Her Story
About Josephine
Josephine Franzese is a seasoned facilities management executive with over 20 years of industry experience, beginning her career in March 2006. She is the CEO and Co-founder of RKB Facility Solutions, a nationally recognized, women-owned facility services company she established with her business partner, Anthony Franzese in 2014. As the organization approaches its 12-year milestone this December, she continues to lead its growth, guiding strategy, operations, and client success across a wide range of commercial facility solutions. Prior to launching RKB, Josephine built extensive experience in both rapidly growing organizations and global big box and luxury retail environments. She advanced through multiple roles at a fast-scaling facilities company, beginning as an administrative assistant and progressing to coordinator, facility manager, and department manager, contributing during a period of growth from just 5 employees to 50. She later served as a facility manager and senior facility manager for a luxury retail brand, where she oversaw the expansion of more than 100 locations to over 405 sites, including retail stores, wholesale operations, outlet centers, lifestyle and collection stores, as well as corporate offices and mailroom operations. During this time is where she gained deep expertise in large-scale, multi-site operations and high-end retail environments. As CEO and Co-founder of RKB Facility Solutions, Josephine’s daily responsibilities include executive meetings, strategic planning, growth development, escalation management, and overseeing quality assurance for both existing and prospective clients. She also works closely with HR to strengthen organizational culture and ensure alignment across teams. Her leadership philosophy is rooted in creating strong relationships and a people-first culture, shaped by her unique perspective of having worked on both the client and vendor sides of the industry. This dual experience allows her to anticipate client needs proactively, refine service delivery based on real operational insight, and build solutions that address challenges before they arise, positioning RKB as a forward-thinking and highly responsive facilities partner.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Josephine
01What do you attribute your success to?
Watching my parents work hard from a young age had a huge impact on me. Growing up, I always wanted to make them proud, but as I’ve gotten older, I think what drives me most is wanting to make my younger self proud. My biggest competition has always been myself. The most rewarding part is looking back and thinking, “Did I ever imagine I’d be here one day? Did I ever think I’d become a business owner?” That mindset is what continues to push me forward every single day.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of the best pieces of advice I’ve received was to trust my gut and think like a true CEO. It’s easy to get stuck thinking only within your role, but real leadership comes from seeing the bigger picture and focusing on where you want your people and company to grow. The moment I shifted from being just a doer to thinking like a leader, everything changed.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
Don’t let “no” stop you from going after what you want. Stay determined, ask questions, keep learning, and keep pushing forward even when things get difficult. Most importantly, surround yourself with strong leaders who value you, challenge you, and inspire you to grow every day.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
One of the biggest challenges in our industry right now is the saturation of maintenance companies entering the market. I absolutely believe everyone deserves the opportunity to become an entrepreneur, but being a business owner takes experience, leadership, and the ability to consistently deliver results. Because of that, I always encourage companies to do their research before onboarding a new vendor and make sure they’re partnering with a company that can truly support their long-term needs.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Integrity is probably the most important value to me, both professionally and personally. To me, integrity goes beyond just being honest. It’s about transparency, loyalty, and doing what you say you’re going to do. I also believe those values have to be mutual. The way I lead my organization and the way I live my life is rooted in building relationships based on trust and respect on both sides.
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