“I would love to meet Dorothy Gale from ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ She was a dreamer, she was brave, even when she was scared.”
— Jennifer Lemcke, CEO, Weed Man
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.
When you were a kid, what did you want to be when you grew up?
It changed a lot. Consistently, it was a nurse, doctor or teacher—I always wanted to help people. I’ve always admired people that help other people.
What’s your favorite franchise brand that’s not your own?
A brand I look up to, actually a conglomerate of brands, is Neighborly. They’re actually a competitor in our space. They’ve done multi-brand really well and that’s something we aspire to; we’re in one brand and have a sub-brand. Dina Dwyer-Owens, she’s not leading the company anymore, but she and her executives were all pulling in the same direction and that culture has remained the same.
What’s your biggest pet peeve?
I’ve got a few, but my biggest would be people that drag their feet. Literally drag their feet. Some people, when they walk, they don’t take meaningful steps. It drives me nuts, like nails on a chalkboard, the shuffling of feet.
What’s something you would seriously stockpile if you found out it wasn’t going to be sold anymore?
Wine, definitely wine. I love a nice glass of wine, whether it’s over a nice meal or with friends, laughing, crying … while reading a good book. Chardonnays are my favorite white, and for red, probably a cab.
What’s one trend you wish would disappear?
Maybe not all social media, but parts of social media. It can be lighthearted and fun, but social media now seems to spread a lot of mistruths. It can be really toxic and make people feel less valuable. There’s good parts, but it’s when people don’t take time to reflect on things before they post and think how it could affect someone.
What fictional character do you think would be most interesting to meet in real life?
I would love to meet Dorothy Gale from ‘The Wizard of Oz.’ I grew up watching it. She was a dreamer, she was brave, even when she was scared. She shows empathy. She had strength and she found her way home.
Which time period in history would you want to visit?
The ‘50s and ‘60s. My grandmother, who was a wonderful woman, a single mom. She raised my dad and his brothers, and it was tough times in the ‘50s and ‘60s being a single mom. I want to go back and be her friend and just see what it was that made her so strong. And in the ‘60s, what a time of change, and people and women finding their voices.
What’s your guilty pleasure?
I’m embarrassed to say, but I love playing games on my phone. Like Candy Crush, those types of things.
What’s the weirdest thing you’ve ever eaten?
My husband is a hunter, so oftentimes if we’re having chili or spaghetti, I’m not sure what I’m eating. It could be deer meat or moose or bear meat. But that’s not even too weird maybe. I’ve also had frog legs. When I was a kid, we used to hunt frogs, and we’d kill and deep fry them. I’m French-Canadian, so it doesn’t seem that weird.
What superhero power would you most like to have?
It would be flying. I have three kids, and so I live in Toronto and my daughter lives in Houston—she runs our Weed Man operations there—and I have a son who’s a pro hockey player and another son in British Columbia. I’d want to fly and be able to see them anytime I want. Same with my Weed Man family.