KidStrong Franchising, LLC
SPONSORED
Area developer Ryan MacFarland brings military discipline, leadership and a mission-first mindset to KidStrong - showing prospective owners why this opportunity is more than just a business.
Ryan MacFarland spent nearly two decades in the U.S. Navy learning how to lead under pressure, care for his people and keep missions on course. Now, as an owner and area developer for the science-based youth enrichment franchise KidStrong in Hampton Roads, Virginia, he is channeling that experience into a business built on discipline, mentorship and measurable impact on families.
MacFarland enlisted right out of high school and served across Washington state, Hawaii and Virginia, with deployments to Japan, South Korea and the Middle East. “Early on in my career I was able to find good leaders to gravitate toward,” he said.
Promoted from aircraft mechanic to crew lead, he discovered a style that put people first. “This time was pivotal in developing my leadership style and truly focusing on taking care of my people,” he said. “This led to building a team that wanted to work together and would push through tough days or difficult tasks as one unit with one mission.”
In 2016, MacFarland and his wife, Jessica started to plan a civilian path alongside his service which led a husband-and-wife real estate team in Virginia’s Hampton Roads while also mentoring fellow sailors into second careers. During the COVID-19 shutdown he began exploring franchising. A friend introduced him to KidStrong, and it clicked. “This was the first time a business model really caught me,” MacFarland said. He traced the fit back to a moment years earlier: “Around 2012, while on a mission trip to Costa Rica, I really felt my purpose was in building relationships and helping children.”
KidStrong’s mission — help kids “win at life” — felt familiar to a veteran who had led diverse teams toward a shared objective. “We create a community that starts within our four walls but doesn’t end at the door,” he said. “In the military, you see groups come together from all over the world and all different backgrounds; KidStrong builds that same community.” For MacFarland, the daily standard echoes a squadron’s cadence: “Our purpose is simple: lead one another to be a better version of yourself than yesterday. Focus on getting even 1 percent better each and every day and bring others up with you.”
Operationally, he runs his centers like a mission-critical environment — structured, flexible, accountable. “The military has taught me to be ‘Semper Gumby,’ as we would say, or always flexible,” MacFarland said. “There are always new and unforeseen challenges from staffing, equipment readiness, rapid timelines and mission-critical objectives that arise. You have to be able to stay emotionally balanced and adjust to meet the mission.” He rejects top-down posturing in favor of shoulder-to-shoulder leadership: “A true team doesn’t have a ‘boss,’ only leaders that are right there in the trenches with the team doing whatever needs to be done to meet the mission.”
That stance has helped him navigate the everyday turbulence of small business. “We have encountered difficulties from contractor issues, hiring challenges and membership seasonality,” MacFarland said. “The focus remains the same: don’t settle. Do the small things well and the big things fall into place.” The result is a culture where standards are clear and buy-in is real. “Focus on the right people to build the right team,” he said. “The team has to have a collective buy-in, and that is only done when each person trusts one another enough to lean on them.”
KidStrong gives MacFarland a platform to pursue impact that goes beyond monthly metrics. “The ability to watch lives transform, the confidence grow and to hear the success stories is unparalleled,” he said. “Jessica and I also get to impact our parents’ lives, not only by building a bond with their child but by doing life with them.” That relational focus shows up internally, too, in how he recruits and develops coaches. “We like to get to know all of our coaches — what they enjoy outside of work, what their goals are and how we can help them achieve them,” MacFarland said. “We give feedback and challenges for growth little by little until the old them is unrecognizable.”
When it comes to youth- and family-focused concepts, MacFarland says veterans make steady, service-first coaches and mentors. “I believe veterans bring a certain mental toughness and a sense of calm in the chaos,” he said. “I also think that the veteran mindset of putting others before themselves and constant desire to mentor others to bring them up helps with the whole child development.”
Looking ahead, MacFarland sees scale anchored in a shared ethos. “We plan to develop centers all throughout the Hampton Roads area and possibly beyond,” he said. “I would love to curate military ownership groups across the country with one mission, one mind.” The vision is both operational and cultural: consistent standards, local roots and leaders trained to lift others. “The veteran drive, I believe, would push for franchise success while building others up beyond limits they didn’t know they could reach,” he said.
His guidance reads like a pre-mission brief. “If you have a desire to help others succeed and constantly push for others around you to be better, KidStrong is the right place for you,” MacFarland said. The work is demanding, but purpose keeps the team aligned. “Not every day will be easy, but every day will be worth it,” he said. “Prepare for creating a team environment, a great community presence and a sturdy mentality to overcome challenges.”
To find out more information on costs to buy this franchise, please visit https://1851franchise.com/kidstrong.
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