Maverick Community is a shared space for personal trainers to run their own thriving businesses. We’re like WeWork, CloudKitchen, or SolaSalon for the fitness & wellness space.
👨👨👦 Team
✨ Strategy
❓ FAQs
👋 Join Us
🎵 TikTok
🔗 Website
〽️ About Maverick
- A high-end home base for the best personal trainers: As a space, Maverick is a pay-per-use, state-of-the-art, trainer-owned gym for personal trainers and fitness coaches.
- A path to predictable sustainable future: As a service, Maverick offers the best fitness trainers a path to growth for their fitness brand and personal financial future.
- A community that empowers trainers to push beyond their potential: As a whole, Maverick is a partner in pushing clients toward success, focused on creating long-term relationships with trainers by providing them all the tools they need to take their business to the next level.
- Maverick leases retail or industrial space, ideal size 3k-5k sqft, and provides scientifically advanced fitness equipment and team member help.
- Personal trainers apply to train at Maverick. The ideal trainers are experienced, busy trainers working 30+ hours per week that want to grow. We believe each trainer needs 200 sqft, which means 3k sqft of training space can fit 15 trainers. It is crucial that the facility is private and not crowded.
- Trainers pay for Maverick’s facility space by the hour via prepaid packages and keep 100% of their client’s payment.
- Trainers bring their client base, set their pricing, and decide when, what, and how to teach their sessions.
- The personal trainer is our member, not the end-user, as we believe that focusing on their success will create the best environment for everyone. As our network of studios and our ecosystem of well-curated trainers increases, we will help drive new clients to the trainers so that they can higher junior trainers and scale.
You’d think the top talent in personal training has the resources to take their business to the next level.
That’s far from the case. Today’s best trainers and coaches don’t have access to the best state-of-the-art equipment—namely because gyms just don’t have it (or have enough of it). And if trainers are working independently, they must adapt to clients' home gyms or lug around their own equipment.
Beyond the tangible resources, this elite group may have a business strategy focused on the short term—but often lack a long-term path toward sustainable predictable growth. And that’s for a few reasons: they’re focused on serving their clients in the present, which means they don’t have the time or resources to dedicate to admin and marketing. And in some cases, they have to split their brand real estate—and earnings— with the gym they work at.
And in terms of earning independently, they’re locked into an hourly wage model that doesn’t generate growth over time.
There’s a ceiling in place for even the most successful personal trainers—because the next step in building on their current success isn’t clear.
- Make more money while saving time: With zero overhead, trainers start earning more money immediately due to a lower rental cost. Plus, trainers will scale by bringing in junior trainers to teach their method and earn on their behalf.
- High-end equipment: Not only do we have the newest, most state-of-the-art equipment—we have the most of it, giving trainers what they care most about: their tools.
- Tools for scalable success: Members will be provided resources to build their business including admin and marketing support.
- Amplification of their personal brand: Maverick amplifies trainers, and doesn’t require them to be under any kind of brand umbrella. At Maverick, your brand is front-and-center.
- An exclusive, passionate community: Trainers will network with and learn from the best talent, and allow clients to make connections in this exclusive community as well. Plus, due to the limited number of spots, trainers will never be faced with overcrowding.
- A path to earn ownership in Maverick: The trainers that train the most sessions at Maverick have the ability to earn ownership in Maverick Community Inc. Trainers in the top 15% of earners at Maverick can become part owners and get to be part of the growth of our brand. As trainers grow their businesses, Maverick grows too—so the success of our trainers leads to Maverick opening more locations, ultimately increasing the value of the company and the trainers ownership share.
- Privacy: Because it’s a private gym, you won’t ever be waiting for equipment with your coach
- Exclusivity: You can only come if you are with a Maverick coach
- Community: You’ll be around the best coaches and other motivated individuals who are accomplishing their goals.
- An Elevated Experience: Machines and equipment all top end and always changing/adding so they have the best tech to work out with.
- High-End Products: You and your clients get the best shampoo (le labo), soap, soft towels, etc.
Our mission is to set the most successful personal trainers up for a lifetime of sustainable success.
We empower trainers to push beyond their potential today, so that they can build a backbone for their future.
Through offering a high-end home base, a community of exclusive talent, admin tools and scalability in their business and brand, we’re creating an environment aimed at helping trainers level up their business so that they can create sustainable growth in the future.
How does Maverick Community set the most successful personal trainers up for a lifetime of sustainable success?
