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Pizza leadership: 4 lessons for women working in a mostly male industry

One woman who has managed to rise through the ranks in the pizza industry offers four lessons learned along the way to benefit other women hoping to make similar gains in their careers.

Hunt Brothers Pizza District Manager Jennifer Losh (at right) helps install signage at a convenience store serving the brand.

September 26, 2018

By Jennifer Losh/Hunt Brothers Pizza district manager 

While many recognize strides have been made in bridging the gender gap, there are certain industries and regions where this is still a prominent social issue. Despite company efforts and upper management support, gender gap challenges are hard to conquer in work environments because they're accompanied by larger, longstanding social issues. As a result, it may come as no surprise that a 2017 McKinsey workplace study shows that only 39 percent of management roles in the food distribution business are held by women.

Hunt Brothers Pizza District Manager Jennifer Losh.

I've been working in male-dominated industries the past seven years, starting off at a uniform company spending my days hanging shirts. When I started, I honestly wasn't sure whether I would be able to rise to the top. And when I began looking into higher level positions, I was met with criticism and opposition. 

Despite the lack of encouragement, I made my way to team leader and soon became the company's first female representative. As a woman I had to take a lot of extra steps along the way, but that journey taught me some valuable lessons. 

Now, as a district manager for Hunt Brothers Pizza distributor, Pizza Wholesale of Lexington, Inc. (PWL), I continue to revisit these lessons as the only woman among 142 field team members. What follows are four primary lessons I've learned and share now to benefit others women who want to turn challenges in the pizza industry into opportunities. 

1.    Don't view being a woman as a disability. View it as a chance to prove yourself. 

On a social level, it's not always apples to apples and once you accept this, you can work to address and combat it in your workplace. If your job is commonly considered as being more "fit for a man," don't let societal misconceptions discourage you, but work instead to understand how these stereotypes evolved, then address the assumptions therein and work to combat the misinformation to fuel your ambition and become a better leader. 

For instance, in my former physically demanding account manager position at PWL, I went above and beyond to ensure my performance was above average. I challenged my mind daily with audio books and motivational podcasts, always expecting my personal best. 

The extra steps make you stronger and smarter. See them as an advantage, not a disability. At the end of the day, these efforts will push you above and beyond what you thought was possible. 

2.    Create lines of communication to succeed. 

Before you can even begin to communicate with coworkers -- who may not understand your role as both a mentor and leader -- you must work to break down the barriers. This goes back to addressing those misinformed conceptions, and means challenging old thinking patterns from peers and managers. 

"Jennifer's dedication to communicating openly and effectively contributes to our company's effort to bridge the gender gap within the industry. Through the leadership efforts of individuals like Jennifer, Hunt Brothers Pizza is able to better serve our store partners and their customers."                         -Hunt Brothers Pizza COO Bryan Meng

Once the barriers begin to fall, you can develop your own initiatives to promote female leadership and start building relationships on a foundation of mutual respect. It's also important to work to understand your team's personalities to effectively lead and communicate with them. 

For instance, I recently implemented Myers-Briggs personality type dynamics with my team to better understand how to connect my communication style to my direct reports. From this starting point, leaders are responsible for building their knowledge based on experiences with different individuals and genders. 

3.    Epitomize teamwork. 

Even if you feel some colleagues don't prioritize teamwork as much as you do, being a team player is the best way to gain trust. Exemplifying a true team player makes it difficult for other team members to ignore your advice as a leader. In turn, you will likely see the team mentality helps earn your team's respect for your abilities as a decision-maker and a woman. 

As an example, at Hunt Brothers Pizza I made it my mission to develop a team-building program tailored to my team that both addressed the need for open communication and balancing roles with responsibilities. Progress made toward this objective was tested when a team member's auto troubles prevented completion of a route, while the team member who would assume the route was injured and unable to do so.

I quickly worked to prove how much value I place on teamwork by taking on the route myself, which showed those I work with my commitment to team work and completion of the job. In turn, my team opened up to provide both praise and feedback, resulting in a better overall group structure and productivity.  

4.    Always keep your goals in mind. 

When I started my career at the uniform company, I knew I wanted a job that would allow me to support my family. Despite the challenges and lack of encouragement I was facing at my job before Hunt Brothers Pizza, I continued to keep this goal in mind. 

As a working mother, I also try to teach my son the lessons I've learned as I've worked to accomplish my goals on both a professional and personal level. I wasn't sure my words had really set in with my youngster until I learned that at school my son had asked why his school teacher let all of the girls line up first if everyone is equal. That's when it clicked and I knew he truly understands these values. It's the kind of "real-life" feedback that has only fueled my drive to succeed. 

The overarching principle to keep in mind is that, as a leader, you represent other females in your industry who often look to you for inspiration. So, view every obstacle as an opportunity to create a milestone, promote communication and teamwork and map back to your values. 

By taking this approach, you can truly turn your professional mindset into one that is both positive and productive to your work, your colleagues, family and, most importantly, yourself. 

Pizza Wholesale of Lexington/Hunt Brothers Pizza District Manager Jennifer Losh oversees a team of three in the Lincoln, Nebraska district four years after she started with the company as an area assistant. With more than 7,500 locations in 28 states, Hunt Brothers Pizza is a family-owned and operated brand with more than 25 years of experience serving great pizza to convenience store shoppers through its store partners. 

Feature photoo: iStock

Inset photo: Provided