Franchisee of the Month

By Jill Abrahamsen

Josh Grinstead was frustrated. It was 2012 and the job market was discouraging. Plus, he felt like he had plateaued in his career in higher education. He took a good look at himself and his future. “I asked myself, ‘Do I really want to continue being knocked around in this job market, or should I find something I really want to do and be my own boss?’”

He decided to start his own business. At first, he wasn’t quite sure what that business looked like exactly. He spent two years researching his options before landing on GYMGUYZ,® a personal-training franchise.

GYMGUYZ® turned out to be a perfect fit for Grinstead. “I loved the GYMGUYZ® model right off the bat. It’s a really unique service with low overhead and tremendous potential.”

It also helps improve people’s health, and thus, their overall wellbeing. “It has allowed me to make a difference in people’s lives,” says Grinstead. He’s not just talking about paying clients, either. Grinstead gives back to his community by offering free and discounted personal-training services to schools, homeless shelters, and assistedliving centers. “Some of these people need to lose weight or they could die. We go in and counsel them on nutrition and offer exercises that work for all fitness levels,” he says.

His former experience running and managing career schools gave Grinstead the right skills to run the business. He knows how to manage operations, sales and marketing, motivate people, and work hard. While he wasn’t an exercise instructor by trade, he has always been a fitness enthusiast.

The first order of business was to get certified as a personal trainer. “Although it wasn’t necessary for owning GYMGUYZ,® I wanted to have an in-depth knowledge of my business,” he says. “It really helped me in hiring and motivating employees. I’ve gone out with our trainers, worked with clients, and I’ve run community events.” Still, he spends most of his time growing the business, leaving the personal training to his team of fitness experts. “They do what they do best, and so do I.”

Since starting in 2015 with three territories, Grinstead has grown his business to more than eight territories with 15 fitness coaches and a staff that includes interns, sales representatives, health coaches, and a director of business development. “I had been giving ‘my all’ working for other people, so I knew I could put in the work and be successful for myself.”

These days, Grinstead is thrilled with his career. “I have never been more excited to get out of bed every morning,” he says. And though he’s working harder than he ever has before, the experience is a good one. “My wife says she’s never seen me this happy.”