“ We are committed to providing meaningful career paths for as many staff as possible,” said Lynne Brick, vice president of fitness for Ohana.“ Our new company name is Ohana Growth Partners, but as is usually the case with Hawaiian words,‘ Ohana’ means much more than just family. It means,‘ When You are not with your Ohana, WE are your Ohana. And when We are not with our Ohana, You are our Ohana.’”
The Bricks invest in creating a strong team and culture. That is rooted in the best business advice the Bricks have received:“ Culture eats strategy for breakfast,” meaning it is more important to have a great company culture than a great company strategy or business plan.
“ At the end of the day, it is more important to have employees who share your vision as opposed to those who can deliver the product. You can always train people in how to deliver the product. You can’ t always train people to share your vision,” Victor explained.“ People cannot give what they do not have. If a person does not have empathy, integrity and a strong work ethic, you can’ t give any of those intangibles to him or her. Hire people who believe what you believe.”
In addition to providing meaningful career paths for their staff, the Bricks are financially focused as well.“ First, we want to continue to improve our unit economics. We intend to do this by reducing costs, such as capex and energy costs, and driving sales through more targeted marketing. Second, we are focusing on increasing asset value. We intend to do this by continuing to open new‘ hell-yes’ sites, and through strategic acquisitions of both Planet and non-Planet clubs,” said Lynne.
Over the years, Lynne and Victor have been able to form strong connections with staff and other franchisees, making their experience with the brand rich with strong relationships.
“ My favorite aspect of Planet Fitness is the connections. The connections between the staff and each member are critical, especially during a fitness session. I’ ve always believed that programming is king, and equipment is queen. Planet Fitness’ s focus on fitness is a key aspect of the member experience to help change people’ s lives. Also, the relationships and connections amongst all the franchisees are priceless,” said Lynne.
When the Bricks lost their 43-year-old daughter, Vicki, to ovarian cancer in April of this year, the Planet Fitness community came together to show their support. This was something that moved the Bricks deeply, and it is something they will forever cherish.
“ We have always said that the greatest asset Planet Fitness has is its franchisees. We used to think it was because of the depth and scope of their business experience. But if you had been at Vicki’ s Celebration of Life and seen the number of franchisees and corporate staff there to support us and felt the love that we felt, you would know it is so much more than that,” Lynne shared.“ Strength in numbers is a term loosely thrown around that means nothing without the most important word to go along with it. That word is love. What makes the Planet Fitness community special? The love for one another.”
The Bricks are also a big believer in the importance of both physical and mental health. In 2015, they founded the John W. Brick Mental Health Foundation, an organization that promotes holistic approaches such as exercise, nutrition and mind / body practices in the treatment of mental illness and the promotion of mental well-being. They started the foundation in memory of Victor’ s oldest brother, John, who suffered from mental illness and died of complications from schizophrenia. For more information on the foundation, visit www. johnwbrickfoundation. org.
“ Our main contribution to mental health in the fitness industry is the first-ever Mental Well-Being Certification for Fitness Professionals. The program consists of an easy-to-follow online course covering how to improve the mental health and well-being of you, your staff and your members. Our dream is that all health clubs would become certified mental well-being centers where their staff is trained and certified in mental well-being, starting with all Planet Fitness clubs,” said Victor Brick.
Over the years, the Bricks have seen the fitness industry change. When they first started in the industry, most people joined to get bigger or to get smaller. Guys wanted to get bigger and look stronger. Girls wanted to get smaller and lose weight. This meant the guys focused on lifting weights and the girls focused on dance aerobics. Now, women are strength training more, and everyone is focused more on longevity and overall health.
Planet Fitness has also evolved since the couple became part of the brand. The biggest change the Bricks have seen within PF is its approach to the market it tries to attract.
“ We have matured from a brand focusing on first-time gym users to a brand that meets people wherever they are on their fitness journey, from‘ newbies’ users to inveterate exercisers. We have expanded our membership base appeal, but we still know we are not for everyone. We are more for people concerned with quality of life than people who are concerned about appearance and athletic performance,” said Lynne Brick.
As a legacy franchisee, the Bricks have worked with the PF Independent Franchisee Council for years, and they have seen firsthand the benefits of the PFIFC.
“ The PFIFC and PFIFC Board are our advocates. The PFIFC is an invaluable ally in protecting what is most important to franchisees, that being asset value. In addition, the PFIFC is a wealth of information and a resource for helping franchisees run their business more profitably and efficiently. They connect franchisees socially as well as professionally and help to make running your franchise more enjoyable and more hassle-free,” said Victor Brick.“ They help create that culture we alluded to earlier in this article, the sense of‘ Ohana.’”
Lynne and Victor Brick have been married 47 years and have been strong business partners throughout that time. Their daughter, Vicki Brick-Zupancic, had been running their three Brick Bodies clubs in Baltimore while living in Portland, Oregon, with her husband, Evan, and their 6-year-old daughter, Jordan, until her passing. Their son, Jon, is a product designer for Cortex and lives in New York City.
The Bricks’ children followed in Victor’ s footsteps and pursued basketball as their sport. Vicki played at the University of Maryland, professionally in Australia, and for the Filipino National Team. Jon played basketball at The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina, and professionally in Peru.
Victor and Lynne stay physically active, exercising daily, playing tennis, and practicing yoga and qigong. They are also avid readers, love to travel, enjoy the beach, have become foodies and enjoy spending time with friends and family, especially their granddaughter, Jordan. When they aren’ t running their fitness franchise, they are active in their church, Nativity Catholic in Timonium, Maryland, which they attend both in-person and remotely. They are focused on philanthropy and plan to become more active with ovarian cancer research in the future to honor Vicki. G
GearedUp | 2025 Issue 3
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