A strong foundation

Jodie Cramer’s professional trajectory has been anything but linear. But the way she sees it, that’s ultimately been an advantage.

“Every role I took on, even the ones that seemed like sidelines at the time, gave me the skills or perspective I now rely on every day,” she tells The CEO Magazine.

“The common thread across all of them has been an inquisitive mind. I’m always learning, always seeking out a better way, always pushing the envelope. That curiosity is more transferable than any specific expertise. It’s what lets you move between industries, between roles and keeps growing wherever you land.”

From fashion and retail to flooring and window furnishings, Cramer’s diverse experience has taught her more than a few valuable lessons.

“My advice is stop waiting until you feel ready, because you won’t,” she says with a smile. “Back your ability to learn, take on the thing that scares you a little. Find mentors who tell you the truth, not what you want to hear.

“And remember that confidence is usually a result of experience, not a prerequisite for it.”

Playing the long game

For many leaders, legacy can feel like a balancing act between preserving the past and embracing the future. For Cramer, who stepped into the role of CEO of Andersens in late 2025, the answer is far simpler: the future only works when built on the right foundations.

“Foundation systems, change, customer experience, growth – none of it matters without the people,” she enthuses.

“In a franchise network especially, you’re stewarding a community of independent owners who stake their family name on the brand. That’s a responsibility that I take really seriously.

“At Andersens, we’re playing the long game, investing in our people, strengthening our network, staying true to the values that have made the brand worth trusting.”

Cramer believes, first and foremost, that growth will look after itself when you get the rest right.

“My goal in general is that I don’t have to go out and find businesses,” she says. “People will come to us because they like what we’ve built. That’s our overarching mantra. We act as one.”

Founded in 1958 as a humble family carpet store in the regional town of Gatton, Queensland, Andersens has since developed into a thriving franchise network spanning 55 locations across multiple states.

“When I think about evolution, I start by asking what I would never trade away,” Cramer explains.

---

---

Advertisement

“Then everything else is on the table – systems, processes, how we go to market, how we communicate. The minute you treat tradition as an obstacle, you’ve lost what made the business worth growing in the first place.

“And I think my alignment with Andersens was I come from a country town, I’ve been brought up with those values. You keep that as your base and it helps you make your decisions.”

Built to last

When Cramer became CEO, expansion opportunities remained firmly on the agenda. But rather than chasing rapid expansion, she chose to stabilize and strengthen the business first.

“When I stepped in as CEO, the appetite for growth was definitely still there, but growing without a strong foundation would have multiplied our problems,” she explains.

“Our focus for the next 12 months is very deliberately on strengthening the existing network, not on chasing new territory. You can’t take a model that’s still being refined and start replicating it everywhere. You’ll just scale the cracks.”

Instead, her focus is on ensuring every part of the business is aligned before significant expansion resumes. Central to that foundation is trust – something Cramer sees as the defining factor in this kind of setup.

“In the franchise network, trust is your operating currency,” she says.

“Lose it and no strategy will save you; build it and there’s not much you can’t take on together. Honest communication and transparency and everyone knowing what we’re trying to achieve and why.

“Governance, clear decision-making, accountability, structures that actually work, aligned systems, one source of truth, tools that help the front line rather than hinder it.”

---

---

Advertisement

That philosophy extends beyond franchisees to key suppliers, such as National Flooring Distributors and Advantage Flooring Distributors, partners and head office teams too. Cramer rejects the traditional concept of a one-way value chain, instead describing Andersens as an ecosystem.

“A value chain implies one-way flow,” she says. “An ecosystem is interdependent. What helps one part of the network helps all of it. Alignment in a franchise network isn’t compliance, it’s shared understanding.

“We work to a clear framework with our Franchise Advisory Council: consult, engage, and communicate. If we succeed, they succeed.”

The result is a leadership model designed around consultation, collaboration and long-term thinking.

“I spend a lot of time in stores,” she says. “You can’t lead a franchise network from behind a desk. You stop optimizing for the center and start optimizing for the whole.”

She believes the business has a unique competitive advantage built on four interconnected strengths: a trusted national brand, locally embedded franchise owners, decades of product expertise and a head office committed to supporting the network.

As for technology, Cramer firmly believes it should support relationships rather than replace them. For Andersens, digital transformation is about reducing friction so franchisees can spend more time with customers.

“Our customers come to us because they want help making a decision that’s going to sit in their home for the next 15 years,” she says.

“That’s not a transaction, it’s a consultation built on integrity, honesty and respect. People buy flooring from people. Tech supports the relationship, it doesn’t replace it.”