Story
From Hooters waitress to president of Cinnabon's parent company
Shaan recaps guest Cat Cole's path: she started as a Hooters waitress in college, climbed Hooters corporate to GM of Hooters America, then became president of Cinnabon and ultimately president of its parent company Focus Brands.
“She basically started as a Hooters waitress, while she was in college and then like was, you know, good as a waitress and like got into Hooters corporate as kind of like low-level corporate and then like worked her way up Hooters corporate and became eventually like head of Hooters America, like GM of Hooters America. And then like transitioned over as president of Cinnabon”
Story
Hooters waitress to global franchise launcher by 20
Kat Cole started as a 17-year-old Hooters hostess putting herself through college, was tapped to launch franchises on different continents, and rose so fast she opened locations on most continents by age 20 — then dropped out of school and took her first corporate job in Atlanta.
“So I started out as a hostess and a waitress when I was 17, 18 years old. At Hooters restaurants, putting myself through college, first person in my family to get into college, grew up the child of a single parent alcoholic father, helped raise my sisters. And so, I just had to work to pay for school, and I was the first person to get into school, and so everybody was really excited. And then, something really crazy happened. Hooters happened to be growing around the world at the time that I was a waitress, and I was asked to be a part of the training team that would go launch the franchise on different continents.”
Fact
She earned a master's without a bachelor's degree
Kat Cole dropped out before finishing her two-year degree but later completed an MBA program nights and weekends — earning a master's without ever holding a bachelor's, which she notes is rare but possible.
“I have my master's without having a bachelor's. So, I went through an MBA program. Is that allowed? Nights and weekends. It is allowed. It is rare but possible.”