After starting, growing, and successfully exiting numerous businesses in the health and fitness industries, Steven joined the AC Inc mission to help franchise brands maximize their Field Support.
As the President of AC Inc, Steven leads the sales and operations strategies for the AC team. His experience scaling and streamlining operations has helped the company blaze a trail in the industry.
Steven led the development of the AC Field Support Assessment: The first industry-wide benchmark for field coaches (the role that supports franchisees). This benchmark is backed by data and delivers an audit of the existing field support in a franchise system.
Angela Paules is the Chief Marketing Officer for Buzz Franchise Brands, the parent company for service brands Pool Scouts, Home Clean Heroes, British Swim School, and Wonderly Lights. Angela has been with Buzz since the company launched in 2012 with founding brand Mosquito Joe, which was sold to Neighborly in 2018 after growing to over 300 units. Her responsibilities span new brand development, corporate marketing and branding, franchise development marketing and marketing support for franchise partners. She started her career in advertising before transitioning into higher education marketing for the University of Texas at Austin and later to franchise marketing. Angela also co-founded and ran a successful coffee shop business in Austin, Texas. She is a proud graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, a Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) and has been named among Entrepreneur’s Top CMO Gamechangers.
Michael Moorhouse, President of Mosquito Shield, is a life changer. He has a passion for setting individuals free from less than satisfying jobs. He opens the door to business ownership and moves individuals from feeling stuck or on the fence to personal and professional freedom.
Michael has a passion for empowering others. Not just as a cheerleader but more importantly through understanding others and working with their strengths and weaknesses. He does so both at the corporate level and with each and every Mosquito Shield franchisee through open and honest communication.
Listen in to Michael Moorhouse’s full interview on The Franchise Woman podcast here.
Meet Michael Moorhouse
Michael Moorhouse is president of Mosquito Shield, America’s trusted provider of effective residential mosquito and tick control service and one of the fastest-growing franchises in the United States. With a proven track record in sales, marketing and business development, he was instrumental in transforming Mosquito Shield from an innovative local service provider to the leading mosquito and tick control franchise brand. Michael’s expertise and extensive experience help him consistently build high-performance franchise teams through leadership, policies and procedures and accountability. Mosquito Shield, part of the Five Star Franchising platform of home service brands, was named the #1 Pest Control franchise in the United States by Entrepreneur in 2023.
Mary Anna Lewis joins us on this episode of The Franchise Woman Podcast. Mary Anna is a Mosquito Squad franchisee and a Business Advisor with the parent company as well as a Clothes Bin franchisee. Our conversation was about how she juggles all 3 roles and grows her businesses.
This interview is power packed but I want to share at least 3 takeaways:
Keep the Main Thing the Main Thing. By applying the K.I.S.S principle and the 80/20 rule is required for business owners to stay focused and scale our businesses.
We were created for more than we can ever imagine. Faith and a knowingness of our purpose will inspire and energize us to do what is necessary to express our divine purpose.
Leave People with a Lift. We were created to be in fellowship and lifting others up lifts all of us. We all need encouragement and others to believe in us.
Listen to the whole interview here.
Meet Mary Anna Lewis
A South Carolina native and University of South Carolina graduate, Mary Anna started her career with a business consulting firm in Charleston, SC followed by several years as a medical sales representative for Matria Healthcare, Inc. A local, small business owner at heart, she spent over 25 years working as an independent business coach, primarily with privately-held business owners based in the Southeast.
Mary Anna has owned Mosquito Squad of the Lowcountry in Charleston, SC since 2011 and has been a Business Advisor with the parent company, Authority Brands, since 2021. In this position she serves 18-20 franchise owners in a support role to partner with each location in their success. Business Advisors act as a liaison between the corporate office and the owners to coach, set goals, develop action plans, encourage, strategize and problem-solve. In her time with Mosquito Squad, her location has been awarded Rookie of the Year Award, Top Sales Award and she has been a member of the Franchise Advisor Council.
As a devotee of the franchise model, she also owns a second franchise, Lowcountry Textile Recycling dba The Clothes Bin that she bought in 2018, where she also serves on their Franchise Advisor Council.
“I love serving others and giving back” says Mary Anna. “My work as a Mosquito Squad Business Advisor allows me to serve some amazing owners in a support role and my Clothes Bin business allows me to give back from a recycling effort as well as philanthropically as a fundraiser to dozens and dozens of schools and churches.”
Mary Anna has served as the President of The Charleston Breakfast Rotary Club, as the Philanthropy Chair for The Mount Pleasant Chamber of Commerce for 7 years, as a member of several boards including Oceanside Collegiate Academy, Life Resources, Wando Athletic Booster Club and various volunteer leadership positions at her church.
A lifelong Lowcountry resident, Mary Anna lives in Mount Pleasant with her husband, David, has two adult sons in college, loves yoga, is an avid pickleball player and has three dogs at home that are always ready for a walk!
Karen Wenning, business development manager at Suttle-Straus, wanted to be a farmer when she grew up. In many ways that’s exactly what she has created at home with her many small animals including chickens, ducks and peacocks including one named Goose, who frequently is on the loose.
On this episode of The Franchise Woman podcast, Karen shares two power-packed philosophies that she lives her life by:
We are responsible for our own happiness.
Passion can be developed for something even when we have no initial interest.
She describes how she became passionate about health, fitness and nutrition through her son’s love of sports. By becoming actively involved with the various sports her children were playing the bond between them benefited and her interest and passion grew.
Listen in to the full episode here.
Meet Karen Wenning
It is not easy being a Karen these days, but this Karen is a vibrant personality in the world of franchising. Her journey began with aspirations of being a cowgirl or a farmer, but destiny had a different path in mind. After graduating from college, she found herself immersed in the captivating world of crafting prose for well-known luxury brands at an advertising agency.
During her time in the advertising world Karen developed a deep-seated passion for collaborating with marketing professionals and graphic designers. Her knack for creating brand-right marketing strategies across extensive networks quickly became evident, setting her on an exciting course within the industry. For the past 15 years Karen has directed her expertise toward building value-add brand portal software for franchises. She affectionately describes herself as an accidental salesperson, driven by an unwavering mission to ease the burden on franchise marketing teams and provide localized marketing to franchisees. Her unique blend of creativity, communication, and dedication is what sets her apart in the franchising landscape.
Beyond her professional accomplishments, Karen has a zest for acquiring unwanted pets. From peacocks to puppies, to felines, roosters and ducks the herd seems to change weekly. Three athletic teenaged children keep her entertained with football and lacrosse games, constant fitness challenges, downhill ski races and the never-ending need to produce healthy, high-protein meals for people who appreciate it.
Karen Wenning is an inspiring and fun-loving individual who infuses joy into every facet of her life. Connect with her to experience the exuberance and passion she brings to the franchising industry.
Lauren Rampello Becotte is the poster child for grit. She combines a bigger purpose with the tenacity to do and go through whatever is necessary to bring about vision. Her obsession with customer service and building long-term relationships is clear in every decision she makes and the value Pure Glow brings to clients.
Don’t let her youthfulness fool you … there is great wisdom behind that beautiful face.
Lauren Rampello Becotte, Founder and Chief Creative Officer of Pure Glow Organic Tanning joins Rebecca Monet and Tracy Kawa on this episode of The Franchise Woman podcast. Listen to the complete interview here.
Meet Lauren Rampello Becotte
After graduating from Northeastern in 2010, Lauren Rampello Becotte quickly became a self-funded, self-starting woman in business. Lauren has overcome adversity as a business owner, having self-funded all aspects of Pure Glow until May of 2023. She also survived a battle with breast cancer in 2021, yet still managed to continue building Pure Glow. Her mission with Pure Glow is to redefine the industry standard surrounding sunless tanning and wants to provide a pure option for customers looking to unleash their inner glow.
