Stuck at home, with no equipment? Sounds like a familiar situation since the days of lockdown? Connecting with the best professionals within minutes is possible with at-home fitness franchises. In other words, innovative fitness franchise opportunities are helping fitness enthusiasts stay fit from the comfort of their homes. Find out more about the soaring success of today’s fitness franchise GYMGUYZ from Josh York, Founder and CEO.
1.How did you enter the franchise business?
I entered the franchise business in 2014. It was always my vision to franchise this business when I started in my parents’ dining room in 2008. The reason why I love franchising so much is that I can surround myself with other great smart minded individuals. That is how you add value and that is how you can scale something and grow fast.
2. Where and how did the idea of your concept come from?
The idea came to me when I was working in a private gym when the clients wished I could come to their houses, but they did not have all the right equipment. That is when the lightbulb went on. I thought “Wow” this is so simple. No one has ever thought of this and no one has ever professionalized this, I am going to do it.
3. What inspired the brand name?
I was sitting in my 25 degree ice bath one day when I came up with the name GYMGUYZ. I was thinking about how people say “How are you guys doing?”. So I started looking up the word “guys” and it meant a group of people.
4. What is the story behind the brand’s logo?
We actually created an Acronym for the logo: Get You Motivated Goals Unequally Yours Zero Excuses” GYMGUYZ rolls off the tongue and it was fantastic, so we made it our brand name.
5. What makes your brand different from your competitors?
We really don’t have any competition the only other competitors maybe individual personal trainers. We are the largest franchised personal training service in the world. We span three countries, 30 states and have over 200 locations. No one is at the scale we are at and at the end of the day our net promoter scores never drop below 90. We are at the highest level of professionalism in what we do. We provide amazing workouts and change peoples’ lives every day.
6. What are the essential qualities that you look for in a franchisee?
The two most important components of our business are FUEL and DRIVE our motto is FUEL YOUR DRIVE. FUEL is the four pillars of success: Fun Unity Earnings and Leadership and you can’t drive without FUEL. DRIVE, our core values are Determination Respect Integrity Versatility and Excellence. Every single person needs to abide by values, just like everyone reading this article has values. You have to have values in an organization. That is what we look for!
7. How long does it take, in an average, for your franchisee to realize their investment?
Our franchisees can be open very quickly because we are not a brick and mortar company. That means it can be very profitable very quickly.
8. What was the major challenge you faced in your career, and how did you overcome it?
The biggest challenge was when I started in my parents dining room and I’d have people over for interviews and my father would walk around in his underwear. “What are you doing, DAD!?”
It was very hard to convince people. I’m saying now exactly what I said then, that we are going to be the largest personal training brand. We are going to be the largest fitness brand in the world. It was hard to paint a picture with nothing behind you. It is very difficult to do, but if you have the right energy and you are allowed to focus, it will happen. Where ever your energy is that is where your focus will flow. It is very important to understand that you have to be excited and stay focused.
8.1. What is your best achievement?
My best achievement is when I get a phone call or read a review that someone’s life had changed. There is nothing more special than that. One in particular, was about a woman I met. I pulled up to her house and I had a brand new scale. I didn’t know the max weight on the scale. I walked into this woman’s house and she stepped on the scale and it said “Error”. She started crying hysterically during her assessment. She was over 400 lbs, drinking seven Slurpies a day. She tried working with every other trainer you could possibly imagine because she wanted bariatric surgery and needed to lose 150 lbs first. Long story short, I changed that women’s life. She ended up losing almost 300 lbs over a course of a couple years. She moved to Florida, now is married and has two kids which she always wanted. She wants to get my name tattooed on her foot so she can look down and see my name everyday. She literally calls me once a month. Sometimes she leaves a message crying about how she thinks of me every day because I changed her life. There is nothing more special than that.
9. How does your business day start?
My day starts at 3:44AM, not 3:45, not 3:50, that is the time I wake up every single day no matter what. I never hit the snooze button, because every time you hit the snooze button you are killing your dreams. Do I like waking up at that time of day, of course not, but you just do it, don’t make excuses, just do it. The number one quality most people lack in the world, 99% of the people lack, Discipline. You have to be disciplined. It is impossible to be motivated everyday but every morning at 3:44 I get my workout in, then I come home to my 190 degree sauna, then from my sauna I go into my 25 degree ice bath, I get into the office around 7:15 to 730AM everyday. Everyday is different, I could be answering my emails which are over 100 a day to having many meetings, talking to my franchisees, future plans as far as vision ect..Most importantly, making sure everyone is happy and having a good day.
10. What was your best moment throughout your franchise career?
The best moment in my franchise career is when I purchased the flags of the countries we are in and hung them on the wall. That is when I realized that this is happening!
11. Where do you see your brand in the next 5 years?
In the next 5 years, we will be in so many countries that you won’t be able to count them on your hands anymore. We will continue to change the lives of people around the world and will make a huge impact in the fitness world!
12. Any tips you want to impart to our readers who want to be in the franchise industry?
To be in the franchise industry, you need to make sure you have a scalable model, you need to make sure that you have the right people on the bus sitting in the right seats. Make sure you have a “never quit” mentality. You need to make sure you become a good leader. Also, you should really study EQ. Emotional Intelligence, understanding people, that is the number one most important thing to achieve in success.
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