FranchiseU!

In this episode of FranchiseU!, Dr. Kathy Gosser interviews Kevin and Kayla Curtis about their journey from athletics, coaching, and education into multi-unit franchise ownership with seven Orangetheory Fitness studios across the Phoenix, Arizona metro area. Kevin, a former NFL player and longtime collegiate football coach, and Kayla, a former Fresno State basketball player, educator, and coach, discuss how they stepped away from the demanding world of college athletics to build a business focused on family, leadership, health, and long-term impact.

The conversation explores why franchising appealed to them as entrepreneurs, particularly the structure, brand recognition, marketing support, and operational systems provided by Orangetheory Fitness. Kevin and Kayla explain the unique Orangetheory workout experience, including coach-led group fitness classes, heart-rate based performance tracking, and scalable workouts designed for all fitness levels.

Listeners will also hear valuable insights into multi-unit franchise leadership, team communication, accountability, and creating a people-first culture across seven locations in the competitive Phoenix fitness market. The Curtises discuss balancing entrepreneurship with family life, building businesses that positively impact local communities, and teaching their children the value of leadership, ownership, and service.

Whether you are interested in franchising, fitness entrepreneurship, multi-unit operations, leadership development, or building a mission-driven business, this episode offers practical lessons from two operators who have successfully transitioned from sports leadership into franchise ownership.

Key topics include:

• Multi-unit franchise ownership

• Fitness franchising and entrepreneurship

• Leadership and team culture

• Orangetheory Fitness business operations

• Transitioning from athletics into business

• Family entrepreneurship

• Phoenix, Arizona franchise growth

• Community impact through fitness

• Coach-led fitness models

• Franchise systems and scalability

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