Shaun Grove: Franchising, Fitness, and Building Brands That Last

Speaker A: Foreign.

Speaker B: Welcome, um, to the Drop In CEO podcast. I'm Deb Coviello, the Drop in CEO, your host and guide. This podcast is about helping C Suite leaders navigate challenges with confidence. For today's leader, I'm here to chart your course into calm waters for C Suite Leaders of tomorrow. Let me help you navigate the secrets of a C Suite. No matter where you stand on your leadership path, this podcast is for you. And remember to set your course to dropinceo.com contact to connect with me and request a free chapter of my book, uh, the CEO's compass. And now on to the show.

Speaker C: Hello, I'm Deb Coviello, the Drop in CEO. And as always, I want to thank you for dropping in on another show where week after week I interview the most amazing C Suite leaders who share their insights with you and hopefully inspire you. And I do this over and over again because I sincerely care about the C Suite leader to help you navigate your challenges, your opportunities with confidence. And this week, it is my distinct pleasure to have on the show Sean Grove, who is a seasoned fitness franchising executive entrepreneur and strategically renowned for scaling boutique fitness concepts into global trends. And in his latest role, CEO of Strive Fitness, he brings his deep experience in franchise leadership operations and brand expansion to help others in that industry. And he has a very, very diverse background that I hopefully he will dive into. But Sean, I'm going to kick it over to you and just say welcome to the Drop In CEO podcast.

Speaker A: Thank you very much, Deb. It's, uh, a pleasure to be here and I'm honored to be able to speak with you today. And thank you for that introduction. That was great.

Speaker C: And I am as well. And just for my audience, you. When Sean approached me to be on the show, I got very excited because again, I'm always curious about their leadership and their journeys, but also the area of fitness and well being. Now, mind you, it is a business, it's a transaction. But I talk so much about, we as leaders need to take care of ourselves first. We need to take care of our people. And it's not just intellectually. It's that whole element of who we are physically and mentally. And then we can be our best selves when we show up in the workplace. So, Sean, I'm, uh, going to kick it over to you and just share a bit about your journey personally and professionally.

Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. Thank you. So I'll just, I'll go all the way back. From the beginning, I didn't start in. In the fitness world. Fitness has Been a big part of my life forever. I grew up playing team sports. I played football in high school, I played football in college. I played professionally for a couple of years in Europe after college. And so it's always been a big part of my life being fit, being healthy. But after playing football, I went to law school. And I went to law school thinking I would either be a sports agent or I would go into the FBI. No thought of really going into the fitness world or the fitness industry specifically. After my first year of law school, I did an internship with a professional sports agent and realized quickly that that wasn't the path for me. It was much more sinister than I kind of felt like it was going to be. Um, it wasn't really the path that I was looking to go down. I then got a job with the securities and Exchange Commission and enjoyed that area of the law. Ended up graduating from law school and went to work for a large plaintiff's securities, uh, litigation firm down in San Diego. Helped to prosecute Enron and WorldCom and a lot of the big securities fraud litigations of the early 2000s. As a new attorney, I spent a lot of time, honestly sitting in a warehouse going through documents for months at a time, which got, uh, pretty old after a while. But, uh, I did that for several years. And then I had a friend who was looking to franchise his business and asked me to help him with it. And I knew nothing about franchising at the time. I started to look into it and really kind of fell in love with that aspect of the law, with all the different areas that it touches just beyond the contract side of it, but the uh, trademarks and all the intellectual property that goes into it and the regulatory stuff with it as well. So I helped him put together the documentation that he needed in the process, Met several franchise attorneys that I ended up going to work for. Did uh, that for a couple of years and helped some startups, uh, like Pinkberry for example, some um, quick service restaurants that were kind of startups at the time, which was incredibly interesting and really loved that process. But during that time period, realized I still had this itch to want to become an FBI agent and realized I was coming up on the, the age requirements of it. And so started the process. It's a long, grueling process, but ultimately was selected, went back to Quantico for training, became an FBI agent and did uh, that for a little while. I wish I had exciting stories for what I did. I don't. But the FBI has what's called A mobility agreement. And so basically with that you agree that they can move you anywhere they want at any time. And um, I was married at the time and my wife was a partner in a law firm here in Southern California. And they decided they wanted me to move to Boston. She decided that wasn't a good idea and that, you know, I wasn't running around playing cops and robbers and she was paying the bills primarily. And so at that point I resigned from the FBI and really I responded to an ad for an in house general counsel position for a company called LA Boxing, a small boutique fitness concept was hired there, uh, worked for about a year and then became a franchisee of the model. Um, I bought a territory, it was the new store of the year, did incredibly well, which prompted me to buy three more territories. I developed those over the next couple of years and that process, we were acquired by a company called UFC Gym and so converted my first location open to the next three as UFC Gym stayed on as in house. General counsel ultimately left after I had all my locations open and was just a multi unit franchisee for several months I'd say. And then the original owner of LA Boxing, whose name is Anthony Geisler, came to me and asked me to help him do some of the due diligence on uh, a new company he wanted to acquire, which was called Club Pilates. And I saw all the same opportunities and uh, things that Anthony saw in it and agreed to partner with him and come on as president of Club Pilates. When we acquired the brand in 2015, I think we had approximately 11 locations open, 25 sold maybe, and spent some time just redeveloping the concept and really seeing what was there, what needed to be modified, um, and spent some time doing that. We built that brand over the next couple of years to over, I want to say it was over 100, 150 locations open, another 300 sold, and then we uh, were acquired by a private equity firm and then we partnered with that firm to form this umbrella company called Exponential Fitness. Um, Exponential Fitness then started to acquire multiple brands. Um, at its height we had over 10 boutique fitness brands underneath the umbrella of Exponential Fitness. I stayed on as president of Club Pilates until 2021 and then I, uh, transitioned to become president of another brand we acquired called Rumble Boxing. I did that until 2024 and at that point in time I was looking to really just go off and do something on my own. Um, had this idea that I wanted to do around strength and cardio and recovery. And Anthony came to me and said that they were going to sell off the Stride Fitness brand, which was an exponential fitness brand at the time. And so I agreed to acquire Stride Fitness. I spent, um, about 18 months really just redesigning the concept, the model in the process. When I acquired the brand, we had about 17 locations open under Stride Fitness. It was initially an indoor running studio is basically what it was. There was some weights involved, but it wasn't structurally really set up to be this strength and conditioning in addition to cardio combo. And so my vision behind it was to really create this dynamic blend of cardio combined with strength and conditioning. And then I wanted to add it in a recovery piece. So my first step was I had to take these 17 existing locations and owners share my vision and then, you know, give them the opportunity to come on board with me. And that's what I did. And, you know, there were a number of them that they struggled through the process. That's why the company was, was sold ultimately. And so I gave them the opportunity to either join me or I would help them exit however they wanted to do that. If they wanted to become an independent studio and operate that way, that was great. I would help them. If they were struggling and needed to close the studio, I would work with their landlords, I would help them with their lenders, whatever they needed to exit out of the system. And so that's what we really did for probably the first 18, 24 months. Ultimately, I had three locations that converted their studios and came over to the new model. I acquired a few of them as well, just strategically here in Southern California. Converted those models, then just worked on developing the concept in the system for, uh, like I said, about 18, 24 months. Opened it back up to franchising in November of last year, brought on two new franchise partners, one of which is going to be opening here in Pennsylvania in about four or five months, and another in Nashville. And then we've just been driving the franchise system. And so that's kind of a long winded kind, uh, of synopsis or summary of kind of what I've done and where I've been. But super excited for what we're doing here at, uh, Stride Fitness now and poised to launch this thing.

Speaker C: Thank you so much, Sean, for all of that. And there are so many places I want to poke because each of these transition points, I think there's a lesson to be learned because, uh, our careers, our entrepreneurships, uh, our businesses are not necessarily linear. It is zigzag. So I do have to go back a Little bit. So what I really haven't gotten at the beginning of the core of who you are, I mean, you, Health and wellness is where you are right now, as well as then a model that can be replicated. But what was it that brought you into the legal field initially, which then is kind of the thread for all of the work that led up to now, your franchising work. What was about the law?

