Franchisee Profile: Allen Lasky of Dallas, Texas

Name:  Allen Lasky

Location: Dallas, Texas

Q: Where are you from?

A: I am originally from Chicago but grew up in Wisconsin.  When I turned 18, I graduated and left to join the U.S. Air Force.  After I got out of the service, I moved to California and lived there for 13 years.  Then we got wise and moved to our final resting spot – the Great State of Texas.

Q: What was your career before franchising?

A: I have been in aviation my whole life.  I started as an aircraft electrician in the Air Force.  I stayed in aviation after I got out and did everything from working on engines to overhauling aircrafts.  After many years as a mechanic, I moved to quality control (QC) as an inspector and spent majority of my career in aviation in this role.  Incidentally, I have never worked for a large airline; I always worked for independent repair stations or aircraft manufacturers.

Q: Why did you decide to open your own business?

A: I always wanted to be in business for myself.  I looked into different concepts, such as video stores and ice cream shops, but I wasn’t really prepared to undertake those types of ventures while raising a family.   Plus, it was hard to imagine myself renting out DVD’s or scooping ice cream on a day-to-day basis. 

Then, two years ago, I went through a drastic transformation and found something I was passionate about.  I was 51 years old, weighed 230 pounds and was at 30% body fat.  The realization that I wasn’t in shape and aging terrified me, so I joined a gym and hired a trainer.  Now at 53 years old I am in the best shape of my life at 165 pounds 8.2% body fat.

As part of my transformation I discovered nutritional supplementation from MMSN. The franchising opportunities caught my eye.  I originally started looking to purchase a franchise about a year ago but wasn’t in the financial and career position to do so at that time.  So I put the idea on the backburner but, in the meantime, I got my financial and job situation squared away.  On the job front, I was travelling a lot and couldn't dedicate the time to prepare for starting a franchise.  After some time, I got to this point and decided to take the opportunity seriously, which brings me to my present situation.

Q: What was appealing to you about joining a franchise system?

A: I have never run a business and liked their business plan and franchisee support.  It’s a turnkey operation.  Don’t let the term “Turnkey Operation” fool you, though; it’s also a lot of work, but a lot of the work has also been done on the front end by MMSN.  So I thought it would be the best way for me to go into business for myself.  Along with the training MMSN will provide (and it’s a lot!), they will prepare me well for opening my business. I am so excited; it’s all I think about all day long! My family will be involved. My daughter-in-law will be my manager.  I went into this with the thought of having my family involved and that is very important to me.

Q: With regard to your previous experience, what skills do you feel helped you in your business?

A: In every prior position I’ve held, I’ve managed to move into supervisory positions and find success.   It’s probably because I know how to deal with people and run a quality department. I am a fast learner and my attitude and my enthusiasm is going to serve me well. 

Q: What obstacles have you overcome to get where you are today with your business?

A: I have to learn about business and about dealing with people from a different angle than I have been accustomed.  In addition, I could not secure a Small Business Administration (SBA) loan due to collateral rules in Texas (the Texas Homestead Act prevents banks from seizing homes, which are traditionally used as collateral on loans in most other states). 

However, this ended up being a blessing because in the process I learned about a way to roll my retirement funds into a 401(k) trust, and so I am funding my business from my retirement funds.  Therefore, when my business is open it will be paid for, and I will just have operating costs to deal with. Some may question sinking all of my retirement savings into this business, and to that I would answer “this is my retirement”.  If I were working for another company, I would look to retire in thirteen years.  Because I own my own business and am in great shape, I will probably never retire.  Putting my retirement funds into this business is a risk, but I think it is a good risk.

Q: What are some of your achievements (professionally or personally) that you think will help you along the way in your business?

A: When I set out to do something, I really put everything into it.  A lot of the things I have learned over the years in my career are self-taught.  Aside from the obvious point of getting into shape during a time when most are out of shape, I am also proud of my prior aviation history and the way it will serve me in business.  For example, I was appointed as a designee by the Federal Aviation Administration to do work on their behalf, which is not an easy designation to get.  So whenever I put my mind towards something, I get it done.

Q: What are your expansion or development plans?

A: We are hoping to expand at 3-5 years down the road. Of course that will depend on the success of my store.

