The beauty — and struggles — of being your own boss with Coyote Ugly franchise owner Joanna Olsen

From the Corner Office

This week, we speak with Owner of Coyote Ugly Saloon, Joanna Olsen. Joanna fell in love with Coyote Ugly one night as a patron when she was 24 years old. That fateful night led to a napkin deal allowing Joanna to bring Coyote Ugly to Atlanta. Since then, she has opened 4 locations across Florida, including Tampa, Panama City, Destin, and Daytona.

Together, we talk about the importance of owning her own land, and the reason why the Atlanta location is no more. We also discuss overcoming hurricanes, caring for employees, setting the culture, and the successes that have kept the Tampa location in business for 21 years.

3 Takeaways:

1. (04:30) Keep a good journal
2. (20:05) Never take no for an answer
3. (22:50) Ensure you have control over the direction of your business

Timestamps:

(00:00) Introducing Joanna Olsen, Franchise Owner of Coyote Ugly Saloon

(02:00) How Joanna became an owner of Coyote Ugly Saloon

(04:20) Challenges of owning a bar

(06:00) Hurricane Michael’s impact

(09:00) Joanna’s journaling

(11:00) How do you keep your culture at Coyote Ugly?

(12:45) The importance of owning the building

(15:10) What do you look for in leaders?

(17:15) Learning from mentors

(19:55) Advice for other entrepreneurs

(21:15) Giving back to the community

(22:10) Setbacks that stand out

(25:20) What can we expect in 2024?

(26:45) Rapid fire questions

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