North Texas winner of 7-Eleven franchise giveaway ready for business

ARLINGTON, Texas - A North Texas woman is living out a dream thanks to a contest she entered on a whim.

Alyson Rae Lawson is a new 7-Eleven franchise owner. FOX 4 has followed her journey from the start. Now, her store is just about ready to open in Arlington.

We first met Lawson in 2017 when she won the 7-Eleven franchise contest. Since then, she’s documented the journey literally from the ground up on her social media accounts.

"In all honesty, I never even thought about where the gas came from. But when you see it you you're like there's two huge tanks under this concrete that people are driving over every single day,” she said. “You have no idea until you actually see it.”

Inside are shiny new fixtures and high tech displays. Lawson grew up in DeSoto and holds multiple business degrees. She has a love for her community and a family penchant for entrepreneurship. As her construction team notes, she's also a millennial and hopes to encourage others.

Lawson’s goal is to encourage young people with dreams.

"I would say to them its ok to have doubt,” she said. “But I would say go for it because anything can literally happen."