HOTWORX Founder: A Casual Conversation Built An 800-Location Empire
About this episode
Kyle Matthews interviews Stephen Smith about the growth of HOTWORX and his entrepreneurial journey.
Kyle Matthews interviews Stephen Smith, founder and CEO of HOTWORX, a 24-hour infrared fitness studio franchise that has grown to over 800 locations since opening its first studio in 2017 after a Jamaica conversation sparked the “yoga in a sauna” concept and a patented infrared fitness sauna. Smith explains HOTWORX's model—app-based access and booking, isometric sauna sessions (30 minutes) and HIIT sauna workouts (15 minutes) using cycling, a total body trainer, and a patented dual-tank rower—plus the claimed benefits of heat, infrared energy, and “3D training.” He shares his entrepreneurial path from opening Bodyplex at 22 to Planet Beach franchising, key franchising lessons, scaling practices like one coach per 50 locations, a “10/10 work ethic” hiring rule, and the launch of Diet Trax and AI-driven TrainingTRAX with Body Vision and 90-day challenges, while targeting 2,000 locations by 2030. 00:00 Work Ethic Filter 00:48 Meet Stephen Smith 02:41 Scaling to 800 Studios 04:13 What Is HOTWORX 06:28 Infrared Training Science 08:38 Jamaica Lightbulb Moment 09:55 Early Entrepreneur Roots 12:29 Bodyplex Leap of Faith 15:52 Golds Gym Lessons 17:30 Planet Beach Franchising 18:51…
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