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At 25 I started an in home/on-site personal training franchise out of my parent’s dining room.
I did it with $15K in savings from being a golf caddy.
Today, we service 1,000+ markets.
Here’s how I did it and what the biz does:
I did it with $15K in savings from being a golf caddy.
Today, we service 1,000+ markets.
Here’s how I did it and what the biz does:
I was working as a personal trainer at a local gym and knew two things-
1- being a personal trainer isn’t scalable.
2- I am unable to clone myself, so I will always be limited to my income. I need to make money when I am sleeping.
1- being a personal trainer isn’t scalable.
2- I am unable to clone myself, so I will always be limited to my income. I need to make money when I am sleeping.
I was ready to do ANYTHING else.
At the age of 24 I decided to leave all of my private clients and a $150k/yr income to work a 9-5 in a marketing firm for $35k.
At the age of 24 I decided to leave all of my private clients and a $150k/yr income to work a 9-5 in a marketing firm for $35k.
This office was horrible! The energy, and the negativity.
I am a HIGH energy person who is always positive.
I couldn’t take it… I quickly left to follow my passion which is fitness.
I am a HIGH energy person who is always positive.
I couldn’t take it… I quickly left to follow my passion which is fitness.
Since I gave up all my clients to take the marketing job, now, I had to re-build my clientele again.
One of my clients at the time came in late.
She said “Josh, I wish you could just come to my house, but I don’t have any equipment”.
That is when the light went on. I said wow!
One of my clients at the time came in late.
She said “Josh, I wish you could just come to my house, but I don’t have any equipment”.
That is when the light went on. I said wow!
How great would it be if I got a van and stocked it with all the necessary equipment to provide you an amazing workout 365 days a year?
I was so excited, and decided to run the idea by a very successful businessman I was training at the time.
I was so excited, and decided to run the idea by a very successful businessman I was training at the time.
His shower was an aquarium, with sharks and other unbelievable fish.
August 1, 2007 was the day I asked him his thoughts.
He laughed in my face and told me the business model was like “swiss cheese”, it had too many holes in it and you will never succeed.
August 1, 2007 was the day I asked him his thoughts.
He laughed in my face and told me the business model was like “swiss cheese”, it had too many holes in it and you will never succeed.
I remember the feeling I felt walking back to my car.
I sat there…staring at his house and thinking to myself…
I sat there…staring at his house and thinking to myself…
How am I going to let one person tell me how I am going to change the world?
So I went ahead and believed in myself and my vision!
So I went ahead and believed in myself and my vision!
I ignored his feedback, and decided to move forward with my vision.
So I jumped right in...
So I jumped right in...
Working as a caddie that summer I made $15,000 in total. I spent $13,000 of it in one day on the following:
- a van
- GYMGUYZ wrap for the van
- gym equipment
- trademark and a couple other things needed
- a van
- GYMGUYZ wrap for the van
- gym equipment
- trademark and a couple other things needed
Was I scared? HELL YEAH! I have no idea what I am doing....
One thing I will tell you, fear is the #1 indicator that you are doing something right.
One thing I will tell you, fear is the #1 indicator that you are doing something right.
So I took my wrapped GYMGUYZ van and used it as a moving billboard.
Then drove it up and down the highways.
I had nothing better to do at that moment.
Then drove it up and down the highways.
I had nothing better to do at that moment.
It worked! Calls started to come in.
So I started to hustle, building relationships, and doing more marketing.
My message resonated and I expanded to 3 locations.
So I started to hustle, building relationships, and doing more marketing.
My message resonated and I expanded to 3 locations.
But I realized that I need more business owners like me to share the vision.
I can't grow GYMGUYZ myself to really see its full potential.
I decided to franchise.
I can't grow GYMGUYZ myself to really see its full potential.
I decided to franchise.
It wasn’t easy, took 8 months, and many sleepless nights.
Some nights I decided to not sleep at all. I once worked straight for 72 hours without any sleep.
But it was worth it.
Some nights I decided to not sleep at all. I once worked straight for 72 hours without any sleep.
But it was worth it.
Remember the "swiss cheese" guy?
Seven years later I was on the front page of The New York Times business section.
“GYMGUYZ disrupting the fitness industry” they said.
Seven years later I was on the front page of The New York Times business section.
“GYMGUYZ disrupting the fitness industry” they said.
The “swiss cheese” guy saw the article and called me right away!
Saying how much he believed in me.
Saying how much he believed in me.
I said, “ha, are you kidding me…do you know that day I left your house, I used your negativity to fuel my drive?”
Ever since I created a holiday to celebrate on August 1st.
I called National Swiss Cheese Day.
Ever since I created a holiday to celebrate on August 1st.
I called National Swiss Cheese Day.
For this holiday, I buy a quarter pound of swiss cheese and Facetime him saying thank you for the motivation!
Today we are in over 900 cities and service over 35 million households.
It's the largest in-home & on-site personal training company in the world.
Currently an 8 figure company on our way to a billion!
We operate in the US, Canada or the United Kingdom! Want to hear more?!
It's the largest in-home & on-site personal training company in the world.
Currently an 8 figure company on our way to a billion!
We operate in the US, Canada or the United Kingdom! Want to hear more?!
How did we scale to that?
It takes a lot of patience and drive!
You MUST create the proper operational systems.
You need to learn how to work on the business, not in it.
It takes a lot of patience and drive!
You MUST create the proper operational systems.
You need to learn how to work on the business, not in it.
From $15,000 to eight figures was not easy…
The pain that comes along with this journey is not for everyone.
You must have a resilient mindset and never quit! No matter what! The easy way never and I mean never pays well.
The pain that comes along with this journey is not for everyone.
You must have a resilient mindset and never quit! No matter what! The easy way never and I mean never pays well.
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Follow me @joshyorkgg as I'll be sharing insights on how to make impossible, possible in every aspect of your life.
Follow me @joshyorkgg as I'll be sharing insights on how to make impossible, possible in every aspect of your life.
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Codie Sanchez @Codie_Sanchez
·
Jan 17, 2023
Incredible story.