From Full‑Time Mum of Four to CEO: 5 Leadership Skills Behind a Fast‑Growth Global Brand

Joanne Yulan Jong interviews Ally Van Iten about discovering House of Colour, her journey to becoming the most successful franchisee in the world and, now, the CEO of the USA Division.

After more than 25 years in the fashion industry, it takes something truly special to surprise me, and even more to genuinely excite me. Yet the company I’m working with today does exactly that.

House of Colour is the World's no.1 personal styling franchise. It is an incredible community operating at a powerful intersection of fashion, beauty, and wellbeing. It’s a system built not just on style, but on confidence, helping people feel more like themselves through colour, image, and self‑expression. What makes House of Colour particularly compelling is its franchise model, a business structure I had never worked within before.

When franchising is done well, it’s deeply empowering. It allows individuals to become business owners in their own right, forging their own path while supported by world-class training refined over four decades, a science-based system, and an established brand. Each stylist’s journey is personal, but no one builds their business alone. The result is something rare: a vast, vibrant community of franchisees, entrepreneurs, creatives, and leaders, all connected by shared values and mutual support.

Watching this network and community grow and seeing confidence ripple outward from stylist to client has been among the great joys of my career. That’s why it was such a pleasure to sit down with Ally Van Iten, entrepreneur, former franchisee, and now CEO of House of Colour USA.

Ally’s journey from full‑time mum of four to leading a fast‑growth brand is not only inspiring, but it’s also deeply instructive. In our conversation, she shares the skills that shaped her path, the lessons learned along the way, and what it truly takes to help scale a purpose‑driven business without losing its soul.

Joanne Jong (JJ) - Hello Ally. To begin, could you please introduce yourself and describe your role.

Ally Van Iten (AVI) - My name is Ally Van Iten. I am the CEO of House of Colour USA. I oversee the vision and the growth of the US market for our franchisees and our franchisor. I have the privilege of listening to our network. We have over 350 franchisees operating across the US, and I am very attuned to their day-to-day operations. I act as the liaison between franchisees and everything that happens at a Headquarters level to equip them to serve clients well.

JJ - When did you first hear of or experience House of Colour?

AVI - In 2018, I was staying at home with my kids. We had moved around a lot for my husband’s career, and I had four young children. I remember standing in my kitchen, probably with a baby on my hip and one at my feet, and a friend called me and said, ‘I think you need to look up this business. I think we should do it.’

I looked up House of Colour, and at first I didn’t know what she was talking about. I actually thought it was home design. But when I saw what it was in some online photos, I quickly realised it was really interesting; what I saw combined many things I enjoy doing.

I called the woman who owned the franchise closest to me and, as a freelance copywriter at the time, asked if I could write a story on her in exchange for a colour analysis. She said she didn’t need the advertising because she was booked three months out, but that I could come in and pay full price. That showed me not only that this was an interesting service, but that it could be a financially viable opportunity too.

JJ - What was it about the service that made you think you wanted to join the company?

AVI - I had my colours done right after my youngest was born, and I remember I was in a season where I didn’t have time to do anything for myself. After getting my colours done, one of my daily routines, getting dressed, completely changed. I could get dressed in a way that felt creative and like myself again. My clothes were just as practical as they were before, but I felt confident. It was like the lights came back on when I started wearing colour again, the colours that were right for me.

Its simplicity was what really stood out. Just wear this, not that. You’re going to get dressed anyway. All of a sudden, fashion felt fun and accessible again.

JJ - What one personal trait made you the most successful franchise in the USA?

AVI - I think it was belief. I had a deep-rooted belief that colour analysis and having a personal stylist through a brand like House of Colour could change everybody’s life. 

No matter what their background was, no matter what they did for work, no matter how old they were, I believed that colour analysis and personal style were for everyone. Knowing is the key to glowing, and everyone could feel empowered to look and feel their best through these services once they knew how to apply them to their own lives. 

That belief was validated every time someone came into my studio, and I saw how it affected their personal and professional life. I just knew this business was not only sustainable, but that it could scale and impact a lot of people.

JJ - What in your past may have contributed to that belief and confidence?

AVI - I watched my dad build several different businesses growing up. I watched him fail, too. He wasn’t ever hesitant to get back up and start something different. That made me really not afraid to take risks, because I knew you could always try something different and land on your feet. I think growing up watching that gave me a lot of freedom. I knew that if something didn’t work, it wasn’t the end. You could learn and try again.

JJ - What’s your belief now that you have achieved this success and transformation?

AVI - I really believe that the resources at House of Colour are for everyone. As a client, I found something that helped me thrive when I had four young children and no time for myself. At Headquarters, I have the ability to empower other men and women to start a career in franchising that can add great meaning to their lives. 

I believe House of Colour can influence people at every level of their life, personally and professionally. It can give people a positive voice in a world where there are so many negative ones. It is a bright spot for individuals in a way that is deeply impactful.

JJ - I’d love to know, what five skills you harnessed to become CEO of House of Colour USA?

AVI - (laughs) Now there's a good question!

1. Strategic Thinking

I think having a clear strategy for what it would take to grow the company was really important. I understood what it meant to build something at scale because I had done that as a franchise owner. I knew what franchisees needed day-to-day, but I also understood that as a brand grows, you have to think differently. You have to think about the long term and what will support sustainable growth, not just quick wins.

2. People Skills

You can strategise all you like, but if you can’t connect it to people, it doesn’t mean anything. Understanding that has been such a great learning process for me. How do I empower people to use the talents they have, and then get out of their way? What does it look like to seek to understand and then communicate with clarity? Those people skills have been challenged in this leadership role, but I have seen every hurdle as an opportunity to learn. Networking, both inside and outside the business, has personally brought me a lot of joy, too. It’s always about the people first for me.

3. Listening

Listening is a really significant skill in a franchise because the franchisee and franchisor relationship is built around listening. I really saw myself as a bridge between the existing network and Headquarters. I understood where franchisees were coming from because I had been one. Listening helped me translate their needs into decisions that supported the whole brand.

4. Patience

Patience was a big one. There were things I knew as a franchise owner, but just because they were what I needed didn’t mean they were right for the whole brand at scale. I had to give myself time to research, to test things, and to make sure that when we did make decisions, it would serve the majority. I couldn’t move as fast as I could when I was a franchise owner. I had a lot more people counting on me.

5. Belief

I maintained that belief I had as a franchise owner in the power of the brand. But in my new role as CEO, I began to see it as a belief that a career here at House of Colour could change someone’s career trajectory, too. I wanted to make House of Colour a place that would transform each owner’s life, not just financially or vocationally, but that, personally, would bring them joy and development. That’s what the brand had done for me. So I had a lot of belief that it could do that for each and every one of our HQ staff and franchise owners.

JJ - Thanks, Ally - that's such an incredible journey.

AVI - Thank you. In this role, I feel I’ve found my purpose. I’ve genuinely experienced the power of transformation, and I know it can unlock lives in ways people can’t imagine.

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