Hudson Co-Founded the Fitness Franchise in 2008 to Make Kickboxing More Accessible and Inclusive
9Round Kickboxing Fitness has named co-founder Heather Hudson chief executive officer. Hudson and husband Shannon Hudson, a professional kickboxer, founded 9Round in 2008 with a vision of making kickboxing an approachable and inclusive fitness option. She previously served as chief operating officer.
The mother of two had always sought fitness modalities that offered greater results than traditional workouts. She discovered her love for kickboxing because of the feeling of empowerment it gave her.
“This is an exciting time for 9Round, and I’m honored to step into this role as someone who’s been committed to this brand since its inception,” Hudson said. “My mission as CEO is to lead with intention, making sure our owners feel seen and valued, and our members feel challenged, guided and inspired. A key initiative is our new trainer ranking system that focuses on the service and skill level of trainers. This will enhance the member experience and give owners the tools to have studios their communities can’t stop talking about.”
Inspiring Women
As one of the few women leading a global franchise brand, Hudson looks to be an inspiration for women who make up almost 50% of the brand’s owners, as well as the majority-female member base. Her advice to female entrepreneurs is straightforward: Don’t get overwhelmed or intimidated. “Educate yourself on the world of franchising because it’s a lot to know — and that means it’s a lot for a man or a woman to know. You have to just start, and you will figure it out. Go in with a solid plan, but don’t wait until you feel it’s a perfect plan, or you’ll never hit go. Do your homework, know your stuff and get out there and lead. You can do it!”
9Round franchise owner Katrina Gonzalez said she looks forward to seeing where the brand goes with Hudson at the helm. “With our brand being powered by so many incredible female franchisees, it’s inspiring to see our first female CEO take the lead,” Gonzalez said.
The Power of Franchising
Hudson immediately learned everything she could when she and her husband established their brand. “When my husband and I threw ourselves into franchising, we became students of that world. We became obsessed with studying other franchises and leaders and did a lot of building the plane as we were flying it. It was crazy, but here we are. My hope is to inspire, and I am very excited to see what we can do in the next year as a brand.”
Since founding 9Round Kickboxing in 2008, Hudson said she is most proud of the resilience of her franchise owners and the universality of kickboxing as a fitness modality. “I’m proud of all the owners who’ve made it to this side of the pandemic because that was so incredibly challenging for gyms. I’m also especially proud of how universal the language of fitness is — our second largest market is Saudi Arabia, and we also recently opened in Iraq. I love the fact that kickboxing knows no borders. We’re united in this modality of movement, and that never ceases to leave me in awe.”
About 9Round Kickboxing Fitness
Founded in 2008 by Shannon and Heather Hudson, 9Round Kickboxing Fitness delivers the high-calorie burn of kickboxing fitness training in a safe and non-intimidating 30-minute, trainer-guided, full-body circuit format. The program is developed around a proprietary and copyrighted system of nine challenging workout stations created by Shannon Hudson. The Greenville, S.C.-based brand has expanded to 350-plus locations open and operating in 41 states and countries including Australia, Canada, Costa Rica, Guatemala, India, Iraq, Japan, Jordan, Kuwait, Lebanon, Mexico, New Zealand, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam. 9Round is under the Striking Brands umbrella of fitness brands, along with iLoveKickboxing.
