Young Ones to Watch: Shak Turner, Senior Director of Franchise Development at Melting Pot

Shakon “Shak” Turner made the jump from marketing to franchise development about a year ago and never looked back. 

“I was a field marketing manager for Checkers* & Rally’s, and I was presenting at a franchise reunion meeting, and one of our new franchise chief development officers (who is now my new mentor) came up to me after the meeting and asked if I had ever had any interest in selling franchises,” she said. “I’d had previous experience in sales but not selling franchises.”

As Melting Pot’s senior director of franchise development, Turner has depended on the guidance of her mentors and credits them with much of her success in the industry. It’s an industry she’s passionate about, and Turner said she enjoys helping others just as much as she has been helped by her mentors. 

“I really love that the franchise industry has the ability to connect people to a dream that they have,” Turner said. “I feel like the franchising industry is something that has very passionate people. There’s a lot of energy, passion and love all the way around.”

Watch the full interview with Turner above, or click here to watch it on YouTube.