How does Maverick Community help trainers live more free, healthy, and happy lives?
- What is happiness?
- What is healthy living?
- What is freedom?
How does Maverick Community make fitness and wellness more accessible?
Thank you to Warren Berger for the mission question inspiration.
Our standard to build the best experience for coaches is backed by providing top-of-the-line equipment, friendly service and key tools to help coaches grow.
Our success lies in helping the true mavericks—individuals who are ready to grow and love the challenge of improving every day.
We provide a home base for trainers and clients to do what they love. If it’s not fun, it’s not worth doing.
We take action to make the world a better place. We’re committed to helping people help people.
- Power to the Trainer
- Committed to helping people help people
- Maverick definition: An independent-minded person, someone who is not a fan of the status-quo. Someone who does something differently.
- We are creating and fostering a community of Mavericks. Individuals that strive to grow their brands and be in an environment with unlimited potential.
1️⃣ 1st Test Location
- We opened our first location in Q4 2021 in Playa Vista, CA (Los Angeles).
- We took over a former yoga facility at an outdoor mall. On a bootstrapped budget, we renovated and opened for business in just under three weeks after receiving the keys from the landlord.
- The facility featured 7,500 square feet with five separate studios for group training and personal training, as well as men's and women's locker rooms with showers and lockers.
- Over the past year, we’ve had 150+ fitness & wellness coaches training at our facility, enjoying more income and freedom. Trainers love Maverick, and we quickly earned their trust and respect --> recently received a 77 Net Promoter Score.
- In Q1 2023, we're launching a new space in West Hollywood, focused on providing the perfect home for the most successful personal trainers. We’re taking all of our learnings from the past years test kitchen location and building a custom facility for the most successful personal trainers, the highest-earning coach in the fitness space.
👨👨👦 Team
Michael Fishman
- Co-founder, CEO of Pure Cycles - a bicycle company started in college at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and ran for 10 years before being acquired in April 2020.
- BS in Real Estate, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- Forbes 30 Under 30
- Non-profit board member at Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition
Links
- 💼 : LinkedIn
- 📧 : michael@bemav.com
Christian Straka
- Mindfulness coach and facilitator - corporate clients such as Adidas, Netflix, Amazon, and Facebook
- Mindsize Co-Creator, CEO
- Adidas Runners Global Mindset Coach, Adidas Runners Mindset Coach LA
- Former professional tennis player and professional coach for players such as Mike Bryan and Victoria Azarenka
Links
Marcellus Wiley
- Inducted into the Columbia University Athletic Hall of Fame
- Played ten seasons in the NFL with the Buffalo Bills, San Diego Chargers, Dallas Cowboys, and Jacksonville Jaguars.
- Known for his community involvement, he was voted three times by his team as the Walter Payton Man of the year.
- Broadcast media analyst for ESPN and FOX SPORTS
- Founder, “Project Transition,” a charitable organization that provides leadership training to at-risk youth with the goal of creating tomorrow’s thought leaders.
Links
- 🔗 : Website
Steve LePore
- Founded three successful non-profit organizations - My Friend’s Place, The Santa Clarita Valley Youth Project, 1in6
- 30 years of experience as a non-profit Executive Director
- Speaker and storyteller with audiences including at the Pentagon
Links
- 📧 : steve@bemav.com
💨 Traction + Updates
We send regular updates. Sign up below to be added to the list and check out the archive below.
These updates and thoughts were initially created by and for the Maverick Community founder team. We decided to make them public as we believe putting these notes into the universe will bring more value to others and the overall mission compared to any potential downsides.
Our goal is to allow for an inside look at our building process to encourage other potential entrepreneurs thinking about starting a business, help build exactly what future wellness professional entrepreneurs are looking for, and spread our message of making wellness and fitness more accessible.
Additionally, this information will be a helpful database for institutional knowledge. We plan to build a remote-first company where our employees can work wherever is best for them, and sharing the beginnings of the company will help us ensure all team members understand the type of culture we are striving to create.
We look forward to your comments and questions.
Company Updates
Collection of longer form ✍️ "Thoughts" from the updates above:
👾Single-Player to Multi-Player —> creator collabs and cross-promoting to solve top of funnel and distribution challenges
✨ Strategy
We opened our first location in Playa Vista, CA late 2021 and signed up 150+ wellness professionals that hosted 100+ classes & sessions per week. We ran the business efficiently with only two full-time employees working in the facility, and set up professional production studios so that group classes could be live-streamed and recorded (example footage here).