Speaker A: Yeah, for many people, it's, you know, you're passionate about the law or some aspect of it. For me, honestly, it was either I wanted to be a sports agent or I wanted to go into the FBI. Both of those were avenues to get to that point. But as I went through my first year of law school and started to really learn about the law and more about just contractual, um, as well as litigation aspects of it, really enjoyed the practice of it and the history behind law and the legal practice of it, I went out, I did litigation for a little while, uh, really realized that transactional was more of a. Of where I wanted to be. Uh, but regardless of that, it's not something that I felt like I wanted to do forever, but it's. It's something that I knew would help propel me into wherever I wanted to be. And I think the critical thinking skills that you develop in law school are invaluable in no matter what it is that you're doing. In addition to just the communication piece and your ability to take a problem, an issue, dissect it, and come up with a solution to it, those type of things are invaluable and have helped me tremendously in all the different areas of things that I've done.

Speaker C: And I can so relate to that because I knew in my early education, I liked math, I liked science, started out in science. Engineering seemed to be a good place. And I too, while I didn't necessarily practice biomedical engineering, the foundational elements of problem solving, Breaking things into distinct pieces of what is the problem, different paths to get to a particular outcome, has been invaluable ever since. So, uh, we can start one place. And it never put aside the importance of it. It just laid the foundation of where we're going or where we didn't go. Now I got to go back to the sportscasting. It was something you wanted to do, and I've not heard you pick it up since. But are you a sports buff or you still somewhat dipping your toe into that area Even though it didn't become part of your career?

Speaker A: Yeah, I love sports. You know, it's still A huge part of my life. I have several friends, um, you know, that have played professionally in the NBA or in the NFL and have been able to kind of go through that world, through them and their experience and kind of see some of that stuff and still a part of some of it. But it's a landscape that is definitely. There are different paths you can go through that. I love the sports part of it and the actual game of it and the camaraderie and the team and, and all of that stuff. On the aspect of it, the, the background of it, the business side of it is a little bit more seedy sometimes. I've met some really great sports agents as well that really care about their clients and, um, you know, they form those bonds and those relationships that still exist today after they're done playing. And, you know, you have some of those that aren't. But at the end of the day, that's kind of where I was with it and where I wanted to be from a business perspective, which it's fine that that didn't work out. I'm, you know, I'm still so involved on the consumer side of the sports world, watching and being a part of it and being able to share, like I said, some of those journeys of the friends who went through it on more of a professional level.

Speaker C: So very, very interesting. And I have one more question before I want to go then a little bit deeper into your brand and some of those lessons learned. So for me, I don't know a lot about franchising, but again, you said in the beginning you're helping a buddy out, helping them navigate the legal aspects of it. Is there any particular, either the franchise world or in the health and wellness sports and franchise world, that it's unique or challenging or different from a legal perspective? I'm just curious what makes it different or challenging or interesting from any other business entity?

Speaker A: Yeah, from a legal perspective, it's highly regulated with the. Really ftc? Yeah. So much like, I don't know how familiar you are with securities, but if you had a prospectus, for example, on a stock that you were going to buy, same thing kind, uh, of correlates with franchising. There's a franchise disclosure document that you have to provide that in many registration states has to be approved more or less by the state to be able to sell franchises into their state. And so it's highly regulated. Um, it's, it's definitely. There's a lot of different legal aspects that go into it from a disclosure perspective, but also from A brand perspective, protecting your intellectual property, creating the agreements in a way that protect the franchisor franchisee relationship and, uh, is mutually beneficial to both parties while, uh, still driving the business. And I think franchising overall, it's a business methodology that I really love and I think is a great way to scale a business and something that, you know, I didn't really know much about before. My friend wanted to franchise his business, but really started to learn about it and kind of fell in love with that too. And then just the legal aspect of it, with my background and my experience, I was able to bring into that and really incorporated that into, um, you know, my franchising experience overall.

Speaker C: All right, so I always learn something every time I talk with another CEO, may not be able to use it, but again, that awareness and appreciation for what does it take? It's not just give somebody some money and open the doors and there you go. So it kind of leads me then to the next question I have about franchising. So getting away from the legal side of it. But then the business of franchising as a growth structure, you obviously didn't know that much in the beginning, but again, uh, what have you learned as what actually scales a boutique fitness business and the franchising aspect? Because I think some of what you might share is, may be relevant to people regardless of what they actually are doing in their career. So what's the secret sauce?

