Fitness Premier Archives - Business RadioX ®

Jason Markowicz with Fitness Premier

September 20, 2024 by rgandley

Franchise Marketing Radio

Jason Markowicz with Fitness Premier

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Jason Markowicz is an entrepreneur passionate about fitness, franchising, and real estate.

As the CEO of Fitness Premier 24/7 Clubs, he has successfully scaled a fitness brand into a thriving regional powerhouse in the Midwest, now focusing on nationwide expansion through strategic franchise partnerships. Jason is also the Founder of PTS Capital Partners, an investment firm targeting health, wellness, and tech-focused businesses in the U.S.

Jason is committed to helping fitness entrepreneurs and investors achieve their goals, drawing from his extensive experience in franchising and real estate. A former college football player, he now channels his competitive spirit into his ventures and his podcast, “Athletes 2 Ownership,” where he shares insights on transitioning from sports to business.

He is a dedicated husband, father, and fan of football and volleyball.

Reach out to Jason at jmarkowicz@fitnesspremierclubs.com or (815) 468-8880 x1002. You can also connect with him on LinkedIn.

Celebrating Women’s History Month with Samantha Gorman and Kathy Mecklenberg

March 28, 2024 by rgandley

Franchise Marketing Radio

Celebrating Women's History Month with Samantha Gorman and Kathy Mecklenberg

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Joining us from Fitness Premier are Samantha Gorman, a dynamic franchise owner who leaped into entrepreneurship fresh out of college, and Kathy Mecklenberg, who has risen through the ranks over two decades to co-own three locations and serve as Vice President of Finance and HR. They’re here to share their inspiring journeys, their challenges, and successes, and how they’re impacting their communities and the industry. Let’s dive into their incredible stories.

Samantha Gorman jumped into entrepreneurship right after leaving college.

After working her way up from part-time trainer to manager, she moved to Monee, IL in 2018 and was approached by the CEO of Fitness Premiere to become an owner at the age of 24.

As a trainer, her expertise was working with specialized clientele, such as seniors and anyone with disabilities.

Since becoming an owner, Samantha has gone on to open 2 more locations in Beecher and Crete, all while raising three children.

Connect with Samantha on LinkedIn

Kathy Mecklenberg has been with Fitness Premiere for more than 20 years, starting as an attendant at the Kid’s Club in Bourbonnais.

Today, in addition to co-owning 3 locations in the Chicago area, she is also a corporate team member as the Vice President of Finance and HR.

Follow Fitness Premiere on Facebook and Instagram.

Josh Hettiger With Fitness Premier

August 12, 2022 by Jacob Lapera

Franchise Marketing Radio

Josh Hettiger With Fitness Premier

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Josh Hettiger, COO at Fitness Premier.

After a successful football career at Saint Xavier University and a short run at the NFL, Josh Hettiger met with Jason Markowicz and Rick King to discuss life after football. After seeing how Jason and Rick had navigated the transition from college athletes to business owners, he joined forces to help grow their brands.

Josh became an owner/operator of Fitness Premier Cedar Lake while working on the development of the Franchise. As the brands began expanding, Josh moved into the COO role, meeting with potential franchisees and growing the footprint of Fit For You Franchising.

He believes that the team and systems they have in place will give potential business owners the tools they need to become successful business owners.

Connect with Josh on LinkedIn.

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Lee Kantor: [00:00:32] Lee Kantor here another episode of Franchise Marketing Radio and this is going to be a good one. Today on the show we have Josh Hettiger and he is with Fitness Premiere. Welcome, Josh.

Josh Hettiger: [00:00:43] Hey, Lee, how are you doing?

Lee Kantor: [00:00:44] I am doing great. Before we get too far into things, tell us a little bit about fitness premier.

Josh Hettiger: [00:00:50] All right. So Fitness premiere, we are a hybrid concept fitness model. So our clubs range from 7500 to 12000 square feet. You kind of find us in the middle of an orange theory and a la fitness. We kind of take the best of both worlds, combine it into one hybrid fitness model and serve underserved communities, you know, typically 15,000 people or less. And we provide them with the absolute best fitness facility that we can.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:19] So what are you seeing in the fitness world now? There seems to be so many choices for the consumer. There are so many things they could be doing at home. There are so many boutique clubs, there are so many kind of low priced, you know, opportunities. Where is the opportunity for fitness, Premier?

