I’ve been thinking about last summer’s blockbuster movie “Wonder Woman.” I’m not usually a fan of superhero movies—as I’ve made known many times, “Game of Thrones” exploits are more my style—but, I was pleasantly surprised that “Wonder Woman” is no ordinary Hollywood superhero story.
The movie resonated on a lot of levels. First, it was fun and flashy—the baseline criteria for any great superhero movie. It also had a definite moral theme: Love, not war, is the key to lasting peace. And, there was the strength-of-female-character theme—powerful, accomplished women controlling their own lives and making good choices. I got chills watching the women on screen owning their authority and fighting like (pardon the language) bad-@sses.
What millennial women want
After seeing the movie, I wondered if I was viewing it through my own lens of female leadership. In the past few years, I’ve become more confident in my ability as a leader. Not only that, my view of the world and how other women are approaching life is changing, too. So I speculated that maybe it was “just me.” Then I came across this article about millennial women and entrepreneurship, and I realized, “No, it’s not just me.”
Women are recognizing opportunities and possibilities when, perhaps, we didn’t before. We’re realizing that “good enough” isn’t good enough—we’ve got the power to do more and better, for our families and ourselves. By making choices based on our values, we create better lives for ourselves and those around us.
As Wonder Woman, Diana Prince says in the film, “It’s not what you deserve; it’s what you believe.” In other words, we need the chance not just to pursue our dreams, but also to pursue our values.
Millennial women are building careers based on what’s most important to us in life—and our top priority is family, according to the Inc. article. So we are looking for entrepreneurial opportunities that give us the flexibility to be there for families in ways that standard careers don’t always allow. I love that 83% of the 400 women surveyed aspire to own their own businesses. And they are making it happen. More than half the survey participants are working side gigs.
At Great Clips, we can’t help but be a company that supports women. We may not be setting them up for epic battlefield confrontations like Wonder Woman, but everyone at Great Clips—franchisees, salon managers, and corporate office employees—is doing whatever they can to set up the people who work in the salons (which is mostly women) for successful lives.
Starting strong in Memphis
What does that look like? Great Clips franchisee Kristy Beliew was drawn to franchisee ownership for exactly the reason cited in the millennial article—the flexibility to give top priority to her family’s needs. Kristy chose to stay home with her children until they were in school full-time. Ready to get back into the workforce, the idea of owning a business appealed to her because of the flexibility of working around her kids’ schedules.
Kristy has two salons open. She’ll be one of the first franchisees entering the newly opened market in Memphis. Kristy is not alone. We’re seeing more and more women becoming Great Clips franchisees.
We’re proud that Great Clips provides the opportunities and support that allows women to become the Wonder Women of their own visions. They may not aim to become great warriors, but, like Diana Prince, Great Clips salon teams get training, mentorship, support, and belief in their own power. It’s an honor to help them realize they are as strong as they believe.
The most successful Great Clips franchisees are known for their dedication to helping everyone who works in their salons an opportunity to succeed. If that’s part of your vision for being a business owner, then I’d love to talk to you. Send me a note or give me a call.