Bridging Brand and Ops to Break Barriers with Heather Neary

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