MISTY’S MAGIC
This smart chick went from being a single mom looking for a solution that would allow her to honor her role as a mother and as a hard worker, to become an award-winning multi-franchise local business owner. Just back from Las Vegas where she was honored with Franchisee of the Year, she works side-by-side with the love of her life, Peter, too. Drawn to the Chicken Salad Chick platform for their family-like corporate approach, Misty and Peter employee 150+ locals, and together, they are one big happy family. Defining the word inspiration, Misty Hudson Whitehead shares why she crossed the road into the franchising world, and how it’s been better and more rewarding than she ever imagined. For us, she’s simply winner-winner chicken dinner and so much more.
By Hayley Hill
With six franchises under her belt, and one coming to Fairhope soon, Misty’s hard work and success with the Chicken Salad Chick (CSC) brand has not gone unnoticed. A self-proclaimed control freak, this busy mom, wife, and entrepreneur extraordinaire was recently recognized in Las Vegas by The International Franchise Association (IFA) for being an outstanding franchise establishment owner-operator. “Franchisee of the Year recipients represent the best in franchising,” said Matthew Haller, president and CEO of the IFA. “This is the highest honor IFA awards to individual franchisees, and local business owners like Misty exemplify the power of franchising and its positive contributions to communities around the world.”
Clearly a very big deal, it’s interesting to know there are approximately 800,000 franchised businesses across the U.S., providing over 8.4 million direct jobs and generating over $800 billion in economic output. According to Oxford Economics, franchising on average provides higher wages and better benefits than non-franchised businesses, as well as greater entrepreneurial opportunities to minorities, women, veterans, and other underrepresented communities. Nominated by their parent company, individuals are selected for their service to their communities, fostering a strong and vibrant workforce, opening the doors for career growth and entrepreneurship, and supporting their fellow franchisees, Misty was an obvious choice.
Looking for the back story as to how she found the franchise opportunity that is clearly a perfect fit for her as well as how she advises others, Misty tells us, “I certainly think you have to be with the right franchise. There are some out there that just churn and burn to open as many locations as possible and they don't care about their people. This is the complete opposite! CSC corporate works with me and my husband, Peter, to pick the best locations. We purchase reliable reports that predict future growth and we decide together as a team. As far as being a woman and jumping into this business, I was terrified initially, but I knew have a marketing brain and knew I could make it work! I am 100% certain that Peter and I being involved in our restaurants daily has a lot to do with our success. We visit with guests every day, deliver catering orders, make repairs, deliver change, you name it! We absolutely love being involved and knowing our staff and guests.”
Naturally Misty encountered her fair share of growing pains. “Going from one to two locations was the hardest, I was so worried about trying to be in two places at one time. Once I realized I could actually find people that I trust to be an extension of me, it became easier. Our children work with us in the summer and a couple of them have shown interest in the family business, which is exciting. In the beginning, I was a single mom and my boys still tell me to this day how proud they are of me. That literally makes every bit of this worthwhile as my children are my whole world!” Misty exclaims.
This November marks their 10th anniversary of opening the Hillcrest Road Chicken Salad Chick location in Mobile. Knowing many entrepreneurs struggle to determine whether they should create their own business or spend the money to buy into a franchise, Misty sheds some light. “The positives of being in this franchise outweigh the negatives 10-1, if not more! CSC is different. We have local owners and we actually own all of our locations. CSC corporate is strictly there for support, recipes and advice. I love the family atmosphere of the corporation. I have the cell phone number of our founder, Stacy Brown, as well as the cell phone number of all of our executives and other owners. Every time I call they pick up. The support is amazing. I also sit on our foundation board that fights hunger and cancer as well as our marketing board. They truly listen to our ideas.”
As for being acknowledged? “When I received the email saying I won the award I didn't believe it. I was like, what is this and why did I win? However, I soon realized it was the people that help me every day that made this award possible. Peter and I have been married for five years, and due to the demands of the growing business, he retired from the medical device industry three years ago to become my business partner. So this award belonged to him, too. I also wanted Ali Hughes, our district manager and business partner, to be there with us. However, she selflessly decided to stay here and keep the train on the rails so Peter and I could go. We were treated like royalty and it was an incredible getaway. I could not ask for a better career or support system.”
It’s hard to imagine how the couple manages so much philanthropy, but it’s part of their core values, too. “I recently passed the Executive President gavel from the Ronald McDonald House Charity (RMHC) of Mobile, but we are still very involved through our Giving Card Program. Our CSC foundation makes donations to help cure cancer and to support many local children fighting cancer. I am very proud to announce that Peter and I made the decision to adopt and name a pediatric room in the new wing of USA Health’s Children’s & Women’s Hospital in Mobile. Who wouldn’t want to stay in the Chicken Salad Chick room? We also sponsor Adopt a Room at RMHC as well as the Chicken Salad Chick family room at Children’s & Women’s, too.”
With locations in Mobile on Hillcrest and Old Shell Roads, and in Government Plaza, as well as in Saraland, Daphne, and Gulf Shores, Peter and Misty are focused on opening a new location in Fairhope this summer with Ali and Tori Ellis, their seasoned General Manager. With no plans of stopping, Misty sums it up saying, “God truly knew what He was doing when He put CSC in our life. When I left for college, my parents asked what I wanted to major in and I simply said ‘I want to make people happy!’ And, that's what I am doing, one beautiful chicken salad plate at a time!”
