Valerie Daniels-Carter

Based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Valerie Daniels-Carter is founder and CEO of V & J Holding Company, Inc., and owner of 137 restaurants with a total $70 billion in sales.

As President and CEO of the country's largest African-American- owned restaurant franchise, Valerie and her brother, John Daniels, a lawyer own V & J Foods Holding Companies Inc., which controls 96 Pizza Huts, and 41 Burger Kings throughout the Midwest and New York.

If you would have asked me in 1982, when I first started my application process, whether or not I thought I would have 98 restaurants in 1997, I probably would have said, "Heck, I'm just happy to get one.' But it's an evolving industry, and I don't ever say can't, never, or no,"

In 1997, as President of the Minority Franchise Association of Burger King, which had 60 minority operators out of more than 6,300 franchises nationwide, Daniels-Carter says that having qualified employees has been her key to successs.

"My faith in God has kept me with the wherewithal and the energy to move forward.
I don't put my faith in money, I put my faith in God, because money can be here today and gone tomorrow".

I recognize that I'm not where I am because I'm great, but I am where I am because God has just gifted me and blessed me, and I don't take that for granted.

Her company has a philosophy that says: "You ARE THE STANDARD OF EXCELLENCE." As the mother of a young son, Jeffrey Alan Carter II, Daniels-Carter applies that same philosophy to herself and her family.

"I try to develop him as a well-rounded child with his first priority being to set his goals on God and his second priority being that of self-esteem, self-value and self-worth, and then making sure he understands that he is a very integral part of my life," says Daniels-Carter of her 8-year-old son. "He understands that there's no one outside of this world who cares for him and loves him as much as his mom. We share a very genuine close relationship."

Daniels-Carter and Jeffrey begin each day with spiritual food as they have their daily devotion. After he leaves at about 8 a.m., she heads to work.

In the afternoon, Jeffrey stays with his grandmother, Rose Ann Carter, until his mother picks him up around 7 p.m. Daniels-Carter and her son have dinner together and watch television until it's time for sleep.

Still, running a business that covers five states means that the routine may shift on a moment's notice. There are days when she must travel. Whenever feasible, Jeffrey travels with his mother, especially on trips overseas, which is another learning opportunity for her son.

"I try to instill everything I know in young Jeffrey," Daniels-Carter says. "Knowledge is power, and the more he knows now, the more he can obtain and see. The more he is exposed to now, the broader his vision can be. I want him to have the largest vision he could possibly have that's within the will of God in his life."

Daniels-Carter does her best to give Jeffrey a full life, especially since her-er husband, Jeffrey Carter Sr., died in an accident a few years ago. She says there was a period of learning how to manage after his death.

"My husband was just a wonderful person; he was a jewel," Daniels-Carter says. "He was just a wonderful role model for my son. So what I've tried to do is instill the values that existed in my husband in Jeff, the things that drew him to me as a strong Black man."

Daniels-Carter points to her family, especially her mother-in-law, siblings and her niece (who helps Jeffrey with schoolwork) as being very instrumental in her life and her son's life. With the family's support in his upbringing combined with her enduring love, Daniels-Carter believes her son will excel in whatever he decides to do.

"I am trying to develop the skill sets he's going to need to be successful in life," Daniels-Carter says. "My goal is to have my son be the competition that [others] measure themselves by."