Multi-Unit Franchisee Magazine Issue III, 2017 | Page 12

2017 MVP AWARDS
BY HELEN BOND
Hard-Hitting Success
Former NFLer Scores Big, Does Good
W
hen it comes to making his
mark and doing good, Bren-
don Ayanbadejo, recipient
of this year’s Pro Athlete
Influencer MVP Award, wants you to
know he is just getting started.
Ayanbadejo is halfway through his
current mission to open 40 Orangethe-
ory Fitness facilities in California’s Los
Angeles, Santa Clara, and Santa Cruz
counties as a franchisee and area devel-
oper. The former Baltimore Ravens line-
backer turned entrepreneur has quickly
become a fitness ambassador and top
revenue generator for the brand.
“Receiving this award validates the
journey that I’m on,” says Ayanbadejo, a
three-time NFL Pro Bowler who spent
12 years in the NFL. He was fresh off a
2013 Super Bowl victory with the Ravens
when he walked into an Orangetheory
Fitness near his Los Angeles home to
give the heart-monitored, high-intensity
workout a try. When he decided to retire
from the game, Ayanbadejo set his sights
on a new venture that was the perfect fit.
“The franchise space is so much about
teamwork and team building and that is
what I’m good at, so I’m so excited,” says
Ayanbadejo—who, in 2013, after years
of offseason studies, also earned his ex-
NAME: Brendon Ayanbadejo
TITLE: Area developer, franchisee
NO. OF UNITS: 20 Orangetheory
Fitness
AGE: 40
FAMILY: Wife, Natalee, daughter
Anaya 11, son Amadeus 6
YEARS IN FRANCHISING: 4
YEARS IN CURRENT POSITION: 4
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MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE IS S UE III, 2017