Wellness professionals love running their business at Maverick as they are making more income and enjoying the freedom to grow their own brands. This is proven by our recent 77 Net Promoter Score.
After hosting over 20 different types of fitness and wellness disciplines, from personal training to yoga to spinning to massage to pilates, we noticed that the most desirable customer for Maverick was the personal trainer. Personal training is the most lucrative aspect of the gym business, and succcessful individual personal trainers are making well over six figures with only ~15-20 clients. We’ve also found that successful personal trainers are the most eager to grow, making them an ideal Maverick partner.
We’re taking all of our learnings from the past year and building the the ideal home for successful personal trainers.
- "Maverick is top-notch, they have everything I need. The best equipment from Keiser, and they’re the first gym to allow trainers to become owners.
- Why wouldn’t every trainer work out at Maverick?
- Trainers want to transition out of their gyms and make more money, but they are stuck! This idea is a great, easy path for trainers.
- I now own my private gym using my live/work loft after working at Barry’s Bootcamp and making very little money. This model is perfect for trainers who want their own business but don’t want to grind in the business aspect. Trainers will find this idea very valuable.
- I left Equinox because I was making a small fraction of what my clients were paying. I built a great client list that I train at a private gym, but there is no co-working flexibility. I’d love a private space that would give me 24/7 access.
- I like the idea that I can make my space MY BRAND. I would love the education — I’m not a business person, but I’m eager to learn marketing. I created a zoom workout during COVID and get 35-40 people per session. I need better equipment and software for my streaming - the sound is poor, and the subscription side of things is very time- consuming.
- Your studio space enables a private therapist to see more people as there is a significant barrier to seeing many people in LA because of the driving time!
-Magnus Lygdback, personal trainer to superhero movie stars
-Ryan Farhoudi
– Andre, Celebrity Fitness Formula
– Torrey, Barry’s Bootcamp
– Molly, Equinox
– Synthia, private fitness instructor
– Jeff, Ther-Ex Physical Therapy
We are looking to take over existing gym and boutique studio space so that the build-out will be affordable and quick. It is estimated that 1/4 of gyms and boutique studios went out of business in 2021 and 2022.
We believe that, in the short-term and long-term, Maverick Community doesn't need to be on the ground floor on the hottest corner of the best neighborhood. Just as we are seeing with DNVBs (Digitally Native Vertical Brands = e-commerce brands that open their own physicals locations to control the entire consumer experience), brands with direct connections to their customers are not relying on foot traffic as they can drive physical traffic anywhere. We've seen trainers able to get their clients to follow them anywhere.
We have the following initial requirements for our initial locations:
- Locations: Santa Monica, Venice, Mar Vista, Culver, Hollywood, West Hollywood (again, we are okay with being on the fringe of these cities, and we don't need to be on "main street").
- Parking: convenient, plentiful parking is a must.
- Indoor/Outdoor: outdoor access is a plus (ex: large parking lot, courtyard, rooftop).
- Size: 3k sqft - 5k sqft
- Prior Use: Former gym/boutique studio space is a huge plus so we don't have to pay or wait for an extensive build-out (permits, etc.)
Once we prove the our model via our initial 2-3 leases, we plan scale locations by franchising and/or negotiating with prominent landlords to sign management agreements instead of long-term leases. Management agreements are a less risky and asset-light way to scale. We believe maverick is a prime candidate for management agreements for the following reasons:
- The amount of empty retail/office/flex space (e-comm, COVID, work from home)
- Landlords love fitness as it brings in the best consumers - good looking people with disposable income to shop and eat pre/post workout (ex: Related acquired Equinox)
- We don't need to be in the best location as the creators can drive traffic to wherever maverick is (similar to DNVB brands, ie Bonobos). We plan to focus on malls and occupy their most undesirable spaces at their property.
Read more about our thoughts on management agreements here.
We plan to develop our network of studios as we believe that the gym/wellness center solution of the future is not a single location but a network of studios and services that foster a community of like-minded individuals.
The successful landlord of the future focuses on the user's needs (the customer). Gone are the days of landlords relying on scarcity and getting away with building generic space, signing long-term leases, and just collecting checks. As Industrious and other co-working operators have shown, customers (from startups to large public businesses) desire flexible, move-in-ready meaningful space that inspires and allows for community building. Considering this, Maverick Community will provide more than just beautiful physical space. We will also supply the equipment, services, and community building that empowers our members to excel.
