For Pete Campana, franchising has been a career-long passion. From the early days of managing personal training programs in Sydney, Australia, to leading large-scale fitness franchise operations in the United States, Campana’s work has always balanced the nuts and bolts of running a business with a passion for its purpose. Today, as the area developer and franchisee for KidStrong under L5 Capital Partners, he’s bringing that experience to a new audience: kids and families.
"I've been doing this for 30 years," Campana said. "It's connecting with people and understanding their ‘why’ and bringing that to life, then expanding on that and earning their trust."
Campana’s background spans leadership roles with Fitness First in Sydney, Workout Anytime, Crunch and Gold’s Gym. Those experiences, both as a franchisor and franchisee, gave him a unique perspective on what it takes to grow and sustain a membership-driven business.
While KidStrong’s programming differs from adult fitness brands, the fundamentals are familiar to Campana. “At the end of the day, the consumer is the kid, but the buyer is still the parent,” he said. “The buyer behaves the same as the traditional gym business. The programming is different because it’s kid-based, but the KPIs are the same — it’s a subscription membership-based business.”
Since joining the KidStrong family, Campana has been tasked with turning around operations across multiple markets, including Atlanta, Virginia, Maryland, and Ohio. “It took me about six months to pivot, get my systems in place, and start to grow the business to the point of profitability,” he said.
Currently, Campana’s group operates eight open KidStrong units with a ninth in pre-sale in Virginia. Campana says they’re actively seeking new sites across all their territories. A couple of letters of intent are already out, though it’s too early to name exact sites.
The growth strategy goes beyond just adding units. It’s about embedding KidStrong into the community. Through science-based programming focused on physical activity, cognitive development, and character building, the brand positions itself as a co-pilot for parents who want to equip their children with lifelong confidence.
As a father of two, Campana sees firsthand the value of the KidStrong program. “You are trying to build a more confident kid through physical activity, through cognitive development, through character building,” he said. “That in itself is exciting, fun, and noble.”
For him, the blend of measurable business performance and meaningful impact is what makes KidStrong stand out. “You’re physically and emotionally changing people’s lives for the better,” he said. “That’s powerful human stuff, and it often gets overlooked when you talk about franchising.”
With a track record of operational excellence and a passion for the mission, Campana is positioning KidStrong’s Atlanta expansion as more than a business opportunity. He sees it as a movement, building confident kids one at a time.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/kidstrong.
KidStrong Franchising, LLC
SPONSORED
A conversation with Pete Campana on science-based training, smart franchising and creating confident kids across metro Atlanta and beyond.
For Pete Campana, franchising has been a career-long passion. From the early days of managing personal training programs in Sydney, Australia, to leading large-scale fitness franchise operations in the United States, Campana’s work has always balanced the nuts and bolts of running a business with a passion for its purpose. Today, as the area developer and franchisee for KidStrong under L5 Capital Partners, he’s bringing that experience to a new audience: kids and families.
"I've been doing this for 30 years," Campana said. "It's connecting with people and understanding their ‘why’ and bringing that to life, then expanding on that and earning their trust."
Campana’s background spans leadership roles with Fitness First in Sydney, Workout Anytime, Crunch and Gold’s Gym. Those experiences, both as a franchisor and franchisee, gave him a unique perspective on what it takes to grow and sustain a membership-driven business.
While KidStrong’s programming differs from adult fitness brands, the fundamentals are familiar to Campana. “At the end of the day, the consumer is the kid, but the buyer is still the parent,” he said. “The buyer behaves the same as the traditional gym business. The programming is different because it’s kid-based, but the KPIs are the same — it’s a subscription membership-based business.”
Since joining the KidStrong family, Campana has been tasked with turning around operations across multiple markets, including Atlanta, Virginia, Maryland, and Ohio. “It took me about six months to pivot, get my systems in place, and start to grow the business to the point of profitability,” he said.
Currently, Campana’s group operates eight open KidStrong units with a ninth in pre-sale in Virginia. Campana says they’re actively seeking new sites across all their territories. A couple of letters of intent are already out, though it’s too early to name exact sites.
The growth strategy goes beyond just adding units. It’s about embedding KidStrong into the community. Through science-based programming focused on physical activity, cognitive development, and character building, the brand positions itself as a co-pilot for parents who want to equip their children with lifelong confidence.
As a father of two, Campana sees firsthand the value of the KidStrong program. “You are trying to build a more confident kid through physical activity, through cognitive development, through character building,” he said. “That in itself is exciting, fun, and noble.”
For him, the blend of measurable business performance and meaningful impact is what makes KidStrong stand out. “You’re physically and emotionally changing people’s lives for the better,” he said. “That’s powerful human stuff, and it often gets overlooked when you talk about franchising.”
With a track record of operational excellence and a passion for the mission, Campana is positioning KidStrong’s Atlanta expansion as more than a business opportunity. He sees it as a movement, building confident kids one at a time.
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/kidstrong.
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