Her Success

What happens when a franchising professional decides to take the leap into franchise ownership herself? In this episode of Her Success, Ali Kraus sits down with Gabriella Ferrara to discuss her journey from supporting franchise growth to becoming a franchise owner, all while continuing her career in the industry. Gabriella shares lessons learned from sitting on both sides of the table, balancing f...

On this episode of Her Success, host Amy Elder chats with Karyl Morris of The Image Impact Group. They discuss visibility and how to advance your career through Personal Branding! Special Guest: Karyl Morris.

Lead Like It Matters: On this episode of Her Success, your host Dawn Abbamondi, CMO at SMB Franchise Advisors sat down with Kim Wright, a Philadelphia based multi-unit franchisee with Nothing Bundt Cakes. Kim speaks about how she focuses on bringing joy to others, her leadership style, why (and how) she chose franchising and what it is like to oversee a large retail team - predominantly women - ma...

Building your Brand With Authenticity: On this episode of Her Success, your host Amanda Dempsey speaks with Felicia Reeves, the Chief Marketing Officer for Empower Brands, and Monica Feid, the Co-Founder and Chief Operating Officer of Thunderly Marketing about the vital role authenticity plays in the growth of a brand, and the power of a using a brand’s core mission to lead its trajectory. Special...

Kathleen Gosser, Ph D, of the University of Louisville is this year's winner of the Crystal Compass Award given by the IFA's Women's Franchise Committee. Kathleen shares her thoughts on leadership in franchising with the WFC's Dawn Abbamondi of SMB Franchise Advisors. Special Guest: Kathy Gosser.

In this episode, Amy Elder sits down with Tanya Lee, Woofie’s Franchisee. They discuss the Franchise Means Local Campaign with IFA and Tanya’s journey to woman-owned Franchise ownership. Special Guest: Tanya Lee.

Welcome to Season Seven of Her Success, the podcast that celebrates the stories of female franchise leaders brought to you by The Women's Franchise Committee of the International Franchise Association. Today the committee's leadership team gives a preview of the 2026 Annual Leadership Conference happening Monday February 23rd during the IFA Annaul Convention in Las Vegas. Join WFC Chair Larisa Wal...

Annual Leadership Conference teaser alert!! Tune in to this month’s interview with Kyla Dufresne, founder of Foxy Box. Kyla explains how she made waxing a comfortable, fun, inclusive and sustainable experience for Foxy Box’s customers, and how the “Foxy Family” culture is central to their success in franchising. Enjoy this intro into Kyla’s story and mission-- Kyla will be speaking at the Annual L...

In this episode, Ashley Mitchell sits down with Alesia Visconti, the powerhouse CEO and President of FranServe Inc., to talk about her journey from corporate burnout to franchise trailblazer. What began with a simple Google search for “something else” turned into ownership of the world’s largest franchise broker network. Alesia shares how she followed her gut to buy FranServe just 18 months after...

In this episode of the IFA Women's Franchise Committee Podcast: Her Success , host Amanda Dempsey interviews Carisa Findley, Senior Vice President of Franchise Support at Unleashed Brands. Carisa shares her how her introduction to small business ownership at age three led to her career in franchising and how her upbringing in franchising continues to impact her work and her approach with her team...

In this episode, we sit down with Allison Tsomos, Chief Operating Officer of Celebree School and a key member of the team behind the brand’s intentional, values-first expansion. Allison shares what it meant to be named IFA’s first-ever Emerging Franchisor of the Year, why laying a solid foundation before launching into franchising was crucial, and how she leads with empathy, culture, and heart - w...

Amy Elder sits down with Caroline Miller Oyler for an insightful conversation about navigating the demands of work and personal life, breaking through barriers in leadership, and the value of mentorship. Caroline shares her perspective on maintaining high professional standards, fostering effective communication across teams, and ensuring alignment on business priorities. Together, they explore ho...

In this powerful and deeply personal episode of the Her Success Podcast, Ali Kraus, Erin Fletter, and Abby Schmidt get real about perfectionism, self-advocacy, and the strength it takes to ask for help. From health scares to healing, they reflect on the importance of vulnerability, support, and redefining success. As Abby says, “You either win or learn”—and this episode offers a little of both. Sp...

