1851

<p style=" background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Roger Wilder has come quite a long way since he worked alongside Smoothie King&#8217;s original owners, Steve and Cindy Kuhnau, as a staff member in their stores. At just 23 years old, he became a franchisee of the brand and opened his first location. After one year in business, he received Smoothie King&#8217;s Outstanding New Franchisee Award and continues to receive awards due to his work ethic and dedication to the brand. Now, Wilder and his business partner own and operate more than a dozen Smoothie King locations. 1851 spoke to Wilder about the steps he took to get where he is now and the advice he would offer potential franchisees. <p style=" background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"> <p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">What was your perspective about franchising prior to joining? <p style=" background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">At 23 years old, I really did not have too many thoughts about franchising prior to joining Smoothie King but that changed with my experience with the brand. I knew that I could make Smoothie King my own within certain boundaries. Having worked at the corporate stores, I was able to learn the ins and outs of the business model. I liked what I saw and felt I could go far with the brand. <p style=" background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"> <p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">What is the top thing you think people don't understand about franchising? <p style=" background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">I don&#8217;t think people understand how involved and dedicated one has to be to achieve success in franchising. Outsiders see an organized, well-oiled machine running and might not realize that it takes a lot of work. When you become a franchisee you have to use certain trademarks and systems, but the rest is on you &#8211; achieving success is solely your responsibility. <p style=" background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"> <p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">How has being a franchisee changed your life? <p style=" background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Becoming a franchisee has allowed me to be my own boss and create structure in my life. Within a system, I am able to take the reins into my own hands and create my own path. Franchising allows people like me to achieve the American Dream.<p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"> Why did you pick Smoothie King? From a young age, I worked at corporate Smoothie King locations and was lucky enough to see the potential and profitability of the entire system early on. I noticed that Smoothie King was in the early stages of growth and I wanted to be a part of it. <p style=" background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"> <p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">Why should someone buy Smoothie King? Simply put, Smoothie King offers the best product and supports a healthy and active lifestyle, which is in high demand in the market right now. <p style=" background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"> <p style="background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-color: white; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;">What advice would you have for someone looking to become a franchisee? With passion and hard work you will find success but it is vital for you to love and believe in the product you are selling. Make note of the intangibles within a franchise system, such as the reputation, licenses, patents and copyrights; these are things you want to be aware of and are what makes a brand unique.<div>Visit the International Franchise Association's <a href="https://atourfranchise.org/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=all-star-franchisees-roger-wilder-of-smoothie-king-5740" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">@Our Franchise website</a> for more stories of passionate local franchise owners, employees and their communities.&nbsp;</div>

1851 Franchise

Longtime employee turned franchisee shares insight into what it takes to succeed.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

All-Star Franchisees: Roger Wilder of Smoothie King  

all-star-franchisees-roger-wilder-of-smoothie-king

Express Employment Professionals

Shaping the Future of Work: Melissa Davis Leads the Charge in Express Employment Franchising

shaping-the-future-of-work-melissa-davis-leads-the-charge-in-express-employment-franchising

Caring Transitions

The Benefits of Buying an Existing Caring Transitions Territory vs. Starting From Scratch

the-benefits-of-buying-an-existing-caring-transitions-territory-vs-starting-from-scratch

petbar

petbar Franchise - Marc Hildebrand - Nicole Baptiste - San Antonio - 1851 Franchise

Spreading Bark-Side Joy: How Nicole and Marc Bring Trust and Canine Bliss to San Antonio

petbar-franchise-alamo-heights-san-antonio-nicole-baptiste-marc-hildebrand

Wild Bill's Craft Beverage Company

How Wild Bill’s Craft Beverage Co. Built a 23-Year Brand That Empowers Veterans Through Franchising

wild-bills-craft-beverage-co-veteran-franchise-opportunity

Comfort Keepers

Comfort Keepers Franchise - St. Louis Expansion - 1851 Franchise

Why St. Louis Is the Next Major Growth Opportunity for Comfort Keepers®

comfort-keepers-st-louis-franchise-opportunities

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Photo of Papa Murphy's Take 'N' Bake Pizza franchisee Lily Wilford

Entrepreneur: This 18-Year-Old Saves Babysitting Money for College — Then Decided to Buy a Business Instead

18-year-old-franchise-owner-lily-wilford

Amazon outage, AWS outage, Amazon AWS logo

The Day the Cloud Stalled: How Amazon's Outage Impacted Franchise Economy

amazon-aws-outage-franchise-impact-travel-dining-failure

Thursday 1851 Franchise Agg - NASAA’s Noncompete Push

NASAA’s Noncompete Push Puts Franchise Growth on Uncertain Ground

franchise-noncompete-nasaa-advisory-reasonableness-standard

How a Steady Economy Could Help Franchisors Plan Their Next Move

how-a-steady-economy-could-help-franchisors-plan-their-next-move

Bed Bath & Beyond - Franchise Expansion - Retail Strategy - 1851 Franchise

Bed Bath & Beyond Launches Franchise Model as Part of Comeback Strategy

bed-bath-beyond-franchise-expansion-retail-strategy

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

image  of Happinest franchise collection and all their brands that work together. 

The Happinest Advantage: A Marketing Partner Invested in Your Bottom Line

happinest-franchise-marketing-strategy

Coffee & analytics image with photo of Nick Powills

Athletes And Franchising: Why the Connection Runs Deep

athletes-in-franchising

The Shift From Founder to Franchisor: Building a Team, Culture and System That Scale

the-shift-from-founder-to-franchisor-building-a-team-culture-and-system-that-scale

image of jerome hanway from right at home Las Cruces, New Mexico 1851 franchise franchisee spotlight

Jerome Hanway Is Building His Right at Home Franchise Around His Mission To Serve

right-at-home-franchise-las-cruces-jerome-hanway

NJCAR v. Ford - New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

new-jersey-franchise-practices-act-njcar-v-ford

graphic image of an 1851 franchisee spotlight brayden and johnny steven of teriyaki madness

Father-and-Daughter Team Bring Teriyaki Madness to Wichita, Kansas, With Big Expansion Plans

johnny-brayden-steven-teriyaki-madness-wichita

image of franchise deep dive from 1851 franchise on doody calls franchise authority brands

DoodyCalls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

doodycalls-franchise-deep-dive

Top Education Franchises To Consider for 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Top Education Franchises To Consider Investing In for 2025

top-education-franchises-investment-opportunities

All-Star Franchisees: Roger Wilder of Smoothie King

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS