Men In Kilts’ Women-Led Franchise Leadership Team Stands Out in a Male-Dominated Industry

The 49-territory exterior cleaning franchise, Men In Kilts, is grabbing attention in the home services franchising industry — not just because of its infamous green kilts, but also because of its strong, women-led franchise team.

“It wasn’t intentional,” explained Rachel Southard, Brand President of Men In Kilts. “But the only male staff member we have still brings a female connection; his mom is a franchisee.” As the Men In Kilts leadership team continues to grow and expand, more and more women are becoming key players in the brand’s advancement.

According to the Center for American Progress, American women hold almost 52% of all management and professional-level jobs but “lag substantially behind men in terms of their representation in leadership positions.” While franchising is generally recognized as a good fit for women in leadership roles, as women have been shown to think and adapt more quickly than men, a skill critical to franchise development, many franchise sectors are still very much male-dominated.

Southard said that having a leadership team full of strong women will likely attract more female franchisees. “There is a drive I see in them that is super interesting. I would love to have more female owners of this brand,” she explained.

“I didn’t realize until after joining Men In Kilts that this (industry) is a man’s world. From equipment vendors, franchisees, competitors and people in the field, there is not a female expert in any position for window cleaning,” Southard said. However, she looks forward to seeing how the woman-led brand will impact the industry. “There’s something so unique about a woman owning a brand called Men In Kilts, and we’ll be able to attract even more women franchisees with that,” she explained.

Andrea Hohermuth, COO of Men In Kilts’ parent company, Threshold Brands, said that incorporating more women into leadership has allowed the culture of Men In Kilts to evolve. Though the brand’s original leadership was male-dominated, “As we got the business up to speed under our leadership, we realized that it doesn’t matter if you are a man or a woman — you can do amazing things with this brand.”

The diversity represented by Men In Kilts gives the brand a unique selling point to present to potential franchisees. “I think it’s important to highlight strong women in business, especially those who can stand up to the challenge of having a brand that’s literally called Men In Kilts,” Hohermuth explained.

As the brand continues to grow, a strong female leadership team will likely encourage more lively female franchisees to join the Men In Kilts family. According to The Rockefeller Foundation, two-thirds of people consider the presence of women in leadership when choosing where to work. Among women, this number rises to 76%. Further, 76% of Americans believe that an increased number of women in leadership will help to reduce the pay gap, 74% believe that workplace policies will change in ways that benefit both men and women and 71% believe that a more diverse workforce will be attracted.

89% of women believe that a lack of women in leadership roles leads to a lack of inspiration and, ultimately, a smaller number of women securing top leadership positions. The Men In Kilts leadership team not only shows up in their roles, providing this mentorship and inspiration, but they do so authentically.

“Women often try to take on the role they are working in as though they were a man, but that is not the case for the women of Men In Kilts. Some women in positions of power make it difficult for other women to grow into leadership positions, since that was their personal experience,” explained Tess Day, Men In Kilts franchisee. “That’s just perpetuating the glass ceiling, and that behavior just is not present within the Men In Kilts culture.”

The Men In Kilts family functions as just that — a family. “I have found that when working with men, especially as a younger woman, they treated me as a girl — as a kid. That culture doesn’t seem to exist here. We’re a team and here to support each other,” Day said.

As the brand continues to grow and empower female leadership, some of the women of Men In Kilts look to those around them. “I have two little girls, eight and 10, and there are always little eyes watching you. It means so much to me to have them watching me run a brand,” Southard said. “I love when they ask me questions about Men In Kilts; it makes me think about the women who paved the way for me and the women who were first to do this. That’s important for me.”

The total investment required to begin operation of a Men In Kilts franchised business ranges from $157,290 to $191,950. This includes $38,000 that must be paid to the franchisor. For more information about Men In Kilts, visit https://meninkiltsfranchising.com/