Fitness franchises have emerged as a powerful and effective avenue for passionate coaches to transition into successful gym ownership. These turnkey business models provide the aspiring entrepreneurs with name and brand recognition, a proven business model, and the blueprints to make it successful. For coaches looking to expand their impact beyond one-on-one sessions or group fitness classes, franchises offer a structured path to success. But, it still requires a lot of hard work and resources. 

To make the leap from coach to franchise owner, it is a necessity to have a lot of confidence, knowledge, determination, and hustle. Luckily for Matt Espeut, he was tenacious and courageous enough to want more for himself than living paycheck to paycheck, he wanted to thrive. That determination is what led him to opening a Fit Body Boot Camp franchise location, a model based on 30-min weight loss boot camps designed to support fat loss.

What was the turning point or motivation for you to move from being a coach to aspiring to be a gym owner?

Well, I will always consider myself as a coach, however at this point in my life, I am as much of a coach to my team, as I am to my clients. I always envisioned myself as being a gym owner, but never took action or followed through on my vision until March of 2014. Before that time, I was renting space from a big box gym, and training lots of clients on a weekly basis. 

I was by far the busiest trainer there, but I knew I could do more. After approaching the owners several times with program ideas to create more impact, and being overlooked, I decided it was time. I was struggling to make ends meet, and dipping into my savings to survive. My client base had dwindled, and I was back to doing construction part time, to subsidize my income. 

In March 2014, I decided I would go out to California and either find work there or get an idea to bring home. When I attended the Fitness Business Summit that month, I found the franchise Fit Body Boot Camp, and loved the concept. I was immediately sold, and the rest is history

Transitioning from a coach to a gym owner is a significant leap. What were some of the biggest challenges you faced during this transition?

As a coach I was a (solo) entrepreneur and worked one on one with clients. I paid rent, wrote appointments in a book (yes, pen and paper), took cash payments, and did zero advertising. When I became a gym owner, I needed to run ads, create systems, hire help and have the capacity to train many people at one time. 

My rent went from $650 per month to $4,000 per month. Needless to say, with zero business education and minimal knowledge, the whole concept was a challenge. I opened my doors with 2 members, my dad and neighbor, however with the guidance from HQ and some grit and hard work, I am still standing 10 years later. 

What kind of support and resources did you find most valuable during your journey to becoming a gym owner?

The coaching I received from the franchise helped me tremendously. I probably wouldn’t have survived without it. I had coaches and mastermind groups to lean on. They helped me structure my advertising, challenges and systems so I could grow. I knew nothing about how to run ads, but they steered me in the right direction. I still don’t run my own ads, but I have the resources and enough knowledge to know what works and what doesn’t. Fast forward to today, we now have systems and processes in place for client experience and customer retention. 

Based on your experiences, what advice would you give to coaches or gym managers considering the path to gym ownership?

Don’t overestimate what you can accomplish in a week or underestimate what you can accomplish in a year. Building your brand and the know, like and trust factor takes a lot of time. Build it, and they will come is NOT a great business plan. I don’t know a single gym owner that hasn’t experienced setbacks, problems, and adversity, so be prepared for it. I wouldn’t change what I’ve done for anything, as it is a fulfilling and rewarding endeavor, but knowing going in that it won’t be easy. You need to be resilient, and have bounce back ability, because you will get knocked down. Have a plan, and know your numbers. Run on data and not emotion. Let data tell you how well you are doing and not your “feelings”. 

Now that you are an owner, what aspects of your role bring you the most satisfaction? How do you measure success in your business?

I get the most satisfaction from building up my team into high level rock stars. I have been constantly trying to be a better leader, and supply my team with all the tools they need to succeed. We measure success based on the data we receive from members. Are they getting results, staying, paying and referring others. If we are getting members’ results, our attrition is low, and the bank account is growing, then we are succeeding. Success is a benchmark that we will always be chasing, because we will never be satisfied or get complacent. Always grateful, never satisfied

What’s the secret to your success? What is your “superpower”?

No secret here, just hard work, constant self development and implementation. I am extremely resilient and have bounce back ability. I don’t major in the minors and spend most of my time figuring out ways to grow and move the needle forward. Our core values are simple yet meaningful – Growth minded & grateful / Solution focused to solve problems and We deliver value and drive change. We implement each one of these on a daily basis and that is the compass we follow. 

About Elisa Edelstein
Elisa is a curious and versatile writer, carving her niche in the health and wellness industry since 2015. Her lens is rooted in real world experience as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder and extended out of the gym and on to the page as a writer where she is able to combine her passions for empowering others, promoting wellness, and the power of the written word.