COLUMBUS, Ohio — Gale Hill owns five McDonalds locations, managing hundreds of employees across central Ohio. Hill and her son, who helps her manage day to day operations, visit their stores regularly, as it's important for her to talk to her employees so that they feel seen.
“I think it's important to have that representation of women being in business. Our restaurants should represent the communities that we serve” said Hill.
She recognizes that for many of her workers, McDonalds may be their first real job, which can leave a lasting impact on how and where they work moving forward. Instilling hard work and honesty in her employees is a priority.
“I look at this as a launching pad for a lot of young kids that are still in high school. You know they come here for their first job and then we give them a skill set, or help them develop a skill set” she said.
As a woman working in the business industry, Hill has faced some tough challenges over the course of her career. Still, she encourages other women interested in leading a team to step out of their comfort zone and go after what they want.
“A lot of us are given titles, but I think character is more important than titles. We own character, titles are given to us” said Hill.