franchisee sp tlight
A
Mentor
to Many:
Joe Pepe Steps into the Franchisee Spotlight
18
W
hen Joe Pepe went to his dad in the early 1980s
looking to borrow money to open his first women’s
weight loss center, his father couldn’t say yes fast
enough. But Pepe will profess that it was never that
first family loan that set him up for success – it was the unwavering
support of his father that led him to where he is today. That
support Pepe knew early in life has been sustained by his business
partners, his wife and his family. In return, Pepe has served as a
mentor to a host of Planet Fitness® franchisees, providing them
with guidance and years of wisdom.
“The best thing my father ever gave me wasn’t the MG,” said
Pepe, referring to the car his dad offered him before he left for
college. “It was that he believed in me because that lasts a lifetime.
I always say to people, ‘When you can believe in someone or
someone believes in you, it’s so powerful.’”
Few know that support like Pepe’s business partner, CJ
Bouchard. After Pepe left weight loss centers and after a stint in the
tanning industry, he opened a World Gym where Bouchard was a