1851

Danessa Itaya was first introduced to the residential cleaning industry after moving to Michigan with her family. Her husband accepted a job in the area, so she started interviewing with nearby brands and came across Molly Maid. Over the course of the next 18 years, Itaya wore a variety of hats within the organization. By moving up from an accounting assistant to VP of operations, she proved that she was an expert in her field. So she took that experience with her to Atlanta to help launch <a href="http://www.maidright.com/franchising/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-finding-the-right-balance-between-personal-and-professional-life-helps-danessa-itaya-succeed-in-both-10870" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Maid Right</a>, Premium Franchise Brands&rsquo; residential cleaning concept.

As soon as Itaya learned about Maid Right&rsquo;s mission and connection to <a href="http://jan-pro.com/franchising/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-finding-the-right-balance-between-personal-and-professional-life-helps-danessa-itaya-succeed-in-both-10870" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JAN-PRO</a>, its sister company that specializes in corporate cleaning, she knew she couldn&rsquo;t pass on the opportunity to be a part of it. Now, as vice president of Maid Right, Itaya is helping to fuel the brand&rsquo;s growth.

&ldquo;The opportunity to build something from the ground up doesn&rsquo;t come along often. I knew that I had to jump at the chance to be a part of Maid Right&rsquo;s business opportunity, and I haven&rsquo;t looked back since,&rdquo; Itaya said. &ldquo;We&rsquo;ve experienced incredible growth over the past few years, and we&rsquo;re positioned for an even better 2017.&rdquo;

When Itaya first started working with <a href="http://maidright.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=how-finding-the-right-balance-between-personal-and-professional-life-helps-danessa-itaya-succeed-in-both-10870" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Maid Right</a> in 2013, the company was brand new. That meant that she was one of the few women executives helping to get the business off the ground. But even though there weren&rsquo;t other women working at her level within the organization at the time, Itaya says the brand&rsquo;s entire team was behind her in her efforts to move her career forward.

According to Itaya, that support system is instrumental to her success. As a woman leader, she says it&rsquo;s important to be surrounded by others who want to see you do well. But when push comes to shove, nothing can replace a person&rsquo;s inner drive or passion.

&ldquo;The best advice that I have for other women working their way up in franchising is to refuse to give up. Sometimes it can be easy to fall into a role that you aren&rsquo;t passionate about. But it&rsquo;s worth it to fight hard for the top position that you want, whether you&rsquo;re male or female,&rdquo; said Itaya. &ldquo;As a businesswoman and a mother, there&rsquo;s always a voice in the back of my mind telling me to spend more time at the office and also be a better mom. But it&rsquo;s possible to find that balance&mdash;women all over the world make it work on a daily basis. There&rsquo;s nothing that says you can&rsquo;t be a successful executive and the best possible mom to your family at the same time.&rdquo; &nbsp;

Itaya is one of those women who has found a way to make that delicate balance work for both her work and home life. And as more women break into the franchising industry&mdash;especially as corporate executives&mdash;she&rsquo;s confident that the trend of women seeing success in both professional and personal roles will continue.

&ldquo;There are far more opportunities for women in business&mdash;and franchising&mdash;today than there were when I first started out. And even though it still isn&rsquo;t completely equal, some of the top leaders in the industry are female. That&rsquo;s something that&rsquo;s incredibly positive and inspiring to see,&rdquo; said Itaya. &ldquo;With women like Shelly Sun leading the way in franchising over the course of the next year, there&rsquo;s no doubt that the industry will continue to see even more women take on leadership and executive roles.&rdquo; &nbsp;

How Finding the Right Balance Between Personal and Professional Life Helps Danessa Itaya Succeed in Both

1851 Franchise

Maid Right’s vice president is one of the many women in franchising proving that it’s possible to move up the corporate ladder while raising a family.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

how-finding-the-right-balance-between-personal-and-professional-life-helps-danessa-itaya-succeed-in-both

Layne's Chicken Fingers

image of laynes chicken finger restaurant with 4 hands holding cups in the air to celebrate 

 Layne’s Chicken Fingers Crosses Mid-Year Mark With 11 New Restaurants Opened, Including the First Time the Brand has Seen Two Openings on the Same Day on July 14

laynes-chicken-franchise-growth-2025

HomeTeam Inspection Service

image of an employee from home team checking an outlet with an ipad

HomeTeam Inspection Service Franchise Owners Diversify Income With Multi-Service Model

hometeam-inspection-service-revenue-streams

Right at Home

image of jennifer selden right at home franchisee for a webinar with nick powills

Right at Home Franchise Owner Jennifer Selden To Share Franchise Journey, Sparked by Personal Care Experiences

jennifer-selden-right-at-home-franchise-journey-webinar

Paris Baguette Canada

image of a paris baguette bakery cafe latte with delicious food, croissants, and pastries

What Paris Baguette Franchisees Have To Say About Their Experiences

paris-baguette-franchise-canada-eric-chang

image of right at home franchisee gregory brewer for a webinar with nick powills

Gregory Brewer To Share 20-Year Franchise Journey With Right at Home in Upcoming Webinar

gregory-brewer-right-at-home-franchise-winston-salem-webinar

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

AI Is Reshaping Franchising: $100 Billion Valuations and Hyper-Localized Advertising

ai-is-reshaping-franchising-100-billion-valuations-and-hyper-localized-advertising

Mega Franchisee Sizzling Platter Acquired by Bain Capital

mega-franchisee-sizzling-platter-acquired-by-bain-capital

Wendy's CEO Kirk Tanner Steps Down - Breaking News - 1851 Franchise

Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner Steps Down Amid Challenges, Leaving Franchisees Facing Uncertainty

wendys-ceo-transition-kirk-tanner-franchisee-uncertainty

"Come in, We're OPEN" sign against abstract background

Small Business Optimism Dips, Raising Concerns for Franchise Owners

small-business-optimism-dips-raising-concerns-for-franchise-owners

Photo of Roof Scientist truck and trailer

Roof Scientist Expands Into Northern Indianapolis as Entrepreneur Dale Speckman Launches New Business in Fishers

roof-scientist-expands-into-northern-indianapolis

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How To Create a Strong Incentive

how-to-build-strong-incentives-to-attract-prospective-franchisees

Mike Revak - Chief Business Officer - Sky Zone - Franchise Marketing Leaders - 1851 Franchise

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Mike Revak — President and Chief Business Officer, Sky Zone

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-mike-revak-chief-business-officer-sky-zone

Coffee & Analytics graphic with photo of Nick Powills

Franchise Growth Is Messy. Lead Gen Is Uncomfortable. Let’s Fix It.

franchise-lead-generation-insights

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Kelsey McManemin — Vice President of Marketing, HTeaO

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-kelsey-mcmanemin-vice-president-of-marketing-hteao

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores - Agg - 1851 Franchise

How Finding the Right Balance Between Personal and Professional Life Helps Danessa Itaya Succeed in Both

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS