Madeleine Park: Helping Businesses Overcome Challenges

Madeleine Park, a marketing and branding professional, works with the franchise and consumer businesses to help them build their brands, raise awareness, drive sales, and spread across the globe. Madeleine is the Marketing Director of Netsertive and knows how to build businesses across different sections of the market. With franchisees of brands like MaidPro, FlyFoe, and Men in Kilts in her kitty, Madeleine offers a people-centric approach to brand building. She teaches multi-location marketers to engage with local customers, employees, and prospective franchisees.

She is the founder of a marketing and PR consulting firm called MadeleinePark MarketingPR. In addition, Madeleine is also the proud owner and founder of a 501(c)3 non-profit, Together She Can, which strives to help homeless communities with hygiene care.

Madeleine's Backstory   

Madeleine had an ordinary childhood. She started playing basketball in college and, along the way, coached others in the game and mentored her peers. Instead of opting for a professional course overseas, she decided to study marketing in Boston. Soon, she was approached by MaidPro, a house cleaning, and maid service company, to look after their franchise program in the area. Madeleine worked with MaidPro for eight years, learning 'what it takes to succeed in marketing.' She also met her husband at MaidPro, and together, they eventually owned 15 franchises.

MadeleinePark MarketingPR

MadeleinePark MarketingPR helps clients boost their business mainly through franchise marketing. When Madeleine started the company, she had no corporate experience, so she worked to develop her digital marketing skills. Subsequently, many people in her locality began asking her to promote their businesses. These included the local dentist and even local celebrities. Soon, Madeleine set up a small place in Boston and started working for local businesses and franchises. She primarily focused on personal and business marketing. Today, it has turned into a marketing brand with her husband looking after the business's day-to-day operations. Meanwhile, Madeleine also works for Netsertive, a company that helps franchise and auto brands build winning digital marketing programs.

As part of Netsertive, Madeleine primarily works with local businesses, mainly marketing for franchise brands and some latest brands. Today, she wears several hats simultaneously and says she has no plans to leave her corporate job. “Corporate America is great for me as long as I have the balance and support of people I am working with.”

Marketing Strategy

Madeleine is a savvy marketer who keeps experimenting with different strategies for her clients. She says that most people advertise their products without telling the customer what value they bring to them. Therefore, she needs to do a lot of coaching and speak to her clients to focus on the value of their products or services. While talking about the importance of marketing, Madeleine mentions, “If you have a toy and have put it in the store's toy section but told no one about it, the toy will not sell.”

Emphasizing the importance of digital marketing, she adds that this latest form of advertising does not require much investment. On the other hand, it can be fully customized and used on various platforms, including Google and YouTube. A multi-technology marketing strategy enables a franchise to customize locations and brands. Digital marketing is especially effective for small businesses. Even if it is a small market, digital marketing is essential for success. However, irrespective of the mode of marketing, one should always draw up a plan to be successful.

Challenges in Franchise Marketing

According to Madeleine, franchise marketing is old-style but still amazingly effective. Though franchise marketing has not changed over the years, the concept of selling has developed new facets and is one of the best ways to reach people. However, franchise marketing has faced many challenges over the last two years, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. The effort is to bridge the gaps with brands to ensure that whatever you sell reaches the audience. In addition, the franchise family has become more cohesive now as everyone is facing the same struggles. These days, franchises share information among themselves to help each other overcome challenges and reach people. Madeleine believes that podcasts are an excellent way to reach people and sell products and services better.

Her Mentors

Madeleine's parents, bosses, and the CEOs she has worked with have all been her mentors. "All these people have not only influenced the way I do business but also had a positive personal impact on me."   

Madeleine has learned different things from each of them. Her parents were genuinely kind and gave her a good upbringing. Her husband and friends are also her sources of strength.   

"Many people believed in me and wanted me to succeed. I wish more women break the glass ceiling." ―Madeleine Park

Together She Can

In her early days with MaidPro, Madeleine traveled a lot and stacked up a lot of toiletries on the go. She did not know what to do with them but did not want to throw them out either. She thought she could donate the toiletries to the homeless, who are often deprived of the luxuries of malls and shops. She packed all the accumulated toiletries and gave them to homeless people in Boston. "Soon, my friends too started donating their toiletries, and others followed," Madeleine adds. And thus, was born the 501(c)3 non-profit Together They Can. Today, the organization works to ensure that homeless people and those in shelter homes are not deprived of hygiene products.

Currently, the non-profit works in greater Boston and Philadelphia, and Madeleine has plans to expand it across the country. The organization has handed out 15,000-20,000 hygiene packages so far. Over the years, Together She Can has partnered with shelter homes, Spaulding, Sephora Stands, Habitat for Community, Girl Scouts, Bombas, and others. They accept donations from across the United States and give donation receipts to everyone to enable them to get tax discounts. "There are so many stigmas attached to homelessness. We are helping them get back on their feet," says Madeleine.

Awards & Recognition

Madeleine has been awarded the Boston Woman in Business for her contribution to franchise marketing in her area. She has also been featured in Forbes, Entrepreneur, and Fortune magazines. When asked how it feels to be recognized for her work, Madeleine says it is excellent. “Many people believed in me and wanted me to succeed. I wish more women break the glass ceiling.”

What Next?

Talking about her plans, Madeleine says she wants to keep growing as a person and a marketer and succeed in both areas. She wishes to keep pushing the boundaries, open franchises in more locations, and help them with their needs. At the same time, she hopes that one day Together She Can be an international non-profit and a non-profit household name.

Advice to New Entrepreneurs

Madeleine suggests that new entrepreneurs or people aspiring to start their businesses should meet as many people as possible to learn from them. Every day, they should take a step ahead, however small it may be. Anyone can accomplish the most incredible dream, and there is someone to help wherever you stumble. "The world wants you to succeed, so never give up," she signs off.