For many 16-year-olds, a first job is just a way to make some extra side cash—nothing more than a temporary gig. But for Julianna Blackhurst, a part-time job in high school became the foundation of her lifelong career. 

In this episode of The Pre-Shift Podcast, we sat down with the Senior Director of Franchise Operations at Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, to talk about two types of growth: career growth and franchise growth.

Resources:

• Check out Jeremiah’s Italian Ice 🍦
• Connect with Julianna on LinkedIn 🔗
• Follow Jeremiah’s on Instagram 📸

Chapters:

• 00:00 Introduction and welcome
• 00:50 Juliana's career journey at Jeremiah's
• 03:33 The importance of company culture
• 05:48 Jeremiah's core values
• 12:25 The franchising model
• 17:17 Going outside of Florida
• 21:38 Leadership lessons
• 23:41 The 14-flavor offering model
• 25:16 Advice for young people
• 30:51 Juliana's favorite Jeremiah's menu item
• 35:40 Conclusion

Guest Bio:

Julianna Blackhurst, Senior Director of Franchise Operations, oversees the Operations for Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, responsible for the company’s 100+ locations in 11 states. She oversees the company’s ongoing expansion, as it is projected to reach 180+ units in 2025. In her previous role with Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, she was Director of Training and Operational Growth. Julianna was responsible for developing and administrating Jeremiah’s training program (“Cool School”) and the New Store Opening Process. Amidst her tenure, Ms. Blackhurst has been recognized by QSR Magazine in the 2021 issue of Young Leaders to Watch. Julianna takes pride in being active in the community, volunteering as a coach for Pop Warner sports. In 2017, Ms. Blackhurst received a Bachelor of Arts in History degree from the University of Central Florida and Master of Business Administration with a specialization in Finance, Rollins College 2021.

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