1851

<div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; "><font face="arial"><span style="">Few industries can claim the incredible growth potential that residential cleaning can. A simple Google search will pull up dozens of reports showing a massive upside to what is already a $14 billion per year industry in the U.S. And none are positioned to take advantage of the massive upside in the industry better than <a href="http://www.maidright.com/franchising/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=women-leaders-in-franchising-danessa-itaya-of-maid-right-4422" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Maid Right</a>.</span></font></div><div style="font-style: normal; ">&nbsp;</div><div style="font-style: normal; ">There&#8217;s one simple reason for that: visionary leadership and a commitment to creating a business plan built for success. From the brand&#8217;s founding nearly three years ago, following in the successful footsteps of its sister brand, commercial cleaning giant <a href="http://jan-pro.com/franchising/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=women-leaders-in-franchising-danessa-itaya-of-maid-right-4422" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JAN-PRO</a>, Danessa Itaya has helped steer <a href="http://maidright.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=women-leaders-in-franchising-danessa-itaya-of-maid-right-4422" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Maid Right</a> toward success. 1851 Franchise recently spoke with her to learn more about how the brand has grown so quickly across the nation, how she&#8217;s helping to spur on success in her own franchising career, and the importance of having strong mentors to look up to on the path to success.</div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; "></div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; ">&nbsp;</div><div style="font-style: normal;"><strong>How did you get your start in franchising?</strong></div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; "></div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; ">I got my start in franchising as something temporary, as my husband had a one-year assignment in Ann Arbor, Michigan and then we would move back to California. After about three-months working with Molly Maid and Service Brands International, we realized that I had a fantastic opportunity to learn more and grow with the company. There was strong leadership and vision through David and Karen McKinnon. When my husband&#8217;s one-year assignment ended, we decided to stay in Michigan and I stayed with Service Brands for more than 18 years, starting out as an accounting assistant and leaving as the Vice President of Field Service and President of the Ms. Molly Foundation. Service Brands International taught me a lot about franchising and building a brand on solid relationships.</div><div style="font-style: normal;">&nbsp;</div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal;"><strong>Who was your mentor in business?</strong></div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; "></div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; ">Throughout my career, I have been blessed to have many incredible mentors in my life. They each encourage me to reach outside of my comfort zone, by example, and by being great sounding boards for me. Most recently I have been fortunate to work closely with Richard Kissane, chairman of Premium Franchise Brands, as we launched Maid Right. He built a great team, shared his vision, and encouraged us through each new milestone. Through all if it, every day he would come into my office and I would give him an update on what was going on and he would provide me with some feedback or suggestions. Some of them I thought were kind of crazy, but after talking it through with him, I would find that it was a great idea and we would emerge ready to push it forward. In our careers, we always need that person who continues to encourage us to think differently and see things in a different perspective.</div><div style="font-style: normal;">&nbsp;</div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; "></div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; "></div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; ">I&#8217;ve also had the pleasure of working closely with many women in franchising and they have taught me how to be a strong female leader and how to balance work and home life. I&#8217;ve learned that I can be successful at the office and a great mom and still make it to the Pinewood Derby. Recently, I was leaving an amazingly decorated baby shower and I made the comment, &#8216;Boy, I wish I was that talented!&#8217; and Carol Goodcuff, JAN-PRO Cleaning Systems&#8217; co-founder turned to me and said &#8216;You don&#8217;t need to be great at everything. You&#8217;re really good at what you do. That&#8217;s enough.&#8217;</div><div style="font-style: normal;">&nbsp;</div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal;"></div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal;"><strong>How would you describe your leadership style?</strong></div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; "></div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; ">Describing your own leadership style is tough, but I would say that my leadership style is that I try to lead by example. I wouldn&#8217;t ask any of my team members to do something I&#8217;m not willing to do myself. I&#8217;m a strong believer in building relationships and you can lead effectively by encouraging and building up your team and franchise network. In addition to growing the brand, my goal is also to make sure that I continue to develop my team so that they can grow with the company and hopefully one day take my job! I&#8217;ve been very fortunate to have an awesome team!</div><div style="font-style: normal;">&nbsp;</div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal;"></div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal;"><strong>What advice would you give to other women that are considering a career path in franchising?</strong></div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; "></div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; ">In franchising, we have some amazing women leaders. I&#8217;ve been fortunate to work or interact with some of them and continue to learn from them. I&#8217;ve met many of them through networking at various franchising events. Take advantage of these opportunities!</div><div style="font-style: normal;">&nbsp;</div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; "></div><div id="pastingspan1" style="">In Cheryl Sandberg&#8217;s <em>Lean In</em>, she talks about the importance of more women needing to take a seat at the boardroom table, and franchising is no different. Franchising provides strong leadership opportunities for both men and women and it&#8217;s growing! There are some amazing women in franchising that you can learn from, including Mary Ann O&#8217;Connell, Meg Roberts, and Melanie Bergeron just to name a few. Lean in now!</div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; "></div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal;"><strong>&nbsp;</strong></div><div style="font-style: normal;"><strong>What would you like to achieve in the next 5 years?</strong></div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; "></div><div id="pastingspan1" style="font-style: normal; ">In the next 5 years, my goal is to make Maid Right a household name, synonymous with exceptional housecleaning and a great way to own your own business and create a better lifestyle for your family.</div>