Speaker A: Yeah, I think I wish I knew what the secret sauce was. There was a magic bullet. Um, but. But I can tell you what I've. What I've really learned over the years is the systemization of it and how important systems are to being able to get to that, that consistent replicability of a system and to be able to be consistent and predictable every time you open a new location. And I think, you know, in the beginning, and I think it's the same problem that a lot of, you know, startup franchisors that get into the business. For them, it's all about growth. I've got to sell as many as I can, and I just got to get out in front of everybody else. You know, it was kind of my mantra at one point in time. Like, I think in a couple of articles and things that I did in the past, it was like, grow fast or die slow. That's, that's where it is. But what you realize as you're experienced and you get in this for a while, it's not just about selling the franchise territories and getting out above people. It's Being able to open those locations and to be able to keep those locations open successfully. At the end of the day, any franchisor and their success is correlated with their franchise partners and their success, right? Because you're uh, in the royalty business, at the end of the day you're not in the franchise sales business. And I think that's one of the things that I learned in the process kind of going through Club Pilates and that tremendous growth trajectory that we had was really the scalability and the stability of your business depends on the success of your franchise partners. And so it's great to go out and sell 300 territories, but the real proof of the concept is getting 50 units open. And now those units are successful and it lays a solid foundation for the next round of growth and then the next round of growth. And that's what we did at Club Pilates, um, so successfully was be able to get the system open, help those franchisees be successful and then bring in the next wave. And we learned and we evolved and then system just got better and the system got more consistent and more predictable. And you know that for me that's the biggest lesson in franchising is really that realization that you're in the royalty business, you're not in the franchise sales business. And it's great to grow the business but you've got to grow it the right way and you've got to build the foundation for everything else to kind of come afterwards.

Speaker C: So it sings to my heart because I also with the work that I do, I'll drop into businesses at ah, post startup and maybe through a great growth. And I look around and I look at their systems and you need to be consistent, you need to have the systems, you need to be accountable. Because if you have rapid growth and the systems are in place, the foundation deteriorates and the brand trust goes away. So I really appreciate that. And the thing that I wanted to add to that is I have been a patron of the sports and wellness fitness model, another brand I had gone to and they were open for a year. I absolutely loved it. But for whatever reason they shared, it was personal. They closed down the brand or that that franchise. So time passed. I then found the same franchise a little bit farther away. And I almost didn't start with them because they were 20 minutes away versus two minutes away. But when I walked in the door, the experience was 95% the same. The systems, uh, how they welcomed you and the routines, et cetera. While I had some doubts, do I really want to drive 20 minutes immediately as soon as I walked in door. The same systems, the same process, everything is the same. So I made the decision Health and wellness primary. The fact that I have to drive a little farther is that uh, but then their systems were even better, you know, better. And, and I could see how they were getting more revenue, they had more members. So it's very interesting to see the similarities but also the differences within the same brand.

Speaker A: And that's, that's what makes franchising so unique. And you know, the successful models are the ones that you see the consistency when you go from one to another. Right. And I think McDonald's is probably the most prevalent case. When you think about that, you, you know what your cheeseburger is going to be like when you go from location A to location B, you know, your milkshake, whatever it's going to be. Right. Uh, the product is consistent, the service is consistent, and all of that is systemization.

Speaker C: I got to throw one at you. We're going to go rogue a little bit here. McDonald's actually is a sore point for me because back in the day when they were early, you got your meal really fast. Now you don't. It's more make to order. But anyway, yes, this product, yes, the type of service is the same, but the variable I find is the customer service. How the people show up. Facing the customer is a different experience everywhere I go. I'm just curious, how do you manage that given the explosive growth of franchises and territories and making sure that the people interactions with the customers remain the same and preserve the brand. I'm curious how you systematize that.

Speaker A: Critically important. And I'd say there's been this paradigm shift, I'd say within the last decade that I've seen, it's the tension between labor cost and wanting to have the best product you possibly can. Right. I think that's where you know, not. I don't think the franchise world is unique to that. I think, you know, that's across businesses regardless of what industry you're in. I think everybody's struggling with that same issue in our world and the fitness industry. You can't replace that human aspect given how important it is what we're trying to achieve. Unless, you know, there are some systems that can do that, I suppose, like in anytime fitness where there's really nobody there, you, you have a lock or a key or a code to the door, you go in and you work out. But in our um, boutique fitness concept where everything is class based and it's really about creating a community for people to want to come in. Right. And that's that social aspect that we drive in addition to it. And so we've personally, um, you know, at Stride Fitness and some of the brands I've been involved with, we've done a lot to try and systematize the things that can be automated and then, you know, the things that can't, the person to person touch that has to be there. That's where we spend the money on labor. At the end of the day, our coaches are highly trained and very structured in how they represent the brand, but also how they treat the consumer and what we do for our members on a daily basis. Same with our front desk sales staff. Those touch points just can't be replaced by any automation. This is not going to happen at the end of the day. And if you do, then you're going to lose that element that makes that community strong and really drives that retention for the member base.

