Say hello to Catherine Jadin, the Sticky Fingers Cooking franchise owner serving the North Phoenix, Arizona area!

Catherine knew about Sticky Fingers Cooking, but needed to have more life experience and for the company’s business model to evolve before it became her next chapter.

“I met Catherine years before Sticky Fingers Cooking was a national franchise brand, but we stayed in touch,” says Kimberly Douglas, COO of Sticky Fingers Cooking. “It’s been amazing to share our growth story and to deepen our connection through Sticky Fingers!”

Sticky Fingers Cooking is all about relationship building and connecting through shared values and interests so it’s not surprising to see this new collaboration sparked through globetrotting!

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Let’s Learn About Thailand!

Just like every Sticky Fingers Cooking recipe, this story has roots in a faraway place. Back in 2015, Catherine was traveling abroad when she made a new friend.

“I was traveling in a pretty off-the-beaten-path town in Thailand with my husband when I heard someone speaking English for the first time in a while,” she recalls. “It was Kim, the now COO of Sticky Fingers Cooking, though she was the Area Director in Denver working remotely then.”

Catherine, 40, says that as a woman without children yet, hearing Kim’s description of teaching after-school enrichment cooking classes didn’t really make much of an impression at the time. Like a classic French cheese, this information needed time to reach its full potential.  

Trying New Things

Originally from El Paso, Texas, Catherine left home for fashion school in New York City (yes, she tried out for the reality TV show, Project Runway!) before returning home to start a career in sales.

“My first job was in commercial furniture sales, then I went into pharmaceutical/medical device sales, which is where I spent the majority of my career,” this married mother-of-two says.

In 2021, she and her husband decided to move to Thailand for 18 months. “I thought it would be easy to jump back into the job market, but I didn’t consider how much I would change over those four years,” she says. “Adding to the community around me became such a big part of what I want to do with my time.”

The growing family moved to Arizona, where Kyle, Catherine’s husband, lived after grad school and she knew it was time to find a career she was passionate about.

She had a heart-to-heart with her husband about becoming a business owner. “My husband is aware that I’m very ADHD,” Catherine shares with a laugh. “He pointed out that my greatest chance for success would be with a partner, to purchase an existing business, or to join a franchise business model to get support in the places where I’m not as strong.”

Her search included a clothing business (“Not in-line with my goals,” she says, despite the background in fashion), a sauna cold plunge business (“It didn’t excite me or build community,” Catherine notes), and a coffee shop.

Then she saw Kimberly’s post on LinkedIn about franchise opportunities with Sticky Fingers Cooking. “Oh my gosh, this is perfect!” Catherine says she realized at that moment. “It has exactly what I need in terms of support and the community aspect of things and that got me really excited.”

Taking the Leap into Business Ownership

By now, Catherine had two children and knew what ASE (after-school enrichment) might mean to her and others in her community. After she contacted the team at Sticky Fingers Cooking to learn more about the investment and business model, she quickly moved ahead to join the brand.

“It’s funny how Catherine’s timing and experience caught up with the company’s timing and experience,” says Erin Fletter, CEO and founder of Sticky Fingers Cooking. “This is a perfect pairing and we are looking forward to her success! I absolutely love that Catherine can combine all of her interests–food, travel, community, raising her children, and being a female business owner–together as a Sticky Fingers Cooking franchise owner. The kids in Phoenix are so lucky!!!”

Catherine’s discovery process continued to check all of the boxes for her. “I spoke to Victoria [franchise owner in San Diego since 2024], and she said that her only regret was that she didn’t do this sooner,” Catherine says. “The support I have felt from the team is something I’m grateful for every day and I know it is the right choice for me!”

She adds, “It’s like having a partner that wants nothing but success for you.”

A Taste of Success

During her discovery day with Sticky Fingers Cooking, Catherine attended a local class in Colorado where the company headquarters are in Denver.

“The class made a curry and the instructor talked about the background of curry itself, the flavors, and some surprise ingredients,” she says. “I think it’s so fun to explore food like this because not everyone can travel to try new things.”

Growing up in El Paso Catherine says her exposure to global cuisine was limited to “border” food and she didn’t taste Thai food until college. “Once someone asked what my favorite Indian food was and I said, ‘Pad Thai,’ and they explained that comes from Thailand,” she says, still laughing at the memory.

“I love being able to expose my kids to other cultures and teach them how to be a global citizen,” she says.  “Food is such a big part of that.”