September 15, 2022 • 39 mins
In the latest episode of Turning Tables, host and growth strategist, Kathleen Wood, talks with her guest, Adenah Bayoh, CEO and Founder of Foya Foods Management, parent company of IHOP Franchises and co-owner of Cornbread, a fast-casual farm-to-table, soul food restaurant about finding strength and becoming a successful entrepreneur.
Bayoh, a native of the country Liberia, talks about working at her grandmother’s restaurants in Liberia when she was young. She says, “When I was a little girl in Africa in a little village in Liberia in West Africa named Foya owned a restaurant and I worked there. I waited and bused tables selling the marketplace and I was seven or eight years old.” Bayoh at age thirteen escaped the civil war in Liberia and immigrated to the United States.
When Bayoh came to the United States, she worked at McDonald’s as a cashier. Bayoh says “ the McDonald's that I worked at was actually owned by the very first black franchisee for IHOP in the Northeast.” She continues to say, “I went up to college and went on to do amazing things in banking and fast forward, now I'm leading this brand Cornbread that I too want to be the very first african-american woman to lead a franchise concept. I want to be able to change and be disruptive in the franchising space.”
Wood tells Bayoh, “I just want to tell you I mean it is powerful. I could listen to you tell your journey every single day and find another reason to be inspired, another reason to get fired up about our industry. But also another reason to be inspired to do what you want to do which is to continue to disrupt it and one of the things I've always appreciated about it is you know you and I have had a lot of discussions and I always take so much away from our discussions.” Bayoh has applied her life lessons through her journey into her business. Wood talks of Bayoh’s mantra and philosophy, finding the strength in the struggle.
Bayoh shares what finding the strength in the struggle means to her, she says, “I think finding strength in the struggle essentially means that often when we're in the space of building and building and building, sometimes we encounter obstacles, we encounter things that we think is going to be our end all be all and what I say to myself all of the time, whatever is happening to me is happening to me so it can build my strength, so it can prepare me for that leap for that next great big thing that is on the horizon for me.”
To hear Bayoh’s advice plus how she turns the table on Wood tune into this episode of Turning Tables Podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Bayoh, a native of the country Liberia, talks about working at her grandmother’s restaurants in Liberia when she was young. She says, “When I was a little girl in Africa in a little village in Liberia in West Africa named Foya owned a restaurant and I worked there. I waited and bused tables selling the marketplace and I was seven or eight years old.” Bayoh at age thirteen escaped the civil war in Liberia and immigrated to the United States.
When Bayoh came to the United States, she worked at McDonald’s as a cashier. Bayoh says “ the McDonald's that I worked at was actually owned by the very first black franchisee for IHOP in the Northeast.” She continues to say, “I went up to college and went on to do amazing things in banking and fast forward, now I'm leading this brand Cornbread that I too want to be the very first african-american woman to lead a franchise concept. I want to be able to change and be disruptive in the franchising space.”
Wood tells Bayoh, “I just want to tell you I mean it is powerful. I could listen to you tell your journey every single day and find another reason to be inspired, another reason to get fired up about our industry. But also another reason to be inspired to do what you want to do which is to continue to disrupt it and one of the things I've always appreciated about it is you know you and I have had a lot of discussions and I always take so much away from our discussions.” Bayoh has applied her life lessons through her journey into her business. Wood talks of Bayoh’s mantra and philosophy, finding the strength in the struggle.
Bayoh shares what finding the strength in the struggle means to her, she says, “I think finding strength in the struggle essentially means that often when we're in the space of building and building and building, sometimes we encounter obstacles, we encounter things that we think is going to be our end all be all and what I say to myself all of the time, whatever is happening to me is happening to me so it can build my strength, so it can prepare me for that leap for that next great big thing that is on the horizon for me.”
To hear Bayoh’s advice plus how she turns the table on Wood tune into this episode of Turning Tables Podcast on Apple Podcasts.
Mark as Played
Popular Podcasts
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations.
Death, Sex & Money
Anna Sale explores the big questions and hard choices that are often left out of polite conversation.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.