Corporate to Club
Continued from page 53
“There are fewer employees so we feel more like a family. I
get to talk with ownership and share my ideas on a daily basis.
Everyone has a say in what goes on in our group,” he said.
One of the perks of PFHQ was the ability to learn from those
striving to make Planet Fitness what it is today.
“I was fortunate to draw upon the wisdom of a lot of great
people – Michael and Marc Grondahl, Chris Rondeau, Mark
Christie, Bill Mulleady, Dawn Sullivan, Jamie Medeiros. That’s
a lineup like the ’27 Yankees!” exclaimed Craig. “These people
spent every day trying to make Planet Fitness better, and they
were really good at their jobs. All I had to do was pay attention.”
The friendships developed during the years at corporate
transcend the move to franchisee. They also provide a wealth of
knowledge and resources to call upon.
“We were a very tight-knit group at corporate. A lot of us
were very young and did not have families so we poured all of
our life and energy into making Planet Fitness bigger and better,”
Christie said. “One of my closest friends at corporate, who is now
also a franchisee, was John Craig, someone I talk to almost on
a daily basis. It’s great to have him to bounce things off of. We
support each other a lot.”
As club owners, those who first worked at corporate feel the
experience built a firm foundation on which to become a PF franchisee. It stressed the importance of remaining compliant with
the PF brand, the reasons for each rule and regulation, and the
importance of staying true to the Judgement Free Zone®.
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“I was blessed to have started with PF when the company
was in its infancy, only having three company stores and not yet
a franchise company. I was able to learn every aspect of day-today operations, how to build systems that we could duplicate,
how to manage people, how marketing is the key to the business.
I learned new store development, and then as VP of franchise
sales, I really got the opportunity to learn how to select markets
for PF development, financing, how to find proper real estate and
how to negotiate great PF deals,” Christie said. “I have to say
that I could not have been better prepared to make the move to
becoming a franchise owner.”
Having been both corporate and franchisee deepens the
appreciation for how each side approaches the relationship.
While corporate and franchisee interests intersect about 98
percent of the time, the challenges are different for each side.
For example, corporate employees always have to consider the
Planet Fitness brand in the larger sense when making decisions,
and franchisees face a unique set of pressures in operating their
clubs day-to-day and meeting their obligations to customers and
business partners.
“Most corporate employees are there to help anytime we
need them. Most have been working with Planet Fitness for years
and understand the model, and many started at a young age so
the Planet Fitness culture is what they know best,” Morrissette
said.
“Franchisee groups also have a lot to offer. Many of these
operators were in the gym or customer service business years
before they got involved with PF. They have a lot of knowledge and ideas picked up over the years,” he continued. “I
learned early on that my owners have employees and families
depending on them; they realize that we have mortgages to
pay, car payments and families to provide for. I’m sure it can be
stressful.”
So what’s the secret sauce to Planet Fitness’ success? The
value the customer receives for their money.
“We essentially have been able to do what lots of companies
can’t do and that is be disciplined enough not to cross that line,”
Christie said. “The biggest threat to this company will not be from
the outside, it will be from us trying to find ways to make this
business more profitable at the customer’s expense.”
With the same objective in mind, the two sides can work
together to achieve profitable results, but as with anything,
communication will be integral.
“Franchisees need to be aware of everything that is going
on and should be asked their opinions about all key initiatives.
Pilot programs that both corporate and franchisees are both on
has helped recently. These programs help franchisees play a
big role in decisions. All major decisions should be made with
agreement of both the franchisor and franchisee,” Morrissette
said.
Regardless of which side you’re on, a commitment to open
dialogue and retaining the essential aspects of Planet Fitness will
continue to move the brand forward. G
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Contact Maria Kruse at 727.536.5566 or [email protected]
Jessica Loeding is the PFIFA director of communications and
editor-in-chief of Geared Up. You can reach Loeding at 678-7975160 or [email protected].