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<div id="pastingspan1"><span style=""><a href="http://www.freshcoatfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=women-leaders-in-franchising-tara-riley-of-fresh-coat-painters-4482" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><span class="brand-highlight">Fresh Coat*</span> Painters</a> President Tara Riley&#8217;s foray into the franchising industry had humble beginnings. Like many high schoolers, her first job was at her local McDonald&#8217;s in Grand Forks, North Dakota. But Riley had bigger plans in store. Over time, Riley climbed up the McDonald&#8217;s corporate ladder and made her way through the brand&#8217;s management development program. Her hard work and drive paid off, and she was eventually promoted to McDonald&#8217;s Field Service branch, which is the franchise support side of the brand. It was there that she discovered her passion for helping individual business owners.</span></div><div id="pastingspan1"><span style=""><br /></span></div><div id="pastingspan1"><span style="">She has been fortunate to work with other esteemed franchise concepts, including Sport Clips and HouseMaster. The industry veteran came to the <a href="http://freshcoat.1851franchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=women-leaders-in-franchising-tara-riley-of-fresh-coat-painters-4482" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fresh Coat Painters</a> team in 2014 and is using her experience to help the brand expand to 400 units in the next five years and mentor the next generation of franchise executives.</span></div><div><span style=""><div id="pastingspan1">&nbsp;</div><div><strong>How did you get your start in franchising?  </strong></div><div id="pastingspan1">My first-ever job in high school was working for our local McDonald&#8217;s franchise in my hometown of Grand Forks, North Dakota. I continued working for the McDonald&#8217;s franchisee to help pay for school. I ended up working through the McDonald&#8217;s management development program, which included a trip to the famous Hamburger University. After I graduated, I eventually ended up switching over to working for McDonald&#8217;s Corporation in Atlanta where I was assigned to Field Service, which is the franchise support side of operations. It was there I realized that I absolutely loved working with the individual business owners and had a knack for helping them improve their quality of life, run more profitable organizations, and achieve their goals.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong>Who was your mentor in business?</strong></div><div id="pastingspan1">I&#8217;ve been blessed with amazing mentors throughout my career, but I&#8217;d have to say the reason I made a career of franchising, and the person who most influenced my leadership, is Ed Long. When I was working for the McDonald&#8217;s franchisee in Texas, Ed was our director of operations. He consistently pushed me to be a better leader and developer of people. He eventually convinced me to work with the McDonald&#8217;s corporation, where my career was really born.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong>How would you describe your leadership style?</strong></div><div id="pastingspan1">My natural leadership style is a very participative and coaching one. I strive to create paths for people to develop within our business and try to set high expectation for achievement. I think we always have something to learn from each other and I have often found that our newest team members are the ones who bring the most unique ideas into the business.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong>What advice would you give to other women that are considering a career path in franchising?</strong></div><div id="pastingspan1">Don&#8217;t ever hesitate to let your leaders and peers know your career aspirations. I found when I started telling people around me I aspired to lead a company, I gained access to the development opportunities I needed. Definitely get your Certified Franchise Executive (CFE) and participate in the <a href="http://www.franchise.org/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=women-leaders-in-franchising-tara-riley-of-fresh-coat-painters-4482" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International Franchise Association (IFA)</a>;&nbsp;it will expose you to the finest minds and leadership in franchising.</div><div>&nbsp;</div><div><strong>What would you like to achieve in the next 5 years?</strong></div><div id="pastingspan1">I plan to see Fresh Coat expand to 400 units and over $100 Million in system revenue.</div><div></div></span></div>

1851 Franchise

As President of Fresh Coat Painters, Tara Riley is looking to help the brand expand to 400 units throughout the next five years.

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