Recent Liberty University Graduate Transforms Workout Anytime into Community Fitness Hub

After graduating from Liberty University, Cody Wagner was unsure what the future held. But when he saw that the Workout Anytime in Clinton, North Carolina, was for sale, he saw a new opportunity for himself. He sent the listing to his father, who has over 30 years of experience in franchising, and they decided to pursue the acquisition. 

Before franchising, Wagner frequented Workout Anytime in Lynchburg, Virginia, as patron — he even applied for a job at the front desk during college at, which is why he sees this franchising opportunity as the latest step in a “full-circle story.” According to Wagner, the Workout Anytime Clinton location has been ignored and he’s looking forward to reviving it. He wants the gym to become a strong fixture in the community where people can come, not just for a workout, but to relax and relieve stress from day to day worries. 

1851 Franchise spoke to Wagner about his franchising journey with Workout Anywhere and his plans for the future. 

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

Wagner: Before franchising, I’d just graduated college from Liberty University. I've been at Liberty for the past three years, but I grew up all around franchising. My father, who is a co-owner [of Workout Anytime Clinton], has been franchising for over 30 years, so I've been around it all my life. During college, everyone asks you what you're gonna do after and I would say the basic “I don’t know” answer. One night, I found the listing for this Workout Anytime and I sent a screenshot to Dad to ask him what he thought about it. The gym is something we both share a strong passion for. It's one thing that we always find ourselves doing together, which I really like. When I go home, we're in the gym pretty much every day. It's something that I see as a beautiful passion that we both share, so it definitely caught my eye when I saw this gym that was so close to where I was going to school. We took a more serious approach on the opportunity pretty quickly. 

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?

Wagner: My perception of franchising was that you're a part of a family. Like I said, my dad was a franchisee for Cicis Pizza. There's all these different locations across the United States, but they still work together as a unit. They have a corporate team just like Workout Anytime has a corporate team. They're always there to support the system. You might be on your own as a franchisee, but there's always someone out there right next to you who can help you out along the way. 

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

Wagner: There’s a Workout Anytime up in Lynchburg, Virginia, which I have worked out in. It's a funny story because I actually applied for a front desk job there while in college — and I didn't get it — so it’s a full-circle story. I love Workout Anytime’s core values that they share, and just the gym itself is great. I love all the amenities that they give to the members. Not every gym has those amenities to help people recover better, which most people don't understand how beneficial that really is. 

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

Wagner: I want to make as many connections with the community here as possible. We're in a smaller town — Clinton really only has 8,000 or 9,000 people — so I'm getting out and making connections and just trying to have that lasting impact on as many community members as I can. For example, I’ve already made a great connection and great friendship with one of the nutrition shops downtown. We’ve collaborated a little bit and will do more, hopefully. I’ve been introducing myself and letting people know who I am and that there's a lot of potential that I hope to unlock. Another goal I have is to bring the gym back to its feet — it was kind of on the downhill for a while, so we're just really trying to bounce it back to get more members in here and really show the people what this gym can really be. 

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

Wagner: Fitness matters a lot in my life. I haven't always been into fitness. I tried in high school to get in the gym in the summertime, but I didn't want to do it — I wanted to go play golf or go play video games. But as I matured and went through college I realized how much the gym has an impact on you, not just on your physical health but things like your mental health as well. It’s been a great escape after studying or things like that. It’s detoxing, and decompressing — it's just you and the weights in there. I've also made some of my best friendships in the gym. I think that could be applied here too

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

Wagner: The advice I would give is definitely take your time with it. Really evaluate if that's something you want to do — if it's where you want to be because if it's not, it might not be worth it to you. People always tell you that money can’t buy happiness and I think that is fairly true. If you're just doing it for money, then it probably isn't for you. You need to find that passion to want to help others, want to serve others and just want to connect with everyone as much as possible. If you are also a young entrepreneur and unsure about your future, just remember that the good Lord is in control. I was nervous about this transition, moving to a new town and running a business right out of college is a daunting thought. When I was struggling with the transition, a friend had reminded me of Jeremiah 29:11, which states, “For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” This would ease my mind every time I reminded myself of the verse. I couldn’t be more thankful for this opportunity the Lord has provided for me. 

ABOUT WORKOUT ANYTIME:

Atlanta-based Workout Anytime is a 24-hour, seven-day-a-week fitness concept with over 190 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/.