Kat Cole, Focus Brands // Leading A $5 Billion Company, International Expansion + Brand Partnerships

Subscribe + Watch on YouTube:https://youtu.be/JcJIvhXdbt0 Let me know what you think on Twitter: https://twitter.com/bzaidi Who Is Kat Cole?   Kat is one of the most impressive business leaders in America. Fortune magazine named her on their 40 under 40 list & her story is often cited as an example of the “American Dream”.   She worked her way up from being a waitress at Hooters aged 17, to an exec at 26 and a president at 31.   Today, she’s the president of a parent company doing $4-5bil in sales in 60+ countries, across 6500+ locations. Their 7 brands including Cinnabon, Carvel & Jamba Juice.   In this conversation you’ll learn how she thinks about growth, adapting products to emerging trends, using brand partnerships to grow & the factors that go into expanding internationally.     Five Things You’ll Learn Lessons In Leadership – how to establish credibility, even as a young leader, to lead a team through any situation. Emerging Trends + The Innovation Adoption Curve – how she thinks about adapting to emerging trends for brands like Cinnabon + Jamba Juice. Finding your place on the innovation adoption curve while holding onto where you came from. Impact of Lockdown On Malls + Airports – how recent events have impacted their 6500+ locations in malls + airports, and where she sees opportunities International Growth – the factors you should think through when expanding internationally, stories of mistakes made, and examples of situations she navigated in Argentina, Turkey + UAE Brand Partnerships – controlling your brand when expanding with partners, and when to consider licensing vs franchising vs joint ventures   Time Stamps (YouTube) 00:00:00 Preview 00:02:04 Welcome 00:05:01 From Waitress to Vice President of Hooters 00:08:41 Invaluable Lessons In Leadership 00:14:18 “I’m Friendly, But Not Your Friend” 00:16:49 Blending Humility + Confidence 00:20:57 Scale + Revenue of Focus Brands 00:22:12 Case Study: Turning Around Cinnabon 00:29:23 Opportunity = When Your Company Says “No” 00:33:03 Approach To Testing New Products 00:35:10 Adapting to Trends: Jamba + Cinnabon Example 00:42:11 Jamba + The Innovation Adoption Curve 00:48:54 Mall Traffic In 2020 00:51:47 Prediction On Airport Traffic 00:53:22 Increased Search Demand For “Near Me” + “Delivery” 00:54:35 DTC vs Third-Party Delivery Services 00:57:25 International Growth: Hooters in Argentina 01:01:11 Importance of Cultural Context: Turkey Example 01:04:47 International Context – Asking the Right Questions 01:06:29 Factors To Consider When Expanding Internationally 01:12:08 Growing Through Licensing, Franchising + Joint Ventures 01:14:51 Brand Partnerships – Controlling Your Brand 01:17:34 Wrap-Up Thank you to our partner   This week's episode is supported by InstaSleep Mint Melts, the drug-free, convenient sleep aid.   They’re easy to take without water & melt in your mouth like a mint. They’re designed to help you fall asleep faster & wake up without feeling groggy in the morning.   If you’ve had issues sleeping like I have, try them out - available at select Walgreens stores and their website: www.upgradeyoursleep.com