Jerry Pugh“ My job is to remove obstacles, so great people can do great work.”
CEO builds the next era of Workout Anytime
Jerry Pugh“ My job is to remove obstacles, so great people can do great work.”
“ Heart and Backbone”
CEO builds the next era of Workout Anytime
Written by KERRY PIPES
That people-first mindset was tested during the pandemic.“ The pandemic forced every leader to lead with empathy and clarity,” Pugh recalls.“ It reminded me that relationships and communication are everything.” Under his leadership, Workout Anytime emerged more mission driven, adaptable, and focused on what members value most: health as a lifestyle, not a luxury.
Pugh leads with a blend of entrepreneurial spirit and operational discipline. He describes his challenge as“ balancing speed with scalability.” One of his long-term goals is to grow from 200 to 400 locations.“ Growth without structure is chaos,” he says. He wants to preserve the brand’ s entrepreneurial spirit while building the strong systems needed to sustain it.
Culture, he insists,“ can’ t be emailed. It has to be modeled.” That’ s why the brand prioritizes clear communication, consistent standards, and leading by example at every level from corporate teams to club managers. Field support and brand standards are key to bringing that culture to life.
Pugh says he believes in impact.“ When I see franchisees thriving, adding clubs, and changing lives in their communities,” he says,“ that’ s the ultimate ROI for any franchisor.”
JERRY PUGH
CEO
Company: Workout Anytime Units: 190-plus Age: 54 Years in Franchising: 8 Years in Current Position: Since 2024
For Jerry Pugh, leadership isn’ t about titles or hierarchy. It’ s about clarity, accountability, and the courage to make decisions that elevate everyone around him. As CEO and majority owner of Workout Anytime, Pugh is steering one of the nation’ s fastest-growing fitness brands into its next chapter. The stakes are high in the $ 45 billion-plus fitness club industry.
Pugh’ s journey to the corner office is rooted in experience on the front lines. Before becoming CEO, he led one of Workout Anytime’ s most successful multi-unit franchise groups, earning the Franchisee of the Year title four times. He knows firsthand what franchisees need to succeed and how corporate decisions ripple through an entire system.“ I see myself as both the vision setter and the accountability partner for our system,” he says.“ My job is to remove obstacles, so great people can do great work.”
LEADERSHIP What is your role as CEO? As CEO of Workout Anytime, my role is to set the strategic direction for our brand, build alignment between the franchisor and franchisee network, and ensure we deliver consistent value to our members. It’ s about driving growth while never losing sight of the operators who make our brand great.
How has Covid-19 affected the way you have led your brand? We had to make quick, tough calls to support franchisees, pivot in marketing, and rethink how we deliver fitness. It strengthened our resolve to be a brand built for real people. We’ re resilient, local, and mission driven.
Describe your leadership style: I lead with transparency, accountability, and purpose. I believe in empowering others through clarity, not control. I’ ve been inspired by my time in the trenches as a multi-unit franchisee before becoming CEO. Working side by side with my teams taught me what leadership really looks like: listening first, acting decisively, and never asking anyone to do something you wouldn’ t do yourself.
What has inspired your leadership style? Balancing speed with scalability. Growth without structure is chaos. My challenge is to maintain our entrepreneurial spirit while ensuring we have systems strong enough to support 400-plus clubs.