FranNet Consultant Matches Husband with Workout Anytime Franchise

During her early career in corporate America working in business sales for AT&T, Sara Waskow realized her passion for developing strong professional relationships. Her husband, John, on the other hand, has worked in the engineering field his entire career, including his current role managing an engineering test laboratory. It wasn’t until Sara began working with FranNet Consulting six years ago that the Waskows learned that despite their varied backgrounds, the franchising industry could provide new business opportunities for both of them.

“My desire to get back into the community and work with prospective business owners led me to approach FranNet about becoming a consultant,” said Sara. “My previous roles in the corporate sphere gave me insight into the struggles small businesses face. I was interested in franchising specifically because it allows individuals to explore business ownership without having to come up with an idea from scratch.”

With FranNet, Sara had found her calling. As she became more intimately versed with the benefits of the franchise model through her work with the company as an owner in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area, John grew more intrigued by the possibility of business ownership and told Sara to keep her eyes open for anything that might be a fit for him. Knowing where his passions lie and what type of leader he wanted to be, Sara eventually brought the Workout Anytime franchise opportunity to John’s attention as a potentially great fit.

“A big factor was the simplicity,” Sara said. “Workout Anytime’s business model gives franchisees the chance to work on the business, but not as much in the business. I knew John wanted to continue his work as an engineer, so the semi-absentee ownership option that requires a low number of employees and a trusted manager to oversee the day-to-day operations seemed like a viable option. I thought he’d enjoy the community aspect of the franchise and being able to contribute to people's well-being and better their lives, as well.” 

“Workout Anytime was a great cultural fit for me, personally,” said John. “Not only did the brand’s management style appeal to me, but I’ve always been a bit of a workout fanatic and very conscious of my own fitness routines, so it is an environment I am already comfortable in.”

Longevity, successful history and strong financials were all compelling reasons to sign on with the brand, but the Waskow’s primary driver in the decision was the potential to become Workout Anytime’s first franchisees in the state of Texas.

“Workout Anytime was advantageous because its a tested and proven model, but also because it gave John the opportunity to build something totally new as the entry market in Texas,” Sara pointed out.

Thanks to Sara’s sound advice and his own ambition, John opened the state’s first Workout Anytime in the community of Princeton, Texas. Now, just over a year and a half later, John is opening his second location in Anna, Texas. Due to the new location’s proximity to the Princeton, John is keeping the same management team on staff at both franchise locations.

“Our staff is very member-focused and we are extremely motivated to help improve more people’s lives,” John said. “It’s important to me to keep the same management team for the Anna location so we can be consistent and duplicate the great culture we have built in Princeton.”

While the two work in different fields in the franchise industry – Sara in an office consulting with prospective business owners and John running a workout facility – they’ve found that at its core, their work is very similar. They both engage their passions for helping people on a daily basis and are excited to wake up for work every day.

“John and I have found that in both of our careers, we help people achieve their goals and realize their dreams,” Sara said. “John helps people on the physical level to live happier, healthier lives, and similarly, I help entrepreneurs find that freedom to rediscover their passion and create their own future.”

Further expansion with Workout Anytime isn't currently on the table as the Waskows are focused on turning the Anna location into a success in the immediate future, though the pair did note they are open to the idea of adding additional locations down the road.

“John is the ideal franchise-partner for our brand, noted Workout Anytime COO Mark de Gorter. “He is a smart and committed business professional, he’s built a strong culture with his team, who then go on to provide an amazing experience for his members. In fact, his Princeton club consistently ranks among the leaders in our network when it comes to our member satisfaction measurement benchmarks. We’re looking forward to his second club, and know it will be as successful as his first.”