Military Experience Prepared Workout Anytime’s President to Build a Successful Franchise

Franchising Magazine | November 2023

From his time as a Staff Sergeant to running a successful fitness franchise brand, John Quattrocchi has always lived by the mantra, “Think big, keep it simple and do it with integrity.”

John Quattrocchi, co-founder and president of the 190-unit, 24-hour fitness franchise Workout Anytime, attributes much of his current success to the experience he gained while serving in the military.

“The lessons I learned from the Air Force in discipline, leadership and communication are all tools that have been necessary in the successful running of my business,” he said. Since being founded over 20 years ago, the 24/7 fitness brand that focuses on results-based workouts has sold over 100,000 new memberships and continues to be met with high demand.

Military Background

Starting in 1966, Quattrocchi served for four years in the Air Force, reaching the rank of Staff Sergeant while also holding the role of a radar technician during the Vietnam War. Through his service, he worked for one of the top squadrons under the 8th Fighter Wing: the 555th Tactical Fighter Squadron. His time in the military took him all over the world, including Turkey, Thailand and Izmir, where he spent a month living in a tent. In 1970, Quattrocchi was honorably discharged and found himself in search of his next venture, this time in the civilian world.

Transition to Civilian Life

Quattrocchi’s transition to civilian life started with a move to Atlanta, where he took a $2 an hour job as an instructor with the European Health Spa. He soon fell in love with the healthcare industry, and before long, he had worked his way up to a management position before claiming the role of Vice President of American Fitness Centers, overseeing 50 clubs across the southeastern U.S.

From there, he took the leap and created his own brand, Workout of America, which was a chain of large clubs that included swimming pools, indoor tracks and racquetball courts, before deciding he wanted to pursue a smaller model that would allow him to lower the membership cost to increase the number of memberships.

Lessons Learned and Leveraged

These early achievements and smooth transition to civilian life was just the beginning of Quattrocchi’s success. Through his time in the military, Quattrocchi became well-equipped for business ownership, honing his skills in discipline, leadership and communication.

“In order to have a great team, you have to be a great leader. This is true both in the service and as a business owner,” he said. With his expertise and background, it is no surprise how quickly he took on a leadership position with American Fitness Centers, but his leadership skills were also partnered with lessons of perseverance. “Being in the services teaches you that you can do anything that you have to do, and you can take that principle and translate it into accomplishing whatever you want to do, especially something you have a real passion for,” he said.

Another mentality that Quattrocchi brought forward with him into civilian life is that the better you are at what you do, the more people you will be able to help. When running a business, this translates to growth. Quattrocchi has seen plenty of growth and has handled the complexities of large-scale business ownership gracefully. He explained that running a business takes a lot of planning and required him to utilize the discipline he acquired in the service to stick to a plan and stay organized.

Workout Anytime

Quattrocchi and his business partner, Steve Strickland, had both worked with some of the biggest names in the fitness industry, such as American Fitness and Bally Total Fitness. However, they were ready to take leadership of their own project that allowed them to deliver first-class, low-cost workouts through a scalable model.

Workout Anytime’s first location was opened in Douglasville, Georgia, and within just nine months, the brand had earned over $1 million in receivables. Now, the franchise has nearly 200 locations across 20 states, and Quattrocchi believes his success is attributable to the lessons he learned from the service, along with some good advice from a friend.

The three major principles that inspired Workout Anytime’s business plan actually came from one of Quattrocchi’s friends. “Think big, keep it simple and do it with integrity,” said Quattrocchi. Over the past several years, Workout Anytime has garnered a great deal of recognition. Namely, the fitness franchise achieved the number 353 ranking in Franchise Times’ Top 400 list of largest franchises, beating its previous years’ position of number 380, and shows no sign of slowing down.

Advice to Fellow Veterans Seeking Franchise Opportunities

Quattrocchi’s advice to fellow veterans who are seeking similar success in business ownership is simple: Find something you are passionate about and pursue it. He explained that veterans truly have all the training and experience they need to become successful franchise owners and, with a bit of hard work, they can leverage these skills to build their own legacy. And, of course, no matter what brand or industry you choose to pursue: “Think big, keep it simple and do it with integrity.”

https://workoutanytimefranchise.com

Getting Started