In this episode, Alex West Steinman shares the heart behind The Coven – a community-driven co-working space built to empower women, non-binary, and trans leaders. From launching a business with a newborn and a toddler to raising kids who now pitch summer business ideas (this year: frozen bananas!), Alex opens up about the power of community, creativity, and leading with purpose. She shares candid...

In this episode of the IFA Women's Franchise Committee Podcast: Her Success, host Dawn Abbamondi Chief Marketing Officer with SMB Franchise Advisors is joined by this year’s Crystal Compass award winner, Robin Gagnon, CEO and Co-founder of We Sell Restaurants. As a repeat guest on this podcast, we learn a little bit more about Robin’s background and commitment to the IFA. Then, we tackle three key...

In this episode of the IFA Women's Franchise Committee Podcast: Her Success, host Larisa Walega, Chief Growth Officer at Ziebart and Chair of the IFA Women's Franchise Committee, sits down with Shana Krisan, Chief Marketing Officer of Goldfish Swim School. A marketing powerhouse in franchising, Shana shares her journey from agency life to franchise leadership, offering invaluable insights on overc...

In this episode of Her Success, Ali Kraus chats with Matt Kunz, President of Mr. Rooter at Neighborly, about the profound impact the Annual Leadership Conference (ALC) has had on his career. A dedicated attendee since 2012, Matt shares how the interactive case study format at ALC inspired him to transform the way his own franchisees approach business challenges. By shiftin...

Her Success welcomes IFA's Sydni Konohia, CFE the Manager of Member Services and Retention, and Paul Ehlinger, Founder/CEO of Flamel AI. Ali Kraus, CMO of Benetrends Financial and Vice Chair of the Women’s Franchise Committee spoke with Sydni to learn more about the Franship mentoring program available to members of the IFA. Sydni explains how a Mentee is paired up with a Mentor from the franchiso...

In this episode, Amanda Dempsey interviews Mandy Ristic, Operating Partner of the OM Group, which owns and operates franchise locations of six brands that we know and love, Dunkin’, Baskin Robbins, Qdoba, Smoothie King, and Jimmy John’s. Mandy’s inspiring journey from a teenage ice cream scooper to a multi-unit, multi-brand business owner is a must-listen, as Mandy shares her tips for operating su...

In this episode of the Her Success Podcast, Larisa Walega, Chair of the Women's Franchise Committee, and Ali Kraus, Co-Chair, dive into all things ALC (Annual Leadership Conference). From the inspiration behind the "Power of Five" theme to the incredible lineup of speakers and events, they share what makes this conference a must-attend for franchising professionals. Whether you're a seasoned...

In our final episode of Season 5, Emma Dickison interviews Erika Stupiello, a standout franchisee in the Home Helpers franchise system. Erika shares her experience coming to the U.S. from Brazil, where she was a linguistics professor, and how her prior experiences shaped her choice to pursue a career as an entrepreneur in the home care industry. Special Guest: Erika Stupiello.

In this engaging episode of the IFA Women’s Franchise Committee Her Success Podcast, Larisa Walega, Chief Growth Officer at Ziebart and Chair of the Women’s Franchise Committee, sits down with Robin Gagnon, founder and CEO of We Sell Restaurants and Vice Chair of the IFA Franchisor Forum. Together, they dive into Robin’s journey of launching We Sell Restaurants, her path from a career in corporate...

Join us as we celebrate the 50th episode of the Her Success Podcast, hosted by Ali Kraus, Co-Chair of the Women's Franchise Committee (WFC). In this special episode, Ali sits down with Liane Caruso, the first ever host/chair of the podcast, Emma Dickison, CEO of Home Helpers and the very first guest, and Cassidy Ford, current Chair of the WFC Podcast Task Force. Together, they reflect on the podca...

In this inspiring episode of Her Success Podcast, host Liane Caruso sits down with Kristin Kidd, COO at Head to Toe Brands, and a multi-unit franchisee with School of Rock. Kristin shares her journey into franchising, insights on managing diverse brands, and strategies for balancing multi-unit ownership. Tune in to hear her perspective on being a female boss, scaling businesses, fostering com...

In this episode of "Her Success," Liane Caruso interviews Jyoti Sarolia, President and CEO of Ellis Hospitality Group. Jyoti shares her inspiring journey as a leader in the hospitality industry, from growing up in a family of hoteliers to navigating the challenges of franchising. Listen as she discusses the power of relationships, her advocacy work on Capitol Hill, and the balance between managing...