Singer and Actress Brave Williams Brings Workout Anytime to the Lanham Community

As a recording artist and established actress, Brave Williams has had a passion for the arts for as long as she can remember. However, she also has a love for fitness and compassion for helping people feel their best. After opening up her own business where she trained over 1,000 clients and worked with people such as Steve and Marjorie Harvey as their lead bootcamp trainer for their nonprofits, Williams decided to invest in a brand she believed in: Workout Anytime. 

As part of a 23-unit development deal, Williams is opening a Workout Anytime in Lanham this May. She hopes to create a safe, transformative, & fun environment that inspires members to become the best versions of themselves. She believes physical fitness is just the conduit to mental, emotional, and spiritual health.

Ahead of the highly anticipated launch, 1851 Franchise spoke with Williams to learn more about her franchising journey with Workout Anytime. 

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Williams: Most people know me as a singer and an actress. My music career has taken me from a deal with Columbia to Jive Records and touring with Beyonce, and as an actress I have movies on Netflix, “Love Dot Com,” BET, “The Christmas Lottery”  VH1 and other streaming platforms. I've always been in the arts, but I've also always had a sincere passion for fitness and people. After filming on set and leading workouts with some of my cast mates, I decided to get certified and become a licensed trainer. I enjoy changing people’s lives and seeing women go from little confidence to radiating in the most abundant way. Once I became certified and started training, I opened up my own business, Brave Williams Fitness Club, where I’ve transformed over 1,000 women’s and men’s bodies. I've also done bootcamps, including being Steve and Margorie Harvey's lead bootcamp trainer when they do their nonprofit outreach. 200 girls get together for three days, and I lead the training to help take care of their fitness and mental health. I always say, sure I’m in the fitness business but I’m really in the business of service. I do this, because there’s no other greater blessing, than to give someone the gift of living. Being able to give someone the tools to change their life, while guiding them to the finish line, is also transformative for me. I just decided to take it to the next level by investing with Workout Anytime. I wanted to attach myself to a brand that I really believed in. 

1851: What was your perception of franchising prior to becoming a franchisee, and what do you want people to know about franchising now that you are in it?

Williams: I didn’t really have many preconceived notions about franchising because I had never done anything like it before. However, I spoke with several franchises as a part of my research before I landed on Workout Anytime. I was actually about to sign with another fitness brand the day that I met with Workout Anytime, but my partner pleaded with me to meet with them. I mostly went just in support of him, but when we started talking, I fell in love with the brand. I just absolutely loved the family-oriented feeling they gave me upon meeting for the first time and their business model. That was what made me pivot from the other company to them. 

1851: What made you pick this brand? What excites you most about this company?

Williams: I thought the support they offered was invaluable. I knew that having that type of support, versus just opening my own gym independently, is what would make all the difference. They also gave me a very family-oriented feeling when I met the team for the first time. I could tell that there was a genuine excitement about the growth of the company. There was room to expand, which is why we did a 23-unit development deal. We really saw the growth potential.

1851: What do you hope to achieve with your business? What are your plans for growth? 

Williams: My hope is to create a passionate environment that inspires members to become the best versions of themselves. Sometimes, we all need a little motivation, I want them to know that they can find that here. My fitness director Jennifer Riva is one of the most ELITE trainers I’ve ever met. She is bringing some amazing fitness enthusiasts, instructors, and knowledgeable trainers to our team. With her experience and passion, we are unstoppable. The type of value we want to add to the community can only come from the results of being pushed out of a comfort zone, and we want to awaken that greatness that all of us have. For me, fitness is bigger than just the physical aspects. Fitness has a mental health aspect, as well as a spiritual health aspect, that comes with it. I want my members to know that they have the capability to become fit in all areas of their life. When people enter these doors, I want them to feel an energy of hope.. I want them to know that this is an environment where they can come and grow mentally, physically and spiritually, because it's a safe haven. So far, during the presales, the community has completely surpassed my expectations with their excitement. And that to me is the biggest reward and validation, that we chose the perfect location.

1851: What is the one thing about your story you want us to know?

Williams: I’m just honored to be a part of something that I know is bigger than me. I know that lives will be saved, changed, and transformed, because of this gym, and I'm just blessed to be a part of it. I'm honored to bring this gym to the community because I know it's going to do great things for so many.

1851: What advice do you have for other people thinking about becoming a franchise owner?

Williams: Go for it. Your biggest enemy and your biggest threat is going to be what you tell yourself, and what you tell yourself is always far worse than what it is in reality. You can seriously do anything that you put your mind to if you're willing to do the work. Nothing is going to come easy, and anything worth having is going to require discipline and sacrifice. But if you're willing to have that discipline and sacrifice, then franchising is for you.