Franchisee Profile: Colin Armbruster, Regional Developer for Colorado and Utah

Colin Armbruster has set ambitious goals for growing Max Muscle Sports Nutrition as a Regional Developer for Colorado and Utah and is well on his way to reaching them. He oversees ten locations currently open with seven more in development in Colorado, and one location with two more in development in Utah. Leading community outreach programs and spearheading mass business development efforts, this Australian native has taken MMSN by storm with his energy, creativity and passion. Colin is in continual contact with his franchisees (in Utah and Colorado) and is always working on cross promotions and community outreach initiatives. Colin considers a great career milestone that in Colorado alone, the franchisees under his guidance have serviced over 20,000 MMSN customers!

Where are you from originally?
I am from Australia originally. I was part owner in another business, Enterprise Asset Solutions, and then in 1999 decided I wanted to have a crack at the U.S. Market. When I got to the states, my office was in Saint Lois, MO. I then moved from St. Lois to Denver, CO and was doing International Business Development. When I met my wife, I knew I was tired of moving around and wanted to stay in one location and develop a business that had significant growth potential. I knew my international business development skill set could come in handy and was ready to take the step up from being a minority shareholder to owning a business.

Before franchising, what were you involved with?
Prior to franchising, my business acumen was international business and enterprise asset management, consulting, as well as software solutions.

How did you learn about the brand?
I became interested in franchising opportunities so much so that I attended three different franchise concepts' discovery days. I felt by far the most at home with Max Muscle Sports Nutrition. I really followed Max Muscle’s evaluation process. Additionally, I spoke with the franchise development people and got to know them on a personal level. As far as the corporate staff, I met with MMSN executives in California, and took great heed to do my due diligence. I knew this was a highly lucrative business.

What are some of your triumphs as a Regional Director for this brand?
I headed a Regional Director Leadership program for MMSN. I wanted to share not only “what to do” but also how to do it. My previous background working with documentation and systems really helped me know how to fine tune complex corporate initiatives in both a measurable way and one that is digestible to franchisees. I also talk about local community outreach programs to my franchisees so they know that as store owners, there is so much they can be doing to reach out to the community, which in turn helps to grow their business and the brand.

How do you see the brand connecting with your local community?
I do a regional newsletter that goes to 20,000 customers in Colorado. I keep it simple by focusing on community news. Relevant topics like high school student nutrition, weight loss stories and local trends from the perspective of MMSN. Writing about these and other respective topics creates brand recognition and credibility. Connecting with our consumers on a personal level is one of the most fulfilling aspects of my work. By getting involved in 5k’s, marathons, fitness shows, and more, we are able to champion healthy lifestyles, establish relationships with our loyal clients, and build our brand.

Our commitment to our communities extends even further. As an example, we work with the U.S. Marines in Colorado to get them in better shape for recruiting. We also just participated in a charity event with Goodwill and worked with Ryan Cornell’s Golf Tournament to raise money for the heart wing in the Children’s Hospital in Denver.

MMSN featured in OCMetro

MMSN was recently featured in OCMetro. The article discusses Max Muscle Sports Nutrition’s plans to expand 30 percent over the next year by adding 30 to 35 new locations nationwide. The article also cites California, Massachusetts and Texas as the next areas for development. Bill Warner, VP of Franchise Development, discusses the nation’s increasing interest in health and how this has lead to anticipation for more franchise sales. Bill also discusses Max Muscle Sports Nutrition’s approach to customers by understanding their fitness and nutrition needs and individualizing a plan to help them achieve their goals. Click here to view the full article.

Max Muscle strengthens nationwide reach: The Orange-based sports nutrition retailer plans to expand its franchises by 30 percent this year.
BY SARA FERRER

Orange-based Max Muscle Sports Nutrition seeks to expand its franchises by 30 percent in 2011, adding 30 to 35 new locations this year. The retailer and service provider is targeting new locations in California, Massachusetts and Texas; so far this year, stores in Atlanta and Washington have been added.

The expansion effort come partly as a result of an anticipated uptick in franchise sales as the nation's economy recovers and Americans become increasingly health-conscious, said Bill Warner, Max Muscle's vice president of franchise development.

(Read More)

Franchisee Profile: Mike Pringle Franchisee of Atlanta, GA

Los Angeles native and former NFL and Canadian Football League (CFL) star Mike Pringle is now with Max Muscle Sports Nutrition, and he is gearing up to open his Atlanta, GA location in May, 2011. Pringle is an award-winning athlete whose career highlights include: Being inducted into the Canadian Football League Hall of Fame, scoring the most rushing touchdowns in 2004, and being listed as one of the greatest running backs in CFL history. Pringle had impressive stints with the Montreal Alouettes, the Denver Broncos, and the Atlanta Falcons.

Before franchising, what were you involved with?
Before I was with Max Muscle Sports Nutrition, I was a college, NFL, and CFL football player. I had achieved great success because I built my life around hard work and dedication. I was interested in joining a franchise system that held my same values and centered upon my love of sports, nutrition, and overall health.

How did you learn about the brand?
To research the brand I spoke with a lot of people. I really wanted to know what Max Muscle Sports Nutrition was all about. I found the executives as well as the franchisees to be engaging and energetic. Existing franchisees spoke freely to me about their personal experiences and I felt really welcomed from the get go. After learning about the business model and brand, it solidified that this was where I wanted to be.

Why was this brand the right fit for you?
I knew I needed to do something that really fit my personality. After my football career ended and I began looking into different avenues and even dabbling in franchising, I felt I was missing my passion. I love being around athletes and working out. In fact, to me, working out was often more fun than the game. The culture at Max Muscle Sports Nutrition engages people like me every day.

How do you see the brand connecting with your local community?
There are a few things I do locally, but among my favorites is coaching youth leagues. I see a lot of parents pushing their kids to be the best, but parents often don’t know that kids need to be conditioned. It is imperative that these kids are on the right meal plans, and it has been fulfilling to work with coaches to help guide these youths to optimum health for a potential sports career later in life. I have also worked with other former NFL players to coach NFL hopefuls, track athletes, and even Olympic hopefuls to realize that they can achieve their goals, both in fitness and in life.

What are your future goals?
There are a lot of good areas to target with this opportunity. I am not only striving to reach out to elite athletes, but soccer moms and weekend warriors—anyone who is looking to have more energy. Everyone, regardless of age or ability can benefit from better health and nutrition, and this includes MMSN products and nutrition plans. I hope to continue my work with local students and charities and getting the word out that better health is doable. I am committed to growing this brand and look forward to owning five locations in the future.

Franchisee Profile: Fred & Cynthia Pressley Franchisees of Tampa, FL

Opened: October 6, 2010
Location: 1540 South Dale Mabry Hwy Tampa, FL 33629

Husband and wife fitness fanatics Fred and Cynthia Pressley of Tampa, FL opened their Max Muscle Sports Nutrition franchise in October 2010. As first-time business owners in a tough economy, Fred and Cynthia’s success over the past few months has far exceeded their own expectations, in part because of their whole-hearted dedication to the endeavor. Despite often working over 60 hours a week (each!), the Pressleys took some time out of their busy schedules to talk about where they came from, how they got involved with Max Muscle, and where they’ll go from here…

Q: Where are you from and what did you do prior to franchising?
Fred: I’m from Pennsylvania and my wife Cynthia was born in New York, though her family is originally from Haiti. We both came to Tampa to get our masters degrees—mine is in public health and education and Cynthia’s is in Science. Both of us are also Certified Fitness Nutrition Coaches™ through NESTA, as all Max Muscle franchisees are required to be. Before we got involved with Max Muscle, I was practicing law full-time and Cynthia managed two YMCA facilities in Tampa while working as a personal trainer.
Cynthia: I still teach exercise classes. I’m an instructor at Shape Fitness and also work full-time as a wellness coach for United Health Group, a health care provider, in addition to spending my afternoons and weekends working and managing the store with Fred. It’s a long week but I love what I do! I come from a long line of business owners—my family owns several businesses in Haiti—so it’s exciting that I get to carry on that tradition as well.

Q: How and why did you get involved with Max Muscle Sports Nutrition?
Fred: We decided we were interested in business ownership, but we wanted to pick something in which we already had a vested interest and substantial knowledge. We did some exploring, went to franchising events—it took awhile to find a concept we actually liked. Then we discovered Max Muscle Sports Nutrition. We were impressed with the corporate structure and liked the concept because of the health and fitness connection—we both have educational and occupational backgrounds in these subjects as well as a deep personal interest. Cynthia is a fitness instructor and wellness coach and I used to play NCAA Division 1 Tennis in college. So, we pulled together our finances and took the plunge—it was a risk but we were excited to start something new and different together.
Cynthia: Max Muscle Sports Nutrition gave me the ability to deliver more nutrition services to my clients in addition to the fitness services I provide as an instructor. By becoming Max Muscle franchisees, we also became Certified Fitness Nutrition Coaches™ and were provided a forum through which to offer these premium services and products.

Q: Tell us about your experience so far. What have you accomplished? What do you hope to accomplish?
Fred: So far the experience has been great. Business has been steadily increasing and we’ve enjoyed using Max Muscle as a way to connect with and provide for our local community. We had a store opening celebration last month that was a huge success—the local all-female football league came along with several other local vendors. Right now, our main goal is to continue working hard and developing our business within the community. If all goes well, there is certainly potential for expansion.