From $5 an Hour to Majority Owner of a 200-Unit Franchise

Jerry Pugh went from making $5 an hour as a paramedic to owning 19+ Workout Anytime gyms—and then shocked the franchise world by buying the entire 200-unit brand. Everyone said it was impossible. Private equity experts said no way. Yet Jerry made it happen and now leads the company as CEO.

In this episode of Franchise Secrets, Jerry shares how he scaled fast, knew when to close a failing location, negotiated with landlords, attracted private equity, and ultimately pulled off a once-in-a-lifetime majority ownership deal.

If you're an entrepreneur, franchisee, or dream of building something big, this story will light a fire under you. 💥

⏱ Timestamps

00:00 – Everyone said it couldn't be done: the impossible franchise deal

02:20 – From paramedic to first Workout Anytime franchise purchase

05:40 – Lessons learned closing a money-losing location

09:30 – Planting the seed to one day own the brand

13:45 – Innovating early with wellness suites & bigger gyms

17:50 – How premium amenities doubled lifetime customer value

22:10 – Cutting churn & boosting retention with smart engagement

26:45 – Building trust and relationships as a first-time franchisor CEO

29:50 – Teaching franchisees to scale and attract private equity

33:30 – Pulling off a rare majority-ownership deal with debt & equity

39:30 – Jerry's final advice: work harder, take risks, see opportunities others miss

Connect with Erik Van Horn:

🌐 Website - https://franchisesecrets.com/

📷 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erikvanhorn/

👍 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erik.v.horn/

💼 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhorn/

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#Franchising #Entrepreneurship #Grit