Women to Watch in Franchising (Part 2)
In a business model powered by vision, collaboration and growth, women are proving to be dominant leadership forces in franchising. From launching and scaling global brands to coaching the next generation of entrepreneurs, women are making franchising more accessible through education and representation.
In this article, I’m sharing updates on four remarkable women who have not only excelled in their careers but are also reshaping the future of franchising in real time.
These women have dedicated a majority of their careers to building and expanding franchise networks and inspiring the next generation of leaders in franchising and beyond.
Their stories serve as a testament to the impact women are making in a traditionally male-dominated field, and they are leaders to watch as they continue to set new standards of excellence.
I hope you are as inspired by them as I am. (And if you’re looking for more great stories, check out my previous Women to Watch in Franchising article).
Alicia Miller, Founder & Managing Director of Emergent Growth Advisors and Managing Director of FRANdata
Alicia Miller literally wrote the book on how to be successful in franchising. In addition to her book, she has also authored 100+ articles for Franchise Times, Forbes, and Entrepreneur. In February of 2025, she joined FRANdata as Managing Director which complements her work with Emergent Growth Advisors. Generally, she has a proven track record of advising private equity investors, PE-backed franchisors, and multi-brand platforms on investment, growth, and transformation strategies.
If you are a student of the franchising model, follow Alicia and of course, watch the episode below:
Allison Beardsley, Founder of Red Light Method
After founding Club Pilates in 2007 and exiting in 2015, Allison is back in the boutique space with a new concept called Red Light Method. Just over three years in, Allison already has 10 units open and 70 units in development.
The concept uses Red Light Therapy as the foundational offering and complements it with additional services including guided power plate, far infrared sauna, 3D body scan, EWOT, PEMF Mat Therapy and of course, Pilates.
In the conversation below, I talk with Allison and her new CEO, Eric Tepper about how they execute and support each other as leaders.
April Porter, Founder & CEO of Secretsos
April Porter was a successful multi-unit franchisee from 2013–2020. After selling her units, she applied her operator skill set toward helping other franchise owners create success in their franchise systems.
After spending 5 years as a consultant in franchising, she launched a learning platform for franchisees and small business owners called Secretsos. The goal of the platform is to reduce small business failure by delivering mentorship and education around business strategy, leadership and operations systems.
If you’re a franchise owner who needs help putting the pieces together, connect with April and tune into the episode below.
Tori Johnston, President of goGLOW
Tori stepped into the President seat at goGLOW in October of 2024 and has rapidly accelerated franchise growth, opening 22 new franchise owned locations and awarding over 120 territories.
With 10 years in the franchising space and 15 years in wellness spaces, Tori is stacking her areas of expertise with goGLOW. Prior to joining goGLOW, Tori spent the majority of her career leading marketing departments at SoulCycle, Xponential Fitness and Myodetox.
If you’re someone who’s growing a brand in the wellness space, connect with Tori and check out the episode below:
If you enjoyed these conversations, be sure to check out the rockstars featured in my first Women to Watch in Franchising article. To listen in on these conversations as they are published, subscribe to The Society Pod on YouTube, Apple Podcasts or your preferred podcast player.
