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The up-and-coming pilates-centric fitness concept and franchise sales solution recently struck up a partnership that is poised to take BODYBAR to an exciting new phase of growth.
Talking to Kamille and Matt McCollum, you’d be surprised to discover the two are newcomers to the franchise game. The newly-minted franchisors of 7-year-old fitness concept BODYBAR Pilates exude a level of drive and mindfulness acumen usually only found in the most seasoned of entrepreneurs, making it evident from the start why Franchise FastLane sees so much growth potential for BODYBAR.
The McCollums began their tenure with BODYBAR as franchisees initially in Fort Worth, Texas, the city adjacent to the brand’s Dallas home. “Between the workout, the income and the community of like-minded people, we fell in love as franchisees,” Kamille said. The brand was going through changes in leadership at the time of their opening, so the McCollums took it upon themselves to establish the necessary systems and processes to get their studio packed and profitable. Between Kamille’s team leadership and Matt’s business development background, it was no time before their studio was busting at the seams with business and the two began considering the prospect of expansion. When they went back to the brand, though, they were met with an entirely different opportunity.
“Purely based on our studio’s success and the processes Matt and I had established, BODYBAR leadership asked us to partner with them and take over the brand’s franchising efforts,” Kamille said. Before long, the McCollums were taking on the entire business—on June 1st, 2019, they were officially full-fledged franchisors of BODYBAR Pilates, and their partnership with Franchise FastLane began.
Franchise FastLane CEO Ryan Zink is uniquely qualified to identify with the McCollums’ journey from franchisee to franchisor, as he himself made the switch when he left GNC to found Complete Nutrition in 2005. When he was introduced to the McCollums through a mutual business associate in mid-2018 as they began heading up BODYBAR’s franchising initiatives, it was no surprise they all connected so quickly.
“Matt and Kamille previously being franchisees is going to serve as a powerful resource in their journey as franchisors,” Zink said. “Having been there myself, I can say first hand that working with customers, understanding the product and being the one to open and close a location each day gives you invaluable perspective—nobody understands a franchisee better than someone who has been there themselves, and Matt and Kamille embody that.”
From the initial conversation, Kamille and Matt knew that working with Franchise FastLane would take a lot off of their plate and let them focus on what they do best: Streamline unit-level operations, establish strong processes and build a profitable business fast.
“As an emerging brand, we’re looking at dollars and cents very closely and we felt like having Franchise FastLane on our team would help us reach our goals as quickly and efficiently as possible,” Kamille said. Plus, Matt added, “We were impressed by the broker relationships they’d established and with their great reputation throughout the industry.”
Though the relationship is young, the BODYBAR team is already seeing returns. Beyond just the weekly calls Matt and Kamille have with the Franchise FastLane team, the McCollums have been incredibly impressed by Ryan and Carey’s availability to answer their many questions and provide insight wherever possible. In fact, the Franchise FastLane team has gone so far as to connect BODYBAR with other emerging brands as a means of sharing best practices and learning from the mistakes they’ve already made, all in the name of both parties’ overall goal of growing BODYBAR Pilates nationwide.
“We’ve heard nothing but great things about what Franchise FastLane has been able to accomplish with its partners and we feel like we're in great hands with their team,” Matt said. “They know how to sell effectively and cultivate great relationships along the way, which is pivotal in their success. We can trust them with validating candidates and getting people to us who are a good fit so we can focus on the operations side of our business, getting franchises open and successful just as fast as they’re bringing leads in.”
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About the Author
Maddie has spent her career in the media industry, serving in various editorial roles before migrating into a hybrid content strategy and PR role with No Limit Agency. Her passion for storytelling and love of writing help her create meaningful content on behalf of her clients and fulfill No Limit Agency’s mission to tell people-driven stories.
Maddie is a graduate of Saint Louis University, where she studied Communications with a focus in journalism and media studies as well as Sports Business. In her spare time, Maddie can be found exploring Chicago’s food scene, watching an NBA game or lamenting over her middling fantasy baseball team.
