From Whataburger to Culture Queen
From Whataburger to Culture Queen
How can supportive leadership impact employee loyalty and career growth?
When I started my career, I was a PR director at a children's home, then moved through roles as a teacher in marketing and business, a stay-at-home mom for five years, and finally a marketing manager, eventually becoming head of HR and communications for a large organization. Over 20 years, my career evolved, and in 2009, just after being promoted to a higher director role, our company relocated its headquarters. During that same time, I found out I would be a single mom with two kids, all while managing the communications for the company’s relocation—a lot was happening.
Thankfully, I had a CEO who was incredibly supportive. I was able to approach him and explain my situation without feeling that my role would be diminished. He respected my needs, which meant a lot. I remained single for 12 years, focused on my work and raising my kids, and eventually advanced to senior VP. That experience taught me how critical company support is during challenging times—it was life-changing. This support allowed me to continue building my career, avoid financial concerns, and raise two successful kids who have both graduated from Texas A&M and are doing well.
The experience also transformed my approach to leadership. I’ve always cared about people, but going through this challenge taught me the impact of understanding and supporting others during tough times. When leaders take the time to help employees in difficult situations, it doesn’t make them lazy; it creates loyal, committed individuals.
How can business owners build a strong, lasting company culture?
I developed a concept called the Connected Leader, a formula with seven steps—now expanded to “seven plus one.” The core idea is to create a clear vision for your culture, just as you do for your company. Some think company vision and culture vision are the same, but they aren’t. You need to intentionally build the culture you want, which requires commitment and coaching.
For example, when new people join your company, you should actively coach them on integrating into your culture. Everything from orientation to leadership development should reinforce your culture and vision. Consider your “hire to retire” process—how are you embedding your company’s message, culture, vision, and values in every stage, from recruitment to orientation, training, and even retirement? When employees leave, they become potential advocates and customers, so a strong culture matters through every phase of their journey.
A strong culture also needs to be visible outside the organization. When I worked for Whataburger, I was responsible for HR, communications, social media, public relations, and customer care. Many see communications and PR as part of marketing, but my leader understood it as a two-way conversation with employees and customers alike.
When employees feel cared for, they naturally start to promote and protect your brand. By sharing internal stories and achievements externally, you create a positive cycle that builds momentum and establishes a powerful brand. This “inside-out” approach is much more impactful than simply marketing to customers. When your employees genuinely support your brand, you know you’ve created something special.
What are the benefits of breaking traditional organizational structures?
I’ve made some personal decisions that shifted the trajectory of my career, and our organization has made strategic choices that have paid off. One of the smartest moves was choosing to throw out the typical “rule book” that leaders often follow. Great leaders don’t put themselves in a box or stick to the norms that other organizations follow.
For example, most companies place social media under marketing or public relations in marketing. Typically, you wouldn’t see HR, communications, social media, PR, community relations, and customer care grouped together in one department. But we challenged that convention by combining these areas under HR.
Why? Because communications promote the brand to employees, while HR promotes it to potential employees. Communications also connect with customers, not just through a marketing message but through genuine conversation and connection. Combining these functions created a powerful synergy that enriched our culture and strengthened our brand.
With this approach, we were able to create meaningful initiatives not only for employees but also for customers. By working cross-functionally, we ensured our company values and culture were consistently reflected. Choosing to ignore traditional structures has had a greater impact than if we’d just followed the norm.
When should business owners seek help to strengthen leadership and collaboration?
Early in my career, I struggled to ask for help. I didn’t want to appear vulnerable or weak, so I would take on more than I could handle. As a result, I often missed deadlines or delivered work that wasn’t as strong as it could have been.
A turning point came when we did 360 reviews, which, although tough, are incredibly valuable. Seven people from different levels in the organization gave feedback, highlighting things I needed to stop, start, and continue doing. One piece of feedback was particularly eye-opening: “She’s great, but I can’t depend on her to meet deadlines.” That hit hard, but it was a gift. It made me realize I was saying yes to things outside my expertise and not reaching out for help.
That moment taught me to set boundaries, understand my limitations, and reach out for support. Now, I’m a huge advocate for collaboration. I’ve learned that involving others and hearing different perspectives only improves ideas. For example, I might think an idea is perfect, but feedback from the supply chain, operations, or training teams can reveal adjustments we need for better execution. When the team refines and executes an idea together, it becomes our idea, not just mine.
As a leader, it’s essential to let go of the need to take credit. A successful idea is one the whole team brings to life, and this approach builds a culture where everyone feels ownership and pride. Allowing others to shine is powerful and prevents a team from becoming centered solely on the leader, which can be damaging.
Why should business owners set boundaries to prioritize work and family?
I believe it’s essential for leaders to recognize that people want to be high performers at work and at home. I’ve been that person, and as I advanced in my career, I set boundaries and established non-negotiables. For example, I’d leave meetings to make it to my daughter’s basketball games or my son’s pole-vaulting meets. I believe it matters for kids to see their parents in the stands. So, I refused to miss their events, even if it meant I had to forgo an executive dinner or other obligations.
I also structured my time to dedicate weekends and evenings to my children. Although I might not have been the “perfect” mother, I showed them they were my priority. As leaders, we must demonstrate this through actions, not just words.
To this day, I’m close with my grown kids, who call me daily, and I now have a grandchild, which has added even more joy to my life. The strong relationships I built with my kids are far more valuable than any title I’ve ever held.
*This interview has been edited and condensed for clarity.*
