When Passion Meets Profession: Making a Career Out of a Love for Fitness

When Jerry Pugh joined WORKOUT ANYTIME as a member in Cookeville, Tennessee in November of 2012, he was focused on fitness. He wanted a gym with a simple model that was focused on keeping its members happy and fit. What Pugh didn’t realize then was that WORKOUT ANYTIME would end up changing his life forever in more ways than one.

“I fell in love with the gym, with the people and with the location. It was everything I was looking for. I had an emotional attachment,” Pugh said.

Over the years, his love for the WORKOUT ANYTIME brand grew. Pugh says it was the “think big, but keep it simple” mentality that aligned perfectly with his life. He saw WORKOUT ANYTIME as a one-stop shop that offered the best workout per square foot in the industry.

It became second nature for Pugh to look for a WORKOUT ANYTIME in every city he visited, including Homestead, Florida. While visiting his father, he spent several months a year in the southeast Florida city and quickly noticed there were no WORKOUT ANYTIME locations anywhere nearby. Pugh called the corporate office to talk about franchise opportunities. In May of 2017, he opened his first WORKOUT ANYTIME location in Homestead.

Pugh spent a lot of time in Homestead getting his franchise off the ground but continued living in the Cookeville area with his two kids. He would faithfully work out at the Cookeville WORKOUT ANYTIME, and dreamt of owning it as well.

“I had a heritage with the Cookeville location, and wanted the opportunity to take that club to even high levels through ownership,’” Pugh said.

In June, Pugh saw an opportunity and jumped on it. He is now the owner of the WORKOUT ANYTIME in Cookeville and is in the midst of revamping the location and upgrading all of the cardio equipment. He says that membership is increasing and that it’s been moving to hear from clients who he worked out alongside for so many years rave about the work he’s doing to improve the club.

After seeing the growth opportunities and difference he has been able to make in the local community, Pugh is now putting the wheels in motion to open a third WORKOUT ANYTIME location in Crossville, Tennessee. Pugh credits his success to the WORKOUT ANYTIME model that provides members with first-class fitness facilities at affordable prices. He says he’s honored to own the club that helped mold his passion for fitness.

“I had a member come in and say this place saved her life. She started crying. For so many people, this place is far more than a gym, it’s kind of a second home,” Pugh said.

With its value priced model, commitment to members and the local community, and territory availability, WORKOUT ANYTIME has attracted many franchisees that have a similar story as Pugh.

“Many of our franchise partners started out as members, just like Jerry, and we’re proud to say and 73 percent of WORKOUT ANYTIME franchisees own more than one location, which is a testament to the model and our success” said Mark de Gorter, Chief Operating Officer of WORKOUT ANYTIME. “Jerry is a tremendous franchisee-partner. He has a great eye for quality and the brand, is committed to providing a first-class fitness experience and is aggressively growing his business. He’s a perfect example of the type of people we’re looking to partner with as we grow the WORKOUT ANYTIME footprint across the country.”

In the first six months of 2017, WORKOUT ANYTIME has sold 25 franchises, a 30 percent increase over the same period the year before. Looking ahead to the rest of 2017, the brand anticipates that it will open a total of 50 locations for the year.