Vicki Chancellor is a dynamic, creative, and motivational leader who boasts an extensive career in advertising and marketing. After many years in corporate America, Chancellor decided to join her husband in owning and operating McDonald’s franchises across Atlanta. Since 2002, the power couple ultimately grew their business to 11 locations, $30M in annual revenue, and 500 team members.
Recently, Chancellor was elected by her peers for a second two-year term as the chair of the McDonald’s Operator’s National Advertising Fund — a voluntary U.S. cooperative of owner-operators in collaboration with the company to purchase and deliver all of McDonald’s national TV, radio, and social media advertising. Chancellor currently serves as the first Black, second woman, and first woman in 19 years to hold the coveted owner-operator position.
How important are relationships in business?
In the job that I am in currently, I am just the figurehead, one of thousands of McDonald’s operators. Therefore, I have to build a relationship with 56 business units to determine what they need. So for me, relationships are the key not only to your business life but to your personal lives. What I would say to people about building a relationship [is] it should not always be what you want. A relationship should go both ways. How do you give and take in a relationship? I think it’s also extremely important in business, in a relationship, that you are flexible enough, that you are also willing to take feedback from people.
How important is it to have mentors and sponsors in business?
When I think about mentors, I think of mentoring. The best mentoring consists of longer-term relationships, focusing on supporting, growth and development. I think that a mentor becomes a source of wisdom. Teaching and supporting a mentee is important to helping someone perhaps advance their career.
How do you define success?
Success for me is touching whatever I touched today better. If I can do that, if I can wake up every day and say, “Yep, my business is in a better place than it was,” … that is success to me.
