Max Muscle Gives away a 52 inch TV to Lucky Winner Melanie Dove

Melanie and her husband went to Europa's Super Show and Supplement Expo on August 12th & 13th. They were both very interested in learning more about health, fitness & nutrition and thought it would be a great opportunity to try new products and services that cater to their lifestyles.  Location was key in stopping by the Max Muscle Sports Nutrition booth because she and her husband were spending a lot of time in the back of the convention center. The gentlemen promoting the Max Muscle booth grabbed their attention directed them to the table, and had them fill out their information.


"I really feel that having friendly, attentive promoters of the company helped tremendously," said Melanie.


After seeing the prize that Max Muscle was giving away, Melanie filled out a card to win a new TV and won!!  Here is what she has to say about her experience.

Q: How did you learn about Max Muscle Sports Nutrition? 
A: I learned about Max Muscle at the Europa Fitness Expo.


Q: What is the most appealing aspect to you about MMSN? 
A: The most appealing aspect about MMSN to me is their focus on nutrition and the fact that a nutrition plan can be tailored to me and my lifestyle.


Q: If you weren't a customer before, do you think you’ll check it out? 
A: Absolutely! The biggest issue in weight loss for me is making sure I eat right. I love to work out, but weight loss is hard when I love food! I think that Max Muscle can definitely help by providing me a personalized nutrition plan.


Q: What are you most interested in?
A: I think I'm most interested in the personalized nutrition plan and the high quality service that is provided by the nutrition coaches.


Q: How do you plan to use your new TV?!
A: First of all, I want to say thank you to Max Muscle for the opportunity to win such an awesome TV! My husband and I definitely plan on using it for years to come whether it be for family gatherings, parties, or movie & game nights. Movie Nights are definitely a big deal in our family! We are truly excited about the new TV and plan to be a future customer at Max Muscle!!

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.

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.

Franchisee Profile: Bill Porter, Franchisee of Fayetteville, NC

Q: Where are you originally from?
A: Artesia, New Mexico .

Q: Before Franchising, what were you involved with?
A: I served in the U.S. Army for 24 as military intelligence. I was also a German linguist. Part of the military lifestyle is living a healthy life. I was accustomed to that so when I retired in 1993, I knew I still wanted that to be a part of my life.

After retiring from the Army, I became a manager of a fitness facility for four years. That helped me stay active and healthy. I also did various other things to keep me motivated after my long career with the military. I sold cars and became a manager at a convenience store. There, I noticed that so many people would complain about being unhealthy, but while complaining would have a hot dog in one hand and a large soda and cigarettes in the other. At that point, I knew I needed to have a job where I was concentrating on helping people lead healthy lives.

I went to work for a competitor of Max Muscle Sports Nutrition for another four years before retiring for the second time. While around the house, I got bored and found out about the Max Muscle Sports Nutrition franchise opportunity. I was sold when I met the Max Muscle team. I opened my location in 2008 in Fayetteville, NC. The 2009 Max Form winner, Toni Warrick, came from my location. We worked together on her fitness goals and she won the grand prize! Ultimately, she lost 40 pounds and 20% body fat.

Q: How did you learn about the brand?
A: I was searching on the Internet and saw an ad about owning your own nutrition business. I was immediately interested and felt I had a lot of good experience from my previous position in the nutrition industry. Max Muscle Sports Nutrition was well above the other opportunities out there. I was 100% sold when I met the Max Muscle team. They are very personable and the support structure for franchisees is terrific.

Q: What specific steps did you take in validating the brand prior to joining the system?
A: After I started looking at Max Muscle Sports Nutrition, I didn’t bother with other franchises. I engaged in conversation with Ralph Thompson at Max Muscle and he introduced me to the regional director and took me to some of the other stores where I tried some of the products. After experiencing the brand, I went in for my discovery day and came out a franchisee!

Q: Why was this brand the right fit for you?
A: Honestly, I came out of the military and I saw so many former military professionals who stopped leading active lives and had grave health issues as a result. I didn’t want that for myself. Being active and physically fit was going to be a part of my life. The passion I have for it makes it the perfect career for me.

Q: How do you see the brand connecting with your local community?
A: Education is key in this line of work. Thirty percent of the population is now considered obese. That’s tripled in just the past decade. I offer educational seminars wherever and whenever I can, including churches, clients’ organizations, schools, etc. I also worked with the Wounded Warrior Project, an organization devoted to helping injured service members.

Q: What have been some career milestones for you/your business?
A: Each year my business has grown. I believe this year will be my breakout year. More people are moving to Fort Bragg because of the base realignment act and I’m constantly in the community helping educate people on leading healthy lifestyles.

Q: What are your future goals? Development plans?
A: I would like to be a multi-store owner in North Carolina and develop at least two more stores, if not more.

Franchisee Profile: James Gustason, Franchisee of Bountiful, UT

Location: Bountiful, UT
Opening: March 2nd, 2011

Q: Where are you originally from?

A: I’m originally from Salt Lake City, UT. My wife Becky and I grew up as neighbors. Our families went to the same church.

Q: Before Franchising, what were you involved with?

A: I was the assistant controller for 50 Jiffy Lube franchisees. I was also the controller for an auto parts franchise called Mighty Auto parts. Becky worked in data entry and also as a stay at home mother with our four children.

Q: Are you a first time business owner?

A: Yes we are.

Q: How did you learn about the brand?

A: In June 2010, I was laid off from my job due to the economy. I wanted to find a career that would benefit more people than just me. I had been in a Max Muscle store and was impressed with business model and community outreach. I was also impressed with how effective Max Muscle supplements were.

Q: What specific steps did you take in validating the brand prior to joining the system?

A: I emailed Max Muscle to get more information. I also called franchisees to find out about their personal experiences. I had a Discovery Day at Max Muscle Corporate in September and by October everything was finalized.

Q: Why was this brand the right fit for you?

A: Fitness has always been a part of my life. We have always been into nutrition and interested in understanding how the human body works. Max Muscle doesn’t feel like a job. It doesn’t even feel like you’re working, just helping others and having fun.

Q: How do you see the brand connecting with your local community?

A: We are trying to organize free nutritional seminars with local businesses. We are also working with a local chiropractor to conduct seminars at his facility as well. We are also reaching out to the community through sponsoring community fitness events.

Q: What are your future goals? Development plans?

A: First and foremost we are looking forward toward opening! Within the next couple of years we hope to be working with at least 30 doctors in our area as well as any fitness oriented business to further the cause of health and fitness. We want to be a household name. We hope to promote a healthy lifestyle within our family and community.