When Julie Robinson was growing up, her father would often talk about his job as a retail manager at the family dinner table.

Robinson was inspired by those conversations, but never suspected she'd follow so closely in his footsteps, first by going into retail and then taking over the company he brought to Phoenix.

Robinson, 49, is president of Jani-King Southwest, a master franchise of custodial giant Jani-King International.
The company, which she co-owns with her mother, is in charge of Jani-King's Arizona franchises, recruiting new owners, contracting with clients and providing business services to the more than 250 franchises throughout the state.

When Robinson was studying marketing at Indiana University, her father began working for Jani-King, which provides custodial services for commercial buildings.

He opened the company's New Orleans office and, later, its offices in California. Her mother worked as an office manager.

Meanwhile, Robinson began managing stores for a women's clothing chain near Minneapolis.

The stores' owner was her first mentor, and Robinson said she was impressed by how the owner sought feedback to improve her business from employees at every level.

"She was really a wonderful example to me about how to be continuously curious about your business," Robinson said. "Everyone in an organization has a valuable opinion, and you never know where your next inspiration or opportunity can come from."

Robinson later worked in outside sales for Estée Lauder and took time off to stay home with her children.

She joined the family business 20 years ago, when she and her husband teamed with her parents to buy Jani-King's Phoenix franchise rights. Later, they expanded statewide.

Robinson said women who want to run their own business should consider buying a franchise, which is less likely to fail than other small businesses.

"The old adage in franchising is that you are in business for yourself, but not by yourself," she said.

Robinson and her mother took over Jani-King Southwest last year, after her father's death and following Robinson's divorce a few years earlier.

Jo Ellen Nunn, 72, serves as chief executive officer. Robinson's younger brother is vice president. She hopes one of her three teenage children will want to go into the business one day.

Working so closely with family can be both rewarding and challenging.

"The upside is your family knows you so well in terms of how you communicate, how you think," Robinson said. "The downside is you talk about work all the time."

Including at the dinner table.
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