FranchiseU! Episode 76: Monica Rothgery (Lessons From The Drive Thru)

April 2, 2024

In this episode of FranchiseU!, Kathy sits down with Monica Rothgery, former COO of KFC in the United States and Author. This episode shares an open conversation between two friends about lessons they have learned during their careers. Read about them in Lessons From The Drive Thru.

Monica Rothgery’s Bio:

Thirty years ago, Monica was a Restaurant General Manager for a Taco Bell outside of Chicago where she struggled to understand the essence of leadership. It was a constant uphill climb. Frustrated, she couldn’t understand how to make her team care about customers or even want to show up for work. Turnover was high, and morale was low. She missed sales goals, turnover targets, and of course, profit. 

One very late night, she sat on her dining room floor after a particularly challenging day. As the tears of frustration fell, she vowed: “If I ever get promoted out of the restaurant, I will spend my life trying to make life easier for managers.”

Monica got promoted and discovered the secrets to achieving outstanding results and building great teams over time. She also studied human behavior, organizational effectiveness, instructional design, and business strategy. She analyzed excellent front-line leader behaviors to find common threads.  

She discovered great leaders know how to:

  • Embrace who you are at work
  • Make your mark on the lives of others
  • Figure out what is yours to do
  • Become the leader that no one ever leaves

Monica went from running one restaurant to leading 4,000 restaurants as the COO of KFC in the United States. Today, Monica continues her passion to empower frontline leaders through keynotes, coaching, and workshops.

Click below to listen to the episode and subscribe to the podcast on Spotify, iTunes, or wherever you enjoy your favorite podcasts.