Josh Hettiger: [00:01:37] You know, I think it’s great that there is so much opportunity for people to invest in their house because that’s really what it is. You know, we typically only need to tap into 10 to 12% of our markets, which we do in all 17 of our locations currently. If that number rises, obviously profitability rises as well. How we kind of tap into that is we give a we the markets, we go into it. Typically, we don’t deal with more than 2 to 3 competitors and we tend to believe that we do what we do better than them. So when we get members in the door, we’re providing them with a solution, not just a treadmill to, you know, walk on a couple of times a week, but we’re providing them a full plan that includes recovery, nutrition, training, and it’s just all encompassing. And it provides a really, really easy way for that individual to make a healthy choice in their life.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:27] Now, is your customer typically the person who is sedentary that is moving maybe to their first or one of the first gyms that they join? Or is this somebody that is kind of been around the block a little and this is offering them something different that’s more customized to the outcome they desire?

Josh Hettiger: [00:02:44] You know, it’s definitely a combination of both. I think the main kind of our main mission is that every person who walks through the door receives the just the absolute best everything. We have a saying like we tell people on their first tour, like, hey, 95% of the people who join gyms don’t get what they joined the gym for. We don’t want that to be you. We don’t want that to be us. So, you know, we’re going to hold your hand. We’re going to make sure you’re accountable to everything you tell us. You’re coming in here for today. We don’t want to see you fizzle out after a month and not achieve your results. So, you know, that could resonate with the person who’s been to five other gyms and hasn’t really seen progress or hasn’t ever achieved what they join the gym for or the person who’s never went into a gym and they don’t really know what to expect. We’re going to hold both their hands and make sure that they give us some goals on that first day that they want to accomplish. And and we’re going to hold them to that the whole way through.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:32] So how do you do that? Do you employ technology to help them stay compliant with their wellness and workout program?

Josh Hettiger: [00:03:40] It’s a mix of both. So obviously a lot of personal contact in that first few visits. Typically they come in for a tour, they might buy up a membership ranging from 24 to 39 bucks a month, super affordable for any consumer. Then from that first meeting, we’re going to we’re going to schedule a one hour consultation with one of our managers or trainers at the facility. They are going to decide and develop a plan together that fits both their monetary and their financial and their time kind of restrictions. Once they do that, we do incorporate technology with weekly checkups, text messages, as well as we have a app that integrates trainer eyes which can actually show them exactly what work out they’re doing each day on their phone. We have an app live attachment that kind of goes with that. So think like less mills or any of the other at home virtual workouts. Any members with us do receive FP live, so if they can’t make it into the gym one day, you know, we’re based in Chicago, so if it’s snowy and they don’t want to get in the car, they don’t want to shovel, they can they can turn on one of the virtual workouts and do it right from the comfort of their home.

Lee Kantor: [00:04:54] And when what do you find? You’ve been in the fitness world for a minute, and historically, the difficulty in an individual being compliant and sticking with the program is is really low and it’s probably much lower than the average person thinks. Why do you think that is? Is it just that the the facilities or the program that they’re with is just not keeping them interested over time? Or is it just kind of how humans are that we’re just it’s just a difficult thing for us to stay compliant with? Like, what’s your kind of theory on why it’s so hard for people to stick with? Any type of wellness, nutrition or exercise program.

Josh Hettiger: [00:05:35] I think it’s a mix of both, right? As humans, we don’t like hard. Obviously, everything we do and today is designed to make our lives more easy, more efficient. So I think someone putting in an hour of work 3 to 4 times a week, that’s that’s grueling to some people. Like that’s hard. And then I think there’s a lot of people who are in the fitness industry who do a poor job of holding those people’s hands and keeping them accountable. Not to say that we don’t lose members and lose people off their plan, but I definitely think it’s human nature to kind of want to stray away. And then I think it’s it’s a downfall on some of the people in the fitness industry who kind of let them walk away. There’s definitely a misconception with like a lot of people have a fear of their gyms kind of trapping them and not letting them in. So I don’t want to say, like, that’s what we do, but we really are personable with our members. We have a we have a program called Team Training where we actually spend hours outside of the gym with our members. We we go to kids baseball games. We sponsor the youth ministry project or whatever the case may be. So we kind of want to become a staple in their lives. So when their lives get hard, they don’t run from us. They’re kind of already integrated with us. So yeah, it’s definitely a combination of both human and downfall on the fitness professionals in the industry, but that’s just one of the hurdles you have to overcome when you’re in this industry.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:03] So what’s your back story? How did you get involved with Fitness Premier and in the fitness world?