Speaker C: I mean, I so agree. You know, amid all the uh, documentation and stories about AI and automation and it's going to change the world. It's AI and those automation opportunities simply make the business more efficient so you don't have to waste labor on things that uh, you don't need to. But we still are humans, we still want to connect. I love the community aspect of the fitness world and that's what keeps you coming back. So there's the sustainability. It's so important. But I want to go now into this specific brand you said that toward in this more recent venture of franchising that you kind of reevaluated the health and wellness business model of cardio strength, but also recovery. And I'd love to hear more about that because I know there's a lot of people in my audience that are into health and wellness and I would be curious to know what this business model looks like and how it benefits your consumers or your customers.

Speaker A: Yeah, completely. So when I started down this path of Stride fitness and what I wanted to do, I really, I wanted to focus and invest on where fitness was going and not necessarily where it had already been. And so I knew the fitness concept and what I wanted was really this dynamic 5050 blend of cardio and strength in one class. Um, I think, you know, as I've gotten older and you know, other people, I know strength training is a big component of what you need for longevity. And so, you know, a lot of these single modality fitness concepts out there, they all focus on cardio and fat burning. That was the big thing for a long time and, you know, calorie loss and all of that, which is still. It's important. It's important, you know, KPI to track. But at the end of the day, strength training is what's gonna prevent us from falling apart as we get older in life. Right? And so I think it's critically important. I think people are realizing that with a lot of the other things that we're starting to see out there with fitness competitions and whatnot. So my goal with that was to create this, you know, single class opportunity where people could come in and get the strength training that they need, but also get the cardio piece that they need and have this, this fully dynamic workout. But the part that's missing and it's something that we've started to see grow across the wellness space is recovery. And there are independent recovery companies out there that provide the cold plunges and the saunas and the red light therapies and the cryo beds and all the different things that you can go and do. But you don't see, see that in a single boutique fitness modality. You see it in some of the big boxes that have 30,000 square feet where they can have some dedicated space to do those things. But you don't really see it in a boutique fitness concept. And so our boutique fitness members have to have multiple memberships to go out and do these things. And so they'll have a membership to their Pilates and they'll have a membership to their recovery and they'll have a membership too, you know, ayz. And so my idea was how do we create this space where we can have, you know, all three in one place without creating this 30,000 square foot space. And so that's what I did. I took the core recovery components that I believe are the most important and that can take up a, uh, small footprint and really be self guided and allow members to have that recovery journey in addition to, you know, the cardio and the strength. And so we have in our Studios we're primarily 2,000 to 2,800 square feet with about 150 square feet dedicated to the recovery component. And in there we have four anti gravity heated massage chairs. We have the, uh, air compression massage therapy through a company called Hyperice, where we have the legs and the hips and the arms, really promoting circulation and blood flow, helping to break up the lactic acid from the workout. We also have red light therapy and vibration plate technology which help with lymphatic drainage. And just a, uh, lot of the other Benefits that are driven by the red light therapy, as well as a small stretching area basically with some apparatus for myofascial release. All of it kind of self guided. And so what we've done is incorporate that uh, into the membership package. And so there's a membership type which is kind of universal. You can come in, you can take as many classes as you want, you can use the recovery as much as you like. And then another element where you get a little bit of both. And, and now we're starting to open up just recovery memberships as well because we've had so many people that have really just loved that recovery aspect of it. And um, you know, they might not be able to do the workouts because they're a little older or they've got some disabilities, whatever it is, but they love the recovery piece and just want to come in and take part in that. So I think that's where fitness is going. I think it's, it's this multimodality, more inclusivity of a lot of things that people want as a consumer and getting it in one place. Some of the big boxes allow that, but it's because it is so big, you lose that personal touch that we were talking about earlier and that community that's created in a boutique fitness space. And so being able to keep that, uh, and incorporating all of these I think is incredibly unique. We're kind of on the forefront of doing that.

