“I’d want to go back to the beginning of the Civil Rights movement… just to see that change would have been so rewarding and exciting.”
—Sharlene Smith, COO, Zaxby’s
In her monthly “Grab Bag” column, Editor in Chief Laura Michaels asks the tough questions—What superhero power would you most like to have? What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?—to show a side of franchising execs you don’t normally see.
Who would play you in the biopic about your life?
I’m a superfan of Kerry Washington. She’s smart, beautiful, a great actress. I love some of the roles she’s been in as the fixer. I love her in ‘Scandal’ as Olivia Pope. She’s got her act together. And it’s just this role of crisis management—I could relate.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
People talking over other people and just not listening. I come from a really big family and I remember, my grandma used to say, ‘you have two ears and one mouth for a reason.’ So that’s my pet peeve.
If you could be a member of any TV show family, which would it be?
A family that’s interesting, just the dynamics, is in ‘The Equalizer.’ A single mom raising her daughter and living with her grandmother and the whole time she’s keeping it secret that she’s this former CIA agent who’s still out there helping people. I’m a big Queen Latifah fan, first for her music and now her role in ‘The Equalizer.’
What’s something you would seriously stockpile if you found out it wasn’t going to be sold anymore?
Well, I wish I would have done this. So, I love sriracha sauce on everything and there’s been a shortage of the real original, the one with the green lid, Huy Fong, and it’s really hard to find. I was looking everywhere, at random places, and actually found some online at CVS. I ordered like five bottles and it turns out they were sample sizes. I will stockpile it if it comes back.
What fictional character do you think would be most interesting to meet in real life?
I think maybe Wonder Woman. She’d be interesting to meet, just to hear about what she’s accomplished and the powers she has. My wife thinks she’s the best Marvel character. And there’s just so much to her, she’s more complex.
Which time period in history would you want to visit?
For me, as an African American, I’d want to go back to the beginning of the Civil Rights movement. My mom is white, and even before she married my dad she’s always fought for civil rights, for human rights. I just imagine these young women in the ‘60s, signing up people to vote. She’s my hero—there were so many true heroes then. They fought for what they believed in. I look at my mom, my aunt, my dad; just to see that change would have been so rewarding and exciting. Fear, but also pride in progress. Me, being out, being in the LGBTQ community, I can relate. We’re trying to fight for basic human rights.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
It would be food related, probably watching movies with some ice cream. I make my own dairy-free ice cream, homemade strawberry ice cream, and I do my own version of a banana split.
Who or what did you have posters of on your bedroom wall as a teenager?
I’ve played softball forever, I was shortstop and played all through college, and I was a big Orioles fan, growing up in Baltimore. So I had everything Orioles, Frank Robinson, any Orioles player. My sister and I, we shared a room, and she’d have other players. She also had The Jackson 5. I remember, she wanted to paint our room pink and I wanted everything orange and black.
What superhero power would you most like to have?
I always wanted to be able to run fast. Like Flash, in today’s terms. I used to say like ‘The Bionic Woman.’ That goes back to my sports days—I’d want to have speed.