Women of MoJo - Angela Zerda - Mosquito Joe Franchise

If there is one thing we have learned it is that there are many misconceptions about women in the pest control industry! So while we could write a blog post about the pest control industry and why women are a good fit for Mosquito Joe, we thought there were a few people who could do a better job. In our blog series the Women of Mosquito Joe, we highlight the incredible women that are a part of the MoJo family and why it is no longer a man’s world!

This month we’re introducing you to one of the gals from the corporate office of Mosquito Joe. Angela Zerda is our Director of Marketing and is the brains behind the fun branding, taglines, and fun advertisements you see about Mosquito Joe. Hailing from Texas, she is a proud (very, very proud) graduate of the University of Texas and her background ranges from an advertising agency all the way to coffee (we’ll let her explain that). We’re glad the road led to Mosquito Joe because Angela’s quick wit and hilarious stories about her German Shepherd, Chevy, keep us laughing around here. She’s pretty good at the whole marketing thing too…

Who is your inspiration and why? 

I’ve been inspired by many people in my life but the biggest standout is my mom. She is an incredibly strong and caring woman and I am so proud of everything about her. It never ceases to amaze me how much she cares about every person who comes into her life. Whether it’s one of her students, a friend of a friend, a church member or a family member, she never thinks twice about making sure others have the same level of support and opportunity that she gave her own children.  It was common growing up to have an extra person join us for Christmas or Thanksgiving simply because they didn’t have anywhere else to go or couldn’t afford to travel to their family. And that’s just one example. I could go on…

What brought you to Mosquito Joe? 

Basically the stars aligned and a light shone the way to MoJo….sort of.  The abridged version of this story is that for me, the opportunity with Mosquito Joe was a perfect mix of marketing and entrepreneurial-ness (don’t worry, marketing people can get away with using words like that). Marketing is my bread and butter, and having been a business owner I can relate to the experiences our franchisees are going through. Plus, when I found out the CEO’s wife is a fellow Texas Longhorn I knew I was in the right place. (Hook ‘em)

How did you get your name Cup of Joe? 

I am Cup of Joe because, well, by the time I came up with a name for everyone else I was running short of options. Just kidding. Kind of. Anyway, Cup of Joe is a fitting name for me because I used to own a coffee shop in Austin, TX called the Irie Bean Coffee Bar. I opened it with two great business partners, one of which continues to run it today. I love coffee shops and if you are familiar with the term “irie” it’s all about positive vibes, and I always try to surround myself with positivity. Smiling is my favorite. (Elf reference anyone?)  So here’s my Cup of Joe pitch: If you find yourself in Austin, go by the Irie Bean and tell them Angela sent you.

There are often misconceptions around the pest control industry and in particular with women working in that industry (that it’s dirty, etc.); what are your thoughts on those?

As a woman, I can honestly say that I never in my life thought I’d be working for a pest control company. But someone wise once said, “Don’t knock it till you’ve tried it.”  And I love it.  To me, it’s not about working for a company that kills bugs; it’s about working for a company that gives people the freedom to get outside again and enjoy their yards. It’s about being able to eat meals on the patio, entertain friends, and play with your dog (all things which I love to do) without getting eaten alive by mosquitoes. Being a part of that is great.

I think people look at pest control as a dirty industry but if you ever visit our corporate headquarters you’ll see that we’re actually a very clean business. Our technicians and office staff shower regularly, there’s no gross smells or stains in the warehouse, and there are certainly no pests crawling around. We’re not sloppy.  In fact, I’d say we’re very smooth operators. (Sade, anyone? Circa 1980s…)

I also think this business is a natural fit for women because there’s so much flexibility built into running it.  Some women like to actually perform the service, but most prefer to hire others to do that and instead focus on the customer service side of things (taking calls, scheduling, routing, etc). Since many of our customers are women, it’s easy for our female operators to relate to why they want the service and talk through any concerns.  It’s also a flexible work schedule because you can work from home, so our female franchisees are able to accommodate getting their kids to school (or husbands to work) in the morning and being there when they get home after.

What’s your favorite tagline and why?

This is a tough question because I love them all for different reasons. I think our main slogan, “Outside is fun again.” will always be king for me because it’s the core of what we do, but I also love “Playtime is back.” because it makes me feel like a kid again. I also love the slogan we use in our bathrooms at the corporate office that says, “Don’t worry. You’re safe in here.” Get it?  Anyway, that’s the beauty of it – there’s a tagline for every occasion!

Thanks Angela!  We’re so proud she is leading the way when it comes to marketing efforts for Mosquito Joe.

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