Speaker C: So I'm so excited about this because I'll segue from what you're saying. And again, I really appreciate this because I'm discovering the same thing. Yes, I used to sweat hard, run StairMaster aerobics classes and yes, it was a good workout. And begrudgingly I started weightlifting and didn't like it because I couldn't find a way to really enjoy it. And now I figured that out. But the thing that had a problem for me is I'm a constant doer. I'm very results oriented. I used to think idleness and resting was a waste of time, but I've now since learned since I've gotten older. I had a sports injury in my shoulder as part of going to physical therapy. I have realized, what did you call that thing where they kind of rub the muscles and it goes black and blue, but it increases circulation and break something fat. What do you call that again?

Speaker A: Fascia release.

Speaker C: Yeah. Okay. Well, it looks terrible when you do it, but oh my. Afterwards, like, oh my God, I can stretch now. And also, you know, using massage therapy and some radiotherapy to kind of stimulate the areas that are inflamed. And then resting, knowing how to rest and let the body be, it's um, a miracle. It can repair itself with some of those recovery techniques. I think you're really onto something because rest and recovery is necessary as part of that health journey.

Speaker A: And from a fitness, from, uh, a business standpoint of it, it really helps with retention because many times you'll see members like yourself, who you just described got hurt and then you leave and you don't come back with this. It incorporates that recovery that teaches you and allows you to let the body heal, let the body reset and repair, and then you come to the next class in a better position. Right. And so we've seen the retention, um, over the last year in which we've been doing this go up as well. So it's, you know, it's not just, I think, a great idea from a business perspective. Um, it's making a lot of financial sense as well because our members are staying longer and really seeing more benefits from being a part of the membership.

Speaker C: So we have focused on your journey, uh, all the transitions along the way that have built up to what is a revolutionary or all encompassing, um, health and wellness model. But I didn't spend enough time on this and I want to get this in. I just want to understand as a CEO now of this entity, stride of other entities where you've been in those positions, what are some lessons learned or any decision making under pressure that you want to share with the audience? Because again, it's not all rosy and perfect. I'm sure there's things you've learned along the way.

Speaker A: Yeah, definitely. Um, there's a ton of things I've learned along the way and I think as just growing into the position. When I first started with Club Pilates and learning just from franchising and how to proceed, um, and not just growth, but maintaining a platform and create the system so that the system can grow and do it naturally. I think the people side of that, I learned a lot too. I think my leadership style has really been developed over years through athletics, through my legal practice, through some things with the FBI. I think you learn a lot about accountability and dedication and being a part of a team and all those sort of things that I think help drive how you're going to be a leader once you get into those roles. Right. And I think for me, over time I've learned what I've done right and what I've done wrong as a leader and been able to Kind of fine tune some of those things along the way. I think, you know, my leadership style today is very much starts with accountability and lead from the front and, you know, not be afraid to get my hands dirty and get in there and do the work. And I think there's a lot of respect that's driven from that and a lot of trust and uh, you know, that's the next piece is really that trust and transparency with the people that you're leading at the end of the day. You know, from my perspective, I don't micromanage. I've always kind of given the autonomy to my team to do things your way and give them enough rope to make mistakes, but not so much that they're going to fail before I can step in and kind of help to course correct. And uh, I think it really gives them some flexibility within the framework to kind of do things and grow for themselves at the end of the day so that they can become strong leaders and develop their own leadership styles as well. But I think in that respect, I've learned a lot along the way on kind of what works, what doesn't, how to get the most out of the team and get the most buy in from the team. I've had leaders in the past that I think have led out of fear. And there's sort of that saying it's better to be loved than feared. A lot of times that's how I've always kind of led. I think that's more sustainable. I think for the long term it's better to get people bought into you and not necessarily just be afraid of you. But I've had leaders that are very, you know, dictatorship and people feared losing their job versus wanting to follow the leader.

Speaker C: Right.

Speaker A: And so, you know, throughout my career I've just, I've. I've seen a lot and developed a lot and experienced a lot on sort of for me, what works as a leader and what doesn't.