Josh Hettiger: [00:07:09] So I kind of came, you know, completely it was a completely random decision. I graduated college in December of 2019, right before COVID hit. I was a two time all-American football player and had a decent shot at the NFL, worked out for a few teams, went through the whole process. And then March of 2020, COVID shut everything down. So I was kind of stuck in like a standstill. Do I continue trying for football? Do I go into work? And that’s when Jason Markowitz, who is the founder and CEO of fitness premier, who was also an alumni for my college, reached out to me and he said, hey, let’s let’s meet, let’s talk. He kind of presented me with this. They just started franchising a year or two earlier. He had a vision of how many locations he wanted to take the brand to, what he wanted to do. And I kind of just resonated with his competitive spirit, you know, his vision, what he wanted to do, the culture of fitness premier and kind of went out on a whirlwind. It wasn’t my major in college. I always wanted to get into business, never knew what it was, but I kind of seen that vision with him. I started as a franchisee and then elevated into a role where now I had the franchise development of the brand.

Lee Kantor: [00:08:22] Now what do you find the qualities or maybe the personalities of a successful franchisee with this brand? Are they kind of people like you that maybe had a you know, was in fitness in some form, maybe not the business side, but you were an athlete? Or are they kind of these new professional franchisees where they have several brands and this is just a complementary kind of brand in their portfolio?

Josh Hettiger: [00:08:51] So we actually have a very wide, very wide array of franchisees on our team right now. And I think it’s a testament to our back office support team and being able to work with anyone. I think the biggest standout component that you need for to be a franchisee with us is to just want to help your community. We go into, like I said, communities that are 10 to 15000 people and typically they’re underserved when it comes to the service industry. So to become a staple, that’s a that’s a special type of person that wants to show up to the to the league softball game or to show up to the commerce meetings with ten other business owners. I think really just wanting to help that community thrive is is a component. You need to be successful with us. But we have franchisees who are like myself, former athletes, kind of been around fitness their whole life who have found success. And we have franchisees. We have multi-unit franchisees who’ve never really I don’t even know if they’ve played a sport and they have success as well. I think our back office support team does an excellent job with tailoring their service to the needs of the franchisee because frankly, we have some who operate their business day to day. They’re in the training sessions, they’re in those first appointments and tours. And then we have franchisees who are just in the club once or twice a month, and they rely on a general manager or operating partner to do most of that day to day. So. The biggest like I said, the biggest component you need to be successful with us is just to want to make a difference in that community that either you’re from or that you find that we fit the market.

Lee Kantor: [00:10:36] Now, any advice for maybe former athletes that, you know, they finish? You know, they went as far as they can go in their sport and now they’re in that point of transition. And that’s a difficult time for an athlete, especially that is achieved as much as you’ve achieved where a lot of your identity is in that sport. You are a football player and then all of a sudden you’re not a football player. And it might seem like, well, what can I do now? You know, it’s a difficult transition for a lot of folks. Any advice for those former athletes when they’re looking for their next move to consider franchising or to consider a fitness franchise where it is kind of tangentially connected and you are serving people and you are, you know, creating that team atmosphere that you probably enjoyed in your sport. But it also you have the skills to be a successful business person in terms of having discipline, you know, believing in the team, like all these kind of qualities, maybe the softer skill qualities that that are the intangibles of what it takes to be successful in business.

Josh Hettiger: [00:11:41] So I feel like you just took all those lines straight from me because I can’t say that that’s all true enough, you know? I came everyone always is always shocked how young I am. And they’re like, Oh, you’re doing all this at a young age. But I’m like, Honestly, I’ve been doing all this for years. You know, the time management, the work ethic, the drive, the discipline you need to be successful in a sport I think goes hand in hand with business ownership and franchising. So when I kind of fell into this opportunity, like I loved it, I was like, All right, I’m building a culture with my team at the location as well as the corporate team. You know, if stuff goes wrong, it’s on me, stuff goes right, it’s on me. And I think that’s the best thing. I didn’t want to be a part of a chain where I really didn’t make a difference. I think being an athlete, you kind of you kind of always strive to make a difference. You’re always looking to make a play per se. And I think franchising small business ownership gives you that ability. And, you know, if you have if you have those those qualities, like we said, if you’re willing to show up early, you’re willing to stay late, you’re willing to put in whatever work is necessary to make that business succeed. You will find one a more fulfilling career path in this industry and to just, you know, better outcome for yourself, because at the end of the day, no one’s going to work as hard for you as you are when you’re on the field. It’s a really easy analogy. For whatever reason, it gets lost in the professional slash workplace, but I really think it’s something that more athletes need to consider because they do have, like we said, the qualities that it takes to be successful.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:19] So what do you need more of? How can we help? Do you need more franchisees? You need more people on your team to grow the franchise brand, more customers for fitness. Premier, what do you need?

Josh Hettiger: [00:13:32] All the above. Now, honestly, we’re at a we’re at a point of growth right now. We we mapped out we just went through the iOS implementation for the second time as a company. You know, we’re really we’ve dialed in what our growth looks like and now we’re just, you know, we’re executing what we need to to be successful. We’re at 17 locations now. We predict we’ll be at just over 20 by the end of the year. We have four in progress. We’ve signed we recently signed a franchisee in Georgia. We have some plans in Wisconsin right now. So we’re we’re we’re expanding to a few new states. We’re adding people to the team, and we’re constantly looking for franchisees. You know, our process is super diligent with who we kind of let into our team because we are so culture, community based. We want to make sure everyone’s the right fit for us. So all of the above, to answer your question and you know, we’re on that path.

Lee Kantor: [00:14:32] Well, if somebody wants to learn more about the opportunity, what is the website for fitness premier and or the best way to get a hold of you or somebody on your team.

Josh Hettiger: [00:14:40] So they could go to fitness premier clubs dot com or 1851 franchise fit for you franchising dot com. My my personal number is 7082891681. Feel free to call text email me any hour if you’re looking for any of that information, whether you’re looking to come join one of our clubs or come build a club of your own, I’m always available.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:06] Good stuff. Well, Josh, thank you so much for sharing your story today. You’re doing important work. We appreciate you.

Josh Hettiger: [00:15:12] Thank you, Lee. I appreciate you giving me the opportunity to come on and talk.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:15] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you next time on Franchise Marketing Radio.

Kyle Retter With Fitness Premier

May 19, 2022 by Jacob Lapera

Franchise Marketing Radio

Kyle Retter With Fitness Premier

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Brought To You By SeoSamba . . . Comprehensive, High Performing Marketing Solutions For Mature And Emerging Franchise Brands . . . To Supercharge Your Franchise Marketing, Go To seosamba.com.

Started working out since Kyle Retter was 16 when he was teased about his “kid” gut and haven’t stopped since. Joined the Airforce from 2006-2012 where he was an Avionics Technician on the F-16 platform, then worked IT & Security for a year. Spent the remainder of the years in the aviation world contracting for the Military in the US and overseas and now he works for Gulfstream.

Kyle currently owns and operates an IT/Access Control/Video Surveillance company that has focus in the Fitness Industry where they provide solutions to club owners and other SMB companies. He is pursuing a long dream of him to own a gym. Fitness Premier was the perfect fit and has provided back-end support for his dream. He believes he will open our first gym in 2022, then target multiple areas for expansion in 2023.

Follow Fitness Premier on Facebook.

What You’ll Learn In This Episode

Fitness Premier”s (FP) culture
Yearly Goals
What got you into the Fitness world

This transcript is machine transcribed by Sonix

TRANSCRIPT

Intro: [00:00:07] Welcome to Franchise Marketing Radio. Brought to you by SeoSamba comprehensive high performing marketing solutions for mature and emerging franchise brands. To supercharge your franchise marketing, go to seosamba.com. That’s seosamba.com.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:32] Lee Kantor here another episode of Franchise Marketing Radio and this is going to be a fun one. Today on the show we have Kyle Retter and he is with Fitness Premier. Welcome, Kyle.

