7 Things We Learned From a Top Fitness Franchise Conference

Author Hewitt Tomlin is the CEO and co-founder of TeamBuildr

Few training businesses have experienced the success that D1 Training has. Founded in 2001 by a 22-yr. old Will Bartholomew, what started as a single facility in Nashville now boasts over 140 locations with 100+ coming online in the next 12 months.

D1 Training does not try to be everything for everyone - but it does believe that strength training is for everyone. Youth athletes, to pro athletes, to working parents attend D1 facilities for training that includes squatting, sprinting, and jumping. In other words, everyone comes for athletic performance training regardless of their fitness goal.

As D1’s official software for workout delivery and tracking, TeamBuildr (parent company of GymStudio) recently attended its first D1 Franchisee Summit where franchisees gathered for 3 days to learn, discuss, listen, and inspire one another as the INC5000 business works towards its goal of opening 150 more locations by the end of next year.

While D1 discussed effective (but proprietary) principles for their success that we cannot share publicly, here are 7 big takeaways that we can share:

“Leverage our vendors and tools”
One of the core values of D1 Training is to “Make a smart play” which CEO Will Bartholomew exampled as being curious and resourceful when it comes to using the tools and vendors made available to franchisees via corporate partnerships.

I loved this. One thing I believe we do well at TeamBuildr is staying current on new tools and companies available to us. Sitting through countless product demos is not the most exciting work - but finding a new tool that marginally improves a process, saves a few dollars, or delivers a slightly better customer experience is something that has added up over the years.

A great example right now is the AI craze. While I don’t have any opinions on it yet, the current plan of action is to stay curious and open-minded about the AI tools that will inevitably come and go. I plan to make a smart play when I see the opportunity.
“Passion means suffering for something”
Keynote speaker Tim Tebow epitomizes passion, so there is no surprise he made sure to speak on it during his keynote address. And he made a point to note that the Latin root meaning of passion is “to suffer or endure.”

To be passionate about something will not mean that every day will be easy or exciting. It more likely means there will be some pain to endure as you pursue your passion. The tasks will become mundane, the nights can be long and the challenges can be frequent. However, the willingness to suffer for the mission of your business is a positive signal that you are willing to endure to experience something meaningful.
“Value needs to exceed the price now and forever”
Regarding pricing and value, D1’s business team (the team tasked with coaching franchisees on growing their business) explained the keen difference in providing upfront value vs. delivering consistent value.

For example, discounting a membership or package will create short-term value for a customer - an effective tool for getting people in the door. However, discounts alone cannot lead to long-term loyalty. Rather, the value should be considered something that can consistently be delivered in surplus. D1’s interpretation of this is how members are greeted by the staff each time they walk into the facility. Creating an environment of positivity, high energy, care, focus, and attention can potentially make an hour at D1 the best moment of the member’s day.
"Iron Sharpens Iron’ isn’t comfortable.”
A popular slogan within D1, the process of forging and hardening iron is not all sunshine and rainbows. It requires heat, pressure, and consistency. Translating that into real life, this process requires challenging the individual and holding them to standards that are communicated between both parties. As Tebow said, “It’s not pillows sharpen pillows.” It’s going to be uncomfortable.
“Your character is responsible for your success or failure”
The limiting factor in your business’s progress is often a limitation in your character. There was a lot of talk about the D1 values and the "D1 way" that specificies how to operate a franchise. But zooming out, many of the things detailed in the "D1 way" are general personality traits of a successful person. If your business is suffering, oftentimes you are going to have to confront your shortcomings first.
Vendors are a great source of connections
Now 13 years into owning and operating TeamBuildr, I would say few coaches are more connected than a reputable vendor is. At the D1 Franchisee Summit, I met quite a few companies who have virtually no synergy with TeamBuildr; however, our presence at the D1 Summit was confirmation of our shared reputability, and I was able to make several great connections with people who have large networks of coaches and organizations that I aspire to work with. Maybe networking in person is not dead after all?
“Can you keep going?”
Will B. shares a profound experience with his collegiate strength coach at Univ. of Tennessee where the coach asks him a few weeks into his freshman year, “I see you’re showing up early, leaving late, and working hard - can you keep going?”

Will then proceeds to share how periodically Coach Stuckey would ask him “Can you keep it up?” throughout his 4-year career as he graduated a Captain with a National Title on the way to the NFL.

Being in my 13th year of owning and operating TeamBuildr and GymStudio, consistency and persistence are my biggest challenges at times. Can I keep it up? Can I keep putting the work in? Simply asking myself the question rhetorically makes me think about what tactics I can employ to stay in it for the long run.