Founded by Lauren Rampello Becotte, Pure Glow is a premium airbrush tanning franchise. Pure Glow is transforming the beauty space with its unique tanning solution of organic and pure ingredients, as well as its focus on providing customers with a realistic-looking and long-lasting tanning experience. Not only is the brand aiming to emphasize the importance of transparency in beauty products and services, but it is also striving to make inclusivity amongst skin types an industry-standard in the tanning world.
Growing up in a multicultural family lead to success!
As a child Kathy Covington, Founder of Mantra Fitness, spent her summers in Honduras and the rest of the year in the USA. Two very different lives. Different languages. Different social economics. Initially, her time in Honduras was uncomfortable, especially as a blonde, blue-eyed girl who did not speak Spanish. In time she learned to adapt and fit in. In fact, she attributes her fearlessness, adaptability, creativity, and problem-solving skills to living bi-nationally.
Listen to Kathy Covington as she joins Rebecca Monet and Tracy Kawa on this episode of The Franchise Woman podcast: Where Passion & Purpose Collide.
Meet Kathy Covington
Kathy Covington, Owner and Founder of Mantra Fitness, is a highly successful entrepreneur with a passion for helping others achieve their fitness and business goals. With over a decade of experience in the fitness and Pilates industry, Kathy has built a chain of thriving Pilates studios across Florida and California.
In 2012, with a strong passion for fitness, health, and well-being, Kathy opened her first Pilates studio in Sarasota, Florida, and quickly discovered a talent for creating, managing, and operating successful fitness studios. Florida residents were thrilled with the innovative new approach to Pilates, which combines the holistic principle of Pilates along with cardio, strength training, balance, and flexibility.
With the launch of her current franchise offering, Kathy shares her knowledge and expertise with other entrepreneurs looking to start their own high-margin Pilates studio. She is committed to helping others achieve success by providing them with the tools, resources, systems, processes, and support they need to thrive in the highly competitive world of fitness.
Kathy is passionate about helping others and is always eager to share her insights and experiences with those eager to learn. She believes that anyone can succeed in the fitness industry with the right processes, dedication, and mindset.
After Hurricane Katrina roared into town, flooding her home, Cathy Deano was looking at ways to bring a little joy to her area. She found it with the idea of an art studio where women could gather, paint and relieve the stress of the day. Adding wine to the mix didn’t hurt!
Catherine Deano, co-founder of Painting with a Twist, joins Rebecca Monet and Tracy Kawa on this week’s episode of The Franchise Woman podcast: Where Passion & Purpose Collide.
Meet Catherine Deano
Catherine Deano started her journey to become co-founder of Painting with a Twist, the largest Paint and Sip system in the United States, as well as Twist Brands, the umbrella company, by volunteering in her community. After Hurricane Katrina roared into town, flooding her home, she was looking at ways to bring a little joy to her area. She found it with the idea of an art studio where women could gather, paint and relieve the stress of the day. Adding wine to the mix didn’t hurt! She and her partner opened their first location under the name Corks n Canvas in 2007. In 2009 with four studios under their belt they started franchising. At the beginning of 2014 they merged Corks n Canvas with Painting with a Twist.
Painting with a Twist has always had very definitive brand values. Since PWAT started out as a women owned and women centric business, she knew that any career for most women had to include a strong dedication to family. Their motto was always “Family First”. This included the Home Office Team, as well as the way they governed from the top. This motto first and foremost let their franchisees know that as a women owned business they understood, as well as honored the pull they would always have between a family and a business. This has served them well. Their business values were always to lead with honesty and ethics. Cathy felt these two attributes would get her wherever she wanted to go and help with any decisions she needed to make, and it has.
One of Painting with a Twist’s proudest accomplishments is their Painting with a Purpose. This initiative encourages franchisees to host classes where at least 50% of the revenue goes to a non-profit group in the area where the franchise is located. PWAT does not take royalties on these classes as a way of giving back to the communities that support their franchisees businesses. To date PWAP, via individual franchises, has donated over $7,000,000 to non-profits in the areas where they are located.