Kyle Retter: [00:00:42] Hey, thanks for having me.

Lee Kantor: [00:00:43] Well, I’m excited to learn what you’re up to before we get too far into things, tell us about Fitness Premier Fitness premieres.

Kyle Retter: [00:00:51] We’re a fast growing group workout gym concept where we focus mainly for fitness groups, group classes. We focus highly on customer support and retain ability. We started our brand in 2016. Current locations are in Illinois and Indiana, which we’re obviously trying to venture into Georgia area as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:01:24] So you’re a franchisee. What drew you to this organization?

Kyle Retter: [00:01:31] Essentially, Jason and his team. I supported them with their I.T. work and I just fell in love with our whole backend team, our corporate team. And I just realized that they were I’ve always wanted to own my own gym and their atmosphere and the way they operate and help the franchisees through all their from step A to Z from just the beginning of signing up with them, opening locations, all that. They’re just always there for you, and they have a strategic model in place that is easy to follow. And I knew they were the right company for me, right? Franchise for me.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:21] Now, you were in the military, right?

Kyle Retter: [00:02:24] Yes, sir, I did. Air Force from 2012 to or sorry, 2006 to 2012. And then I contracted through the military for ten years after that. And then now I’m working on private jets.

Lee Kantor: [00:02:45] So you’re still doing your IT work?

Kyle Retter: [00:02:49] Yes, sir. I own my own company, I.T. Access, control of video surveillance. So I’m still doing that. And obviously, the goal is to move away from aviation and solely focus on gems and the side of things. I’ve focused my entire business to help gyms, actually. I know that there’s not there’s a lot of offerings that I can give, and I don’t. I believe that gyms don’t need a whole sophisticated system, but they need to be protected and helped out just as all small businesses do. So that’s where I focused my area, too.

Lee Kantor: [00:03:36] So you’ve been in it for your career. You were in the military as part of your career, but still playing in the IT space. And then you get out of the military, working it and targeting gyms. I guess as you’re offering serves the gym marketplace, you could have chosen any fitness center to partner with but somehow fitness premiere kind of got your attention. What what about fitness premier kind of was different than the other gyms that maybe you’ve experienced or worked with or worked out in over the years.

Kyle Retter: [00:04:12] Their allowance and their willingness to be open to the franchisee there. They give back in support as far as management training, the financial side, the real estate side, everything but the one thing that when I went and visited them and their the atmosphere of the gym itself, it’s it’s exactly what I wanted. And I used to live in Florida and the local gym there. That atmosphere was very similar for the member side and the the staff side. I would essentially just find myself in that gym for hours just hanging out because I love the atmosphere and being. Part of fitness Premier. They offer that same atmosphere, but they have the back end already in place. They they can help me because when I started it is everything by myself. I did the LC creation, the marketing, everything. It was a long road. I mean, I’m still learning stuff a year later and I just with fitness premier, they had everything I wanted in a gym from operational plus all the back end support as well. And it just it’s not. Like a cookie cutter gem, if you want to say that. It’s very flexible. And the franchisee. Can pretty much set up the gym. However they want to make an alter. If they want to focus toward. More toward some equipment that might CrossFit if they want or if they want to do the basic package. That is normally offered. You can do that. It’s a lot of flexibility that Jason and his team gives the franchisees.

Lee Kantor: [00:06:20] Now, when you started your own business and you didn’t have kind of that support around you and you were just kind of figuring out stuff on your own, you know, the there’s good and bad of that. Obviously, you took the risk to do something like that because you felt you had the skills and you had enough knowledge to be able to pull it off. Then you’re getting in the gym business and maybe that’s not you know, you haven’t been maybe, you know, went to the gym. But to have all of those kind of things that you used to worry about kind of taking care of, you could taken care of for you, makes you feel more comfortable and safe investing in a brand like fitness premier, right?

Kyle Retter: [00:06:57] It does. I mean. I mean, obviously with any business, there’s no guarantees. But they’ve created a create that sense of relief, I guess that you know, that you’re going to make it you’re going to take take all the help that they give you and create something for yourself. And they’re not going to let you fail. I mean, I’ve been told several times there’s no option for failure. Well, they’re going to make the franchisee and GM successful.

