FRANCHISE OWNER | CINNABON AND AUNTIE ANNE'S | DENVER, COLORADO
When Michelle Marcum started her first Cinnabon and Auntie Anne’s franchises in Denver, Colorado, she thought she knew what it meant to run a business. But nothing prepared her for the real challenges of leading a team and growing a franchise.
Her story is a master class in how the right guidance and tools can change everything from the inside out.
Unlock your business growth plan in seven minutes.
Take the Stages of Business Assessment to pinpoint where your business is now and get a step-by-step guide for what to focus on next.
Growing up in an entrepreneurial family, Michelle saw firsthand the hard work and long hours her parents poured into their franchise locations. She admired their dedication but was determined to carve her own path. So she took a job in corporate finance. But after four years, she knew she wasn’t built for the office.
“I just realized that was not what I was made to do. And I really missed the engagement and interaction with customers,” she recalls.
The pull of the family business eventually drew her back in, and Michelle left the corporate world to start her own Cinnabon and Auntie Anne's franchise in the Denver area.
The first few years were challenging. Michelle ran the daily operations, rolled out products, and saw what it really took to lead a team. By the time she opened her fourth location in 2016, the weight of leadership was undeniable.
“I was running around like crazy, just trying to be everything to everyone . . . and make sure that we were doing business the way I wanted to do it,” Michelle admits.
The emotional and physical toll was enormous. Trying to work on the business, not just in it, left her feeling constantly stretched thin.
Eight years into her business journey, Michelle faced a crisis. She was preparing to sell two locations that were performing well only to learn the team dynamics in one of them were toxic. A manager, overwhelmed and ready to quit, revealed that the dysfunction was widespread.
“The floor is just getting ripped out from under me,” Michelle recalls. “I thought I sort of had it a little bit figured out, and then it just all fell out. . . . It really felt like it was slipping out of control.”
Michelle completed the sale of the two stores but faced more hard choices—not just about the business, but about how she was leading.
One of her toughest challenges was hiring and retaining the right people. And at one point, keeping a team member for three months was considered a success. But constant recruiting, interviewing and training left little time to focus on growth, and the lack of continuity made it impossible to deliver a great customer experience.
The turning point came when Michelle, desperate for a solution, listened to Dave Ramsey’s The EntreLeadership Podcast. Inspired, she invested in an EntreLeadership Coach—even though it felt like a terrible idea to invest in coaching after losing half her income.
“But I also knew I had to do something different. So glad I did!” she says.
One of the first things she did with EntreLeadership was take the Stages of Business Assessment, which pegged her perfectly: She was a Treadmill Operator—too much of the business relied on her.
And it couldn’t have been truer. She was running the day-to-day operations, handling paperwork at night, and feeling trapped by the endless to-do list. Her assessment results made her feel seen—and showed her the way forward.
“There was so much hope in that moment because I knew there were stages after that. So I knew I could get through it.”
The assessment gave her a clear picture of where she stood. It also provided a custom plan that highlighted her business’s weaknesses and showed her how to change her leadership approach.
With her coach’s guidance, Michelle redefined her leadership style and created a clear mission and vision she had never defined before.
She also worked on building trust and better communication. By setting clear expectations and ensuring that every team member understood the value of their role, Michelle shifted from being a fixer to being a leader her team members wanted to follow.
Over time, everything started to click.
Michelle became more intentional with hiring and regained control of her company culture, and the team began to shift, bringing noticeable improvements in morale and performance.
“We finally had the right people on the bus, and we were all going the same direction,” she says.
With stronger leadership skills in place, Michelle saw record-breaking sales, lower labor costs, and higher customer satisfaction. The changes weren’t just operational—they were transformational.
“Now, I get to come to work and really pour into my team,” she says.
For Michelle, it’s not just about making cinnamon rolls. It’s about making people’s lives better.
Unlock your business growth plan in seven minutes.
Take the Stages of Business Assessment to pinpoint where your business is now and get a step-by-step guide for what to focus on next.
Now in the Trailblazer stage of business, Michelle is focused on scaling and expanding, confident in the tools and principles that have guided her journey.
“Five years ago, I was thinking, I don’t know if I will be in business in five years,” Michelle says.
Her story is a testament to the power of intentional leadership. By stepping back from the day-to-day operations and investing in her growth, she’s built a loyal, high-capacity team and created a business that’s built to last.
Growth doesn’t happen by chance. It happens by design.
If you’re stuck or uncertain about your next steps, take the Stages of Business Assessment and discover how you can get to the next level with a custom plan, just like Michelle.