Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue III, 2017 | Page 13

2017 MVP AWARDS
PERSONAL
Formative influences/events: It was rough
growing up in the inner city of Chicago. We lived in
a single-parent home with three kids. My mom led
our team with everything she had—that was our
family unit, that was our team. Everyone else in the
Lathrop Homes projects in northeast Chicago was just
as poor as us. We all lived each day to the fullest
and dreamed about being athletes, stars, or chang-
ing the world. Ironically enough, my older brother
Femi (former NFL player Obafemi Ayanbadejo) and
I did just that. Mom has always taught us to have
an unwavering belief in ourselves. This single mom
from the projects raised three children who racked up
five college degrees, including two MBA degrees, 20
seasons in the NFL, three Pro Bowl appearances, two
Super Bowl championships—and most important,
six grandchildren.
Key accomplishments: Helping change equal
rights laws in the U.S. 2012/2013. Earned my Ex-
ecutive MBA at The University of George Washington
in 2013. Baltimore Ravens 2013 Super Bowl Cham-
pion. Owner of the highest-grossing Orangetheory
Fitness location in 2016.
Work week: Every morning I drop my kids off
at school and teach three fitness classes. Once I am
done with the workouts for the day, I hit the KPI
portal and Listen360 for customer feedback. I check
in with my regional staff, managers, employees,
and members as well. We are rapidly expanding at
the moment. Real estate, letters of intent, and lease
negotiations are a heavy part of my daily agenda at
the moment, along with coaching classes. I also am
in charge of launching our new-to-market studios. I
train all of our fitness staff on the art of how to be a
successful Orangetheory Fitness coach. I have to say
that is one of the most rewarding parts of my job.
What are you reading? It’s Your Ship by D.
Michael Abrashoff.
Best advice you ever got: Always believe in
yourself. (Mom)
What’s your passion in business? My pas-
sion in business and life all boils down to helping
people achieve their goals. When my staff achieves
their goals, the business wins. When our members
achieve their goals, the business wins. We put the
staff and members first. Being a successful business
owner means you are a revenue generator. When
the business is a robust revenue generator, we also
become a robust income distributor. When I see our
employees buying new cars, homes, wedding rings,
and having children I would have to say that it makes
me feel a little tingle inside my heart and soul.
“I know I’m still a small fry, but I have
a lot of goals, a lot of ambition,
passion, and two feet on the ground.”
ecutive MBA from George Washington
University as part of an invitation-only
School of Business program for profes-
sional athletes.
Ayanbadejo brings the same energy,
passion, and leadership to franchising that
he was known for on and off the field as
Ravens captain and NFL Players Associa-
tion representative. The son of interracial
parents, he also is known for advocating
for marriage equality, including same-sex
marriage. Whether training staff, teach-
ing daily classes, opening new gyms, or
constantly monitoring client feedback,
it’s all about the positivity, he says.
“I always try to improve and get bet-
ter every day,” he says. “I started playing
football really late, and every day I just
wanted to get better at the sport. It is the
same thing in business and the same thing
in life. It is kind of like the saying, ‘How
you do one thing is how you do every-
thing.’ I’m always trying to get better.”
For Ayanbadejo, no challenge is too
big. He hopes to invest in additional
complementary health and fitness brands
and is exploring international expansion
possibilities that he believes can directly
reduce disease rates by spreading the
powerful benefits of health education
and fitness.
“I know I’m still a small fry, but I have
a lot of goals, a lot of ambition, passion,
and two feet on the ground,” says Ayan-
badejo. “There is a lot more that I want
to do and accomplish. Part of it is getting
wealthy, but another part of it, which is
bigger and more important, is changing
the world with my legacy.”

BOTTOM LINE
Annual revenue: In 2016, overall company
gross revenue as master franchisor was $19.7 mil-
lion; revenue as a franchisee was $8.3 million.
2017 goals: How do you measure your
growth? Close out the year with 25-plus open
units to market. We are currently sitting at 18.
Growth meter: How do you measure
your growth? So far in 2017 we have opened
two units. We would be excited to open eight more
locations this year.
Vision meter: Where do you want to be
in 5 years? 10 years? I plan on being a multi-
brand franchisee in the next few years. I also plan on
being international. In the next three years the plan
is to have a fully mature market with 40 open stores.
As of late, I have the angel investor bug as well. I
might even come up with my own franchise concept.
What are you doing to take care of your
employees? Little things go a long way with
our staff. Holiday bonuses, team meals and nights
out, and incentivized team competitions all build
the team. We also have emergency funds readily
available for the team that they do not have to pay
back. We have bought flights home to see family
members, replaced stolen laptops, and provided
cash when tragedy strikes.
What kind of exit strategy do you have
in place? There is no exit strategy in place. If and
when a sale takes place we will see how many
multiples we can get for our units. I would be more
than happy to get all 40 of our units to market and
continue to cash flow at our current margins, which
are pretty spectacular.
MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE IS S U E III, 2017

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