She Quit Her Job. Now She Makes $1 Million Selling Smoothies. | Entrepreneur

DeSario Turner didn’t have the classic take-this-job-and-shove-it moment — no dramatic resignation, no sudden business closure. In fact, she had a successful, stable career at Harley-Davidson, where she held a leadership role managing online ecommerce operations across the U.S. and Canada. She could have comfortably stayed in the corporate world indefinitely.

But Turner had other plans. She wanted ownership, autonomy and the chance to build something meaningful in her hometown of Racine, Wisconsin. So, in 2023, she opened a Smoothie King franchise and hit the ground running. “I knew that if I wanted the freedom and the life that I desire, just a paycheck wasn’t enough for me,” she says.

Image Credit: DeSario Turner | Smoothie King

Bikes to blenders

Turner spent nearly 18 years at Harley-Davidson, serving in various customer-facing roles that ranged from dealership support to managing North American ecommerce. During that time, she also explored several side hustles — from rental properties to vending machines — as part of a larger vision for long-term financial independence.

Turner wanted to go all-in on a business that aligned with her values and offered a product she believed in. When she discovered Smoothie King, the concept clicked. It combined health and wellness, community impact and a scalable franchise model — all things she felt passionate about bringing to her hometown.

After settling on the brand, she began the franchise application process in late 2021 while still working full-time and juggled both responsibilities for nearly two years. “That’s when it really kicked off; it was definitely a busy time,” she recalls. “But I had to make it happen.”

Record-breaking opening

Turner’s Smoothie King location in Racine shattered expectations right out of the gate, breaking the franchise’s record for first-week sales when it opened in 2023. Despite being in a market unfamiliar with the brand, her store generated more than $38,000 in its opening week and quickly became a go-to destination for health-conscious locals.

In addition to building a thriving business, Turner made it a priority to give back. She regularly partners with local schools, gyms and youth programs and donates smoothies for events, supports fundraisers and offers healthful catering options for student-athletes.

“She believed in herself, did the work and chose a location that gave her business the best chance to thrive,” says Katherine Meariman, VP of training and education at Smoothie King. “She understood from the start that there’s no better way to introduce Smoothie King to a new community than through authentic connection.”

By the end of her first year, Turner’s location had already crossed $1 million in net sales — a milestone that placed her store in the top 50 out of more than 1,200 locations in the system.

Building for the future

Now, Turner has an eye on the future. Her 19-year-old daughter has stepped into a key leadership role at the store, managing day-to-day operations and learning every aspect of the business firsthand. But this isn’t just a job — it’s a long-term investment in her future. Turner is intentionally mentoring her daughter to one day take full ownership, passing down not just a business but a blueprint for independence, responsibility and generational wealth. “Ultimately, this is her business,” she says. “I’m showing her everything now so she understands what it takes — because it’s for her future.”

And the vision doesn’t stop there. With plans to expand and a second location already in the works, Turner is just getting started. Her advice to others considering the jump into business ownership like she did is simple. “Invest that current and energy into yourself and build something for you and your family in the future,” she says. “Go for it.”