Franchisee Voices: Rafael Sanmiguel of GYMGUYZ

After learning discipline while posted in Germany for three years in the military, Rafael Sanmiguel used that dedication to positively impact his own life.

Now he is excited to impact the lives of community members in the Columbus, Ohio region where he is bringing GYMGUYZ, a mobile brand with a full fleet of trucks that brings state-of-the-art fitness equipment and expert coaches to the Columbus area.

GYMGUYZ stuck out to Rafael because of the mobile aspect and bringing the gym to his clients. The brand actively attracts military veterans through the VetFran Partnership, offering a discounted franchise price.

Tell us a little bit about your background.

I was born in Queens and went to the University of Tennessee, where I met my wife, who is from South America. I was in the military for 3 years and was stationed in Germany. I lived overseas in South America. We moved to Ohio for her job at Abbott Laboratories. I started in recruiting and headhunting and made my way to HR. I have always had a passion for fitness and nutrition. Within the last couple of months I received emails about different franchises and GYMGUYZ stood out to me. One thing led to another and it interested me and hit all of the right points.

Why did you choose to become a franchisee with GYMGUYZ? How did you learn about the brand?

The mobile aspect is a huge thing. You can make more of a difference with this type of business instead of a brick and mortar building. You can get closer to the person you are training. I did a lot of intense workouts in the military, but a lot of it has been learned on my own. I always look to give advice to people who are looking to get healthy.

What were your perceptions of franchising before starting the process? 

I didn’t know a lot, I just knew I wanted to have my own business. When I was a kid to make money I started a lawn mowing business in Miami and I did pretty well. I hired some friends on to help me out. I knew with franchising there would be certain restrictions, but it just fit me better for several reasons. There are guidelines already there for you. I’m not extremely creative, but I love to be able to take something and go from there.

What’s next for you and your business? Do you have any development/expansion plans with the brand?

I’d love to expand to the New Albany and Dublin, Ohio areas.