Lee Kantor: [00:07:34] So was there any kind of hesitation or was this something that you just believed in the culture, or was this something you went back and forth and you’re like, no, no. And then you talk to maybe your friends or family and you’re like, Hey, what do you think? Like what was kind of the there had to be a tipping point where all of a sudden you’re like, oh, this is you know, it’s not like an impulse buy where you’re like at the store and you’re like, Oh, I think I’ll buy that snicker bar. You know, like, this is a big decision.

Kyle Retter: [00:08:00] Yeah, it was. So, like I mentioned before, I knew what I’ve always wanted in a gym. I’ve been working out since I was 16, and I’ve been to a lot of gyms and I’ve been to good ones. I’ve been to bad ones, but. I knew it atmosphere in the operational style of Jim that I wanted. And as soon as I after meeting the whole team through the I.T. side of it, I. I get a further view of how they operated and kind of jumpstarted the whole idea of opening or franchising with them. But just looking at it, I just had I questioned them one day and just pinged them for some answers and inquiries about how they operate and stuff and what their gyms look like. I looked online and it wasn’t really any. I had no hesitations. I just knew that this was going to be the right fit and I knew I’d have the support that I needed from their teams and is a gym that I really wanted to work it and grow with them. And it was my goal is to my ten year goal is to open ten of these gyms. So it’s going to be a. Good journey ahead.

Lee Kantor: [00:09:26] So what were some of those questions when you were deciding? Because like you were in a unique position, right? Because you were doing work for them from a technical standpoint and you were kind of maybe singing some behind the scenes stuff that a typical franchisee wouldn’t see necessarily. You got to see them in real life and you got to see them, you know, going through a project together so you can see how do they behave? Are they really good people? Like you’re seeing a side of them that maybe a typical franchisee wouldn’t get to see because you were a contractor for them. Right. Doing some work on their behalf?

Kyle Retter: [00:09:57] Yes, sir. So some of the questions I asked them is how the process first would start. Like basically, how do I where do I start in becoming a franchisee? And then it just led on to like, I’m all about safeguarding myself and my family. So I pretty much always have a backup plan. So that was another question is I hey, what happens if if for some reason I do we do sell and what about and what would that process look like basically? They were so confident with their answer. It just made me feel like, all right, we’re not going to sell. There’s no option for this. Some other questions had were. Like the Maine was like has a real estate portion of it work and luckily Jason is. Certified real estate for commercial commercial real estate and that really. Relieves a lot of my anxiety or stress or I guess questions I had because I knew. I mean, he’s he’s he’s an all in one. They’re all in one team. They have a construction company. They have the real estate side of it. They have the marketing side of it.

Lee Kantor: [00:11:25] Was that a concern, the marketing or getting people in the gym? Because there’s there’s a million gyms out there, you know, like how do you find the number you need in order to be successful? Was that an issue for you? Or you just felt like, hey, I can do that part myself? I don’t need them necessarily.

Kyle Retter: [00:11:41] No, because I know how hard it is to market myself in it. So they have a great marketing platform and that’s another bonus and bonus that I really enjoyed from their offerings. They they’re obviously they’re all over the marketing side. I mean, I have I have even opened a gym and at least get an article we posted for, for myself and the future of, of this gym opening and obviously radio talks. And I just it’s been a great, great experience going down that road.

Lee Kantor: [00:12:33] So was there one fear over another that was like kind of the deciding point or once you felt confident, like once they kind of convince you like this is what got your back, then you were like, okay, let’s go boldly forward. And then it was now it’s just a matter of let’s get this thing going as fast as possible so I can get up to my ten that I want to get out of here.

Kyle Retter: [00:12:56] Yep. I say I knew the team already. Yeah. I do have that advantage over most because I was already contracting with them, but all I had was a few questions just to ease my mind and and just to make sure they were the right fit. But outside of that, I have no worries. It’s been a great adventure, has been all the processes are streamlined, the communication is there. So and we’re doing everything in our power to to get a location up. And I know it’s going to happen soon. So as I said again, I was there really wasn’t any hesitation. I just in my heart, I knew that this was the right way to go.

Lee Kantor: [00:13:46] So has there. So you don’t have the location. It’s not up and running yet?

