PF was the creation of and collaboration with the former Supply Chain Negotiating Team . Having partners like Pete Hopkins , Tim Kelleher , Jim Kunihiro ( formerly of Excel Fitness ) and Shane McGuiness to brainstorm with was an invaluable resource . We shared ideas , data and unified a PFHQ-franchisee vision for success . In turn , those franchisees became the biggest champions for various SCNT programs and encouraged their peers to further leverage collective buying .
What makes the Planet Fitness franchisee community special ?
The open-door policy . I ’ ve worked at organizations where employees stayed in their specific lanes and didn ’ t collaborate with anyone outside of their department , except through their direct manager . People in the Planet Fitness system are eager to share ideas , answer questions , lend assistance , no matter what organization you ’ re with or what level you are . Franchisees and their employees come from diverse and successful backgrounds and can be a wealth of knowledge . I ’ m appreciative of the relationships that I ’ ve forged with franchisees and their teams and how they are available to take a call or provide a helpful email .
From your view , what are some of the biggest challenges for the brand and franchisees ?
Now , more than ever , we need to commit ourselves to smart and leveraged buying . While most materials availability and lead times have improved , prices are not likely to come back down . Committing to national programs that emphasize purchasing power and identifying gaps where supplier programs are limited or non-existent can help make the process to buy needed goods / services more predictable and most cost efficient .
What are three things people would be surprised to know about you ?
1 . Just before I joined Planet Fitness , my dad became a franchisee for a brand within an unrelated industry . This was the first time either of us had been part of a franchise system . In talking with my dad and watching him operate his franchise , I think I gained more perspective about the franchisee side of the system .
2 . Before and immediately after leaving college , I thought I wanted to have a career in outdoor recreation and hospitality . I was a guide in the Adirondack Mountains through college and spent the months after graduation running white water gear boats down the Salmon and Snake rivers in Idaho .
3 . Forget judging a nice cabernet or hoppy IPA – I ’ m an ice cream connoisseur . If you ’ ve got any must-have recommendations , send them my way . Right now , I ’ m all about Bart ’ s Ice Cream out of Greenfield , Massachusetts .
Tell us a little about your personal / family life .
Before PF , my wife and I lived and worked in New York City . Eight years ago , we decided to make a change and move to New Hampshire without knowing anyone . We ’ ve loved it ever since ! We have two boys , ages 3.5 and 2 , who keep us very active . If we ’ re not home , you can find us in the Adirondack Mountains or on Kezar Lake in Maine , where we love to camp , fish , boat or grab a nice , cold pint of ice cream . G
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GearedUp | 2023 Issue 3
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