Husband-and-Wife Duo Bob and Deb Lemon Affirmed a Cool Business Opportunity at iCRYO Cryotherapy’s Discovery Day

It’s not every day that a practically tailor-made franchise opportunity presents itself, but for husband-and-wife duo Bob and Deb Lemon, that’s exactly what happened with iCRYO Cryotherapy. The Port St. Lucie, Florida residents were already well-versed in professional experience: Bob Lemon worked in the pharmaceutical industry for 27 years and, to date, Deb Lemon has worked over 30 years in the fitness industry, opening six pilates studios across several states including Pennsylvania, New York, and now, Florida. Both were deeply invested in wellness and wanted to co-operate a business that aligned their business acumen and personal passion for holistic health. 

Enter iCRYO. The Lemons discovered the brand after meeting co-founder and COO of iCryo, Kyle Jones, through the trio’s mutual affiliation with a nutritional company. Sensing the opportunity for Deb to develop a pilates studio in tangent with the opening of their own iCRYO location, the Lemons decided to head to iCRYO’s headquarters in May for a two-day iCryo Discovery Day experience.

“My first impression when I met Kyle [Jones], and which was reflected when we went for Discovery Day, was that there were strong business practices already there to support us,” said Bob. “That really helps with your confidence as a business owner; you know you don’t have to worry because the tools are already there.”

Bob noted that his and Deb’s Discovery Day experience involved presentations on how to use the cryotherapy equipment, best practices for accounting and overall guidance on how to run the business. Ultimately, Bob said that the presentations were comprehensive and validating, playing a meaningful role in his decision to sign on as a franchisee.

“The trainers made such a difference, too,” emphasized Deb, who will serve as the manager of iCRYO of Port St. Lucie. “For us, the people really matter. We met with Libby and Michelle and they were fabulous.”

Deb explained that Michelle had worked with Kyle since before he started iCRYO and now served on the executive team as a subject matter expert, trainer and all-around mover-shaker. Libby was herself an iCRYO center owner but was also in the process of transitioning into a full-time role as an executive trainer. Combined, the two offered the Lemons exceptional insight, both into the day-to-day operations as iCRYO franchisees, as well as into larger concepts related to business strategy.

“I ask a lot of questions,” Deb laughed. “And I usually have an idea for the way something can be done. Working with Libby and Michelle was fantastic because I could propose something and they were able to say, ‘We tried it that way; here’s what it looked like and here is what we learned.’ I really respected that transparency.”

In addition, Deb shared that she was pleasantly surprised to learn during Discovery Day that the franchisor with whom her husband was signing on already had systems in place for marketing and operational support.

“Coming from owning a multi-studio business myself, I was pleasantly surprised to see that iCRYO took ownership for executing on a lot of things that I knew took a lot of time and effort,” said Deb. “I remember thinking, ‘Wow, you mean you’re going to do all that for us?’ It was great not to have to worry about figuring out marketing and operations from the ground up, while at the same time having the liberty to introduce additional therapies at our location.”

Indeed, the Lemons will soon offer residents of Port St. Lucie a wellness experience unlike any other; in addition to Deb’s same-building pilates studio, visitors can enjoy an infrared light lounge/sauna and pulse magnetotherapy (PEMF) cellular treatment. 

“The uniqueness of us and our center is that Bob and I were not just looking for a business—we’re the products of our products,” said Deb. “We use the therapies ourselves and we have the background needed to offer them. We’re great resources for guests because we’ve directly experienced the benefits.”

“We were passionate about offering all three therapies at our location,” added Bob, referring to the infrared, PEMF and cryotherapy services, “and we knew that iCRYO was the best way to do so. We were taken with what Kyle [Jones] was doing—how he spoke and carried himself—and we appreciated that, when we shared how passionate we were, [co-founders Bill Jones and Kyle Jones] were open-minded and saw that it strengthened the brand.”

The Lemons shared that they plan to apply earnings from the Port St. Lucie iCRYO center to their retirement over the next 15-plus years of operation, and they feel confident in their decision to sign on after the insight-rich experience of their Discovery Day.

“Winners attract more winners,” said Bob. “Replicating success is one of the quickest pathways to your own success. In particular, after working with Libby and Michelle, we knew that iCRYO knew what it was doing and had already learned the necessary lessons and applied that knowledge.”

Deb agreed, adding, “[At Discovery Day], I always received the ‘why’ behind a process or approach. When I challenged [our trainers], they were always able to give me real insight and go into a thorough explanation. They wouldn’t move on until I was completely satisfied.”

Asked how they feel now as they approach a Grand Opening targeted for November or December after having attended Discovery Day, the Lemons were emphatic.

“I definitely felt like I wanted more information and had important questions going into Discovery Day,” said Deb. “When I left, though, I had a completely different attitude; I was jazzed.”

Bob built on Deb’s enthusiasm, sharing that his Discovery Day experience affirmed his choice to sign on with iCRYO Cryotherapy.

“There’s a lot of value in getting more familiar with the numbers and with being eye-to-eye with people to better understand where they’re coming from; sitting at the same table with someone is a lot different than being on the phone,” said Bob. “The ability to have those in-person conversations was super helpful."