View our renderings and test-fit plans below:
Read further thoughts on why we believe Maverick can be successful in all locations here.
Here are the unit economics for our new 3,610 sqft facility in West Hollywood, CA (Los Angeles) that is devoted solely to personal trainers.
- Each trainer pays $25 per hour rented at Maverick
- We only need 33% occupancy in order to break-even (6.5 personal trainers averaging 6 sessions = 39 sessions per day)
- 45% occupancy results in ~30% EBITDA (9 personal trainers averaging 6 sessions = 54 sessions per day)
- Rent + employee expenses are 85% of our expenses
Risk is reduced as there is an abundance of trainers and wellness professionals (growing at 39%+/year), and there is an increasing demand for fitness and wellness. Additionally, I've spoken with the CEOs/founders of multiple salon suite businesses that have an identical situation, and they've stressed that they've been extremely successful with a weekly pay collection model.
Long term, once we prove our concept, we have a goal of replacing leases with management agreements or purchasing property. Read more about this strategy here.
Risk is reduced as there are many vacant gyms/boutique studios to move into and many affordable retail/office spaces due to e-commerce success and COVID-19.
Long term, once we prove our concept, we have a goal of replacing leases with management agreements, which will put much of the build-out cost on the landlord. Read more about this strategy here.
Risk is reduced by focusing on the personal trainers who are already entrepeneurs runnign their own businesses! We learned from our initial test location that these are the most desirable customers and there are plenty of them in the world.
Additionally, like the first bullet point above, I've spoken with the CEOs/founders of multiple salon suite businesses that have successfully transitioned stylists at hair salons into thriving entrepreneurs.
We are going after the 25% of gym/fitness businesses that closed over the past two years that are already zoned for fitness.
Additionally, we will try to take advantage of vacant office real estate but are fully aware of the challenges of changing real estate zoning laws.
While COVID-19 forced gyms to close, it fueled a massive boom to the at-home workout trend, and individual wellness professionals and companies, such as Peloton, Tonal, Mirror, etc., capitalized on it.
Working out at home is not a new trend; remember Jane Fonda in the 80s and P90X most recently, but this time things are different as technology has enabled better equipment and more engaging and personal content.
We believe that working out at home will allow more people to work out more often but that the majority of workouts will still happen in person at gyms or wellness centers. Especially workouts that are private, one-on-one focused.
Humans are social animals, and the gym gives us a place to engage and create community. A recent IHRSA study showed that the only thing gym-goers miss more than going to the gym is visiting loved ones - ahead of going to concerts, sporting events, restaurants, and movie theaters.
A relevant comparison to the at-home gym disruption is the restaurant industry with Postmates, DoorDash, and UberEats. These services make eating more convenient for users, but people still prefer going to restaurants (recent survey shows ~2/3 of people prefer eating at restaurants versus ordering food).
Lastly, read more thoughts on this topic here which compares the fitness industry with the music industry to show how creators make more money in person.
- The demand for coaching is on the rise, and personal trainres are forecasted to grow 39% by 2031.
- Service based workers want to work for themselves, not for corporations
- The annual turnover rate for personal trainers runs between 80-90% on average
- Passion/creator economy (Substack, Etsy, YouTube, TikTok, Teachable, Podcasting, etc.) allows individuals to become successful entrepreneurs doing what they love. COVID has accelerated this line of thinking for wellness professionals as they do not want to go back to working for their corporate gyms or boutique studios.
- The increase in the number of people starting their own businesses in the US has surged to a 13-year high. Entrepreneurship rates are at a 24% increase from the year before.
- The business model for gyms is changing. Large gyms can no longer rely on empty memberships where clients pay without use, and boutique studios can’t afford to pay their wellness professionals enough to retain them (the average trainer makes <$50K / year). One-fourth of gyms are estimated to close in 2022, and two-thirds of fitness studios are sitting unused for more than half of the week.
- Real estate and office vacancies and oversupply caused by e-commerce success and work-at-home.
- Customers are more likely to buy products, enjoy services, and champion purpose-driven companies.
- COVID has accelerated awareness of the importance of total holistic health. People are starting to realize total wellness comes from a combination of fitness, nutrition, mental health, and not just one thing. The US self-improvement market (aka "high-performing lifestyle" / "self-master" / "biohacking") is valued at $13.2B and is growing quickly.
