Female Founders
bread at Christmas, Mother’s Day teas).
And to promote the brand and offer a
richer potpourri of experiences, YCA has
partnered with cooking- and kids-oriented
organizations such as Parenting magazine
and The Food Network.
“What’s great is that there are so many
areas I can be creative in. It never gets
old. We have new customers and a new
curriculum all the time,” says Burleson.
“There’s nothing not fun or rewarding
about this business, but then I’m an entrepreneur at heart.”
But clearly, her heart belongs to the
children. “The most rewarding part is
making a difference in kids’ lives,” she
says. “You just get attached to the kids
who come to summer camp one or two
weeks at a time.”
GETTING STARTED
What inspired you to start your business? I’ve loved cooking since I was a
little girl cooking with my mom, and I’ve
always been drawn to all things culinary.
One day it came around full circle. I was
in the kitchen preparing a meal when my
son asked me if he could help. That’s when
I had my “light bulb” moment. I’m an entrepreneur at heart, so I’m constantly on
the lookout for new ideas.
What is your background? How did
it prepare you for starting your business? Before Young Chefs Academy, I was
running a small catering business. Before
that, I was a scholarship program officer
at Baylor University. My background is in
business and personnel administration. I
think every job you have can prepare you
for running a business, whether it’s learning
how to interact with customers or clients,
or negotiating deals with associates. It’s all
about building strong, healthy relationships through effective communication.
What’s the best and worst advice you
got when starting out? Best: From my
dad, who would always say, “If something
sounds too good to be true, it probably is.”
You have to trust your gut when it comes
to important decisions. Worst: From a
person who would always say, “Trust me.”
I learned the hard way (by not listening
to my father’s advice) not to trust some-
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one implicitly just because they tell you
to, even if they are “successful.” Check
your sources. Don’t get caught up in the
excitement of the moment.
unique business concept, a proven business
model, and a strong trademark.
Why did you choose franchising? I’ve
always appreciated the business model and
thought it could help build Young Chefs
Academy into the nation’s premier children’s cooking school. Franchise owners,
as opposed to managers of a chain, have
a vested interest in their success, as well
as the passion required to operate a franchise. With the help of the right franchise
partners, we have created something amazing together.
What has been the best and the hardest thing about being an entrepreneur? Best: The opportunity to be creative and work toward seeing your dream
become a reality. The hardest part is making decisions that are in the best interest
of your company, no matter what. When
you take on the responsibility of owning
a company, you don’t have the luxury of
avoiding a business decision when it might
hurt someone’s feelings or a relationship.
You have an obligation to your company
and the people who are counting on you
to do what is right for the business.
How did you get started in franchising? I appreciate franchising as a business
model and I had even looked into becoming a franchisee for various concepts. As
for franchising, I didn’t originally plan
to, but when I moved to Waco and saw
that it was a hub for acclaimed franchise
companies, I had access to experts in the
industry, a crucial step for taking my business to the next level.
Did you have a partner/co-founder
when you started? Why? How important was that in building your
company? I enlisted a dear friend as my
partner and co-founder. I came up with
the idea for Young Chefs Academy and she
helped give me the courage to launch the
business. In the beginning, it was nice to
have somebody hold my hand and jump
off the cliff with me. She has since moved
on to other things, but she played a key
role in the beginning stages and we went
through a lot together. It was comforting
to have a friend to go through both the
challenges and exciting times.
BUILDING THE BUSINESS
How has your experience in running
a franchise business been different
from what you expected? Leading a
franchise is different than starting your
own standalone business. As a franchisor,
you are not only a leader of a company.
You are also a coach, cheerleader, mentor,
motivator, and sometimes rule enforcer
for your franchise partners. That said,
the role of rule enforcer is less of a necessity if a franchise owner is an effective
leader overall.
How did you fund your company
at the beginning? As you grew? I
have invested a lot of my own money
and went to the bank for a line of credit.
In the very beginning, my partner and I
also brought on a partner who made an
initial investment.
How did you grow the brand at first?
What changed as you expanded?
When we first grew the brand, I enlisted
a sales team with a lot of experience selling franchises. I quickly learned they were
not a good fit for my system. My partner
at the time and I relinquished our ties
with that sales team and put a temporary
halt on selling. During this time, I knew
I needed systems in place to ensure a)
that my franchisees would be fully supported as we grew, and b) that each new
franchise owner was the right fit for the
company. That’s when I brought on two
new business partners who were of the
same mindset about how we needed to
support our franchisees, who we would
sell to, and how we would qualify owners.
What were the keys to funding your
brand? I was fortunate that I had all of
the key elements investors are looking
for in a business venture: an exciting and
How did you transition from founding a brand to leading a brand? It’s
been a process, and a fun one at that.
Overall, I’m learning every day how to be
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