Today we’d like to introduce you to Fran Turner.
So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
I am originally from West Palm Beach, FL my beginnings were very humble, at 15 I dropped out of 9th grade due to the cards that I was dealt in life I age out of the foster care system. Right after I dropped out of high school, I waited until I turned 16 to ran-away from my group home that I was living in at the time and enrolled in Atlanta Job corps through the Dept of Labor down in West Palm Beach.
My education has always important to me and I knew deep down inside that no matter what I must go back get my GED. During my enrollment at Atlanta Job Corps (which was shut down about three years ago) located on West Lake Ave on the Westside of Atlanta, I obtained my GED, a certification in Information Technology & a certification as a Word Processor (Atlanta Job Corps is pretty much where me wanting higher education really started).
Fast forward, I graduated from Atlanta Job Corps and decided to go back to West Palm Beach due to some personal things that was left unfinished. During my time in Atlanta, I was so inspired by all the success that African Americans were experiencing here. I was so intrigued that I didn’t want to leave because I had never been exposed to such level success that Black people were experiencing in ATL (Black Doctors, Lawyers, CEO’s with Locs at that). Once I arrived back in South Florida I was no longer happy there and it didn’t feel like home, so I decided to enroll in Community College so that I could obtain a higher education and move back to Atlanta to experience the good life & create a better life for myself, well that’s what I thought. Little did I know after being enrolled in community college for a little over one year, I became pregnant with now my now one and only child.
Furthermore, school and working two jobs became very challenging so I dropped out of Community College due to life’s pressure and knowing that I would become a single mother, I had to do what I had to do. After giving birth to my daughter, I had no family or friend support with her in Florida and I became homeless. During her 1st year of life on earth, we lived in 2 homeless shelters and once my time at the shelters was up they kicked me out and I became homeless again basically living pillow to post, sleeping on friends couches, etc.
One day I was so depressed and fed up with my situation (I had just fled from Domestic Violence relationship) I decided to pack everything that would fit in my suitcase which was about 12 outfits and five pairs of shoes and got a one-way ticket back to Atlanta. I moved in with my mom & started looking for a job; it was very difficult to find a nice paying job with just a GED and no one would call me back for a job until I found a job add on craigslist looking for Customer service reps. After I did the application, I got a reply immediately and was asked to come to an interview. I went to the interview days late just to find out that it was a switch & bait. The job was customer service, but it wasn’t answering phones like that ad stated, it was door to door sales. At the time, I was so desperate with my back against the wall and an infant that depended on me 100%, so I just took the position due to me having nothing to lose and no one would hire me.
At that time, I was living on the south-side “Clayton County” to be exact and the job office was located in East Cobb. I had no car at the time so I would wake up 4 am in the morning catch three bus and two trains to make it to work on time to go door-knocking with my team in the company vehicle and wouldn’t get back home till about midnight due to the job being so far, I had no transportation & my shift ending at 9 pm. I did this six days a week for two months. When I first started doing door to door sales, I hated it! People were so mean and rude, slamming doors in your face, but no matter what I stuck with it and blocked the negative things about the door knocking and got back in alignment with while I was doing it “for my child”.
After my second month something magically happened, I had made my first $5,000 in a week and this was the turning point in my life. I purchased a cash car, got my own apartment, and put my daughter in childcare to take the burden off the individuals that was assisting me with my child while I worked. Moreover, I knew that I didn’t want to knock doors for the rest of my life so I enrolled in Strayer University and got my Bachelor in Business Administration with a concentration in Legal Studies and still felt that I needed to get my graduate Degree being though I am the oldest child and first-generation college graduate. So I after obtaining my Bachelors, I went back and got my Masters in Health Services Administration with a concentration in Public Health Management all while selling ADT home security door to door working off 100% commission.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
It has not been a smooth road for sure. There were many struggles along the way that I faced and would never wish them upon my worst enemy. When you are down and out trying to make ends meet, that’s when people show you their true colors. During my journey, I was fired from every job I had due to me being a fast learner and of course, if your boss sees that you learn quickly and can do the job better than them, that’s where the intimidation starts. I remember making $25,000 in a month selling home security two months straight and my manager took my territory (Buckhead, East Cobb, Johns Creek, Alpharetta, pretty much all the high-end & prestige areas in Atlanta) from me due to me making more than the area GM. Most people don’t know but the Residential and Commercial Security Industry is dominated by white men and the way I came into the market-dominating they had never seen it before and they didn’t like it.
When my manager took my territory, it affected me emotionally and financially and that’s when I told myself no matter what “if they have the power to feed you, they have the power to starve you and never give anyone that power”. I wasn’t making any money due to my new territory no one could afford the product nor pass a credit check. So I took a leave from my job enrolled in Real Estate School and became a Realtor, quit my job as an employee and became a independent contractor for ADT Authorized Dealer program (Basically selling ADT at wholesale prices to consumers and businesses so that I can leverage my time and not have someone telling me what to and taking my money from me (Territory).
The advice I would give other young women is “nothing happens to you, it all happens for you” and “in life, we never lose we either learn or win”. And just know when you think you have problems, there are many people out here praying to have your problems. So look at the bright side of things and know that storms come to pass and there is always calmness after the storm.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Fran Turner Enterprises – what should we know?
Currently, I sell Real Estate and ADT Home Security. Also, I have an ADT referral program for Realtors, after a Realtor closes a deal I come in and give their clients home security and the Realtor gets a nice referral fee for lead. At this time, I specialize in educating homeowners to the closing table. Within the Real Estate Industry, I am known as the ADT Queen. I am most proud as a brand to be able to not only sell and list my client’s home, but I also get secure their families and give them a peace of mind.
What sets me apart is that I am not just a Realtor, I am a college-educated Realtor and an ADT specialist. I haven’t run into anyone else that is selling ADT Home Security and Real Estate. If there is someone, they aren’t as aggressive with it because I don’t know them. The real estate and security market is very small everyone knows everyone so I would definitely know if someone else was doing it.
Here in 2020, I will be adding “Licensed Mortgage Loan officer” to my resume so that I will be a one stop shop and be able to educate my clients about the front end (financing & rates as Lender) and the back-end (Real Estate process as a Realtor). My limit is beyond the Sky it’s unlimited to the things I can accomplish.
Do you feel like there was something about the experiences you had growing up that played an outsized role in setting you up for success later in life?
Absolutely! Everything that happens to me and for me made me into the strong, educated, African American female that I am. I don’t regret anything because if it did, I probably wouldn’t stand out and be having this interview with your organization.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2911 Piedmont Rd, Atlanta, GA 30305
- Website: franturnerenterprises.com
- Phone: 678-749-5060
- Email: fran@franturnerenterprises.com
- Instagram: instagram.com/franturnerenterprises
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FranTurner88
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