On the verge of opening her third Clothes Mentor store in Spartanburg, South Carolina, on March 17, franchisee Sadie Cherney talks about spring fashions from Clothes Mentor that are available for hundreds of dollars less than original retail prices.
In addition, Cherney talks about the upcoming Girls Night Out event at her Greenville store, featuring hundreds of Lilly Pulitzer items for spring. Watch the video to learn more about these big events.
NTY Franchise Company is Number 28 on the Fast 50! Take a look at this interview with Chad Olson. Source: bizjournals.com
We asked Chief Operating Officer Chad Olson:
What was a key accomplishment for your company in 2014? Our largest brand, Clothes Mentor, had a record year for new store openings — 34 in 2014.
Chad Olson (left) and Ronald Olson of NTY Franchise Company.
What was the most difficult challenge of 2014, and what did you learn from it?Keeping the lead funnel full for selling new franchises. We learned we needed to focus our online strategy for generating leads and we needed our people to be in the right positions to qualify the leads and sell the prospects on our franchises.
Where do you see your company in five years? Crossing the 500-store mark and well on our way to seeing our longer-term goal of over 1,000 stores across America coming into view.
How does it feel to be one of the Twin Cities’ fastest-growing private companies? We are excited to be one of the Twin Cities fastest-growing companies. But the reality is, we have a lot more to accomplish and a lot of room to keep growing.
Ashley Huebner oversees Clothes Mentor’s marketing and advertising efforts to drive sales and build brand awareness. She also leads creative initiatives, driving the brand’s vision in aesthetics, tone, and trends to elevate our position as a leader in the resale category.
Ashley joined the Clothes Mentor team in March 2015. She has 10+ years of Graphic Design experience, a strong background in design and user experience, and a passion for creativity. She holds a BA degree in Advertising and Art.
Michelle Vaudrin
Senior Director of Operations
Michelle Vaudrin is the Senior Director of Operations for Clothes Mentor and Children’s Orchard. Prior to joining NTY Franchise Company in March 2016, she worked in leadership roles for Burlington, American Eagle, and Macy’s. Michelle attended the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a degree in Retail Merchandising and Business Administration. She brings extensive background in training of strategies, merchandising, customer service and multi-unit store operations to the team.
Jenny Mann
Vice President of Operations | Executive Director of IT
Jenny Mann is the Vice President of Operations for Clothes Mentor and Children’s Orchard. In January of 2020, Jenny also took on the role of Executive Director of IT, overseeing BST, our Point of Sale system, and the e-commerce platforms for both brands. Prior to this, Jenny was the Director of Marketing for NTY Franchise Company since January 2013. Jenny started with the NTY Franchise Company in 2008 with Clothes Mentor and has held many roles, including; Store Manager, New Store Opener, and Regional Operations Manager. Before joining NTY Franchise Company, Jenny worked for Old Navy (Gap, Inc.) and Target in management roles.
Jarvis Herndon
Franchise Business Consultant
Jarvis Herndon is a Franchise Business Consultant for both Clothes Mentor and Device Pitstop. Jarvis has a strong background in retail management, leadership, and a history of operational success within a franchising system. He is passionate about assisting small business owners in developing their path to success while maximizing their businesses’ potential. Jarvis brings a great mix of skills and experience to the NTY Franchise Company.
Sarah Primmer
VP of Finance & Human Resources
Sarah Primmer is the Vice President of Finance and Human Resources for NTY Franchise Company. She joined the company in January 2014. Prior to joining NTY, Sarah spent over 25 years as the controller and business manager of a local sales and marketing firm calling on Target stores.
Chad Olson
Chief Operations Officer
Chad Olson has been Chief Operations Officer of NTY Franchise Company since January 2007. From May 1994 to December 2006, he held various positions for Winmark Corporation (f/k/a Grow Biz International, Inc.), including Field Operations Manager for the Once Upon a Child concept from 1999 to 2002, and Regional Operations Manager for the Plato’s Closet concept from 2002 to 2006.
Dan Goetz
Data and Inventory Analyst
Dan Goetz is the Data and Inventory Analyst for Clothes Mentor Franchise and previously held the role of Franchise Business Consultant.
Prior to joining the Clothes Mentor Corporate staff in February of 2014, he held leadership positions at Aèropostale, Old Navy, Gap, Banana Republic, and Target stores. He attended the University of Minnesota-Duluth and St. Cloud State University. He brings a strong background in Data Analytics, Reporting, Operations, Merchandising, and Human Resources to the Clothes Mentor team.
Kaitlynn McShane
Graphic Designer + Marketing Coordinator
Kaitlynn is our in-house Graphic Designer and Marketing Coordinator. She is the creative force behind much of the promotional collateral, signage, and digital visuals, working within the marketing team. With a passion for individualistic personal style, sustainability, and illustration, she uses that passion to create on-trend strategic artwork with strategic marketing messages.
Kaitlynn joined briefly as an intern for the Clothes Mentor team in 2019, and we are happy to have her back on the team as of 2025. She holds a BA in Graphic Design and Advertising and has additional work experience across many industries.
Ashlyn Aarness
Social Media Specialist
Social Media Specialist
Gina Geary
Franchise Business Consultant
Franchise Business Consultant
Alice Heidenreich
Franchise Business Consultant
Franchise Business Consultant
Susan Praus
Training Manager
Training Manager
Michael D. Smith
Vice President of Strategic Planning
Michael D. Smith is the Vice President of Strategic Planning. From December 2000 to July 2010, Michael held the position of Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of the franchise company Laptop Xchange. From June 1994 to December 2000, Michael held numerous roles within the Grow Biz International brands of Play It Again Sports and Computer Renaissance. These roles included Corporate Store Management, Field Operation Specialist, and Franchisee.