Ava Skipworth

Owner and founder of the popular Dallas-based frozen yogurt shop, Monster Yogurt, Ava Skipworth became a successful entrepreneur by combining her open-minded attitude with her tenacious work ethic.

Today, Monster Yogurt has two locations in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, one in Richardson and the other in East Dallas. Both family-friendly stores attract many visitors, offering a wide variety of yogurts and toppings, along with an indoor play place and event catering.

However, this well-established business did not have a predictable origin. Skipworth began her journey, not as an entrepreneur but as a car salesperson.

Skipworth was struggling financially when she found her way to the automotive industry. Unable to pay her rent and in need of a steady income, she walked into a car dealership to ask for a job. The dealership hired her as their first female employee, and she continued to work with cars for the next 20 years.

Skipworth advanced to many leadership roles within the Saturn Corporation in the Dallas area. She paid her way through college and was able to support herself and eventually her son. Ultimately, when the business shut down in 2009, she had to look for other work opportunities.

After working at another car franchise, where she disliked the working environment, she took up a different project.

“I just decided to open my shop up the street,” Skipworth said. “The shopping center up the street from where I live was kind of run down, and there weren't very many tenants there, so I just wanted to do something positive for my neighborhood.”

Skipworth chose frozen yogurt because of its popularity and the freedom and enjoyment she saw from the business.

“It just felt like something I could get behind and do and have fun with and make it kind of my own,” she said. “I wanted to do my own brand and my own, my own rules. I didn't want to have to be dependent on anybody else, even a franchise company.”

Skipworth attained the majority of the support for her business from her father, a home builder, who helped her draw the plans for the shop as well as get them approved by the city. He shared his experience with her as well, but Skipworth exclusively used her own money and savings for her project.

Opening the shop’s first location in 2012 and introducing catering three years later, Skipworth began managing and still manages the business, marketing, and social media of Monster Yogurt.

“I spent a lot of years doing marketing for the car dealership, Skipworth said. “So, for me, it's not like managing time and figuring out when to work. It's a part of me and what I enjoy doing.”

Monster Yogurt faced its biggest challenge during the Covid 19 pandemic. To keep her business successful during this difficult time, Skipworth devised creative strategies to continue selling her frozen yogurt.

Instead of just catering, the business began to offer character deliveries, where a child’s favorite character would bring them a treat for their birthday. She also created a frozen yogurt truck that helped her during quarantine.

Skipworth’s business thrived during and after the pandemic, but she never lost sight of her original mission to better her community through frozen yogurt.

For customers who wanted to hire her for parties but couldn’t afford the truck’s service, she created a two-dollar popsicle cart that she can wheel around at events.

Skipworth also consistently works with organizations and charities such as Read Across America to find ways to raise money and resources for children and families in the area. For her, spreading positivity in her community is the greatest reward Monster Yogurt has given her.

“I love seeing the joy that I bring in people's lives, and having a place where people can go without spending a lot of money and spend time with their kiddos.”