Kyle Retter: [00:13:52] No, not yet. So we’re still in the I guess you want to call a phase one part of it or we have four or five prospects for locations. We’re looking at many different areas around Georgia and even a few in South Carolina that are close by because I’m right on the border in Savannah, Georgia, of South Carolina. So we’re basically we find locations and we vet them and we make sure the community size is where we want to be. We try to target the communities around 15 to 20000 in a population within that five mile radius. So we can make sure that we get the members and acquire the members to be successful. I mean, we don’t there’s a lot of vetting process through the location portion of it just because you don’t want to go somewhere with 3000. With a population of maybe 3 to 5000, and then you only get a small percentage of that. And that’s kind of where we don’t want to do because we know they have expressed through experience that just doesn’t work.

Lee Kantor: [00:15:11] So now the ideal gym member though, is, like you said, there has to be enough of them. What is the profile of the ideal gym member? Is that somebody that is a mom? Is it a, you know, a CrossFit person? Is it a, you know, super fit person? Is it an older person? Like, is there a profile for that ideal premier member?

Kyle Retter: [00:15:33] We cater to all well, no matter the age. What type of fitness you’re into CrossFit powerlifting. We just want to be that gym that can support everybody and we just don’t want to focus just on CrossFit or just on power lifters because it’s a small community. I mean, if you can if you can cater to all of them and create that customer relationship and then those services, whether it’s group classes, team team training or personal training, that’s our goal, is to cater to everybody and offer a service that everybody can use.

Lee Kantor: [00:16:24] So the gym offers all of those things. It offers a group fitness, it offers personal training. You know, if you want to work out on your own, there’s that opportunity. So it’s like, you know what if I need like helping, you know, nutrition, is there a nutritionist? Are there kind of people helping me with my whole holistic kind of fitness in health, or is it primarily fitness?

Kyle Retter: [00:16:48] So some trainers are well equipped for nutrition. I don’t think that we have a full nutrition program. I could be wrong, but if we don’t, that’s something that where we can expand and offer to the community as well. For the other part of the location or per franchisee to some of those decisions get made by them. And then we assess or assess the community as well to see what’s needed in that community. And obviously we offer like the massage tables, massage chairs, and then we have their guns, which can. Help with the muscle growth and just like a massager, a handheld massager for your muscles. And we offer training both as well. Also, all depends on location and the size and our average size or where we want to be is around 7500 square feet or more. That way we can offer everything all in one platform. But there are some communities where we have smaller sizes, so we’re limited to what we can offer.

Lee Kantor: [00:18:22] And you haven’t decided yet because you’re still looking for your spot.

Kyle Retter: [00:18:26] Right now, we’re I want to be in that realm of 7500 square foot or bigger. That way we can support everybody. It also allows you to have more equipment to be able to cater to all members, whether it’s CrossFit or. Power lifters. But the goal is I mean, we’re more of a. Well versed. Jim that. Isn’t focused on just one particular group.

Lee Kantor: [00:19:00] Right. You’re trying to you’re trying to have something for everybody that’s interested in fitness and wellness.

Kyle Retter: [00:19:06] Yes, sir.

Lee Kantor: [00:19:07] So if somebody wants to learn more, maybe get a hold of fitness. Premier, get a hold of you. Maybe talk to you about your experience. What is the best way to connect with them or you?

Kyle Retter: [00:19:20] Their website is the easiest way to connect with them and its premier clubs. There is a chat box that you can go straight to and just type in your questions and you can you can find their phone numbers as well. Or if you want to contact me, be happy. You can call me anytime. 8505859432. I’d love to chat and answer any questions.

Lee Kantor: [00:19:48] And then you’re looking. This location will be somewhere in the Savannah or South Carolina area.

Kyle Retter: [00:19:56] Yes. Savannah or any of the outskirts of Savannah which would be cooler. Springfield, Rincon. And then we’re also looking in Hilton Head, South Carolina and possibly Brunswick, Georgia as well.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:11] Wow. You can build that empire.

Kyle Retter: [00:20:15] That’s the goal.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:16] Well, Kyle, congratulations on all the success and best of luck in this adventure.

Kyle Retter: [00:20:22] All right. Thank you, Lee.

Lee Kantor: [00:20:23] All right. This is Lee Kantor. We’ll see you all next time on Franchise Marketing Radio.