- Disconnect between the booming fitness/wellness industry and our nation’s 42% obesity rate disproportionately impacts lower-income communities. Additionally, the wealth gap in the US continues to widen.
Maverick Community becomes more essential to our members as our network of studios grows for two reasons.
(1) Trainers will be able to access our studios wherever works best for them or their customers.
(2) As the Maverick Community brand grows, we will attract more trainers and more end clients for our trainers.
- Food Service: CloudKitchens
- Office: WeWork, Industrious
- Events: Convene
- Co-Living: Common
- Warehousing: Saltbox
- Salon Services: SolaSalon, Salon Republic
- Hospitality: Sonder
- Studio space for musicians, podcasters, DJs, and dancers: Pirate
- Medical: Lina
- Social Media: Clubhouse
- Retail: B8ta
- Department Stores: Neighborhood Goods
- Food Halls (farmers market concepts): Urbanspace
- Real Estate Brokerage: Compass, Radius
We are building a remote team. Everyone on our team works wherever and whenever is most productive for them.
Building a successful remote environment takes work, and we will put additional focus on communication and transparency.
We use Slack, Asana, Notion, and GoogleDocs to stay updated.
Remote-first does not mean any offices. Instead, it means the assumption is that we work as one, regardless of whether a team member is in an office or not. The company exists 'in the Cloud.' You can't be hybrid (some at home and some at an office) unless you are remote/online first (shout out to Antony Slumbers for the thoughts).
Success from Anywhere (borrowed from Salesforce): we’ll put Who, What, and Why before Where work happens, whether that be at home, in an office, at a studio, or in a cafe.
The value chain is being disrupted, and it is now the individual trainer, the one who is generating the demand, that can capture the most value from customers. The biggest aspect holding them back from scaling to their potential is physical space to train clients in person, which is why we’re focused on this first.
As our success grows, we will build and use technology to capture personal trainers as much value as possible while only focusing on what they do best, train. We will allow trainers to focus on their craft by using tech to help with all of the things they don't enjoy or excel at (scaling by way of junior trainers, content production/editing, marketing, prospecting, scheduling, website/app building, etc.).
Maverick Community is much more than Space as a Service. We are providing Space as a Service WITH a Service.
- Think, Future but for in-person training.
- Our plan is to white label software from companies such as intro.co, who we’re already in discussion with.
We are automating check-in and client sign-up so that no employees, outside of cleaning and maintenance staff, are required to operate the studio. Additional, we've installed an app access front door (ex: Nexkey) where wellness professionals can enjoy 24/7 access to the facility. And, we can remotely control the cameras, AC, and music.
Similar studio business concepts, such as Pirate and Sola Salon, are using tech and smart business practices to achieve success with very little in-person staff.
The trainers that train the most sessions at Maverick have the ability to earn ownership in Maverick Community Inc. Trainers in the top 15% of earners at Maverick can become part owners and get to be part of the growth of our brand. As trainers grow their businesses, Maverick grows too—so the success of our trainers leads to Maverick opening more locations, ultimately increasing the value of the company and the trainers ownership share.
We plan to build an app that helps wellness professionals build community with fellow creators and run their businesses more effectively. Beyond the ability to schedule and charge clients, our members will use the app to connect with other trainers, be alerted of events happening at their location or city, and get advice and training from our team of experts. The app will also be a tool for wellness professionals to interact with their clients via messaging and track and monitor their clients' movements and nutrition habits.
- Power to the trainer
- Best-In-Class Personal Training
- A Private High-End Home Base for Trainers and Coaches
- Where Trainers Level Up
- Building a Future for Trainers
- Studios that Go Above and Beyond
- The Ultimate Home for Trainers
- The Future of Personal Training
- Flexible, on-demand space for personal trainers
- Freedom, independence, and control for personal trainers
- Be a Maverick
- Committed to helping people help people
- Work at maverick, not for maverick
- Work for yourself, not by yourself
- You don't work for maverick, we work for you
- Personal training, fitness + wellness tied with these words/phrases: increasing access, equity, and inclusivity
- Core customers:
- Personal trainers with the following attributes:
- Training is your full-time job (30+ hours / week)
- You run your own business
- You want to grow
- You want to do good
- We know we are keeping our promises (Kept Promise Indicators) by measuring our Net Promoter Scores which we conduct quarterly (goal is >70)
- Maverick Community promises to always do what is best for the trainer.