ABOUT MAX MUSCLE SPORTS NUTRITION:

Established in 1991 by former NFL linebacker Joe Wells, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition (MMSN) is America's premier sports nutrition retail outlet and franchise system, selling a combination of scientifically proven nutritional supplements at more than 150 outlets in 32 states. Rated by Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top Retail Franchise 2010, a Top 500 Franchise 2010 and by Military Times Magazine as a 2010 Best for Vets business, MMSN provides a one-of-a-kind in-store experience through its unique design and one-on-one customer counseling from extensively trained Certified Fitness Nutrition Coaches™. MMSN's aggressive expansion plans include offering its unique opportunity to qualified, business-savvy candidates. For more information, call 888-MAX-MUSCLE ext. 2 or visit maxmusclefranchise.com.

Max Muscle Sports Nutrition was recently featured in the Lawrenceville Patch

Max Muscle Sports Nutrition was recently featured the Lawrenceville Patch in an article titled, "Former Atlanta Falcon Opens Sports and Nutrition Store." Max Muscle franchisee Mike Pringle discusses why he decided to open a Max Muscle Sports Nutrition and the way that it fit into his background in the sports industry. He also talks about what he hopes to bring to the community and the individualized experience he strives to bring to each person that comes into the store. Bill Warner, VP of Franchise Developing, talks about why Lawrenceville is a great location for the company and a client of Mike’s discusses the change that she has seen from the store products and the suggestions that Mike made to align with the changes she wanted to make. Click here to view the entire article.

Former Atlanta Falcon Opens Sports and Nutrition Store

By: Crystal Huskey

Former Atlanta Falcon Mike Pringle continues to make a name for himself in the sports world, but this time it’s for something a little different. 

In mid-December, he will launch the third Max Muscle Sports Nutrition franchise in the Atlanta area at the Avenue Webb Gin. 

“I was looking for a business that was more in tune with my background,” Pringle explained.  “As I was doing my due diligence, I came across this sports nutrition company.”

 (Read More)

Max Muscle Sports Nutrition featured on Opportunity World Franchising Show

Max Muscle Sports Nutrition was recently featured in a radio segment with Opportunity World Franchising Show. VP of Franchise Development Bill Warner and franchisees John Hagaman and Collin Koch discussed Max Muscle as a brand and went into great depth about Max Muscle's franchise opportunity. You can listen to the 45 minute segment below.

  01: Max Muscle Sports Nutrition by Max-Muscle Franchise

  02: Max Muscle Sports Nutrition by Max-Muscle Franchise

  03: Max Muscle Sports Nutrition by Max-Muscle Franchise
 

Franchisee Profile: John Hagaman of Rockwell & Plano, Texas

John Hagaman

Location: Rockwall, Texas; Plano, Texas

Q: What was your career before franchising?

A: I received my undergraduate degree in 2004, and then my masters in 2005. I found myself overeducated and under experienced. There were companies that wanted to hire me, but they didn’t want to be my stepping stone, and so they didn’t want to invest the time in someone that would leave for a better job. I couldn’t get a “real job.” So I went to Cooper Clinic in Dallas and got certified as a personal trainer. I did that for a couple of years until I started working in outside sales.

Q: How did you learn about the brand?

A:  I went in to the Max Muscle location in Arlington and I thought the set-up was cool. I began using the products and started to see how effective they are. After learning about the consultative component to Max Muscle’s business strategy, I wanted to get involved myself. After researching more about the brand, the opportunity to open the Rockwall store came up so I jumped on it. I opened Rockwall in November 2009, soon followed with the Plano store and have never looked back.

Q: Why did you decide to open your own business?

A: I come from a family of entrepreneurs – my mom owns four Sports Clips franchises in the Dallas-Fort Worth area – and I always said that by the time I was 30 I wanted to be working for myself. I was looking for the next big thing to make my own. I liked personal training, but I wanted a broader clientele base. I saw Max Muscle as a kind of personal training, with more steady business, employees and a product you can put your hands on.

Q: What was appealing to you about joining a franchise system?

A: I could have opened my own supplemental/nutritional store, but with Max Muscle, the marketing was already in place, and I had the corporate support. There aren’t a lot of Max Muscles in the area, so this gave me the opportunity to have a brand presence here.

Q: Why did you choose to enter this industry?

A: Growing up, I was kind of the fat kid, so I know what people struggling with weight issues are going through. I grew up as more of the cheerleader while my brothers excelled in athletics. I’m all about helping people, because I’m hoping it will trickle down to their family and their children. Childhood obesity doesn’t have to be outrageous, and parents are setting the example without even knowing it. So if I can educate the parents on how to take care of themselves, they’ll subconsciously set the example for their kids.

