BY KERRY PIPES
ceoprofile
NO PAIN, NO GAIN
Eric Casaburi is crazy about fitness
E
ric Casaburi, founder and CEO of
Retro Fitness, has an open and trans-
parent style. He also likes to lie on a
bed of nails daily to meditate, relieve stress,
and, he says, help improve his decision-
making. He’s also routinely on Instagram,
Snapchat, Facebook, and Twitter where he
creates videos, shares business advice, and
offers people a glimpse into his daily life at
the helm of the fitness brand.
“I think this benefits franchisees and our
employees because they see what goes on
inside Retro Fitness leadership,” says the
42-year-old. “They see who I am, what I
do, and how important the success of the
brand is to me. They see that I’m working
just as hard as they are.”
Fitness has been a way of life for Casa-
buri, who landed his first gym job at 13.
He knew he’d found his place in the world
and launched Retro Fitness just 10 years
later. He began franchising the brand in
2006 and now has more than 150 gyms
in 16 states and another 100-plus in the
pipeline. The brand, which does $150
million in annual business, is on track to
have 250 gyms up and running in the next
two years. Last year, Retro Fitness signed
more than 20 new franchise agreements
for new or emerging markets.
Casaburi is passionate about healthy
lives—not only his own, but also those of
his brand’s employees, franchisees, and cli-
ents. He believes unequivocally in Retro
Fitness and sees nothing but growth ahead
as people look to live longer, healthier
lives. Not surprisingly, the brand is in-
NAME: Eric Casaburi
TITLE: CEO, founder
COMPANY: Retro Fitness
NO. OF UNITS: 155-plus
AGE: 42
FAMILY: Wife and four amazing kids, 16,
15, 7, 5
YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 11
Eric Casaburi
YEARS IN CURRENT POSITION: 13
Franchiseupdate I SSUE I I , 2017
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