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Entrepreneur Story

I’m not sure how many people are familiar with this brand, but there is a company called Orangetheory Fitness that offers a class-based workout that’s growing like crazy both nationally and internationally. It started in 2010 and today there are nearly 800 studios open in the US and thirteen other countries. 
One of the founders is Ellen Latham, a woman who had always loved teaching group fitness. She sought to create a workout that had a greater metabolic response than pilates, but structured differently than the traditional spin and bootcamp classes. The result was the science-backed “Ellen’s Ultimate Workout.”
Ellen Latham teaching at one
of the Orangetheory Fitness studios.
Founders Dave Long and Jerome Kern heard from Kern’s wife of this great group fitness workout that a woman started in Ft. Lauderdale and they went to check it out. They were amazed by the following this small studio had and, by 2010, they opened an Orangetheory Fitness pilot studio. To date, they expect to have 900 studios opened globally by the end of 2017.
This story is close to me because I hear about it almost every day; My father is the president of Orangetheory Fitness. I remember sitting at dinner with him once, talking about the structure of franchises and what lead to such great growth of this company. We were in Tennessee at the time, and he surprised me by renting a Maserati for a four hour drive we had to make the next day. As I was firing question after question, he stopped me and said, "Megan, if you want to keep driving cars like that, you have to own. That’s where the money is.” And I was sold.
I’ll always remember that statement. I would never say money is my primary goal (though it is a nice side effect), but I’m more infatuated with the idea that someday I can be wildly successful, respected and independent if I want to be. There’s something powerful about being in a place in your life—whether financially, physically, mentally or otherwise—where you can fully and single-handedly support yourself if something unexpected were to happen, especially as a woman.

I think I have a lot to offer as a creative-minded person, but I also think I have a unique perspective on life that allows me to look at normal things with a different approach than that of the default that most people revert to. I’m excited to take this class and I’m already enjoying the way it’s making me think.

Comments

  1. UnknownSeptember 3, 2017 at 10:20 AM

    I have been to Orange Theory many times, but never really knew the whole story behind it. I think that is so awesome how one person's workout routine could turn into a huge international business. I didn't even know that there was Orange Theory Fitness in other countries. Working out is near and dear to me, so this story really interested me. I am also a creative person like you, so I think this class will benefit both of us.

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