Today’s guest caught my eye when she appeared on the TODAY Show not so long ago. Kat Cole, the President of Cinnabon is here. At 19 years old Kat got her first job in the food industry as a hostess and waitress at Hooter’s. Soon she was being sent all over the world to help the franchise open new eateries and quickly rose to a Vice President role at age 26, making her one of the youngest executives in chain restaurants.
At Cinnabon, she has been President for the last 4 years, accountable for leading, evolving and building the brand and her team. After leading the company to billion dollar status, Kat was promoted to the role of Group President at FOCUS Brands Inc., the parent company to Cinnabon Inc.
Kat is also a Young Global Leader at the World Economic Forum. Her story has been featured in major publications and news outlets including the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, Forbes and now proud to say – So Money®.
In the interview we discuss what responsibility do employers have to support their workers with families via paid family leave and flexible work arrangements? And as a woman, does Kat feel she’s somehow broken through a “glass ceiling”? Plus my favorite topics – asking for a raise and how to right-size your earnings expectations.
If you’d like to learn more about Kat visit her website www.katcole.net or follow her on Twitter @KatColeATL.
One of my favorite quotes from the interview: “If you’re going to invest anything…time, money, energy, calories…it better be worth whatever the investment is.” – Click To Tweet
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