Women in Franchising

1851 Franchise

Danessa Itaya, Vice President of Maid Right, explains how she’s helping to spur the brand's growth across the nation. 

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

Women Leaders in Franchising: Danessa Itaya of Maid Right     

women-leaders-in-franchising-danessa-itaya-of-maid-right

SweatHouz

Science, Wellness, Growth: How SweatHouz CEO Mike Tan is Shaping the Future of Contrast Therapy Franchising

mike-tan-franchising-strategy-sweathouz

Biscuit Belly Franchising

Biscuit Belly Expands Across the Southeast U.S. With Six New Locations

biscuit-belly-expands-across-the-southeast-us-with-six-new-locations

Layne's Chicken Fingers

Photo of exterior of Layne's Chicken Fingers restaurant

Layne’s Chicken Fingers Signs Landmark 44-Restaurant Deal, Shatters Records in Monumental Third Quarter

laynes-chicken-franchise-growth-records

Children's Lighthouse

Why Children’s Lighthouse Is a Great Opportunity for Swim School Franchisees

why-childrens-lighthouse-is-a-great-opportunity-for-swim-school-franchisees

Children’s Lighthouse Closes the Third Quarter with Record Franchise Signings and New School Opening

childrenslighthouse-q3-2025-growth

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

Amazon outage, AWS outage, Amazon AWS logo

The Day the Cloud Stalled: How Amazon's Outage Impacted Franchise Economy

amazon-aws-outage-franchise-impact-travel-dining-failure

Thursday 1851 Franchise Agg - NASAA’s Noncompete Push

NASAA’s Noncompete Push Puts Franchise Growth on Uncertain Ground

franchise-noncompete-nasaa-advisory-reasonableness-standard

How a Steady Economy Could Help Franchisors Plan Their Next Move

how-a-steady-economy-could-help-franchisors-plan-their-next-move

Bed Bath & Beyond - Franchise Expansion - Retail Strategy - 1851 Franchise

Bed Bath & Beyond Launches Franchise Model as Part of Comeback Strategy

bed-bath-beyond-franchise-expansion-retail-strategy

Senior Entrepreneurship - Franchising - 1851 Franchise

Senior Entrepreneurship Is Rising — And Franchising Is a Key Outlet

senior-entrepreneurship-franchising-silver-startups

NJCAR v. Ford - New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

new-jersey-franchise-practices-act-njcar-v-ford

McDonald’s Is the Latest Franchise To Bet Big on Beverages with 500-Store Premium Drink Test

mcdonalds-is-the-latest-franchise-to-bet-big-on-beverages-with-500-store-premium-drink-test

Power Eats: Smoothie King Rolls Out Food Nationwide To Fuel Franchise Growth

smoothie-king-food-menu-power-eats

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities - 1851 Franchise Agg

Health Care Hiring Slowdown Highlights In-Home Care Franchise Opportunities 

health-care-hiring-slowdown-in-home-care-franchise-opportunities

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

graphic image of an 1851 franchisee spotlight brayden and johnny steven of teriyaki madness

Father-and-Daughter Team Bring Teriyaki Madness to Wichita, Kansas, With Big Expansion Plans

johnny-brayden-steven-teriyaki-madness-wichita

image of franchise deep dive from 1851 franchise on doody calls franchise authority brands

DoodyCalls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

doodycalls-franchise-deep-dive

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Barb Volk and KidStrong logo

Why This Orangetheory Fitness Franchise Owner Is Developing KidStrong Franchises

kidstrong-franchise-owner-barb-volk-2025

Women Leaders in Franchising: Danessa Itaya of Maid Right

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS