Brave Williams: Braving the Franchisee World

Club Solutions Magazine

Taylor Brown | August 31, 2023

A look into Brave Williams, a songwriter, singer and actor, and her journey as a Workout Anytime franchisee.

Brave

[brāv] adjective • English

Simply put, to be brave is to follow your heart and desire regardless of what you’ll face. Brave Williams, a Workout Anytime franchisee, lives up to her name. As a songwriter, singer and actor she already had a lot on her plate, but her passion — and her namesake — led her to the fitness industry. 

“I’ve always loved working out,” said Williams. “Joining the industry really just arose from my passion of helping people. Once I became an ISSA-certified personal trainer, that’s when I realized fitness changes people’s lives. It’s the reward that just keeps on giving. I fell in love with helping people, changing their moods and altering their whole perspective on what health and wellness really looks like.”

For nearly 10 years, Williams was a personal trainer, led boot camps for the Steve & Marjorie Harvey Foundation and others, volunteered at inner city schools in her hometown of Baltimore, and strengthened her love for fitness. 

This led her down the path of researching fitness franchises.

Williams met with several franchises as a part of her research, and nearly signed with a different company before landing on Workout Anytime.

Founded in 1999, Workout Anytime boasts 190-plus units across the U.S. Launched by fitness veterans John Quattrocchi and Steve Strickland, the company was formed to provide members with first-class fitness facilities at the lowest cost possible, while delivering a profitable and affordable business model to franchisees. This concept is what led Williams to jump onboard.

“Workout Anytime’s fitness model attracted me to them,” said Williams. “They’re boutique-like gyms, but they don’t feel boutique. I love the amenity space they offer with the red light therapy, cryotherapy, HydroMassage chairs, the Human Touch massage chairs and they allow the franchisee to really have creative control over the layout. Being that I come from a creative background, that was big for me. This franchise still allows me to get my creative juices flowing when developing the gyms.”

Additionally, Williams said the support the franchise offered was invaluable. Radiating a family-oriented feeling when meeting the Workout Anytime team, Williams could tell there was a genuine excitement about the growth of the company. 

Plus, she was attracted to the idea that there was room to expand. So, Williams invested in a 23-unit development deal. 

“I just want to change as many lives as I can,” said Williams. “To be honest, I want people to just be inspired when they walk into the gyms. I want them to know that anything they may not like about where they are physically in life doesn’t have to be a permanent state. You have the power to change it. We’re providing the services, elite trainers and a space where they can really hone in and become the best versions of themselves. I want them to feel like their goals are attainable, and I know we can do that with these gyms.”

With one location open and another in the works, Williams said she’s just taking things club by club, day by day and member by member, all with the help of the franchisor. 

“Workout Anytime has been very supportive,” explained Williams. “Their training is very educational and definitely makes me feel stronger as an owner. And not to mention there’s always 24-hour support. Someone from the corporate world is always answering the phone or email if I have a question.”

While Williams has had a lot of support from Workout Anytime and her employees, it doesn’t mean she hasn’t faced challenges. 

“People are still timid to come back into a gym after COVID-19,” said Williams. “That has been a concern. As an owner I’ve had to make sure I’ve invested in products to combat people’s worries like an Airfix which purifies and disinfects the air. I have to ensure members are in a clean, safe environment and feel comfortable coming into my facility.”

Another way to ease this worry is by having welcoming and happy employees. For Williams, her best advice is leading by example. 

She explained as a leader you need to show up every day with a positive attitude and accept you have a responsibility to inspire everyone, do your job and represent your gym well so others follow suit.

“Set a precedent that we’re in the business of service despite working in the fitness industry,” said Williams. “I feel really blessed to have employees who are just as passionate about people as I am. All of us share the common denominator of the understanding we’re in the business of service. That’s first. Once everyone is clear and understands that, then we move on to what that entails in terms of fitness. We have a culture of inspiration, fun and passion.”

Overall, Williams is excited about adding another passion project to her already impressive resume. While the franchise has required her to be a lot more hands on than what she originally thought, she’s excited about doing so with something she genuinely enjoys. It seems the stage is set for a successful journey in helping improve people’s lives. 

“Every day is a different day,” said Williams. “Every person has a different energy. Every transformation story has a different beginning, middle and end. But it all starts and stops with the people. This industry is all about the community and the people that you can touch.”