At 25, Greyson Boone Brings Passion, Purpose and Leadership to Her First Workout Anytime Franchise

At just 25 years old, Greyson Boone has already achieved what many spend decades working toward: ownership of her own business. The former college basketball player and personal trainer recently took over a Workout Anytime location in Easley, South Carolina, with plans not only to grow the business but to make a lasting impact on her community.

“I do have plans for growth. A lot of people are financially driven, and obviously money is nice, but for me, it’s really about serving the community,” Boone said. “My parents are big on service. I want to serve the Easley, Powdersville and Pickens area in any way I can. I want to get the best out of my employees. I want to build a culture where they’d run through a wall for you. I want to earn their respect. I want the employees to feel like a family. I want the community to come in and feel like a family. I just really want to serve people in any way I can. I feel like God has blessed me with the abilities to do that.”

Boone’s journey into franchising began after earning her undergraduate degrees in health science and communications, followed by an MBA. Her college basketball career spanned six years, including recovery from a major knee injury. The experience shaped her leadership philosophy and resilience. When she first discovered that a Workout Anytime gym in her area was for sale, she hesitated. Six months later, the opportunity was still there, and so was her drive.

“The main thing is that hard work will always pay off. What you give into the gym and into people — you’ll receive it back,” Boone said. “People can see through you. If they know you’re only in it for the money or for selfish reasons, they’ll see through that. So just be genuine.”

With a commitment to faith, a strong work ethic and the support of the Workout Anytime franchise system, Boone is already laying the foundation for a gym culture that values authenticity, service and connection above all else.

1851 Franchise spoke to Boone about her passion for fitness and community, her franchising journey with Workout Anytime and her plans for the future. Here’s what she had to say:

1851 Franchise: Frame your personal story for us. What do you want us to know?

Greyson Boone: I grew up being into fitness a lot. I played basketball in high school and earned a scholarship at Furman University. I played there for four years on the women’s basketball team. I got my undergrad in health science and double majored with communications. I took my COVID year — which many people don’t have anymore — and I played my fifth year at North Greenville University, which is right down the road. Unfortunately, I had an injury and tore my ACL, meniscus and MCL — pretty much everything in my knee.

I got a sixth year and was crazy enough to take it, so I played basketball my fifth and sixth year at North Greenville and got my MBA. My dad was a businessman, so I think that’s where I get it from.

I’ve always wanted to own a gym. After graduating, I was a personal trainer for about eight months, and I kept thinking about opening a gym. Right when I graduated, I saw this one was for sale. I thought, “That’s really what I want to do,” but I didn’t think I was ready yet. I couldn’t go from never having a job to owning a gym. I just wasn’t ready.

I checked back around six to eight months later, and the gym was still available. That’s when I said, “I’m ready now.” I think I have all of the tools from school and from my experience as an athlete to be able to take this on and be really successful at it.

1851: What did you do before franchising, and how did you decide franchising made sense for you?

Boone: I was a personal trainer at Ten Star Fitness. Before that, I worked at RockBox as a front desk and salesperson. I feel like that experience, as well as personal training, set me up for success in this. Being an athlete throughout college, you learn a lot of things — how to communicate with people, how to get the best out of people, leadership skills. I feel like I’m really good at communication and building a culture. Once you learn how to get the best out of your employees and genuinely want to help people, that’s success in itself. You have to be a people person.

The soft skills, the hard skills, the work ethic, the dedication, time management — all of that from college has helped me get to where I am now. The personal training side of things helps, too. I’m super into fitness, not only the workouts, but also nutrition. I took anatomy in college, but having the experience of being a personal trainer will help me in this franchise. Eventually, I want to be the owner, run sales and offer personal training myself.

A franchise just made sense because of the support at the corporate level. Starting out so young, I really needed that support, and everyone has been amazing. They’ve answered any questions I’ve had or directed me to the right people. I’ve had support from every area.

1851: Did you start off wanting to franchise, or did you come to franchising through Workout Anytime?

Boone: I knew I wanted to own a gym. I knew it would be difficult to start my own with no support. Then I found Workout Anytime and the opportunity. Learning about the franchising process and realizing I could have more than one location — that’s what really brought me in. With my leadership, communication and management skills, I felt like I’d want more than one in the future. 

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?

Boone: I’m not exactly sure what my perception was. I guess I thought it was more of a corporate thing — that they controlled every gym and there was just a manager in each one. I didn’t realize you could make the gym your own. Being able to personalize it, with the support and guidelines from corporate, is a big help.

I also didn’t realize how common it was for one person to own multiple gyms. I thought someone might own one or two, but then I went to corporate training and realized some people had eight. Maybe not right now, but in the future that might be something I’d want.

Franchising is a really good opportunity, and it’s scary at first. You’re going to have questions and concerns about how successful you’re going to be. I was scared at first, but once you jump in and get support from corporate and others in the franchise system, they really give you the confidence to succeed. It’s difficult at first, but once you get through the first week or two and start getting things how you want them, they really set you up for success.

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

Boone: Workout Anytime honestly has a really big family factor. I don’t think other franchises have that as much. When I went to corporate training, they made it feel like they’d always be there for me. They were really personable. I felt like I could talk to anybody — even not about business. They truly made it feel like a home and that they’d support me the entire way through.

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

Boone: I do have plans for growth. A lot of people are financially driven, and obviously money is nice, but for me, it’s really about serving the community. My parents are big on service. I want to serve the Easley, Powdersville and Pickens area in any way I can. I want to get the best out of my employees. I want to build a culture where they’d run through a wall for you. I want to earn their respect. I want the employees to feel like a family. I want the community to come in and feel like a family. I just really want to serve people in any way I can. I feel like God has blessed me with the abilities to do that.

1851: Is there anything else about your story you want us to know?

Boone: The main thing is that hard work will always pay off. What you give into the gym and into people — you’ll receive it back. People can see through you. If they know you’re only in it for the money or for selfish reasons, they’ll see through that. So just be genuine.

As a basketball player, I went through four very difficult years of college basketball. I’ve only been in this a month, but I can confidently say those four years were the hardest thing I’ve ever done. They prepared me for this. Any tough moment you’ve had in life — before franchising or before your job — will always pay off. Any hard work, any adversity you’ve faced, you can use it. I’ve learned that everything I went through with basketball — doubts, struggles, adversity — has truly helped me implement those lessons into my business today.

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

Boone: I’m still learning, but my number one advice would be to pace yourself. I came in spending 14-hour days for the first month, and sometimes you have to do that. But don’t be scared, and pace yourself. There’s always going to be something you have to get done, but take time for yourself. That stuff will be there tomorrow. Sometimes it can wait, sometimes it can’t. But just realize your time will come.

Jump right in, but pace yourself — and enjoy the little moments. You’re going to be stressed at the beginning. It’s going to be a lot. But then you’ll look back and say, “I accomplished that.” It was hard. I was scared. But this is what I did. Just know that you’re going to be successful. It’s okay to be scared — just don’t let the fear have a negative impact on you. Let the fear embrace you through the process and the journey.

ABOUT WORKOUT ANYTIME:

Atlanta-based Workout Anytime is a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week fitness concept with over 200 units across the U.S. Founded by fitness veterans John Quattrocchi and Steve Strickland, the company was formed to provide members with first-class fitness facilities at the lowest cost possible while delivering a profitable and affordable business model to franchisees. Built on the founders’ motto of “think big, keep it simple and do it with integrity,” Workout Anytime is preparing for significant expansion into new territories across the U.S. and Central America by providing opportunities to business-minded entrepreneurs. Franchise opportunities are available, and more information can be found on http://workoutanytimefranchise.com/.