Work Mom: How Micki Waters Became a Mother Figure to Her Entire Papa Murphy’s Team

For Micki Waters, her career with Papa Murphy’s Take ‘N’ Bake Pizza has been defined by more than just pizza — it’s been about people. After decades in the restaurant industry, including 28 years with Burger King and a decade as a corporate employee with Papa Murphy’s International (PMI), Waters became a franchisee in her hometown of Eugene, Oregon. While her own children aren’t in the business, she’s spent years mentoring the younger employees in her eight stores — many of whom affectionately see her as a mother figure.

“We've celebrated babies, weddings — I’ve officiated at least one marriage between a manager and his wife, who was also a manager for us,” Waters said. “During COVID, we had employees whose families were completely laid off. Because we were essential — accepting EBT — we kept working. We had teenagers — 16-year-olds — who were the only breadwinners in their homes. That weighed heavily on us. We had to make sure they weren’t working too much, that they were still doing school online, but also that they were working enough to help their families.”

Waters' nurturing approach extends to her business partnership with Richard Johnson and his daughter, Jacquie Glover, who has worked in the organization for 20 years and now serves as a senior area supervisor. “Yes, Jacquie is my ‘work daughter’ — she calls me her ‘work mom’ — but more than that, she’s a good friend and a great area supervisor for our brand,” Waters said. “When I first partnered with Richard, he told me, ‘I want you to help my daughter grow in her position. Someday, I’d love for her to become a franchisee.’”

Her commitment to teaching and developing future leaders is the heartbeat of her work. “To be able to teach leaders. That’s my focus — send leaders out,” she said. “Every now and then, someone will pop up on LinkedIn and say, ‘Do you remember when I took your shift supervisor class?’ or ‘You taught my basic manager course in Portland.’ I love hearing that. Teaching and growing leaders has always been the goal.”

1851 Franchise spoke with Waters about her journey with Papa Murphy’s and her status as an unofficial “mom” to so many of her employees. Here’s what she had to say:

1851 Franchise: Can you share your story with us? What do you want people to know about you as a franchisee?

Micki Waters: I think not only to our employees, but in our community, a statement came up recently in a DMA meeting that really resonated: “Papa Murphy’s — more than just pizza.” That hit home for everyone in the room because we spend a lot of time focusing on what we can do with our teams — not just to lower turnover, but to make sure they're enjoying what they do. If you enjoy your job, your guests see that.

And it can’t just be when we’re in the stores. It has to come from the employees themselves. We talk a lot about who the next leader in the store will be. We’re always looking to move people up, and we want our employees to know there's a future for them here.

My partner, Richard [Johnson], always says one of the best days is when a young kid buys their first car — because it means they’re sticking around. But it’s not just that. It’s the store manager who buys a home. All of them know they have a steady job, and that means something. It’s more than just pizza. It’s everything to us — and we want it to be just as meaningful for the people growing within our organization.

1851: Before you joined Papa Murphy’s, what were you doing? What inspired your transition into franchising?

Waters: My career started out with Burger King. I was with a franchise for 28 years and left there as a VP. Then I saw an advertisement for a position with Papa Murphy’s International. I became a PMI employee and oversaw several states along with a great team.

I did that for 10 years — 10 years of sleeping in hotels is a lot—and eventually, a franchisee who was buying additional stores asked if I would join him. I said yes because it was right here in my hometown. It’s been the ride I wanted — and the ride I hoped for.

1851: How has your perception of franchising evolved since you became a franchisee, especially as someone who brings a nurturing, people-first approach to the business?

Waters: It’s a lot harder than I expected — even having been on the corporate side. As a franchisee, you have to make sure the bills are paid every single week and that there's money for payroll. When you’re working for someone else, you just get your paycheck. That dynamic is definitely different.

But being a franchisee has given me the chance to get back into the community. That’s something I didn’t have the opportunity to do as much when I was in corporate. We do a lot of fundraisers and participate in our local chambers of commerce. I’m a big believer — if you’re going to pay to be part of something, then you need to participate. That connection has been really fun, and I love it.

1851: What drew you to Papa Murphy’s specifically? What continues to excite you about being part of this brand?

Waters: What drew me originally was the product — I was a customer. I wasn’t looking for a job; I was doing some research on other concepts. But when I saw the benefits Papa Murphy’s was offering, it was a slam dunk.

The opportunity to travel a bit and see how other franchisees were running their stores was exciting. That became my specialty — visiting Papa Murphy’s locations and meeting with franchisees. What I know now about the brand, I learned from the heritage franchisees — the Hodges, the Irvings, the Phillips, Jerry Kenny.

I still trade emails and texts with them about what’s working well in their stores. It’s a very sharing organization.

1851: What does it mean to you to be a "mom" to so many of the young team members in your stores? Can you share a moment or story that stands out?

Waters: You’re going to make me cry! There have been a lot of those moments. We've had employees pass away. We've celebrated babies, weddings — I’ve officiated at least one marriage between a manager and his wife, who was also a manager for us.

During COVID, we had employees whose families were completely laid off. Because we were essential — accepting EBT — we kept working. We had teenagers — 16-year-olds — who were the only breadwinners in their homes. That weighed heavily on us. We had to make sure they weren’t working too much, that they were still doing school online, but also that they were working enough to help their families.

We gave out free pizza and salads, sometimes for weeks on end. If someone said they didn’t need any more, I told our managers to have them bring it to a neighbor or their grandparents — someone who couldn’t get out. We just wanted to help.

We’ve helped out employees, offering them small loans to help with family emergencies. We’ve done Christmas drives for employees in need. Every business has moments like that. And you have to take care of your great people. I say this all the time: We don’t have a turd in the bunch. We’re really fortunate. We have people who’ve been with us 25 years. Ten years is not uncommon. The younger kids may go try working at Wendy’s or the Gap, but a lot of them come back because they realize how different it is working with us.

1851: Even though your own children aren’t in the business, how have you built a sense of family within your stores?

Waters: Having an open-door policy is huge. We talk to our managers about watching for signs — if someone seems off, don’t hesitate to ask, “How’s your day?” And really listen. You might be the only adult they feel comfortable talking to.

We don’t gossip. We don’t go around saying, “Look what happened to Gwen with her car.” We just listen. That’s the culture.

1851: You’re in business with Richard Johnson and his daughter, Jacquie Glover — how has that shaped your experience as a business owner and mentor?

Waters: Yes, Jacquie is my “work daughter” — she calls me her “work mom” — but more than that, she’s a good friend and a great area supervisor for our brand. She’s been with us 20 years. When I first partnered with Richard, he told me, “I want you to help my daughter grow in her position. Someday, I’d love for her to become a franchisee.”

That’s not a fast process when someone is young. But she’s a quick learner. This is her life too, and she loves the business just as much as the rest of us.

Even before I became a franchisee, I used to make notes when I visited other stores — never to use against anyone, but to document all the great things I saw. I still use those notes. I share ideas and ask others what’s working. When I worked for PMI, those franchisees were paying me to help them — but I was learning from them too. I feel a strong responsibility to give back. I’ll always make time to talk with new franchisees.

1851: What do you hope to accomplish through your work with Papa Murphy’s — not just in terms of business growth, but in the lives you impact?

Waters: To be able to teach leaders. That’s my focus — send leaders out. Every now and then, someone will pop up on LinkedIn and say, “Do you remember when I took your shift supervisor class?” or “You taught my basic manager course in Portland.” I love hearing that. Teaching and growing leaders has always been the goal.

What we teach them, they can take to any job. But the best thing is when they say they learned it with us.

1851: What advice would you give to other people — especially moms (or mother figures) — who are thinking about becoming franchisees or leading teams in a franchise setting?

Waters: Be ready to have more kids than you’ve ever had. You’ll repeat yourself over and over — just like telling your kids to clean their room six times before going to the park.

But the biggest thing is to be ready to listen. Don’t just have people working for you — have them be part of your team. Get them ingrained in what you’re doing. Believe in them and teach them to believe in what you do — great pizza, great service. If you can teach that, they’ll understand how important it is to your guests.

ABOUT PAPA MURPHY'S

Papa Murphy's International LLC ("Papa Murphy's") is a franchisor and operator of the largest Take 'n' Bake pizza brand in the United States, with over 1,135 franchised and corporate-owned locations across the U.S—plus locations in Canada and the UAE. It’s no surprise that their story is a little unconventional. After all, Papa Murphy’s brought an entirely new approach to the pizza industry. But their unique idea is a simple one: enrich life and community through craveable food. They focus on using quality ingredients, prepared fresh daily, to offer guests everyday meals to take ‘n’ bake at home with ease. In addition to take ‘n’ bake pizzas, Papa Murphy's offers a selection of salads, sides, desserts, and kid’s options. Learn more and order online at papamurphys.com.