This McDonald’s supplier is passionate about mentoring aspiring business leaders.

Paula Marshall is the Chairman and CEO of The Bama Companies, Inc., a third-generation, Tulsa-based, woman-owned and led enterprise that has exclusively supplied McDonald’s signature pies in the US for decades.

Since becoming owner and CEO in 1991, Paula has expanded Bama beyond what started solely as a pie business to a leader in bakery products, working closely with the Golden Arches to deliver unique flavors and limited-time offerings to nearly 14,000 communities across the US. And like McDonald’s, Bama has always kept quality and tradition at its core – with fresh ingredients sourced from local farmers.

As someone who broke barriers stepping into her role as CEO as a woman in the early 1980s, Paula is passionate about mentorship and sharing what she’s learned with aspiring business leaders, especially fellow women. Keep reading for Paula’s top pieces of advice: 

• Always hold your integrity. It’s important to have a set of principles that guide your behavior, whether that is within the workplace or anywhere in life. If you follow your heart, stay true to your values and do the right thing, you’ll be respected for it!
• Have a personal mission statement. Develop your own personal mission statement that becomes your north star. For me, it’s remembering to lead with love and respect – that means doing right by my family, my team members, my customers and prioritizing quality, integrity, and transparency.
• Hone your craft. Always have an appetite for learning. One of the best things we can do in life is ask questions, challenge our thinking, and evolve. At Bama, a culture of learning and commitment to continuous improvement has made us successful for the last 80 years and is what will help us evolve for the next 80.
• Be yourself. There was a period of time where I was the only woman in every single meeting. And it would have been very easy to try and transform myself into something that I wasn’t. But instead, I embraced my individuality and felt comfortable about it. Don’t give up who you are today for something you think you might get tomorrow.
• Take every job. And stay positive. When I first entered the workforce, I applied for and worked at many different jobs – no job was too big or small. It was most important for me to gain experience, learn something from each position and for people to better understand who I was. Most importantly, I’d do it with a smile on my face, building friendships and collaborative partnerships along the way.
• Work with people you trust. Working with people and partners that believe in your values and mission helps foster trust and collaboration that I believe is fundamental for success. At Bama, our top priority is consistently delivering real, quality food and products that people love to enjoy with care. That’s why working with partners like McDonald’s – who takes food quality, integrity and innovation as seriously as we do – is fundamental to who we are.