2020 Issue 4 | GearedUp
28
Franchisee Spotlight Continued from page 26
rewarding to see the advancement of our team , like our front desk team members who started with us 10 years ago and have grown into leadership roles in our company .”
Mortensen agrees . “ There are very few businesses where you can make such a positive impact on people ’ s lives ,” he said . “ Even on your worst day , you walk into the club and it energizes you every time .”
In Alex Majkrzak ’ s opinion , it has been extremely rewarding to work with his family and best friends and to be a part of a brand that has a lot of potential for growth . “ Having the ability to change lives positively with our members in our locations and helping progress our Baseline Fitness team members ’ professional careers is truly a one-two punch ,” he said .
Through their time as part of Planet Fitness , Scott Majkrzak and Mortensen have realized that there are many aspects of PF that stand out .
Mortensen pointed to the marketing side of the business : “ The concept itself is incredible in its simplicity and in the consistency of execution . The marketing of the company is first-rate . When you understand the power of the judgement-free zone and the messaging behind that , it ’ s incredible .”
Scott Majkrzak also mentioned the franchisee community and the willingness to help each other out , and he also brought up the uniqueness of the relationship and collaboration between the franchisor and the franchisees . “ The special talent that exists within the model is something that I think is unrivaled anywhere else in the franchise world ,” he said .
For Alex Majkrzak , the member experience is something that stands out . “ There is not another brand within the fitness industry that holds the standard we do ,” he said . “ We ’ re not only a gym , but we ’ re also a place our members can go just to be themselves , whether it ’ s exercising or simply chatting it up with the staff .”
Overcoming initial challenges .
Of course , no business venture is immune from facing challenges and hurdles . Mortensen explained , “ Being that we started in the middle of nowhere , the first challenge was figuring out how to put together a company with size and scale that could tackle the geographic challenges . A lot of our peers were in densely populated areas , but we ’ re in a smaller town .” Once the infrastructure was in place , it was a matter of investing in the business , directing the resources to the right places and growing in the right way .
There was also a need to shift to making decisions based on strategy , which , for someone in the cash-strapped early days of starting a business , can go against the temptation to make decisions based on cash flow . “ When we realized that we wanted to run a business that owns and operates gyms , we saw the need to invest in that infrastructure and try to be proactive ,” Scott Majkrzak said . For him , it was important to realize that the group was investing in their future , which would take some capital upfront – capital that would return its investment later .
Alex Majkrzak also pointed out that one challenge was deciding when to add in infrastructure . “ We were all used to wearing many different hats to get a club open and its operations thriving , but it wasn ’ t sustainable with the growth we wanted to achieve ,” he explained . “ We were lucky to be able to hire externally and streamline our internal growth to set up a structure that could easily mature with our business .”
Challenges facing the franchisee community as a whole .
Now , there are also challenges facing the franchisee community as a whole – namely , COVID-19 . “ The biggest challenge is stabilizing the business and getting it declared essential ,” Mortensen said . “ Shutdowns are a major concern for 2021 .” Scott Majkrzak added , “ The challenge is to educate consumers and the government about the importance of health and fitness and essentializing our businesses . It ’ s an unprecedented time for us .”
That is not to say that there aren ’ t opportunities that arise from these challenges . Scott Majkrzak noted that there would undoubtedly be industry consolidation and real estate opportunities . He sees opportunity to gain more market share , obtain top-notch real estate and expand the lead that PF has within the industry . Mortensen believes these opportunities could be taken advantage of by investing marketing dollars .
Alex Majkrzak brought up technology as a big opportunity . “ We have a big chance to capitalize within that sector during the times we ’ re experiencing now ,” he said . “ We feel PFHQ has done a great job in progressing technology through the PF Mobile App and initiatives inside our clubs .”
Lessons learned . Through their experience growing Baseline , the trio has a wealth of advice to share with new franchisees .
“ You need to stay true to the model ,” Scott Majkrzak advised . “ It ’ s a proven , genius model . There ’ s no reason to reinvent the wheel . Reach out to the franchisee community – you ’ ve got people who are more than willing to help .” Mortensen added that reaching out to the franchisor can be a great help , too , saying that , in his experience , they have been nothing but supportive .
“ Try your absolute best to enjoy the growing pains , if it ’ s either through club growth or building a solid foundation of team members ,” Alex Majkrzak said . “ Our model is fast-paced and it ’ s easy to not stop and smell the roses .”
Scott continued by adding the best piece of business advice he ’ s ever received : “ Surround yourself with people who are smarter than yourself . If you surround yourself with those people , they make you smarter and your business better .” Mortensen agreed , adding that it ’ s important to find the people who can help elevate your company .
For Alex Majkrzak , it ’ s important to remember the “ why ” behind what you do . “ When we take a step back and remember the work our company has put in to get to where we are today and , most importantly , the uplifting stories from members and team members , it quickly brings back the feeling of what makes this brand special . These times we ’ re currently living in are temporary , but the character this brand has built over the years is something we all will enjoy being a part of for years to come .”
Getting through these times .
Sometimes , during tough times there are few options other than to adapt and endure . Mortensen has been impressed by the marketing PF Corporate has been putting out during this time , calling it some of the best if not the best the group has seen . He also appreciates the support that they ’ ve received from PFHQ . Scott Majkrzak is grateful for the PFIFC and what they do for the franchise community , saying that the collaboration has been key to helping franchisees through these times . G