Q+A with John + Helen of Stretch Zone, an IRL Wellness Destination to Enhance Your Body
Our passion is uncovering hidden gems in the world of wellness and lifestyle. Today, we're thrilled to shine a spotlight on one of our clients, John and Helen who has entered St. Augustine, FL and Palm Coast, FL as franchise owners and operators of Stretch Zone. The wellness franchise is a pioneered practitioner-assisted stretching destination with a mission to help you unlock your body's potential and live an active, healthy life.
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Join us as we speak with Helen + John about their journey as franchise owners and wellness visionaries who have taken a leap to run a mission-led business and serve their community.
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Q: What made you decide to invest in the Stretch Zone franchise vs other franchises in the marketplace?
We definitely looked at other franchises. But we did not find anything that felt “right” for us. We really wanted to invest in a business that offered products or services that could actually help people improve the quality of their lives. When we heard about Stretch Zone, it immediately seemed like the perfect fit.
Founded in 2004 by Jorden Gold, Stretch Zone is a brand that was built with heart. They have revolutionized the way we all think about stretching! Stretch Zone is on a mission to improve the quality of life for everyone, young and old, and we love this!
Q: How has it been as a first-time franchise-owner/operator in the health and wellness space?
It’s been very rewarding for us, but also very challenging. We found out that we had a lot to learn. But having the right people to guide us along the way was extremely important. For example, Megan Atkin took all the uncertainty away and provided the guidance we needed to select the best locations. Having her by our side for all three locations, and giving us her expert advice, was paramount. We also selected a dedicated commercial contractor, Paul Hoffman, who had experience with similar build outs, and his company made the construction phase less ominous.
Q: What have been the most challenging and rewarding parts of stepping into a new chapter with Stretch Zone, both personally and professionally?
The most challenging part of all this was the steep learning curve. Both of us had spent our entire careers in and around corporate America. But we did not understand the retail business as well as we probably should have. I.e., we understood the business-to-business world, but not the business-to-consumer world. Nor did we fully understand the type of employees we should hire. But we were very blessed, and the mistakes we made were not insermountable. And over the past 18 months we’ve learned a lot about this business and feel like we’re in a great situation right now!
The rewarding part of this business is two-fold. First, we love seeing what assisted stretching can do for people. We have customers who simply wanted a better quality of life, like being able to tie their shoes without using a chair, to more serious conditions like sciatica, or even cerebral palsy. Hearing them talk about the relief they’ve gotten from pain, or the things they can now do because of their increased range of motion, etc., is something we absolutely love!
Second, we love the passion that our stretch practitioners all have. They not only love health and wellness, and know a lot about it, but they love helping people achieve results!
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Q: You have successfully expanded the Stretch Zone brand, securing 3 new locations - 2 in St. Augustine and 1 in Palm Coast. This is so exciting! How has the retail real estate journey been for you?
We believe it would not have been possible to open three locations within a relatively short amount of time (18 months) without the knowledgeable services we received from Megan Atkin. Megan’s expertise in commercial real estate made all the difference. The three locations are vastly different as far as property management, demographics, adjoining businesses, traffic patterns, neighborhoods, etc. But Megan simplified an otherwise onerous process, by doing the required research for, all of these areas, and presenting comprehensive reports on every option available. She also helped us negotiate the most favorable terms with our “soon to be” property managers. Again, this was something we could never have done on our own.
Q: How are the 3 locations doing? And is Palm Coast now open? If not, when is the projected opening date?
Both St. Augustine studios are doing very well, due to them being in the right locations and having great dependable staffs. And we recently opened the Palm Coast studio on May 20, and there has been a lot of energy around it since the opening, breaking many records. In general, the word is getting out that you can live a healthier and happier life by simply being more flexible, and more mobile through increased range of motion.
Q: If you could pass along any piece of advice to other entrepreneurs looking to open a franchise or small business, what would it be?
Select a franchise that you can relate to and a business you have a passion for. Is it a place you would frequent often? Do a lot of research on the franchisor. Find out what type of resources they provide, such as training, marketing, public relations, hiring, technology, etc. Talk to other franchise owners to get the pros and cons of the business. If the “cons” are minor, and it’s a business you love, and the franchise provides great support, and other franchise owners seem happy, then nothing should stop you from moving forward.
Then, once you open your business, get involved with local community events that support different charities. Give back to the local community and do your best to make a difference in as many lives as you can, even if you think it’s a small contribution!
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Q: In terms of trends, where do you think the health and wellness industry is heading?
There is a lot going on in the health and wellness industry, including an increased focus on women’s health, which has traditionally been underserved and underfunded. But we’re starting to see more women in our studios, across all age groups, and they’re taking assisted stretching very seriously. 65% of our customer base at the St. Augustine North studio are women, and 64% at the South studio.
We’re also seeing a demand for products and services that support healthy aging. In fact, I saw recently that more than 60% of consumers in the US considered it “very” or “extremely” important to purchase products or services that help with healthy aging and longevity. While we don’t offer products to support this trend, assisted stretching is a critical component to healthy aging. As we always like to say, “Flexibility for Life.”
Q: What’s next for you? Will you continue expanding the Stretch Zone brand to other locations or consider investing into another franchise?
We have no plans for another studio. We are quite content with what we have and the wonderful people we have working at these studios. Therefore, we want to focus our time on making sure the studios are successful, and that our staff are happy. E.g., we value promoting from within and want to provide more training opportunities to advance their careers or improve skills.
QUICKFIRE Q’S
If you could travel anywhere, where would it be?
Last year we went to the Greek Islands, Italy and Turkey. We loved the adventure and look forward to traveling to do deep dives revisiting places like Rome and Athens!
You two work so well together, a true team, what’s the secret?
Each of us has strengths and weaknesses, and we’ve learned to leverage what we each do best. No matter what, we always discuss and agree before making any big decisions. John stays away from anything creative! And Helen says “no” to numbers! LOL.
Another key is having separate offices! We love each other, but we like to have our own space even if we are within “yelling” distance from each other!
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What’s your favorite wellness brand you love right now?
John has been a long-time believer in the P90x brand, now part of Beachbody.com. It was transitional for him when he was 48 years old, and about to turn 50. He started doing their workouts and within months, got into the best shape of his life. He still follows those workouts, which focus on both strength and cardio.
What’s one uplifting quote you would share with others?
“People don't care how much you know until they know how much you care”
― Theodore Roosevelt
Best piece of advice to “Undo the Ordinary”?
Fight that urge to settle, and to assume that because you’re a certain age that life must be a certain way. A recent article by the Washington Post featured a study of resistance exercise and the elderly, which found that even people in their 80s and 90s — who had never lifted weights before — showed significant gains. As they say, “Don’t be ordinary, learn to be extraordinary. If it was easy, everyone would do it.”