Jade Colin made a name for herself as the youngest black woman to own a McDonald鈥檚 franchise at 26. But she says she鈥檚 not stopping there.
Colin, now 28, has been fostering her work ethic since she was 14 years old. But attending the University of Louisiana at Lafayette as a business management student crystalized Colin鈥檚 understanding and passion for business, specifically entrepreneurship.
鈥淥nce I started business management, it all made sense to me,鈥 Colin said, drawing from her early work experience. 鈥淟eadership, finance, the details that matter 鈥 that鈥檚 what business management taught me.鈥
Throughout her time at UL Lafayette, Colin continued to work, taking positions with McDonald鈥檚, H&R Block, Abercrombie & Fitch, and Academy Sports & Outdoors. All the while, she clarified her vision for her future with the skills she learned.
鈥淜nowing business management, I knew I wanted to be an entrepreneur,鈥 she says. 鈥淏usiness management teaches you the different pieces of the puzzle to make your business run.鈥
By choosing UL Lafayette, Colin was also able to balance school and work while still making it home to New Orleans most weekends, where her parents own multiple McDonald鈥檚 franchise locations.
Once she graduated in May 2012, Colin began working at her parents鈥 McDonald鈥檚 franchise on weekends before going full-time to run a restaurant. During that time, she was named Outstanding Restaurant Manager of the Year for her region and was recognized among the top McDonald鈥檚 managers in the world with the company鈥檚 Ray Kroc Award.
In December 2016, Colin celebrated the grand opening of her first franchise. But publicity didn鈥檛 come until 2018 when her story went from a blog post to national platforms, including .
鈥淚t surprised me, but it鈥檚 inspiring for people to see that you can do anything you put your mind to,鈥 she says. 鈥淚t doesn鈥檛 have to be as big as McDonald鈥檚, but as long as your mindset is clear, you can do anything you put your mind to.鈥
To maintain her success, the young business owner identified her major challenge early in her role and says she has maintained a steady focus to make it a priority.
鈥淚鈥檓 in a people business 鈥 developing teams, motivating people, pouring into people and lifting them up,鈥 Colin says. 鈥淥nce I figured out how to build a team, how to motivate the team, and how to get results from a team, then my results came.鈥
Colin believes in her company, its brand, and its mission and says she wants to see McDonald鈥檚 grow and grow with it.
鈥淚 want to continue to grow McDonald鈥檚 brand, improving the reputation and serving as a brand ambassador,鈥 she says. 鈥淭hat鈥檚 my No. 1 focus because McDonald鈥檚 is a wonderful brand.鈥