Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue II, 2017 | Page 38

U N D E R
BY DEBBIE SELINSKY
Thriving at 28
C
Hard work and long hours pay off for Chelsea Segura
helsea Segura signed her fi rst
franchise agreement with The
Little Gym two months before
she graduated from Louisiana
State University with a degree in kinesiol-
ogy. At the insistence of her hard-working,
entrepreneurial parents, she’d worked dur-
ing high school and throughout college.
In 2010, Segura successfully launched
her fi rst business on her home turf in La-
fayette, La., with her parents as partners.
Five years later, she opened a second loca-
tion, The Little Gym of the Northshore,
in Covington, La., just above Lake Pont-
chartrain. In addition to expanding her
business, her goal was to offer her loyal
employees the opportunity to move up.
Segura, who is getting married in May,
recently joined her brand’s Executive Ad-
visory Committee. She also participates in
The Little Gym’s charitable Big Hearts
board and sits on the Reunion Committee.
She may often be the youngest seated
at the table at executive meetings, but the
energetic, hard-working 28-year-old with
the “service heart” has no doubt that be-
ing a franchisee can be the perfect career
for young entrepreneurs willing to work
hard and put in the time. She’s also cer-
tain that younger franchisees can bring a
lot to the table, especially when it comes
to leveraging social media to grow and
expand the business.
“I work a lot with potential franchisees
for The Little Gym, and I meet young fran-
chisees who really have it together,” she
says. “They also recognize that, through
franchising, they don’t have to reinvent
the wheel. So much has been done that
makes our lives easier.”
But that doesn’t mean franchisees for
The Little Gym can’t be creative, she
adds. “What I love about The Little Gym
is that they have recommendations and
they have guidelines. You can put your
own spin on certain things, but not on
others, for good reason. That trial and
error is why I trust them.”
Segura, who was introduced to The
Little Gym when she took a part-time
job there in college, says she actually fell
into her perfect career. And, in an indus-
try not always quick to use technology,
she credits social media for much of her
company’s success.
“Social media is really fabulous for our
business, especially with the reviews and
NAME: Chelsea Segura
TITLE: Co-owner
COMPANY: Segura’s Prosperity
Investments
NO. OF UNITS: The Little Gym, 2
AGE: 28
FAMILY: Fiancé Tren LeBlanc;
parents and business partners
Ronald and Tina Segura; brother
and sister-in-law Tyler and Lauren
Segura
YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 7
YEARS IN CURRENT POSITION: 7
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MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE I SS UE II , 2 01 7