In 2021 Cathy bought out her co-founder and brought on three new partners.
To date Painting with a Twist has licensed 223 studios in 38 states. In early 2019 Painting with a Twist acquired a paint and sip competitor, Bottles and Bottega adding 23 franchises to the company. In 2020 Painting with a Twist bought Color Me Mine, the largest paint your own pottery franchise in the United States, as well as the supplier company for the paint your own pottery industry. This added 120 more franchises to the newly formed umbrella company, Twist Brands.
In her role as Founder and Brand Ambassador, Cathy visits franchisees, speaks to women about her journey to franchising and participates on panels at franchise conferences.
Cathy has always felt community service is a cornerstone of owning a business and to that end has been very active in her area volunteering for multiple non-profits.
Cathy’s past volunteer service include, President and board member of St. Tammany Parish Hospital’s Parenting Center, PTA President Cedarwood School, President and board member St. Tammany Art Association, Board member Pontchartrain Yacht Club. Presently she serves on the board of The Friend of the Dew Drop which host concerts at the Dew Drop, the oldest unaltered jazz hall in the world as well as fostering music education throughout the schools in St. Tammany Parish. She is President of the Board at St. Tammany Art Association. Also, she currently serves on The Franchisor Forum for the International Franchise Association.
Cathy has one son, Ryan, 25. Her hobbies are traveling, reading, cooking and laughing. To feed her creative spirit she works in multi-media assemblage.
In 2022 Cathy was named to Franchise Directory’s 50 Women of Wonder and Forbes 50 over 50, joining the likes of Dolly Parton, Tina Turner, Sandra Bullock and more.
Marina O’Rourke, Fractional CIO with Tsource IT specializing in strategy and change management, joins Rebecca Monet and Tracy Kawa on this week’s episode of The Franchise Woman Podcast: Where Passion & Purpose Collide.
Marina believes that technology can be a strategic asset that can drive profitability for franchisors and franchisees.
Marina’s technology, data mining skills and out of the box thinking helped Subway become PCI compliant by installing encrypted card readers at each location – a feat that required lobbying the PCI Security Standards Council, getting vendor buy-in and an orchestrated roll out plan. Ultimately this benefited Subway franchisees greatly.
Listen in to Marina’s interview here.
Meet Marina O’Rourke
Marina is a Fractional CIO with Tsource IT specializing in strategy and change management. Marina is a seasoned franchise technology executive with experience developing and running technology teams in franchise brands including Subway, Tropical Smoothie Cafe and ServiceMaster. Marina’s reputation is as a collaborative leader who works with her counterparts to develop and implement strategies and tactics that drive profitable growth. Marina is currently on the board of the Central Florida chapter of the Society for Information Management, is a member of the Women’s Franchise Committee with the International Franchise Association and has led workgroups with the Restaurant Technology Network.
Cinderella joined Rebecca Monet and Tracy Kawa on this week’s episode of The Franchise Woman podcast.
Once a Disney Princess, Hope Alteri turned entrepreneur when she co-founded a charming baby/children’s boutique with her mother. Over the years, she transformed this venture into a thriving success expanding it to two locations which led her to consider franchising. Today, she channels her passion for entrepreneurship by helping others join the ranks of business ownership.
Who would have thought a beautiful Disney Princess could wear so many hats and become a business icon? Watch the full episode here.
Meet Hope Alteri
Hope Alteri wears many hats both literally and figuratively in the world of business. As a dynamic entrepreneur, she embarked on her business journey a decade ago when she co-founded a charming baby/children’s boutique with her mother. Over the years, she transformed this venture into a thriving success, expanding it to two locations. Eager to share the success of her store concept, Hope delved into franchising, driven by her passion for business and entrepreneurship. Today, she channels this passion into her role at Brand J in franchise development, where she specializes in fractional sales and full Franchise Sales Operations (FSO) for diverse brands. Hope finds fulfillment in helping others achieve their dreams of business ownership, making her a dedicated and influential force in the world of franchising.
