The Great Franchisee: Jared Taylor, Amazing Athletes, Charlotte, NC

Since childhood, Jared Taylor’s life has largely revolved around sports. The former college baseball player understands the importance of introducing youth to sports and getting them active at a young age. Now, Taylor is turning that passion into a new career as one of the newest franchisees with Amazing Athletes, the children’s multi-sports concept from multi-brand youth sports franchisor Youth Athletes United.

We spoke to Taylor to learn more about his journey to franchising and his experience with Amazing Athletes.

1851 Franchise: Tell us your story – what did you do before franchising?

Jared Taylor: I grew up in a small town in South Carolina. I played baseball and football from an early age. In high school I was selected to the All-State team in both sports as well as the North/South All-Star games in both sports. I went on to Anderson University to play baseball for four years. Between academic and athletic scholarships, I was blessed to attend college mostly for free. When I graduated, I began selling real estate with a specific focus on foreclosure listings. Shortly thereafter, I began coaching baseball at my local high school. 

1851: How did you initially find out about franchising and what was your perception of franchising before becoming a franchise owner?

Taylor: After making the decision to transition out of real estate in 2013, I went to a real estate associate for some business advice. In that conversation he asked me if I could do anything, what would it be? I said I’d love to do something with sports, but I didn’t want to go back to school to become a teacher and coach. He pitched a sports-related idea to me, but I didn’t think we could scale it as quickly as I needed to. He then mentioned that he had bought into a franchise company called Amazing Athletes, and he asked me if I wanted to come in as a partner. I looked over everything and decided it was something I wanted to do. I took over the operations of the business in January of 2014. We set a goal to double the business in the first three months and were able to accomplish that goal. After several months he decided this wasn’t something he could commit a lot of time to, so I made him an offer to buy out his share of the company in August of 2014. Since then, every two years it seems I have bought another franchise. I started in the Greenville/Spartanburg market of South Carolina. Most recently I bought the Charlotte, North Carolina and Fort Mill/Rock Hill area of South Carolina franchises. 

1851: How did you decide you wanted to be a franchisee?

Taylor: Once I was introduced to the concept, I thought it was a great idea. Of course, there was always an option to try and freelance something, but I loved the support and operations that Amazing Athletes already had in place. It was low cost and they made it easy to be successful with the framework they already had in place. 

1851: How did you perform your research?

Taylor: Early on I relied on the guidance and information that my partner had along with the training he had received. I also participated in a mentor program that Amazing Athletes had in place. Partnering with a veteran franchisee really helped to give me an insight into the company. I was confident in my sales background and sports experience to help me be successful.

1851: Why did you pick Amazing Athletes? What excited you most about the potential?

Taylor: I chose Amazing Athletes because I wanted to get back into sports. I was excited about the potential because the market I am in, sports is a really big deal. So I knew the demand for this business was already there. A lot of the other sports brands I looked at had to do with single sports or fitness activities. I liked that Amazing Athletes catered to multi-sports, so I was able to introduce the kids at daycare facilities to a vast array of sports at an early age, which I thought parents would appreciate. 

1851: What are your dreams with the business? What does the future look like?

Taylor: My goal with my business is to keep growing the areas I have. I still have not fully maximized the potential of these areas, especially Charlotte. Our brand is constantly growing, but currently, I do not anticipate expanding out into any other Youth Athletes United brands. I am happy with Amazing Athletes and their multi-sport options for the community. 

1851: What advice would you have for others looking at buying a franchise?

Taylor: Make sure whatever franchise you choose is something you are truly passionate about. When you love what you do, it doesn’t even seem like work at all. 

1851: What do you do in your personal time?

Taylor: I am a huge Clemson Tigers fan. I have season tickets to the football games so most Saturdays in the fall I can be found at games or watching college football. I also coach both my daughter’s softball teams and really enjoy going a little deeper with the ins and outs of the sport than I can in our Amazing Athletes classes. My family and I love camping. Give me a camper, a lake, and a hammock and I am all set.

About Amazing Athletes

Amazing Athletes, founded in 2003, uses a multi-sport program to benefit children physically, mentally, socially and emotionally. The program introduces the fundamentals of 10 different sports (soccer, hockey, volleyball, basketball, tennis, lacrosse, football, track and field, baseball and golf) in a non-competitive environment. Children in Amazing Athletes routinely gain greater confidence, learn to combine fitness with fun and develop six key motor skills: balancing, running, jumping, throwing, catching and kicking.  For more information and to find out about franchise opportunities, currently covering 30 states and over 50,000 kids annually, visit www.amazingathletes.com. 

About Youth Athletes United

Established youth sports and activities brands Amazing Athletes, Soccer Stars and TGA Premiere come together under parent company, Youth Athletes United. With 15 - 20 years of success for each individual brand, a total of 200-plus-locations and 200,000-plus-children instructed nationwide each year, Youth Athletes United has earned trust in each community they touch. The brand’s overarching mission is to help the world understand that everyone is an athlete and ultimately impact the lives of more than one million children.