franchisee sp tlight
Jost ADK
Partner(s): Rich, Jason and Jonny Jost
Total Number of PF clubs: 3 open, 4 under
development
State(s) in which you operate clubs: Colorado
Perhaps no other company embodies the family atmosphere
of the Planet Fitness® brand like Jost ADK. The Josts – Rich and
Kristi, Jason and Robin, and Jonny and Staci – took time to talk
about being franchisees and how Jost ADK is truly a family affair.
2016 Issue 3 | GearedUp
How did you become a PF Franchisee?
Rich: Back in 2012, myself and a group of high school friends
were involved in a business plan for a fitness-type business in
Syracuse, New York. During our research phase, we came across
Planet Fitness and were very interested in their model. After
much research, my friend, Larry Luckwaldt, decided to move
forward with an ADA in California. As I tracked his progress and
understood more about the PF® brand, the time seemed right for
me and my wife to take the next steps. We involved my brothers,
Jason and Jonny, as well as my parents, who have extensive entrepreneurial experience, to help guide us and keep us out of trouble.
In May 2013, we signed our ADA as a family business and haven’t
looked back.
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Tell us a little about yourself and the company’s
background.
Jonny: The Jost family is originally from upstate New York
and was raised around great family values, team work and a
strong work ethic. We all had jobs from a very young age. Each
family member started off on their own careers, gaining different
business experience and expertise. In addition to following Planet
Fitness’s model and mission, we set guiding principles for our
business that we continue to follow.
Jason: Our company is truly a family business with our parents,
Kevin and Candy Jost, leading our board of directors. Kevin and
Candy built an IT company over 40 years, which they sold to Honeywell in 2006. Prior to becoming a franchisee, Rich had a successful
15-year career in IT sales. Jonny spent over 10 years in the outdoor
retail sports industry. I, along with a business partner, started a
national electrical service company in 2000, which they continue to
operate. Kristi had a successful 10-year career with Anheuser-Busch
InBev managing human resources. Robin spent 20 years as a legislative aide working for a New York state senator. Jonny and Staci were
married in August 2016; Staci is getting her feet wet in the family
business while continuing a career in pediatric health.
In your opinion, what stands out about the Planet Fitness
brand?
Rich: From the date we started looking into Planet, what
stood out to me was the support from corporate and the openness and willingness from the franchisees to help everyone be
successful.
Jonny: The strength of the franchisee community. In today’s
PF franchisee environment
there exists a huge bandwidth of expertise, experience
and a hunger to grow. With
Jonny, Jason and Rich Jost
all this bandwidth working
toward shared goals, we have
the power to take the brand
as far as we want, so long as we continue to innovate and stay
true to our Judgement Free Zone® core values and the teams that
support us.
Robin: The aspects of the PF brand that stand out to me are
the Judgement Free Zone, no critics and team-first atmosphere, and
the anti-bullying platform PF supports and encourages all franchisees to be part of. Our son was bullied from a very young age. We
are very encouraged that PF, as an organization, recognizes bullying
as a concern to teens and parents. PF wants to help support this
cause by partnering with the Boys & Girls Clubs of America and
STOMP Out Bullying – this means the world to our family.
What lessons have you learned about working together
as a family?
Rich: We are a very close and tight-knit family, not just with
the immediate family but with everyone – aunts, uncles, cousins,
etc. Being close-knit and being in business with people that
you’ve known your whole life are two different things. The key is
a clear understanding and agreement of the company’s goals and
division of roles and responsibilities. Creating a collaborative and
transparent environment is also crucial, and at the end of the day,
family always comes first.
Jonny: We have learned many lessons working together as a
family. On the higher level decisions, we work together and allow
each other to offer input to come to the best decision. We also
have learned that when you all love the business, the conversation
never stops. We talk about and work on the business 24/7; it is our
shared passion. Even on the ski lift, we talk business.
Another great lesson is that, when you have a strong family
business with a family culture, it will be reflected in the teams you
build. We capitalize on that family culture and ensure every team
member feels a part of the family and is recognized for good work.
Jason: If you are all working from the same playbook, with
defined goals, there is nothing you can’t accomplish. The great
thing about a family business is there are no time clocks; we are
always punched in.
Robin: Working together in a fa mily business is different
from working with individuals who the only bond you have is
the company you work for. Being family brings another layer of
thoughtful discussions. In the end, it’s very rewarding when you
can celebrate accomplishments with people you care about.