Q: How does your business connect with the community?

A:  We support the local football programs and participate in fundraisers, but the biggest thing for me is public speaking. Giving lectures and working with people to spread knowledge is what I love doing. We’re always in the community showing our face and spreading the message of “this is how we live.”

Q: What are your expansion or development plans?

A: I’d like to add a third store – that’s my long-range goal. I work in my stores every day, and I’d like to rotate working in three stores. I hope Max Muscle explodes in north Texas. I see this area doing well.

ABOUT MAX MUSCLE SPORTS NUTRITION:

Established in 1991 by former NFL linebacker Joe Wells, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition (MMSN) is America's premier sports nutrition retail outlet and franchise system, selling a combination of scientifically proven nutritional supplements at more than 150 outlets in 32 states. Rated by Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top Retail Franchise 2010, a Top 500 Franchise 2010 and by Military Times Magazine as a 2010 Best for Vets business, MMSN provides a one-of-a-kind in-store experience through its unique design and one-on-one customer counseling from extensively trained Certified Fitness Nutrition Coaches™. MMSN's aggressive expansion plans include offering its unique opportunity to qualified, business-savvy candidates. For more information, call 888-MAX-MUSCLE ext. 2 or visit maxmusclefranchise.com.

Franchisee Profile: Geff Malone of Santa Cruz, CA

Name:  Geff Malone

Date Store Opened:  2000 (11 years ago)

Location: Santa Cruz, CA

Q: Where are you from?

A: I am from San Jose, California. 

Q: What was your career before franchising?

A: Prior to working for MMSN, I worked in a carburetor remanufacturing family business for 24 years that my grandfather started in 1945. My father took it over from him, and I took it over from my father.  When car manufacturers discontinued the use of carburetors in cars, revenue became tighter. I decided I was still young enough to do something else and looked into franchising.

Q: What was appealing to you about joining a franchise system?

A: I looked into franchising for a very long time before I committed, and I was attracted to the structure.   It is rare to see a good franchise go out of business.  I looked into the major fast food chains first, but they took too much capital to open, and I really didn’t believe in eating fast food anyways.  I also looked into some healthier quick service concepts but could not see myself performing the repetitive tasks it took to be successful for a long period of time. 

My decision to open a MMSN was based on making myself happy and giving myself a quality lifestyle. The concept of MMSN went along with my lifestyle of working out and body building. I also really enjoyed being a client of MMSN; I was buying from them already, and it seemed like a business I could do because I have a personal training and nutrition background.

Q: How have you survived the economic downturn?

A:  In the 10-11 years I have owned a MMSN, I never thought about failure.  However, 2010 was a much harder year for me; my store did not perform as well as I would have liked, and I became worried for the first time.  This experience made me open my eyes to my view of the store and the value I offered my clients.  We always offered light nutritional planning, but my focus and energy was more on athletes more than the average person. In addition, I focused too much on selling supplements.  These choices started to show on my bottom line. 

I decided that I had to reinvent myself and my view of the store instead of just lowering expenses if I wanted to make a difference.  In early 2011, I decided to focus on compensatory nutrition and wellness planning that incorporates supplements and works more on health and wellness consumers as opposed to athletes and body builders.  We also started partnering with a lot of wellness and fitness centers to provide this much-needed service to the community. 

The first step is a one-hour fitness consultation with a client to understand their goal  and to ascertain their current workout and eating habits.  Our plan is uniquely designed to fit their goals and to be attainable; not just what we want them to be or to do. Most of our clients want to lose weight and tone up, but, occasionally, some want to gain weight.

We tell people that 70 percent of attaining a goal is proper nutrition.  People like to work out, but even the best only devote between one to one and a half hours a day to it.  Nutrition accommodates the rest of the day, and, if you can handle the nutritional aspect of a goal, you can achieve it.  The problem is that most trainers do not take the time and do not have the energy to design meal plans.   

As a result, 2011 is set to be our best year ever!  By taking a look at myself and my view of the services we provide, I was able to align our store offerings with our client needs in a way that made them want to choose the value we provide by focusing on everyday health and wellness.

Q: With regard to your previous experience, what skills do you feel helped you in your business?

