carey, FastLane has many women – me included – in leadership roles on both the sales/marketing and operational sides of the business.
Q: Why does FastLane’s portfolio include so many female-led brands?
A: One of the biggest honors of my career to date has been partnering with The Tox and leading the development charge for this brand. Courtney Yeager, founder of The Tox, is a force to be reckoned with in the entrepreneurial and now franchising space. Not only does her brand offer a first-ever service type – lymphatic drainage – in the franchising sphere, but it also demonstrates the new-age power of social media influencing and marketing. Beyond this, The Tox’s mission statement is particularly focused on female empowerment. Thus far, more than 90% of the franchise partners The Tox has welcomed have been women. The Tox is proof that Franchise FastLane is intentional in our efforts to support and promote female-owned brands.
Q: Why are women natural entrepreneurs?
A: Oh goodness, I could go on and on here. Simply put, women are hard-wired to get things done. Personally, professionally, it’s just what we do. Franchising is all about executing a playbook versus re-inventing the wheel. This means putting your ego aside and following a system. Generally, women are enthusiastic about this approach: ‘Tell or show me what works, and I will do it.’ In addition to this, women tend to be empathetic beings, which is a key trait, in my opinion, when it comes to leadership, team building and cultivating a positive work environment – all of which are important ingredients for success for the majority of franchise opportunities out there.
Carey Gille, Co-Founder and CEO
You would be hard-pressed to find an industry that encourages, celebrates and empowers women to the degree that franchising does.
A serial entrepreneur throughout her entire career, Carey Gille has led Franchise FastLane to become the No. 1 franchise accelerator, ranked on the prestigious Inc. 5000 list three of the last four years, which is an honor reserved for the fastest-growing companies in the U.S. Gille embodies the effort to promote responsible and sustainable growth for the chosen few brands in FastLane’s portfolio, thereby enabling them to become the next big thing in franchising. Though she’s proud to have helped Franchise FastLane to become the No. 1 franchise accelerator, nothing is more important to her than witnessing the sheer number of lives changed for the better through franchise ownership.
Q: How does the franchising industry celebrate female leadership?
A: You would be hard-pressed to find an industry that encourages, celebrates and empowers women to the degree that franchising does. What we have here isn’t just lip service or window dressing. It’s real, actionable programs and initiatives that place emphasis on developing the next generation of female leaders, and I couldn’t be prouder to be a part of this effort. As women in business, we’re so fortunate to work in franchising, which always leads from the front and allows us to set examples for others to follow.
Q: Why is it important to celebrate merit-based achievement in the workplace?
A: I firmly believe that nothing is more important to a company than the people who work there and give their best effort to see the organization succeed. In fact, there isn’t a single success story I can share that hasn’t come from a people-first perspective. When anyone asks me what my favorite part of the job is as a female CEO, the answer is simple – I love nothing more than empowering people to be the best versions of themselves, celebrating merit-based accomplishments in the workplace regardless of gender.
About Franchise FastLane
Franchise FastLane, headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is a franchise development organization that specializes in accelerating growth for the most qualified franchise brands. It offers comprehensive solutions, including full-service franchise sales management through the FastLane program and development coaching plus a turnkey franchise development operating system through the CarPool service. Franchise FastLane uniquely serves both emerging and growth-oriented franchisors. Both programs are supported by the MasterClass training series and the Preferred Partner Network, equipping franchisors with the tools and expertise needed to thrive and achieve sustainable, responsible growth.
To look into using Franchise FastLane to grow your brand or explore participation in its CarPool business coaching program, click here to submit an application.
To learn more about its brand partners, click here.
For more information on National Women’s History Month and how you can participate, visit this website.
