Female Founders
BY EDDY GOLDBERG
RECIPE FOR SUCCESS
I
Making a difference in children’s lives
f “Undercover Boss” doesn’t call you
(or perhaps you just don’t like cameras
or value your privacy), you still can
go undercover. Julie Burleson, founder
of Young Chefs Academy (YCA), did that
for two months and calls it one of the best
things she’s ever done.
Giving the popular E-Myth trope a
new spin, she says, “In order to be able
to work on your business, you have to
work in it.” She wasn’t in disguise, but
the people at a company-owned store in
Atlanta (she’s based in Waco) didn’t know
who she was—and she didn’t tell them.
“I did everything from grocery shopping
to scheduling classes to teaching classes,
talking with parents, and answering the
phone.” What better way to discover what
works and what doesn’t, what your franchisees need and what they don’t.
Founded in 2003 and franchising since
2005, YCA is a cooking school for children
that encourages discovery and creativity. “Kids take cooking so seriously these
days,” she says, watching cooking shows
and getting involved in preparing meals
at home and with friends.
YCA employs a membership-based
model, and classes are held weekly. The
programs not only teach the techniques,
creativity, and fun of cooking—a lifelong skill—they also serve as a social
skills program in the age of social media.
“Kids from all walks and interests come
together in a classroom,” says Burleson.
And in YCA’s summer camp programs, 15
to 20 kids who met for the first time are
not only collaborating in the kitchen, by
the end of camp they’re making plans to
get together afterward. It’s also a social
mixer for children of all types. “You see
the little shy girl with the soccer star and
cheerleaders,” she says.
There also are birthday parties at YCA
(think pizza), field trips, home school
groups, and seasonal workshops (ginger-
NAME: Julie Burleson
TITLE: Founder, CEO
COMPANY: Young Chefs Academy
NO. OF UNITS: 20 (franchised)
INTERNATIONAL UNITS: 9 (master
licensed)
PUBLIC OR PRIVATE? Private
YEAR COMPANY FOUNDED: 2003
YEAR STARTED FRANCHISING: 2005
YOUR YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 10
Franchiseupdate I S S U E I , 2016
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