This year, GYMGUYZ, #1 in Home Personal Training company, had its very first company-wide conference, with the intent of making this gathering with their franchise family and vendors an annual and much-anticipated tradition. To share with us his experience on the planning and execution of the GYMGUYZ 1ST Annual Conference, Josh York is here to answer our 8 questions.
1. JOSH, WHAT MADE 2016 THE YEAR YOU DECIDED TO HAVE THE GYMGUYZ 1ST ANNUAL CONFERENCE?
JY: If you know GYMGUYZ, you know that we are all about family. We started to grow so quickly and it got to the point [in our growth] that it was necessary to gather our franchise family. We wanted to create an opportunity for our franchise family, corporate, and vendors to cultivate a stronger relationship, learn from one another and continue building our supportive, family-like atmosphere.
2. WHY DID YOU FEEL THAT A CONFERENCE WAS NECESSARY?
JY: The Conference is a necessary component of any growing business that values a strong family culture. We pride ourselves on the level of support we provide our franchise family and one of the ways that this is accomplished is through having our franchise system connected to everyone. Additionally, it provides an occasion for open dialogue to learn from one another, grow together, and better ourselves.
3. WHAT DID YOU HOPE TO ACCOMPLISH WITH THE GYMGUYZ 1ST ANNUAL CONFERENCE?
JY: I ultimately wanted to bring everyone closer together, create more brand value for our franchise family, and learn from one another. In case you were wondering, yes, we accomplished that goal.
4. WHAT WERE SOME OF THE MOST SURPRISING THINGS YOU LEARNED WHILE PLANNING AND ORGANIZING IT?
JY: Well, you will quickly realize that there’s a lot of moving parts. And that it truly takes a team to do this effectively because there is so much to put together. I am always a planner, so we started [planning] this very early. We wanted to create an unbelievable experience, so there were a lot of logistical aspects to account for.
5. WHAT DID YOU USE FOR INSPIRATION TO CREATE THE GYMGUYZ 1ST ANNUAL CONFERENCE?
JY: Well, we are growing very quickly, so I wanted to align the Conference theme with something that advances as fast as we do— so, what better than a storm? No one can stop a storm, and no one can stop us. I have a talent for putting things together, I saw a visual and we then painted the picture as to what it was going to be.
6. WHERE WOULD YOU LIKE THE GYMGUYZ 1ST ANNUAL CONFERENCE 5 YEARS FROM NOW… 10 YEARS FROM NOW?
JY: In 5 years from now, our Annual Conference is going to be hosted on a Caribbean island. We will have hundreds of franchise owners and vendors together, celebrity appearances, amazing keynote speakers, and providing the ultimate atmosphere to recharge for the next year. We plan on topping ourselves each year, so in 10 years, prepare yourselves!
7. WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE OTHER ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS?
JY: Simple, but not so simple: believe in your vision and have patience.
8. WHAT IS NEXT YEAR’S THEME GOING TO BE?
JY: Power Surge.
