By Kym Wolfe
When it comes to franchise ownership, men still outnumber women, but that doesn’t mean that women aren’t making strides in business ownership through franchising. In the CFA’s survey of prospective franchisees, the percentage of women seeking franchises grew by 14 per cent over 2023 to 2024. This issue we shine a spotlight on four successful women who are firmly at the helm and steering their own franchise operations. There is a common thread that runs through their stories: each had strong personal reasons to choose the business they are in, and all are motivated by a desire to impact their customers and communities in meaningful ways.
Anita Mushitsi, British Swim School
For Anita Mushitsi, British Swim School is not just business, it’s a way to help keep children safe. Mushitsi’s daughter was involved in a near-drowning event at the age of nine. For Mushitsi, who immediately enrolled her daughter in swim lessons that certain swim programs lacked, the experience was a wake-up call to take pool safety more seriously. Ten years later—when she decided to leave full-time work and purchase a franchise—it weighed heavily in her decision to go with British Swim School.
With a background in communications, leading teams, and project and crisis management, Mushitsi found the most useful areas of her initial franchise training were finance, budgeting, and using analytics in decision-making. Equally valuable was the individual coaching she received. “It’s hard when you start. There are so many pieces that you have to connect.” She explains, “Making cold calls was quite a challenge for me.” A franchise coach accompanied her to initial meetings with managers to discuss renting pool space, giving Mushitsi an opportunity to watch and learn.
One benefit of this franchise, says Mushitsi, is that you can rent pools in apartment buildings, hotels, and fitness clubs—securing times when pools are not typically being used to full capacity. This means she has no fixed overhead and has the flexibility to move to new locations in response to changing demographics in her franchise area. Her full-time operations manager works remotely, so there is also no overhead for physical office space.
Since opening in 2019, Mushitsi has expanded to three pool locations in Ottawa, all near post-secondary institutions, which helps attract students to work part-time. Mushitsi employs an aquatics trainer to train new instructors in the British Swim School curriculum, which focuses on teaching water survival skills.
Mushitsi says her key to success is building systems and putting the right people in place so that each location can run efficiently and independently. That will enable her to continue expanding–one life-saving lesson at a time.
Leanne Hoekstra, Mattress by Appointment
Leanne Hoekstra has long been a serial entrepreneur, and after trying her hand at several different businesses is happy to have landed in one that checks all the boxes for her—the ability to be her own boss, flexibility to prioritize time for family and volunteer work, and making money doing something that she feels is important. “Mattresses are not glamorous, but they play a crucial role in health and wellness,” says Hoekstra, and that was one of the reasons she chose to open a Mattress by Appointment franchise in early 2023. As the name suggests, Hoekstra sells mattresses to customers by appointment in her showroom. “I’m able to meet customers one-on-one at a time that is convenient for them, educate them on the different options and answer all of their questions.”
A solopreneur, Hoekstra personally serves all customers and was one of the top five dealers in Canada for both 2023 and 2024. “The franchise offers a lot of tools for success and best practices–I just follow the wheel [an MBA strategy tool] and truly believe in this brand.”
She carries a full inventory in her 2,500 square-foot building. About half are compressed mattresses, packaged in boxes small enough to fit into a vehicle, so customers can take them home immediately. For deliveries, Hoekstra relies on her husband or a local subcontractor. “If you buy a mattress today, you can sleep on it tomorrow,” she says.
For new business owners, Hoekstra says the core skills for success are the same, regardless of gender. “You need to be a self-starter and highly motivated.” She also values her network of mentors and fellow franchisees, and encourages any new franchisee to build those relationships early on. “They can provide a wealth of knowledge and support as you navigate the challenges of starting a new business.”
Janet Love, Global Pet Foods
Janet Love has a passion for pets, and when she bred English Mastiffs, she educated herself on how best to keep her dogs healthy. So, when she was looking for a career change, opening a Global Pet Foods store seemed like a perfect fit. “Having knowledge about nutrition and supplements and providing excellent customer service are key,” she says. “There are so many options for pet foods and supplements, it can be overwhelming for people to figure out what is best for their particular pet.”
Pets are important family members, and many owners are willing to pay for high-quality food and supplements that will support a long and healthy life.
Love purchased a Global Pet Foods franchise in 2014 in Collingwood, Ontario, and by 2019 had opened two new locations, in Wasaga Beach and Owen Sound. Her two sons are now involved in operating the three stores, and are poised to transition into ownership.
The largest Canadian-owned pet specialty retailer, Global Pet Foods specializes in natural and holistic pet food, treats and supplements, toys, and pet accessories. Love appreciates that she can carry products that are a good fit for her stores, with no franchisor pressure to purchase product lines that are not in demand. She also goes above and beyond in her commitment to supporting pet adoptions and animal welfare. Her three stores raise funds for the Georgian Triangle Humane Society and Grey Bruce Animal Shelter.
She recently introduced a local delivery service in response to consumer trends. But talking with people who come in to shop in person is still one of her favourite parts of the business. “You have to really love animals and listening to people talk about their pets,” she says. You also have to be ready to constantly research to expand your knowledge. “I don’t know as much about reptiles as other pets,” she admits. But she’s always willing to learn.
Kristelle Campbell, PropertyGuys.com
PropertyGuys.com franchise owner Kristelle Campbell leads an all-women team who sometimes refer to themselves as the ‘property gals.’ When she joined the franchise in 2018, Campbell became a licensed real estate agent, but now she has taken a step back from client-facing tasks to focus on strategic planning and team-building. “I’m a big believer in letting people do what they’re good at,” she says—and clearly her team members are good at what they do. Campbell’s territory, Pictou, Antigonish, and Guysborough Counties in Nova Scotia, was named PropertyGuys.com’s national top franchise of the year for 2024.
Campbell’s franchise journey grew from experiencing the brand first as a client. When she and husband Jamie sold their home in Dartmouth, with plans to move their young family back to the community they grew up in, she says, “We were sold on the idea of being in control of the transaction and not over-paying for services we didn’t need.” With the PropertyGuys.com, home sellers pay a flat fee and then opt to add on additional services—for example running open houses or staging—or not. The franchise also has a sister agency, PG Direct Realty, which works with clients on the home buying side. “We offer all of the traditional brokerage services, but broken into packages so the customer can decide what they want to use us for.”
A former lawyer, Campbell has strong organizational and planning skills, and attention to detail that she honed in the legal world. She notes that PropertyGuys.com franchisees come from diverse backgrounds, and all bring different transferable skills and experiences with them. “You have to be great with people, but other than that you just need to find people who have complementary strengths,” she says. It’s also important to use the franchise’s tools and systems, which have already been proven. “I think sometimes as women we feel like we need to prove ourselves and be independent, but taking advantage of the supports and mentorship available will only make you stronger.”