1851

They&#8217;ve won extravagant trophies and gaudy championship rings. They&#8217;ve been feted by the press and hounded by the paparazzi. They&#8217;ve got millions in the bank and a handful of mansions in different area codes. Whether it&#8217;s in the NFL, MLB or NBA, athletes seemingly have it all&#8212;until, just like that, they don&#8217;t. It&#8217;s a sobering reality &#8212;the money-making skills many athletes spend years honing have an innate way of disappearing overnight. In an industry with a turnover rate that&#8217;s second to none, thanks to the high risk of debilitating injuries, unruly trades and an endless stream of fresh talent, where do athletes turn to when their spotlight in sports comes to a sudden end? For many pro athletes, their post-field strategy is taken straight from the pages of the franchising playbook. Over the past few years, many chains have made recruiting former players a part of their game plan&#8212;and for good reason. Athletes bring with them millions of dollars, a history of leadership and a strong work ethic built upon years of back-breaking practice. According to Alex Roberts, Chief Development Officer for <a href="http://titlefranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=former-athletes-are-taking-a-page-out-of-franchising-playbook-3393" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Title Boxing Club</a>, a <a></a><a>Diamond Ambassador,&nbsp;</a>for the <a href="http://thepafi.org/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=former-athletes-are-taking-a-page-out-of-franchising-playbook-3393" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">Professional Athlete Franchise Initiative</a>, they see more than 30 athletes a year who are interested in becoming franchisees. As one of PAFI&#8217;s sponsors, Title Club Boxing attends various events to network with professional athletes&#8212;both current and retired&#8212;their advisors and their agents. He believes that the athlete-entrepreneur parallels are many, and one of the biggest similarities is that both groups tend to be highly focused on accountability&#8212;meaning they won&#8217;t stop putting in the hard work until they&#8217;ve reached their goals. &#8220;We found that athletes can be good leaders and motivators. Just like in franchising, they&#8217;re used to working within a team and following a playbook. In many ways, other franchisees are like your teammates and the franchisor is like your coach,&#8221; Roberts said. Whereas people from large corporate environments may tend to be specialized in their skills and single-minded in their objectives, athletes are oftentimes equipped to see the bigger vision of all that goes into making a company thrive. They have the drive to practice a task rigorously, relentlessly and even in the midst of failure until they succeed. If one avenue is blocked, they know how to find another path to success. And they also know how to leverage the unique and complementary strengths of each member of their team for the greater good of an entire entity. &#8220;Businesses value athletes as franchisees and athletes value the career option of franchising. But it&#8217;s important that athletes plan early to make this work,&#8221; Roberts added. &#8220;Get educated on your options while you&#8217;re still playing. Go to seminars, make connections and learn as much as you can about franchising so that when you&#8217;re suddenly faced with retirement, you&#8217;re not scratching your head wondering what to do next.&#8221; Bryan Scott, a former NFL linebacker who was drafted by the Atlanta Falcons in 2003, first heard of a franchising opportunity with Title Boxing Club during a networking event in 2013&#8212;the year he retired. It was around that time that he was looking for ways to re-identify himself into something other than a football player. Scott knew the second he wrapped up his career in the NFL that he wanted to stay in the fitness world. To him, fitness was always more than just helping people get back into an old pair of pants&#8212;it was about prolonging one&#8217;s well-being with a healthy lifestyle. So when he toured his first Title Boxing Club, his next career move was clear. &#8220;The stories I heard of how this franchise had changed people&#8217;s lives really drew me in. This was my little way of giving back,&#8221; Scott said in an interview. &#8220;But beyond the fact that this was a career in a field I cared about deeply, I realized that franchising in general was the right move for me. I am a by-the-book type of person&#8212;as an athlete, I spent most of my life executing strategies from a playbook. As I transitioned out of the football world, I thought why not continue on a path that allows me to incorporate a lot of what has helped me in life thus far.&#8221; Today, he&#8217;s the proud owner of two locations, both within the greater Atlanta-area, where he spends much of his time teaching classes and running the day-to-day operations. And as Title Boxing Club continues to ride out the growth of niche fitness studios, Scott has his sights set on opening additional locations in the years to come. In the end, if there&#8217;s one thing Scott has learned from this experience, it&#8217;s that it&#8217;s never too early to start planning for your future. &#8220;You have to look ahead. The longevity of an NFL player isn&#8217;t that long, and life after football is so much longer. The most important thing I tell younger people is that you can&#8217;t let football define who you are,&#8221; Scott said. &#8220;Whether you&#8217;re a professional athlete or in the world of business, know that you&#8217;re capable of anything. After all, the fundamentals of success are the same no matter the field&#8212;work hard, pay attention to detail and be good to people. Good stuff will happen.&#8221;<div><div><div id="_com_4" language="JavaScript"> </div> </div> </div>

1851 Franchise

Pro athletes are scoring big with franchising thanks to the transferrable skills they picked up on the field.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

Former Athletes Are Taking a Page out of Franchising Playbook

former-athletes-are-taking-a-page-out-of-franchising-playbook

USA Ninja Challenge

Where Passion Meets Purpose: USA Ninja Challenge Gives Franchisees the Power to Change Lives

where-passion-meets-purpose-usa-ninja-challenge-gives-franchisees-the-power-to-change-lives

SweatHouz

From Finance to Wellness: Natalie Siewers’ Path to Leading SweatHouz in Northern Virginia

sweathouz-franchise-northern-virginia-natalie-siewers

Seniors Helping Seniors®

Seniors Helping Seniors® Honors Lynn Quintana as Caregiver of the Year 2025

seniors-helping-seniors-honors-lynn-quintana-as-caregiver-of-the-year-2025

Beansquad

Franchise Compliance Confidence: BeanSquad's Expertise in Navigating Regulatory Requirements

beansquad-franchise-compliance-bookkeeping

KidStrong Franchising, LLC

KidStrong Franchise - Franchisee Spotlight - Jessica and Bobby Montoya - 1851 Franchise

Former Orangetheory Regional Manager and Licensed Counselor, Grow KidStrong Franchise, Empowering Youth in Albuquerque, New Mexico

kidstrong-franchise-albuquerque-montoya

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Thursday 1851 Franchise Agg - NASAA’s Noncompete Push

NASAA’s Noncompete Push Puts Franchise Growth on Uncertain Ground

franchise-noncompete-nasaa-advisory-reasonableness-standard

How a Steady Economy Could Help Franchisors Plan Their Next Move

how-a-steady-economy-could-help-franchisors-plan-their-next-move

Bed Bath & Beyond - Franchise Expansion - Retail Strategy - 1851 Franchise

Bed Bath & Beyond Launches Franchise Model as Part of Comeback Strategy

bed-bath-beyond-franchise-expansion-retail-strategy

Senior Entrepreneurship - Franchising - 1851 Franchise

Senior Entrepreneurship Is Rising — And Franchising Is a Key Outlet

senior-entrepreneurship-franchising-silver-startups

U.S. Government Shutdown - Impact on Franchises - 1851 Franchise

Government Shutdown Stalls SBA Loans: How the Shutdown Could Impact Franchises

government-shutdown-impacts-sba-loans-tourism-franchises

image  of Happinest franchise collection and all their brands that work together. 

The Happinest Advantage: A Marketing Partner Invested in Your Bottom Line

happinest-franchise-marketing-strategy

Ty McBride on Turning Preservan Into a Franchise: No Shortcuts, Just Persistence

ty-mcbride-on-turning-preservan-into-a-franchise-no-shortcuts-just-persistence

A Practical Playbook: Who To Call First When Franchising Your Business

franchising-your-business-who-to-call-first

1851 Franchise Coffee & Analytics image with blue background and photo of Nick Powills

The Franchise Broker Slowdown — How Did We Get Here?

the-franchise-broker-slowdown

NJCAR v. Ford - New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

New Jersey Supreme Court Limits Standing Under Franchise Practices Act

new-jersey-franchise-practices-act-njcar-v-ford

image of franchise deep dive from 1851 franchise on doody calls franchise authority brands

DoodyCalls Franchise Costs, Fees, Profit and Data for 2025

doodycalls-franchise-deep-dive

Top Early Childhood Education and Child Care Franchises for 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Top Early Childhood Education and Child Care Franchises for 2025

early-childhood-education-child-care-franchises

1851 Franchisee Spotlight graphic with photo of Barb Volk and KidStrong logo

Why This Orangetheory Fitness Franchise Owner Is Developing KidStrong Franchises

kidstrong-franchise-owner-barb-volk-2025

Top Education Franchises To Consider for 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Top Education Franchises To Consider Investing In for 2025

top-education-franchises-investment-opportunities

Power Eats: Smoothie King Rolls Out Food Nationwide To Fuel Franchise Growth

Former Athletes Are Taking a Page out of Franchising Playbook

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS