Ten-Year GYMGUYZ Franchise Owner Brings Customized Workouts To Clients of All Ages
Ten-year GYMGUYZ franchisee Josh Grinstead has made it his business to build fitter families. “Today’s kids don’t move as much as they used to. It’s a different world,” he says. “Getting a personal trainer to come over and make the movement fun is key to helping young people love activity and their bodies. We make it fun for the specific kid. It’s not one-size-fits-all. Working with young people is a core part of our mission to help our communities.”
The franchise has a B2B side — dispatching its trainers and well-equipped vans to enhance the fitness of businesses’ employees, for example — but “we’re primarily B2C, working with children and families,” Grinstead says. “Many clients start as a single private client and later we train their spouses, children, parents, neighbors, cousins and more. It’s a joy to be a part of that. So many people do not know what to do or how to do it, plus they need the accountability of a true fitness professional coming to their door. We become a part of their lives in a very positive way.
“Having strong relationships with our clients is paramount. Most of our clients are private or semi-private in the home, but we also do small groups and large classes. We work with lots of adaptive and special-needs clients and clients with major medical needs. We have done classes at day care centers and nursing homes. You name it! Our clients range from 5to over 100 years old. We are on their turf, and we are invested in their success. We assign the right trainers to them and bring the right equipment. We manage the quality of their experience and progress, and do everything we can to help them attain their goals in the best, safest way possible.”
Expanding the Business
Grinstead previously held positions in private higher education and vocational adult learning. “I’ve always been an entrepreneur at heart, though. My father, grandfather and several uncles all owned businesses, and some were exceptionally successful. After being laid off several times in the corporate world through no fault of mine, I decided it was time to get off that treadmill and start my own business.”
He has expanded from three GYMGUYZ territories to eight; his 35 full- and part-time employees cover three counties in northern New Jersey and southern New York. Workdays start early. Grinstead says. “We begin servicing clients at 5 a.m. so I have to be ready to rock by then. I have a great core team of full-time managers, but as an owner-operator, I’m still very hands-on daily with sales, hiring, marketing, bookkeeping, operations, client retention, staffing issues, quality assurance, and ensuring we are pacing toward our strategic and financial goals.”
His GYMGUYZ success “is all about helping clients attain their goals. The stories of the lives we have changed are what’s most inspiring — weight loss of 100-plus pounds, regaining mobility after paralysis, getting off cholesterol medications, even clients who couldn’t leave the house without assistance who have lost the weight and gained the strength to do so,” Grinstead says. “We’ve completed over 100,000 sessions and won awards for service. Our staff has helped thousands. What we do works. We’ve also expanded our scope to offer stretch therapy, yoga, nutrition coaching and classes in all major fitness disciplines.”
Corporate Support
Corporate is highly supportive, he adds. “They really listen to owners and genuinely care. The franchisor provides an effective infrastructure for hiring, bookkeeping, data-driven decision-making through real-time analytics, operations support and a robust marketing support team. You have a lot of tools at your disposal,” Grinstead says. Founded in 2008, GYMGUYZ has more than 100 units in operation and is expanding, with opportunities available in all states and internationally, including Canada.
Learn more about the GYMGUYZ franchise.