Speaker C: You know, I'd love to take one bit off of what you said and share a little bit with my audience. I've met a lot of up and coming leaders that are presented with an opportunity and they say, well, I've never led or I haven't led that kind of group. And then I say to them and said, well, do you coach your child's sports or relative sports, or are you, uh, a community leader? Do you run a particular group and say, oh yeah, I do that all the time. And it's regardless of where you pick up these leadership skills, just know that they're transferable. So, again, like you say, from athletics and et cetera, recognize that you can be a leader. It doesn't necessarily mean that it has to start in the workplace, but think about how you extend yourself to your friends, your family, and your community. And if you are already leading smaller groups, you can transfer those skills and bring it to the workforce and know that you actually have all the skills to at least get started and learn along the way. So I want to throw it back here. So, Stride, I wish you tremendous success with that business, that business model. What do we expect over the next couple, three years? Because I'm sure people are going to want to check you out and maybe jump on board or look to find more about the company. So where are you guys going?

Speaker A: Yeah, definitely. So, like I said, we just started franchising again in November of last year. Really wanted to make sure we had everything in place and that the foundation was strong and that we could start growing again. I've had, uh, several former Club Pilates franchisees reach out to me and want to be a part of this now. Um, just given, you know, the experience that we had at Club Pilates and kind of the love for the brand and the team and what we did. I brought over several people from Club Pilates to infuse that DNA into this brand going forward. And we're poised for growth now. We're pipelines growing every day of new franchise prospects. We've got our first new model that will be open, uh, I want to say, in August in the Philadelphia market, and then one right behind that in Nashville. And the idea is just to bring on great partners and grow and develop the system. But, you know, I. I would project kind of based on what we've done in the past and. And what I see, um, out there, we'll probably have 20 plus, you know, open this year and another, you know, 100 plus sold, and just continue to grow. And so just super excited for. For where we're going. We're being very, um, methodical about where we're opening and how we're opening and making sure that we're in the best markets and the best real estate within the best markets and. And just trying to do everything we can.

Speaker C: Cincinnati.

Speaker A: Cincinnati. It just, uh, you know, definitely, um, help our franchisees to be as successful as they possibly can, so.

Speaker C: Oh, uh, I am m. I'm so excited for you and for me, I just feel healthy and, well, after talking to you and just know that I think this is just so important for leaders again. You're on the show here to share your brand, have people to get to know you, and hopefully engage with you from a franchise perspective or if nothing else, just learn from you. But it's just so important that we as leaders need to take care of ourselves, find the best solution. And certainly, uh, Stride potentially could be that next solution for your health and wellbeing journey. So, Sean, I would love to hand it back to you one last time to say your last few words to my audience. Or how can people learn more about you or the brand?

Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. For the brand, please check out our website, stride fitness.com for me. Um, I'm, um, active on LinkedIn. Please feel free to connect with me there. I work with a lot of startup and emerging franchise brands. You know, people that are just interested in the fitness industry on what I've done, how I've done it, how I can help. I'm, um, a phone call away or an email away. I'm happy to, to talk with, with people and to help them on their journey in any way that I can. I'm honored that you have me on today. I'm very excited for Stride Fitness, obviously, in what we're doing and how we're growing. Encourage anyone who's, who's interested in franchising or in fitness franchising to reach out to me. I think we've got a great brand, and like I said, it's. It's on sort of the cutting edge of what we're doing and how we're doing it. I really see it as this perfect intersection of performance and longevity, and it's definitely the way for the future and where fitness is going, and so encourage everyone to take a look at it and check it out.

Speaker C: All right. Well, Sean, I just want to say thank you. This has been a very enriching experience for me these past 40, 45 minutes, but I just want to say thank you so much for dropping in on the show, and I wish you well and much continued success.

Speaker A: Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Wish you the same.

Speaker B: Thank you for listening to Drop In CEO Podcast. I hope our conversation inspires you to apply what you heard to your business or career goals. If you found this episode valuable, please share this show with a colleague who would benefit from it. Your support allows me to keep sharing insights and inspiration to C Suite leaders. And remember to set your course to Drop In C forward slash contact to connect with me and request a free chapter of my book, the CEOs Compass. Wishing you smooth sailing and much success. This is Deb Coviello, the drop in CEO.