- Focus on the trainer
- Trainers make more money while saving time
- With zero overhead, trainers start earning more money immediately due to a lower rental cost and only having to pay if they use the facility. Plus, trainers will scale by bringing in junior trainers to teach their method and earn on their behalf.
- High-end equipment
- Not only do we have the newest, most state-of-the-art equipment that is science backed—we have the most of it, giving trainers care most about: their tools.
- Tools for scalable success
- Members will be provided resources to build their business including admin and marketing support.
- Amplification of their own personal brand
- Maverick amplifies trainers, and doesn’t require them to be under any kind of brand umbrella. At Maverick, your brand is front-and-center and you are the member, not your end client.
- An exclusive, passionate community
- Trainers will network with and learn from the best talent, and allow clients to make connections in this exclusive community as well. Plus, due to the limited number of spots, trainers will never be faced with overcrowding.
- Give-back model via Maverick Forward.
- An underlying advantage over our competition: we give the power back to the real rockstars, the men and women who solely determine if a fitness or wellness session/class is good or not... the individual trainer. While most fitness and wellness facilities worry about massive instructor turnover, we empower instructors by giving them freedom and making them more income, which in turn creates a much better workout environment for the end customer.
- "Like filmmakers on YouTube, writers on Substack, and independent podcasters everywhere, fitness professionals are waking up to the fact that they hold a disproportionate share of the value. Now, as consumer habits shift, and new digital tools emerge, the rise of the fitness creator could be more disruptive to the industry than Peloton." -Fitt Insider
- Most crucial economic drivers: Net Promoter Score and # of sessions per week
- BHAG: 100 locations by 2030
- We are competing to be unique, and, sadly, giving the personal trainer the power and allowing them to scale their brand is a novel idea. While no company is executing our exact model, here is the competitive landscape across the fitness and wellness industry. SMTF (Self-Made Training Facility) is closest to what we’re doing in the US and they have ~30 locations (mostly via franchises).
- $4.2T wellness economy, growing ~7% over the past two years.
- $32B fitness industry (increased 450% since the 1980s) + $34B physical therapy industry (6% growth from the previous year).
- Since the 1980s, health club locations and memberships have tripled to 36K and 57M (1/4 of Americans), respectively.
- Statistics for two wellness professional disciplines:
- Personal Trainers
- 400,000 certified personal trainers working professionally in the US (up 22% from 2012).
- 39% job outlook growth rate from now until 2028.
- Median income: $40,390 ($19.42/hour).
- The US personal training industry is valued at $10B and is growing 2.8% annually.
- Physical Therapists:
- 250,000 certified physical therapists working in the US (up 30% from 2012).
- 22% job outlook growth rate from now until 2028.
- Median income: $89,440.
- The US physical therapy industry alone is $34B and expects to grow 6% annually to $46B by 2023.
- A “fitness desert” is a city or neighborhood that has inadequate access to both:
- fitness facilities & equipment
- fitness guidance & education (trainers)
- “It’s time for companies that affect our health to focus on the lower-income market. Seen as a moral obligation to many, it also represents an economic opportunity.” -Forbes
- In addition to buildling gyms in affluent neighborhoods, Maverick Community will build inspiring gyms in fitness deserts, underserved communities with little to no access to quality fitness options.
- By supporting the 80% of the population with no gym memberships there is a huge opportunity to generate outsized returns.
- Read more via our “fitness desert” deck here
- Build 2-3 of our own corporate facilities and then franchise
- The first gyms will be in Los Angeles. We’re targeting West Hollywood, Santa Monica, and Inglewood or South LA.
- Maverick is the perfect franchise model
- Great cash flow from day one (high margins)
- Low build-out costs
- Little management for franchisor (limited number of employees)
- Franchising allows us to grow fast without constantly raising capital
- There are network effects and economies of scale with adding gyms, and the faster we can scale, the more we can help the trainers while quickly increasing the value of the business.
- Successful franchise companies are selling for over 10x multiples
- It would take 67 locations to achieve a $100M (assuming $150K EBITDA, 29% margin per location).
