People around the world associate sports with community. It’s a realm of intense passion and devotion, and for many, it’s an escape from reality. From small children to middle aged adults and beyond, we idolize our favorite players and teams.

For Jackie Floyd, sports did more than inspire her—it changed her life.

“My business mentor and partner is a huge basketball fan, and he was watching the 2014 NBA All-Star Game that was played at the Smoothie King Center in New Orleans. He had never heard of Smoothie King previously, and he immediately began looking into the brand,” Floyd said. “What he found was an amazing business opportunity to become a franchisee with the brand. He was so impressed that he forgot about the game and didn’t look up from his research until after halftime.”

In the coming months, Floyd and her partner began the process of opening their own Smoothie King location, and they opened their first unit in January of the following year in Columbia, Missouri.

“I went to grad school in Missouri for theater, and after I graduated, I moved to the United Arab Emirates to teach high school for a year,” said Floyd. “I never thought I would be in this business, but I found that my background in teaching and theater have prepared me exceptionally well for the areas of the business I specialize in—hiring, training and marketing.”

Floyd and her business partner currently have plans to open a second Missouri location in Jefferson City as part of a development plan to bring five additional locations to the area. The duo also has a signed deal to develop five units in the Des Moines, Iowa market—a state that is currently untapped for the popular smoothie chain.

“We’re extremely impressed by the way Jackie has been able to help build the Smoothie King brand in the Midwest,” said Smoothie King Franchise Development Manager Chad Tramuta. “It’s a true testament to the demand for the brand and the wide variety of options we have that are perfect for health conscious consumers.”

For more information on Smoothie King, click here.