What Happens When Success Becomes a Responsibility? Muriel Powell on Entrepreneurship, Opportunity and Legacy
From the start, Muriel Powell’s end goal was never about just leaving Corporate America. It was a transition to entrepreneurship that would allow her to build something worthwhile.
“I wanted something that was legacy building,” Powell said, describing her goal as creating “generational well-being.”
Muriel Powell worked 15 years at PepsiCo, with positions across finance, sales, and marketing. After watching a few family members run small businesses, she began to heavily think about ownership and what that truly means. Those family members were able to create something but not many were able to really turn it into something that could be passed down.
But that’s not all Powell was thinking of.
Since a child, during high school and college, Powell was heavily involved in her local community. She’s always had the mindset of supporting and helping others in any capacity that she could. That furthered after meeting two McDonald’s Owner/Operators who were deeply connected to their community through faith and education. It expanded her viewpoint of not only what it looks like to have business ownership, but also what it means to see successful business owners that looked like her.
Many may not know McDonald’s has registered applicants. After a recruiter asked her if she’d considered working a corporate role with McDonald’s, Powell began her initial stages as a registered applicant. There she shadowed a local owner, while still having a full time job. Learning the ins and outs of the McDonald’s system and what it takes to run a franchise. She was able to really understand the long term investment this would be and what it could do for her life, as well as others.
This path led her to leaving Chicago for Atlanta. And ultimately, Powell purchased her first McDonald’s restaurant in 2008. Her corporate role prepared her for a more defined role, but being a franchise owner opened the doors to realize business ownership can become really personal.
Powell stated, “[she’s] by far a bigger giver than [she is] a taker.”
Through her personal endeavours, and her work with Greater Atlanta McDonald’s Owner/Operators Association (GAMOA), Powell has remained connected to the communities surrounding her restaurants, supporting local organizations and creating opportunities through employment. And a big part of creating opportunities for her, is the importance of education.
Education shaped Powell’s path at an early age, as her parents did not finish college. However, her mother was taking care of her kids and still continuing to take classes. Muriel seeing this showed her that education is a tool to freedom and, in some cases, happiness and joy.
“My ceiling should be the next generation's floor,” says Powell.
Legacy is another way in which motivates her with everything she does. When it comes to Powell’s children, they have not determined whether or not they want to enter the McDonald’s business, but at least they’ll have the option to. That’s what legacy means to Powell. Whether it’s directly through her children or the impact and communities she connects with, her belief is for her to set the standard and leave the door open for the next generation to take over.
For Muriel Powell, that's what ownership ultimately represents: not simply having a seat at the table, but using that seat to make room for someone else.
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