Episode #606: Building Planet Fitness-Joe Pepe Jr. on Family Legacy, Private Equity, and Scaling Fitness Clubs
About this episode
Joe Pepe Jr. discusses his journey in the fitness industry and the growth of Planet Fitness franchises.
In this episode, we sit down with Joe Pepe Jr., CEO of IGNITE Fitness Holdings, one of the largest Planet Fitness area developers and a second-generation leader in the health club industry. Born into a family deeply rooted in fitness entrepreneurship, with his father tracing back to the industry's early days, Joe shares his path evolving from a family-owned gym business to building one of the most successful Planet Fitness franchises in the country. Pete and Joe also touch on how early risk-taking, embracing disruptive business models, and leveraging private equity fueled explosive growth from just a handful of clubs in Connecticut to over 100 locations across the U.S. and Canada. Joe also discusses the importance of company culture, strategies for scaling teams, the role of marketing, and the impact of industry partnerships, along with a look ahead at opportunities in acquisitions and market development. On the topic of 'front desk to leadership' and the importance of investing in people, Pepe states, "There are so many stories of people that came in as a minimum wage, front desk worker and now have progressed three, four, five layers on. It's great to see, brings you a lot of…
People in this episode
Host: Pete Moore
Guest: Joe Pepe Jr.
Topics covered
- family legacy
- private equity
- scaling fitness clubs
- company culture
- marketing strategies
- franchisee network
Keywords
- fitness entrepreneurship
- health club industry
- business models
- team scaling
- industry partnerships
- acquisitions
- market development
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: IGNITE Fitness Holdings, Planet Fitness
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