A: I have good people skills and manage employees well.  Having a personal training and nutrition background helped, as I was living a healthy lifestyle prior to opening up my location. I can relate to my clients, however, because I used to be really overweight until my early adult life.  I went from over 30% body fat to around 10% body fat. 

ABOUT MAX MUSCLE SPORTS NUTRITION:

Established in 1991 by former NFL linebacker Joe Wells, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition (MMSN) is America's premier sports nutrition retail outlet and franchise system, selling a combination of scientifically proven nutritional supplements at more than 150 outlets in 32 states. Rated by Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top Retail Franchise 2010, a Top 500 Franchise 2010 and by Military Times Magazine as a 2010 Best for Vets business, MMSN provides a one-of-a-kind in-store experience through its unique design and one-on-one customer counseling from extensively trained Certified Fitness Nutrition Coaches™. MMSN's aggressive expansion plans include offering its unique opportunity to qualified, business-savvy candidates. For more information, call 888-MAX-MUSCLE ext. 2 or visit maxmusclefranchise.com.

Franchisee Profile - Craig David of Boulder, Co

Name:  Craig David                                                                          

Open Since:  2008

Location: Boulder, Co.

                                                                                            

Q: Where are you from?

A: I am from Monte Vista, Co., which is a small farm town.  My family is full of farmers, preachers and pilots. I think I’m the first one to not go into one of these three fields! I received my undergraduate degree in exercise science with a nutrition minor from Colorado State University and lived in Denver before moving to Boulder.    

Q: What was your career before franchising?

A: I launched a start-up for young professionals mentoring program soon after college.

Q: Why did you decide to open your own business?

A: The mentoring program was a stepping stone in the path to own my own business and certainly helped me from a management aspect.  I also have a strong passion for the industry based on my background in exercise science and nutrition.  I knew of MMSN because of my background and had previously purchased from them.   

I learned about MMSN from the franchising perspective when I met one of the regional contacts who conducted a MMSN seminar on nutrition and wellness while sitting on the board of the Denver alumni group for Colorado State University.  We got along well and wanted to work together on conducting other programs, and then he asked me if I had any contacts that would be interested in purchasing development rights to the Boulder area.  I talked with my father about it and got his support and started the franchisee process a few weeks later. 

Q: What was appealing to you about joining a franchise system?

A:  Several people in my family own businesses, and I’ve seen that it can be difficult to know how to put the right structure and systems in place from the outset of starting a business.  MMSN provided a structure and model for me as well as other supportive resources that helped make up for my lack of experience as a young business owner. 

Q: With regard to your previous experience, what skills do you feel helped you in your business?

A: I’m good with people and building relationships. The residents of Boulder are highly educated and it is a small community that is deeply concerned with living a healthy lifestyle.  I work hard to earn the community’s trust as an expert resource in nutrition and wellness. 

Q: What obstacles have you overcome to get where you are today with your business?

A: I grew up a fat little kid!  In high school, I grew out of it and was athletic and played football, so I have been on both sides of the nutrition and wellness spectrum.  In college, my focus was on really studying the body; when you understand your body, you can learn to manipulate it in a positive way.  Towards my senior year, I also fell in love with cross training, racing snowboards & pulled the trigger & competed in my first triathlon.

In addition, working past the stereotype that a concept like Max Muscle is all about “meatheads” is something I have worked hard at overcoming within the community.  I spend a lot of time focused on education and am involved with the University rugby, lacrosse, triathlon, & swim teams as well as area gyms.

Q: What are your expansion or development plans?

A: I will consider it in the future but am happy running my location for now.

ABOUT MAX MUSCLE SPORTS NUTRITION:

Established in 1991 by former NFL linebacker Joe Wells, Max Muscle Sports Nutrition (MMSN) is America's premier sports nutrition retail outlet and franchise system, selling a combination of scientifically proven nutritional supplements at more than 150 outlets in 32 states. Rated by Entrepreneur Magazine as a Top Retail Franchise 2010, a Top 500 Franchise 2010 and by Military Times Magazine as a 2010 Best for Vets business, MMSN provides a one-of-a-kind in-store experience through its unique design and one-on-one customer counseling from extensively trained Certified Fitness Nutrition Coaches™. MMSN's aggressive expansion plans include offering its unique opportunity to qualified, business-savvy candidates. For more information, call 888-MAX-MUSCLE ext. 2 or visit maxmusclefranchise.com.