What does it take to lead a 60-year-old legacy brand into its next, new era while staying optimistic, quality-focused and people-first?

Heather Neary, President and CEO of Taco John’s, shares lessons learned during her rise from Auntie Anne’s marketing manager to CMO-turned-operations leaderand then to one of the very few female chief executive officers in her industry.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

✨ Why fun and hard work can (and should) co-exist, and why humanity is a competitive advantage for true and lasting impact

✨ How Heather bridged the infamous marketing-ops divide and why understanding operations is the fastest way to be a better brand leader

✨ The real reasons women fall out of the leadership pipeline, and what must change to support the next generation of female CEOs

✨ What to do when your brand goes viral overnight (including how Heather led a systemwide pivot that gave away 20,000 meals in 72 hours)

✨ How to stay nimble in an unpredictable economy and why the future belongs to leaders who can pivot fast, simplify, and focus

✨ An uplifting episode about optimistic leadership, operational mastery, and brand building from one of the industry’s most beloved CEOs.

Heather’s creative inspiration:

• Books: Begin with We by Kyle McDowell and The 5AM Club by Robin Sharma
• Brand: Buc-ee’s & high-quality operators everywhere
• Beverages: Black coffee and red wine + collagen and creatine
• Song: “Mama Said Knock You Out” by LL Cool J