Have you ever looked at the person you were becoming and realized you no longer recognized yourself?
Jane Grote Abell grew up inside Donatos Pizza, the family business her father founded with a belief that business could be built on love. After the company was sold to McDonald’s, however, Jane found herself working under a leadership style that gradually caused her to operate from fear.
She began questioning her decisions, shrinking her circle, and changing how she showed up at work. The woman who had always been encouraged to speak up slowly lost her voice. Then, while sitting alone in the office at 3:00 in the morning, Jane reached a realization: she either needed to change her environment or change herself.
In this episode of Becoming Unshakable, Jane shares how she returned to her values of character, courage, conviction, and compassion. She explains how that difficult season shaped the culture she later helped rebuild when she and her father bought Donatos back.
Jane and Heather also discuss why values must influence performance reviews, how leaders can remain close to the lived experiences of their people, and why leading with love does not mean avoiding accountability. Jane shares how faith, family, therapy, listening tours, and the willingness to ask for help have supported her through some of her most difficult moments.
This conversation is a reminder that hardship does not always arrive to defeat us. Sometimes it shows us who we have become, what we are no longer willing to accept, and how we want others to feel under our leadership.
What has one of your hardest seasons taught you about the person and leader you want to become? Listen to the episode and share your thoughts.
About Jane Grote Abell
Jane Grote Abell is Executive Chairwoman of the Board and Chief Purpose Officer of Donatos Pizza and Jane’s Dough Premium Foods, a $275M, family-owned restaurant and manufacturing company. A second-generation leader, author, and nationally recognized speaker, Jane brings more than 30 years of experience in transformational leadership, family business governance, franchising, mergers and acquisitions, and culture-driven growth.
Jane played a pivotal role in Donatos’ acquisition by McDonald’s and later led the successful effort to repurchase and rebuild the brand, serving in executive roles including Chief People Officer, SVP of Business Development, COO, and President. She is the author of The Missing Piece: Doing Business the Donatos Way and is a frequent speaker on leadership, purpose, and values-based business.
Deeply committed to community impact, Jane is co-founder and Board Chair of The Reeb Center and serves on several corporate and nonprofit boards, including Texas Roadhouse. She has received numerous honors for leadership and philanthropy and is widely recognized for advancing education, workforce development, and poverty alleviation initiatives.
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About Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP
Heather R Younger, J.D., CSP is a highly sought-after speaker, 2x-TEDx speaker, diversity, equity and inclusion strategist, and contributor to leading news outlets. She is also the Founder and CEO of Employee Fanatix, a leading employee engagement and consulting firm. After over 25,000 employee engagement surveys and years of working with organizations to transform employee engagement, here’s what Heather has seen over and over: When you know how to listen, employees will tell you exactly what they need to bring their full selves to work. Book Heather to speak at your event or organization.
Visit heatheryounger.com or https://www.cmispeakers.com/heather-r-younger for more details.
