1851

Stacy Edwards spent 12 years playing football within the Canadian and Indoor leagues after graduating from his Washington state high school and the University of Montana. He spent a decade in the Indoor Football League playing and coaching before he transitioned into the telecommunications industry after his days on the field were over. His athletic background and experience as a personal trainer in his offseasons led him to seeking out <a href="http://www.gymguyzfranchise.com/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchisee-spotlight-stacy-edwards-of-gymguyz-12483" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">GYMGUYZ</a> as his next business venture.

He&rsquo;ll be using his experience as a personal trainer, high school coach, and athlete to help the locals combat some of the Seattle area&rsquo;s dreary days with newfound motivation and exercise.

Can you tell me a little more about your background? 

I was born in Georgia, so very far from where I am now. My family moved around a little bit &ndash; we spent some time in L.A. before moving to the Tri-Cities, about three hours east of Seattle. I went to Pasco High School and was a three-sport athlete. From there, I earned a full-ride football scholarship to the University of Montana where I also ran track. After school, I played pro football as a defensive back for 12 years in the Canadian Football League, Arena Football League, and the Indoor Football League. It wound up being a couple of years in the CFL, a few in the AFL, and then 10 years as a player/coach in the IFL.

That was all before I got involved with the wireless communications industry. I spent most of my time working with Verizon and Comcast. Simultaneously, I coach basketball at Mercer Island High School where we just won state for the first time in our school&rsquo;s history.

How did you find GYMGUYZ and what motivated you about joining the team?

Professionally, I was looking for something that I could be passionate about and that I could do until the end of my career. I wanted to wake up and be excited about what I was getting ready to do. Six years ago, one of my best friends died because of a weight-related issue and three years later, I had a second friend die because of a similar problem. I had been a personal trainer in the past &ndash; it was something I used to do in my offseasons &ndash; so I just wanted to put all of this motivation together into a career.

I had a franchise coach leading me to all sorts of stuff but nothing was sticking until I finally ran into GYMGUYZ and it seemed like everything was a fit. I first encountered GYMGUYZ in November and, in the process, I wanted to make sure that I was ready for it. So, in January, I made the decision &ndash; in fact it was part of my New Year&rsquo;s resolution &ndash; to move forward with the business.

Do you have any other ties to the area?

I&rsquo;ve spent 18 years in the Seattle area as a broadcaster, calling local high school football games. I started doing this during my playing career, since I had the time to play and broadcast. I hope to continue doing this even while operating GYMGUYZ.

What about your community will make it a fit for GYMGUYZ?

I live in Seattle but our GYMGUYZ will cater to the people in Bellevue, Kirkland, and Eastside. I think that the area is just an extremely active community. I&rsquo;ve always worked in Bellevue and it&rsquo;s a very fit community, but in this area, we have a hibernation period. Because of the weather, people tend to lose motivation to exercise when the sun goes away. I want to help erase that.&nbsp;

Visit the <a href="https://atourfranchise.org/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchisee-spotlight-stacy-edwards-of-gymguyz-12483" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">International Franchise Association&rsquo;s @OurFranchise website</a> for more stories of passionate local franchise owners, employees and their communities.

&nbsp;

Franchisee Spotlight: Stacy Edwards of GYMGUYZ

1851 Franchise

Stacy Edwards is a former football player who's motivated to help the Bellevue, Washington, area get back in shape  with GYMGUYZ opening this summer. 

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