If you have ever had a conversation with Alesia Visconti, CEO and president of FranServe, Inc., the first thing you notice is her larger-than-life personality. It shouldn’t be a surprise that the title of her first book is “The Pink Tsunami – Women’s Rise in Franchising.” Visconti’s new book is a celebration of women in franchising and a call to action for women to enter the sector.
“I outline some of the many roads that lead to being part of the FranFamily as we call it, whether it is owning a franchise, being a franchise consultant, being a franchise supplier (everything from a franchise attorney to a PR company to real estate locator, etc.), turning a business into a franchise system or working as an employee in any of the aforementioned,” explained Visconti. “The book encourages women to think of a career in franchising rather than turning to corporate America. With franchising, earning potential is much more in line with male counterparts versus corporate America, for example. So why not explore opportunities in the franchise space?”
When asked “Why this book and why now,” Visconti’s response revealed her enthusiastic and driven nature.
“I literally woke up one day and had the entire idea formulated in my head. There isn’t a book like this, and yet there needs to be,” she shared.
As a woman in franchising, it makes sense that Visconti would focus on this topic in her first book. According to Franchise Business Review, only 32% of franchises are owned by women. As Visconti points out, there are several avenues that women can take to be part of the industry, and that tends to get overlooked.
“Franchising has always been, and still is, a male-dominated community. That needs to change. Women are ideally suited to careers in the franchise space in numerous ways. While franchise ownership is what everyone first thinks of, and that’s fantastic, business ownership isn’t for everyone,” explained Visconti. “That doesn’t mean there aren’t other ways to be in the franchise space. Some are quite large and grand, like turning a business into a franchise system, and others still provide the more traditional role of being an employee but within the dynamic space of franchising.
“Women need to look at career paths in franchising because the business model attracts truly creative, innovative and fun people!” Visconti added. “This is definitely a space that is ripe for women to excel; they just need to be aware of the opportunity to do so. I hope my book helps to shed light on that and open the door for them. I’ll be the first to welcome them!”
Catherine Monson, CFE, CEO at Propelled Brands and a legend in the franchise industry with 30 years of franchising and management experience, authored the foreword of “The Pink Tsunami.” It truly is a must-read for anyone who believes in women’s growing presence in franchising.
Nancy E. Williams