Photo by Graham Cullen Syed and Sadia Anderabi own four McDonald's franchises, including the one behind them on Old Camp Road. Purchase this photo

Syed and Sadia Anderabi, a local husband-wife team, are a part of that success story.

The Pakistan natives started with one McDonald's and now own four: two in Frederick and two in Montgomery County, employing a total of 180 employees.

"It's one umbrella called McDonald's with 85 percent franchisees, like us," Sadia Anderabi said.

Being a successful franchisee requires a total commitment of time and resources, the couple said.

"Opportunities are great but challenges come with it," Syed Anderabi said. "If anything separates me from anybody else, it would be my desire to help people be their best, whether it's a cashier, kitchen person or manager."

Holding a master's degree in clinical psychology, Sadia Anderabi left her profession to join her husband. Today, she owns a McDonald's franchise in Gaithersburg.

"It's in my name with my number. I'm the first woman from my country to be a McDonald's operator, and it's possible I'm the first woman operator in the entire southeast Asia," Sadia Anderabi said.

"One step can start you on a journey of a thousand miles. I took that step when I joined my husband in 1996 and it led me to being an operator today," Sadia Anderabi said.

She's aiming for at least 10 stores.

"That's my passion, my vision for the future. I get there by working and working honestly," Sadia said. "I work seven days while raising two sons. That's my commitment."

She's not a coffee drinker but Anderabi said she drinks coffee at the stores to ensure it has the right flavor. It is that attention to detail that is important in running successful enterprises, she said.

Syed Anderabi said he was already successful before his wife joined him, "but she made us more successful," he said.

"I play the mom's role in the organization. I tell the employees what's good and what's not good for them," Sadia Anderabi said. "Sometimes I cook for them."

Her Gaithersburg store is being used by McDonald's Corp. as a training store for new employees.

"I train my crew, promote them and send them to McDonald's University in Chicago. Once they complete, the sky's limit," she said. "Give me anybody with normal abilities and I can turn them into a producer. When you have trained your people right and you treat them right, they are your assets."

To be successful requires commitment, Sadia Anderabi said.

"I don't believe in jumping from job to job. A rolling stone gathers no moss, and it's not just about the money," she said. "It's your desire, dedication, passion, your vision for yourself and the company you work for."

As a Pakistani government employee, Sadia Anderabi came to the U.S. in 1989 as an Ambassador of Goodwill to learn U.S. culture and earned a second master's degree in clinical psychology.

Syed Anderabi came to the United States as a foreign student with a master's degree in economics. He then completed another master's degree in business administration.

Many more years seem to be in store for the couple's 18-year marriage.

"It's not just the marriage, it's the partnership, the friendship. I think our marriage was truly made in Heaven," Sadia Anderabi said.

"And it's mutual. I feel fortunate to have her as a wife, a partner," Syed Anderabi said.