she started out as a waitress at hooters at age 17 and rose up through the ranks. she never graduated from college and now she is the president of cinnabon. take a listen to her story. so, this is where some of the food science happens. the dough will rise reporter: cat cole knows a thing or two about rising. come on through, brenda. reporter: it wasn t long ago, she was the one carrying the tray. cole started her career at age 17 waiting tables at a hooters in florida. now she s traded buffalo wings for the boardroom, as president of cinnabon. everybody had a first job. not everyone worked at hooters as a first job, but a lot of people were waitresses. mine s just a little unique, so it makes it a little more fun to talk about. reporter: cole runs a $1 billion franchise empire, one that employs 12,000 people, but she says that first job as a hooters server gave her a taste of what she had to do to succeed. if they don t have a great experience, then you won t have a go
if you re trapped in an airport or a mall this holiday season, perhaps one of the only saving graces over the crowds of crying children has been this. yes, it is hard to miss the smell of a cinnabon. i can smell it even through this box. of course, what tastes great may not be so great for your waistline, as comedian lucy kay describes. here s what a cinnabon is, let me explain it to you. it s a 6-foot high cinnamon swirl cake made for one sad fat man. okay, maybe it s not your thing. how about hooters? zain asher has the story of one woman who found success at both companies with a slight upgrade in title along the way. connect for me, my dear, hooters and cinnabon. yeah, well, i met the president of cinnabon, cat cole. she s an extraordinary woman, very much an inspiring story.
opportunity, this next story just might change your mind. cat cole started working as a waitress at shooters, and now runs one of the best-known food chains in the country. zane asher has the story. this is where the food science happens. reporter: cat cole knows a thing or two by rising. it wasn t long ago she was the one carrying the tray. cole started her career at age 17 waiting tables at a hooters in florida. now, she s traded buffalo wings for the board room, as president of cinnabon. everybody had a first job. most of us were waitresses, but mine was a little unique. it make it is more fun to talk about. reporter: cole runs a $1 billion franchise empire, one that employs 12,000 people. but she says that first job as a hooters server gave her a taste of what she had to do to succeed.