This wellness franchise is scaling to 200 locations

What’s up Gym World?

Jamie Weeks made a name for himself in the fitness industry as Orangetheory’s largest franchisee ever.

In just three years with the brand, he:

• Scaled to 12 studios and sold to private equity in 2017

• Expanded to 72 studios by 2020

• Sold to private equity AGAIN in 2021

• Grew to 140+ locations

He took everything he learned from running those studios and applied it to his own concept, SweatHouz, a boutique wellness franchise specializing in contrast therapy with:

• Infrared saunas

• Cold plunges

• Vitamin C showers

• Private amenities with entertainment (like TVs)

Today, Jamie’s concept has 40 locations open and plans to reach 200 by the end of next year. That makes him one of the biggest franchisors we’ve ever had on the pod.

Let’s take a look: 👇

Building SweatHouz

Jamie got into Orangetheory in 2014 after spending 20 years in finance.

By 2017, Jamie had grown to 12 Orangetheory studios and sold to private equity, which helped him:

• Scale to 48 studios

• Sell most of his stake for over $50M

• Grow to 72 studios by November 2020

By March 2021, he sold to private equity (again), got $100M, and expanded to 120+ studios.

Through his experience, Jamie knew that Orangetheory had 850 franchisees across 1,500 studios—and 20% of them caused 80% of the issues. Managing that many franchisees was ridiculously hard.

So, when it came time to launch SweatHouz in 2019, Jamie wanted:

• Fewer franchisees with the capacity to expand

• People with experience managing multiple units

• Teams with a solid infrastructure in place

• Exclusive territories that let franchisees dominate their markets

He’s now grown SweatHouz to 40 locations across the U.S., with plans for 160 more by the end of 2025.

Each location offers a premium 1-hour experience, including:

• 30-45 minutes in the sauna and cold plunge

• Towel service

• Vitamin C shower

• TVs in your private suite

• Shampoo and conditioner

• Makeup remover

• Body and face wash

• Deodorant

• A beauty bar with Dyson hot tools

What makes SweatHouz different?

Jamie focuses on helping franchisees succeed, knowing their success drives corporate success.

He’s seen franchises fail—not because the product was bad, but because the system was weak. So with SweatHouz, Jamie handles the backend so franchisees can focus on the member experience and running a great business.

Here’s how: 👇

Quality & consistency

Every SweatHouz looks and feels the same, thanks to Jamie’s meticulous attention to detail:

• Saunas and plunges must be in 12x12 rooms

• Hallway art must be hung at the height of the door opening (not the trim)

• Art must be positioned at eye level for someone who is 5’9

These strict boundaries help Jamie ensure:

• Consistency across all locations

• A reliable, high-quality experience for customers

• A stronger, more unified brand

Marketing

Most franchises have separate Instagram accounts for each location.

Meanwhile, SweatHouz uses one account for all locations. Why?

1. Jamie is very particular about the brand’s look.

2. It prevents employees from posting off-brand content.

3. Franchisees shouldn’t have to act as marketing directors.

4. It gives franchisees more time to focus on members.

5. It helps the algorithm by avoiding competition between studios.

SweatHouz HQ handles all paid ads for franchisees too.

Jamie does all marketing in-house and even covers marketing expenses for franchisees. He says not using an agency saves him $1M a year, which he reinvests into:

• Ads

• Influencers

• Other marketing efforts

Staff

Most gym owners we talk to have a clear idea of who they want to hire and focus on retaining them. Jamie, however, likes to hire fast and fire fast.

He asks 3 unconventional questions to decide if someone’s the right fit:

1. What was your first car?

2. What was your first concert?

3. If you could only watch one move for the rest of your life, what would it be?

And if you make the cut, working at SweatHouz comes with perks like:

• Competitive salary and hourly wages

• Benefits and PTO for full-timers

• Education and mentoring opportunities

Data & metrics

We all know data and metrics give you insights into how well your gym is doing and help you make better business decisions.

That’s why Jamie keeps a close eye on them. In the first 90 days of a studio opening, he focuses on utilization to make sure the schedule is dialed in.

After 90 days, he monitors:

• Memberships vs. pack purchases

• Staffing levels to meet demand

• Net Promoter Score (NPS) to gauge customer satisfaction

How did SweatHouz become successful so fast?

I think there are a couple reasons:

1. Jamie is great at spotting trends and riding them.

Trends show that more people are prioritizing well-being to reduce stress and feel their best. They’re willing to invest in unique experiences that promote happiness, and Jamie delivered with a stylish wellness escape designed to meet those needs.

2. He’s quick to pivot.

The SweatHouz experience has evolved with the fast-changing wellness industry. It started with saunas and recovery tools like Hyperice and Hypervolt. But when cold plunges became popular, Jamie tested them and found they were more used than recovery tools.

So, in 2022, he went all-in on contrast therapy, closing studios to retrofit them with private rooms that now include saunas, cold plunges, and vitamin C showers.

Wrapping up ⏰

Jamie became Orangetheory’s top franchisee, learning what works and what doesn’t. He’s since used that experience to build an insanely scalable wellness brand by:

• Creating a simple system

• Handling all the backend

• Helping franchisees focus on the member experience

• Ensuring quality and consistency

• Developing and supporting a strong team

• Tracking data and metrics to continuously improve

In just 5 years—and even through COVID—his concept has grown to 40 locations and is on track to reach 200 by the end of next year.

As for advice for gym owners looking to scale, Jamie suggests:

• Over-hire and overpay the right people early to make sure they stay.

• Put the right people in place and invest in them—it’ll help you scale faster.

• Focus on having the right product and the right team.

For more insights, watch or listen to Jamie’s full interview on Gym World.

ciao,

j

📣 P.S. If you liked what you read, share it with another gym owner so they can enjoy it too.