The Winning Franchisee | Husband-Wife Duo Use Passion for Fitness to Fuel Entrepreneurial Dreams, Sign on To Open Three Workout Anytime Locations in Northern Georgia

Despite their work in telecommunications, homeschooling their four children and real estate investment, Tina and Matt Cuneio have always been interested in fitness. Now, they’ve decided to pursue a new career path with Workout Anytime, a 160-plus unit 24/7 fitness concept. 

After learning that they could use their mutual passion for fitness to open three locations in their local community to help residents prioritize their health and wellness, the decision was a no-brainer. The couple hopes to open their first location at the end of this year, with the next two following in early 2022.

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

Tina Cuneio: Both Matt and I are from St. Louis, and that’s where we met 20+ years ago at church. I attended Missouri Baptist University, where I received an undergraduate degree in psychology. I previously worked as a service coordinator in the furniture industry but took on the role as a teacher when we decided to homeschool our four children 13 years ago.

Matt Cuneio: I’ve worked in the telecommunications industry for the past 20 years, with the majority of my career in the cable sector. I worked for Charter as the VP of network operations for almost 15 years. I now consult with different agencies in the telecommunications space, and Tina and I have also invested in real estate.

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

Matt: I’ve been looking into different business opportunities, but before meeting with the Workout Anytime team, franchising wasn’t all that appealing to us. 

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

Matt: I had a lot of confidence that Tina and I could run a successful business; we’re both operators. But we lacked marketing skills, which led us to believe franchising was the best path to pursue. The corporate team fills in the gaps for the skill sets that we bring to the table.

1851: How did you perform your research?

Matt: We’ve put in the hours when researching this opportunity to make sure it was the right choice for our family. We attended Workout Anytime’s Discovery Day and interviewed at least a dozen franchisees. We visited several locations to see how the business operated. 

1851: Why did you pick Workout Anytime? What excited you most about the potential?

Matt: We looked into a few different business and investment opportunities but weren’t all that interested in franchising until we stumbled upon Workout Anytime. We connected with the team and actually walked away from a couple of other deals to go all in with the brand with a three-unit signing.

I’ve been going to a gym for the past 30+ years and have always loved the experience. Tina didn’t grow up going to the gym, but when we got married, it was something we did together. To be able to combine an activity we enjoy doing together with a great business opportunity — it was a no-brainer. We instantly felt comfortable with the Workout Anytime leadership team, and we knew that if we brought our expertise into the equation, there was no question that we would be successful.

We are thrilled to bring this concept to the local community because, in a post-pandemic world, mental and physical health needs to be priority number one. The potential to help hundreds of people in the community is extremely rewarding, and we can’t wait to get started.

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

Matt: I would say our dream is to be connected with the community. One thing that was extremely important when pursuing business ownership was investing in our local community. When there’s more economic development, a community benefits greatly. The opportunities we want to pursue expand beyond Northern Georgia, but starting in our own community was a huge priority. We are passionate about running a great business that serves the community's needs.

One of the greatest things for the community is to run a small business that provides employment opportunities, and each of these businesses will offer 5+ jobs to the community.

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

Matt: My advice to others is to do your homework. Interview other franchisees who are more experienced.  That’s what allowed us to feel the most comfortable throughout the process. A lot can be learned from those who have walked the path you’re pursuing. 

1851: What do you do in your personal time (hobbies, family, sports, etc.)?

Tina: We have four incredible teenagers that I homeschooled. I’ve really enjoyed each and every moment with my kids because it goes by a lot quicker than you think. Our oldest is graduating high school, so now seems like the perfect time to grow and take on new challenges, such as owning our own business.

Matt: We’re extremely involved in the community. I’m actually a youth sports coach and have been for quite some time.