- Voice and Tone
- Independent-minded
- High-end
- Inclusive
- Friendly
- Fun
- Authentic
- Rebellious
- Empowering
- Motivating
- Action-oriented
- Exclusionary
- Focused on the short term
- Boring
- Rigid
- Soulless
- Motivated by hype / influencer culture
- Elitist
- Overly verbose
- Harsh
- Independence
- Freedom
- Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, Entrepreneurship
- Ownership, Owner
- Flexible, on-demand space for trainers
- Train like the pros
- Community
- Fueling the future
- Key messaging
Goodbye, costly overhead expenses and wasting time commuting to individual client locations. With no application fees, the only thing you pay us is hourly rent—which is lower than our competition in the area. That means you’re saving on overhead, saving time by having everything in one location, and earning more with every session.
You don’t have to give up your brand when you work at Maverick, and you’re not beholden to our name either—think of us as a partner who does all the stuff you don’t want to do, so you can focus on your clients. Plus, have junior trainers work at our studio on your behalf using your training method and earn as they work.
We want to make fitness and health accessible to everyone, everywhere, and we do this by allowing you to rent at a lower cost. Work with us, and you’re joining in our mission to spread fitness to everyone, from your long-term clients to people in underserved communities.
At Maverick, you’ll keep doing what you’re doing—only now you can build for tomorrow with the work you put in today. Leverage our marketing team to grow your brand, and create a strategy for scaling. We’re in it for the long-run with you, so that you can set yourself up success down the road.
Featuring the newest, most innovative state-of-the-art equipment in a beautiful space, Maverick studios are spaces that both you and your clients will be bragging about.
No more running around the city for sessions. Just have one core location with top-of-the-line equipment.
Book sessions when you want, and know that a clean, state-of-the-art studio is at your disposal
Charge customers what you want and get to work, and only pay us when you use the space.
We only have a select group using our facility—that means you’re in the company of the best of the best, and you’ll never have to wait for equipment or space.
Long waitlist, but not enough time? Make money by letting us train junior trainers on your method—and the more juniors train under you, the more revenue you earn.
⏩ Maverick Forward
We do not take our success and privilege for granted. Maverick Forward was founded after we recognized that levels of entrepreneurship are lower in underserved communities not for lack of interest or ability, but lack of opportunities and resources.
Maverick Community is the engine that helps drive Maverick Forward, our 501(c)3 nonprofit initiative that promotes entrepreneurship in underserved communities by providing no-cost mentorship, training, and certifications for aspiring wellness professionals, enabling more individuals to pursue their dreams, gain financial security, and proliferate fitness practices.
Have you ever had someone in front of you in line purchase your food for you and, as a result, you decided to “pay it forward” to the person behind you? Paying it forward is a noble gesture, but we believe in taking the pay it forward model and making it more impactful, more sustainable. We believe in “partnering forward.”
Maverick Forward will partner with community members interested in becoming wellness professionals and support them on their path to entrepreneurship. In turn, we will ask these individuals to “pay it forward” once they become a licensed trainer by providing 1-3 hours a week of voluntary fitness instruction in their communities to individuals who might otherwise not be able to afford it, increasing access to fitness and wellness in these areas.
We aim to remove the barriers to becoming an entrepreneur by providing no-cost mentorship, training, and certifications to interested individuals, funding all necessary activities required to become a licensed fitness trainer. Individuals will also receive mentorship and education on business planning, branding, and management; low and more flexible rent through Maverick Community; and a scholarship fund to allow for low or free client fees.
Maverick Community and Maverick Forward are social enterprises that will combine the heart of a nonprofit with the scalability and innovation of a for profit. Please join us! Donate HERE
❓ FAQs
- Co-working is our core business. We offer flexible, on-demand space only to trainers as opposed to just offering this service as an additional revenue stream in addition to having end-client memberships.
- Better equipment. Our scientifically advanced equipment can’t be compared to what you can find at neighborhood gyms but more with equipment at professional sports facilities. Learn more about our equipment brands here: Keiser, Eleiko. Trainers can use our facility to train everyone from pro athletes to older people who need physical therapy work, and can always expect to find the newest tech at Maverick first.
- Focus on the most successful trainers. We build high end facilities and limit the number of trainers so that the space is private and exclusive. In addition to offering space and equipment, we will have team members to help with check-in, set-up, and cleaning so that the trainer can focus on what he/she does best, train!
- Network effect. We plan to build hundreds of studios, and the business will get stronger as we grow as our wellness professional members can utilize all of the studios no matter where their clients reside. Additionally, the network effect will give us the largest community of trainers, all working for themselves but not by themselves, which will help all trainers attract more clients.
- Maverick Forward. Our culture of service and our diverse team will be a huge differentiator. We are building a purpose-driven company that is not only creating an equitable workforce model by making entrepreneurship more accessible, but we are on a mission to make health and fitness available to everyone!
- More than a landlord. Whether we own, manage, or lease the real estate, it is our goal to be more than a typical landlord by helping trainers with scaling their business by helping to hire junior trainers, content production services, such as filming & editing, business services, such as social media marketing, wellness certification services, such as meditation and nutrition certifications, and by funneling more clients to our wellness professionals.
- We plan to compete to be unique instead of competing to be the best. We will always focus on our customers, the fitness trainer, instead of worrying about competition. These are the main reasons our customers will love Maverick Community:
- Culture + Brand. We are building a team (from tenants to employees to investors) that is transparent, fun, and purpose-driven. We are going to make a difference in this world beyond delivering profits for our shareholders. We are questioning and taking on the complex issues of creating an equitable workforce model and making fitness, health, and entrepreneurship accessible to everyone.
- Real estate. It takes a considerable amount of money, knowledge, and connections to lease/buy, buildout, and operate + manage a network of locations.
- Team. We have an excellent founding team with experience in all of the categories that matter most to our business. From real estate, to entrepreneurship, to mindfulness, to wellness professional success, to professional athlete success, to non-profit experience & success.
- Community of the most successful trainers. We’re partnering with the top trainers and retaining them is our number one goal. We’ll accomplish this by having a strict focus on the trainer and constantly thinking of ways to create superior value for our customers, the fitness entrepreneur tenants.
Our co-founder team has a service-first mentality, and we don’t want to follow the mold of waiting to do good until we’ve earned success. It is possible to help others while building up from the beginning, and we believe the Maverick Community brand is much stronger with Maverick Forward being a part of the business from the start. No wellness and fitness brands are attempting to tackle making fitness and wellness more accessible, and we believe we have the right skill sets to be the ones to make a dent. Additional points and clarifications below:
- We want to have the non-profit side, Maverick Forward, learn from the early successes and failures of the for-profit business, and ideally, hire an Executive Director for the non-profit from the very beginning.
- Testing the NPO sector the way we are testing the for-profit sector allows us to learn before a significant rollout. We are big believers in testing before doing, and proving the model on a small scale will significantly impact our ability to raise future substantial support.
- One of our co-founders, Steve LePore, is a three-time non-profit founder and executive director and will be instrumental in setting up and building Maverick Forward.
- We want the Maverick brand to be known for service from the very beginning. We want our customers to understand what we stand for, and we believe customers are yearning for products and services that are purpose-driven. Why work out at Equinox or Soul-Cycle when you could work out at Maverick Community and feel like you are a part of doing better for the world?
- NOW is the time for Maverick Forward. There is genuine interest in the concept, and it will be a tremendous and dynamic addition to Maverick Community.
The two organizations are different entities and will run separately. We plan to hire an Executive Director for Maverick Forward by Q3 2023, and in combination with co-founder Steve LePore, Maverick Forward will be run on its own. The other co-founders may sit on the Maverick Forward board, but they will have little say in the operations beyond high-level strategy discussions.
On the company side, Maverick Community will benefit Maverick Forward by way of expertise in real estate and fitness, and, hopefully, by way of investment via operations and investors. Additionally, wellness professionals have shown a tremendous amount of interest in giving back and are searching for a platform to do so. We look forward to involving them in teacher training and other volunteer opportunities.
Asana, Drift, Calendly, QuickBooks Online, Arketa, Pipedrive, Loom, Notion, Super.so, Slack, OpenPhone, DocSend, Dropbox, HelloSign, 1Password, Canva, Sketch, InDesign, HandBrake, Grammarly, Superhuman, TeamViewer, Audacity, iMovie, Adobe
👋 Join Us
Maverick Community and Maverick Forward are based in Los Angeles, CA. We are a diverse group of people interested in fitness, health and wellness, giving back, mindfulness, reading, baseball, basketball, tennis, cycling, golf, hiking, running, real estate, dogs, and the ocean.
Interested in joining us? Email: hireme@bemav.com
Lastly, please feel free to forward these updates to anyone else you think would benefit from following along with our building process.
Thanks for your support. Please reach out if you'd like to learn more or talk further.
Michael@bemav.co
323.417.9300 (text/call)
