The fitness industry is continuing to boom, with the personal training category becoming a 9 billion dollar industry all on its own. And since 1983, Fitness Together® has been part of this industry, changing lives and providing a private studio atmosphere for clients to reach their desired results.
Fitness Together offers a unique opportunity to open a personal training studio under a well-respected brand name with an incredible amount of support and guidance. To find out what it’s like to be a franchise owner with Fitness Together, we spoke to Holly Tamm, long-time owner of two studios, located in Mequon and Whitefish Bay, Wisconsin.
Here’s what Holly had to say …
What brought you to Fitness Together?
Holly Tamm (HT): I actually started out as a personal trainer at one of the studios that I now own — it was my first personal training job after college. Before that, I played basketball in college, majored in exercise physiology and then got a masters in kinesiology, so fitness is all I’ve ever known. Although, I definitely didn’t expect to still be working at the same company where I got my first real fitness job, but I’m so glad that’s how it has worked out. I’ve been with Fitness Together for 15 years!
What made you want to become a franchise owner with Fitness Together?
HT: Having come from a sports background, I initially planned to work with athletes as a personal trainer. However, once I got to Fitness Together, one of my first clients was an elderly woman whose only goal was to be fit enough to get herself up off the floor if she ever fell when she was alone. This woman inspired me. And ever since I worked with her, I decided I wanted to help people make their average day better.
I fell completely in love with the ability to help people do regular everyday things more easily and achieve their fitness goals in a totally private setting without distractions, which is something you can only find at Fitness Together.
After several years of working full time as a personal trainer, I decided it was time to grow and do something new, and the opportunity to purchase my studio came up. I jumped at it, and then worked with a partner to purchase and take over a second studio just a year later as well. I now own both studios independently, and I love it.
What makes Fitness Together stand out?
HT: When it comes to service, Fitness Together pays attention to the details unlike any other gym. We focus on the entire experience to make sure that every client feels like they are the most important part of our day when they come in — multiple touch-points with different people and a safe and comfortable place to work out in private.
And when it comes to support, Fitness Together as a company is continuing to grow, be better, take on new directions and never settle for status quo. I appreciate this, because in turn, it makes all of the franchisees be better too. Also, the Fitness Together support center has done an excellent job with our latest marketing initiatives, and as studio owners, we can access everything we need easily through various online programs, so we have a lot of tools at our disposal.
How have you been able to scale your business that you couldn’t have done on your own without Fitness Together?
HT: The beauty of owning a Fitness Together franchise is that you’re given the opportunity to do what you love to do — take care of your clients in a nice studio, all the while having someone else in charge of the bigger picture.
As a business owner, I value having someone else spending time researching and identifying trends in the industry and business and then passing that information on to franchisees, so we know where the market is going. This type of insight is something I wouldn’t have without Fitness Together, as well as the brand name recognition that initially brings people in.
What are the keys to your success as a franchise owner with Fitness Together?
HT: I put a big emphasis on our staff, so I invest in my personal trainers and encourage them to get continuing education, which I reimburse. I like all of us to feel like we are never satisfied too, so we continue learning and growing and doing more. In the fitness world, when your personal trainers stay with you for longer, your clients stay with you for longer too — so that’s been important to me.
Overall, as a studio, we make sure to treat our clients like gold. We want to be positive that when every client leaves, we’ve been the best part of their entire day.
What’s the best thing about being a franchise owner with Fitness Together?
HT: I see Fitness Together as a big fitness family, full of people who are passionate about the same thing. We all help each other, and we all want success for everyone in this game.
Everyone in the Fitness Together support center goes above and beyond to help you, the business coaches are just a phone call or email away, and you never have to feel like you’re out on your own. As a business owner, having this type of guidance and backing is incredibly valuable.
Most of all, I love that being a franchise owner of Fitness Together lets me focus on what I do best.
To learn more about how you can have a positive impact on peoples’ live as an owner like Holly, request your FREE info kit here.