🔒On the Record: Owner of multiple Aroma Joe’s franchises sees her future in mentoring others

Maryna Shuliakouskaya, originally from Belarus, owns nine Aroma Joe’s locations in Maine, with a 10th due to open later this year in Saco. The Eliot resident is also chief operating officer of Acadia Management Group, which provides financial and HR-related services to franchise business owners.

Mainebiz: What was your first job in the food industry like?

Maryna Shuliakouskaya: As a J-1 student, I received a job offer as a housekeeper at a hotel in Kittery. Upon arrival, I also worked as a sandwich artist at Subway and as a dishwasher at a local restaurant. All of my first jobs in the food industry were challenging yet rewarding.

Everything was new and exciting to me: the way people interacted and what they valued, the taste of food, the design of the houses, and the smell of the ocean. I also learned certain English words and sentences at every job. All my first jobs taught me the importance of customer service, teamwork, attention to detail and the value of hard work.

MB: What prompted your path into franchising for Aroma Joe’s?

MS: When Aroma Joe’s was planning to franchise, I worked for Subway’s Maine development office as a marketing and R&D director. I was ready to take my next career step and move to New York City, when I was asked to be the first franchisee for the brand.

I wanted to own a business built on positivity, quality and caring, and Aroma Joe’s franchising provided a way to bring that vision to life.

MB: What lessons from those early days still resonate with you today?

MS: One of the most important lessons I have learned and am trying to teach others today is always remembering where you came from. As we move up, we often forget how hard it was to do the jobs we did and where we started.

Believe me, it was not easy to work 80 hours a week, wash dishes and unload boxes of clothes overnight at Kohl’s when I was pregnant with my first daughter. It was also not easy to manage Subway, the job I did for three years. The second lesson is staying positive, no matter what.

I trained my brain very early on to believe in myself and think that everything will always work out as long as you are a focused, dedicated and hard-working person. You often have to trick your brain into thinking positively, even if many things are not working out how you want them to.

Thinking positively and working hard got me from arriving in the United States with just one piece of luggage 17 years ago to where I am today.

MB: What’s it like overseeing multiple locations — how do you keep the workload manageable?

MS: We have created an organizational chart that supports the business to the best of our ability. We set clear expectations and deadlines. I’m very impatient, so the last thing I want from my team is to wait for me. If you ask me when things need to be done, the answer often is ‘yesterday.’

MB: For someone starting out in franchising today, what’s your advice?

MS: My advice would be to thoroughly research the franchise, understand the market and be prepared for hard work. Another important thing is to have a great gut feeling about your decision. Success in franchising requires dedication, a robust support system, passion for what you do and a willingness to learn and adapt.

MB: Where do you see yourself and your business a decade from now?

MS: I see myself growing Aroma Joe’s brand further and also starting a different business, maybe in the franchising space, to share the knowledge and experience I have gained with the world. I also enjoy teaching and mentoring others.

After getting my Ph.D. last year in international business, I see myself teaching students and coaching new and existing business owners. I also enjoy public speaking.

Sept. 29 event

Maryna Shuliakouskaya will be the featured speaker at a HospitalityMaine event on Sunday, Sept. 29. More information is available here.