Influential Woman · Restaurant management
Michelle Rose
Manager, IHOP
El Paso, TX
Her Story
About Michelle
I've been in restaurant management on and off for about 25 years, and I'm currently an assistant manager at IHOP, where I've been for 4 years. My journey started when my mom, who was a server, trained me at the restaurant where she worked. I quickly discovered I was really good at customer service and multitasking, and I loved it - plus it was good money. A lot of people think managing is just telling people what to do, but there's so much more to it. I'm a problem solver first and foremost - some days I'm a plumber, some days I'm an electrician, some days I'm a counselor. I do a lot of inventory, delegate tasks, and always have to make sure our numbers are right because I have to answer to my boss. My biggest challenge is keeping everybody on task and focusing on the same goal for the day, especially when people get sidetracked or life happens. I focus on putting people where they're strong at and helping my team get where they need to be with their goals. I started this career as a young single mother, and I wanted to be a good role model for my kids - I didn't want them to think their mom was a loser or a failure. My area director, who was my GM, really had a lot of faith in me and put a lot of trust in me, which has been instrumental in my success. I've worked my way up from the very bottom, and I keep getting promoted, which I consider my most notable professional achievement.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Michelle
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my mom, who got me going in this industry and trained me when I first started. I was a young single mother, and I had my kids watching me - I didn't want them to think their mom was a loser or a failure. I wanted to be a good role model for them, and that really drove me to succeed. My mentor, who is now my area director but was my GM, also had a lot of faith in me and put a lot of trust in me, which made a huge difference in my career.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've ever received is to keep your eye on the prize and remember that not everybody is your friend - everybody has hidden agendas. When people get into restaurant management and business, they tend to let the outside in, and you can't do that. You've really got to stay focused, because when things go wrong - when money goes missing or whatever it may be - that falls on the manager that's in charge, not really on the employees. A lot of people don't understand that it's on the management. So you need to stay focused on yourself and keep going.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would say just keep going and always strive to do better. If you start out as a hostess, try to be a server, and then keep going up. You should always be trying to do better, always trying to move up. Don't settle just because the money's a little bit good when you're a server - keep going. It's a very stressful business, but don't settle.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
My biggest challenge is keeping everybody on task and trying to reach the same goal, having everybody on board. People get sidetracked, or people call in - life happens. My biggest task is trying to keep everybody focusing on what the goal is for that day. Also, in this industry, there are not as many female managers as you would think. Whenever there's another woman in the field, it feels empowering, because it's not as much as you would think.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
Honesty is probably my biggest value - that's the number one for me. I hold myself accountable, and I hold other people accountable as well. Being honest is one of my most important values in both my personal and professional life.
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