Marco’s franchisee shares how armed service prepared her for success

It’s been years since Stephanie Moseley left the Air Force, but that time has been invaluable as owner of a Marco’s pizza franchise.

From the late ’80s through the early ’90s, Stephanie Mosely was an Air Force analyst leading the division that oversaw the legendary SR-71 Blackbird — the fastest airplane ever built. Now, she’s a Marco’s Pizza franchise owner in Newport News, Virginia. Many of the same skills apply.

An Air Force photo from 1992 shows Capt. Stephanie Moseley.

“As an intelligence analyst, I learned how to apply critical and analytical thinking in decision-­making. That skill served me well in all my military assignments, whether I was overseeing the SR71 aircraft program in Okinawa, Japan; working with the 6th Tactical Intelligence Group in South Korea; or stationed in Austin, Tex., while the U.S. fought the war on drugs,” she tells Entrepreneur magazine. “In terms of entrepreneurship, analytical thinking helps you analyze reports on sales by the hour and day, demographics, and geography so you can strategize how to grow your business and be profitable.”

You can read Stephanie’s entire interview at Entrepreneur.com. It turns out, operational excellence matters quite a bit whether you’re in charge of a plane designed to hit Mach 3 or weighing the right amount of cheese for a pizza. Details matter.

Ranked one of the top franchises for veterans

Marco’s loves having veterans as franchisees, and it shows. Entrepreneur named us one of the top franchises for veterans for 2019, and we’re the highest-rated pizza franchise on their list.

First off, we have enormous respect for their service to the country, and we look for opportunities to give back. That’s why we offer a $10,000 discount on the initial franchise fee for veterans who become Marco’s owners.

A pizza exits the oven belt fully cooked and ready to be boxed, sliced and delivered to a customer.

Second, as U.S. Army Veteran and longtime franchisee Scott Quagliata says, veterans “make great franchisees because the very nature of the franchise business involves understanding and adhering to operational standards.”

Three of the key ingredients for success as a franchisee are leadership, teamwork, and self-discipline. We know that veterans possess all three qualities. Marco’s provides systems and training to help franchisees run their business, but any business runs best when it’s being helmed by a strong and attentive leader.

If you are a veteran and would like to learn more about our franchise opportunity, fill out the form below. If you know a veteran who is looking for the right business opportunity, we’d love to hear from them. Please feel free to share a link to this article and pass along our regards.