Welcome to Edition #114 of Gorick's newsletter, where Harvard career advisor and Wall Street Journal bestselling author Gorick Ng shares what they don't teach you in school about how to succeed in your career.
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→ Read time: 4 min
STORY
From Hooters waitress to president
You may have heard of Cinnabon—the chain known for its warm cinnamon rolls sold in malls and food courts across America.
Today, there are more than 1,850 Cinnabon locations around the world.
But did you know that one of its former presidents, Kat Cole, started out as a hostess at the restaurant Hooters?
It’s the late 1990s in Jacksonville, Florida. Cole is 17, working to support her single mom and “pay her way to school.” She’s not gunning for a corporate career—she just needs a job. Fast forward 16 years, though—and she ends up not only in corporate, but with the title of President.
If you’ve ever worked in a front-line retail or service job, you know: it’s practically a dead-end job. (So, it’s no surprise that only 13% of front-line workers see a path to career progression.)
How did Cole do it?
By stepping up.
“Some of the cooks quit one shift, and I went back and helped, and so I learned how to cook,” Cole recalls. “And so that would happen over and over. The bartender needed to go home, so I learned how to bartend. Very quickly, I knew how to run a restaurant.”
Then one day, when she’s just 19, the corporate office calls her general manager, Bonnie Reinhardt. The company is launching a new franchise in Australia and needs someone to train the new hires. Reinhardt comes to Kat and says, “They asked for a recommendation. I recommended you.”
That one opportunity sets off a chain reaction. Before long, she’s opening restaurants in Australia, South America, Europe, and eventually all over the world. By her early 20s, she’s traveling internationally, leading teams, and gaining experience far beyond her years.
Fast forward a decade later and Cole becomes President of Cinnabon, then Group President of Focus Brands, parent company to Auntie Anne’s, Jamba Juice, and more. Today, she serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Athletic Greens.
What does this mean for you?
The next time something breaks, shifts, or gets dropped, don’t think, Oh well… not my problem! Instead, think, Could this be my time to shine? You never know who’s watching—and when they’ll be asked for a name.
UNSPOKEN RULE
Step up!
What Kat Cole’s story taught me is the hidden opportunity of lowered standards. Whereas many people see others not showing up as a sign that they could do the same thing and get away with it, Cole had a different reaction: The standards may be low here, but they probably aren’t this low higher up the ranks. So, this is my chance to show that I belong higher up, too.
In other words, Cole realized 3 things when others disappear:
- You stand out more easily—because others have already lowered the bar.
- You get to figure out what you’re good at and interested in—because someone else’s role just opened up for you to try.
- You have a chance to demonstrate your Competence, Commitment, and Compatibility without stepping on anyone’s toes—because people can’t get mad at you if they’re not even there anymore.
How do you step up?
It all begins with a single statement:
“Given [unforeseen circumstances] / I noticed [this issue]. Could I help [your proposal]?”
That said, not every task is worth your time.
As I share in my book The Unspoken Rules (pg. 123–124), there’s a difference between promotable work and non-promotable work, also known as “office housework”—things like taking notes, organizing lunch, or scheduling team events. These tasks help the team, but they rarely help your career—unless they’re core to your role.
So what should you do?
Ask yourself: Will stepping up…
- Help me learn (a skill or something about myself)?
- Allow me to flex (my leadership, problem solving, and communication skills, even informally)?
- Not lead to me overshooting my “zone of commitment” and stepping on someone’s toes?
Sometimes the right move is to step up. Other times, it’s to step aside and let someone else have the opportunity. And if you keep getting saddled with non-promotable work? Suggest a rotation system or protect your time by saying:
“I’d love to help, but I’m currently focused on [this high-priority project]. This could be a great opportunity for someone like [coworker] or [coworker], though—have you asked them?”
The bottom line: Step up when it matters. That’s how you build momentum—and how others start to see you as someone who’s ready for more.
See you Thursday for our AMA of the week!
—Gorick
What’s an “unspoken rule”? They’re the things that separate those who get ahead from those who stumble—and don’t know why. You can learn more about these rules in the workplace in my Wall Street Journal bestselling book called—you guessed it—The Unspoken Rules.
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Sources:
- Cinnabon boxes
- hostess at Hooters
- “pay her way to school.”
- only 13% of front-line workers
- Some of the cooks quit one shift, and I went back and helped
- “They asked for a recommendation. I recommended you.”
- Cole as a Hooters hostess in the late 1990s
- She helped open restaurants in Australia, then South America, Europe
- Today, she serves as the Chief Executive Officer of Athletic Greens.
