Emre Ozgur - Safe Sweat: The Anti-Group Fitness Model Built to Scale

Hey friends, welcome to the Future of Fitness, a top-rated fitness and wellness industry podcast for over five years and running. I'm your host, Eric Malzone, and I have the honor of talking to entrepreneurs, innovators, and cutting-edge technology experts within the extremely fast-paced industries of fitness, wellness, and health sciences. If you like the show, we'd love it if you took three minutes of your day to leave us a nice supporter review wherever you consume your podcast. If you're interested in staying up to date with the future of fitness, go to futurofitness.co to subscribe and get weekly summaries dropped into your inbox. Now on to the show. Empower your staff to contain your members and unlock the next software designed for you. For a limited time, get a very generous 50% off your first month. To redeem the offer, simply contact the TMF sales team and use the promo code the feature of fitness. At go teamup.com. That is G O T E A M U P dot com. Hey friends, this is Eric Balzone, and this episode of the Feature of Fitness is brought to you by the Podcast Collective. Since our inception in 2023, we have emerged as the fitness, health, and wellness industry's premier podcast placement agency. We're honored to work with many of the industry's most prominent technologists, thought leaders, startup founders, and business executives. Why? Because they recognize that being on podcasts is the most effective way to authentically connect with their specific target audiences and rapidly grow a lucrative professional network. From podcast placements to speaking engagements, go-to-market strategies to investor relations, and media kits to press releases, the podcast collective brings a level of professionalism and deep industry expertise that can only be achieved by spending decades in the trenches. If you are a startup founder, business executive, emerging thought leader, or simply a savvy operator that understands the power of authentic media, learn more at podcastcollective.io and feel free to book a 30-minute strategy session with yours truly. Traditional media is dying on the vine. Podcasts are rising quickly to fill the void. Do not miss the boat. That's podcastcollective.io. All right. We are live. Emory Osgar, welcome to the future of fitness.

Thank you. Thank you. Let's go.

Let's do it. This is gonna be a lot of fun. It's Friday. It looks like a beautiful day in Vancouver. It's a beautiful day here in Montana. Just good spirits all around, man. And you know, I have to, before we get into everything you're doing at Safe Sweat and your background, your vision for what you're doing, and kind of the overall thought on the innovation that you're setting your sights on for the industry. Uh, I want to thank Tim Green from Team Up, right? The chief operating officer there. I had him on a recent interview and I asked him at the end of the interview if he personally was gonna start a gym, what kind of gym he would start. And he was like, you know, there's this really interesting concept out of Vancouver right now called Safe Sweat. And I'm like, okay, well, you know, introduce me. I want to talk to him if you think it's cool. You talk to a lot of gym owners, I want to know too. And you know, we we got to connect. You told me what you're up to. It definitely is different. And, you know, it's a little bit early, like the stage you're in right now for what my podcast would normally be, but I just thought it was an interesting concept. It's new, it's innovative, right? And I think that's you know, show's called the future of fitness. So that seems to fit the category, right? So before we get into all this stuff, man, Emory, give us your background. How'd you get to be the CEO and co-founder of Safe Sweat? And then we'll take it from there.

Yeah, thank you for having me on, and I am honored, especially at an early stage. But yeah, so I'm originally from Southern California, born and raised, was an athlete my entire life, played through college, then went on to you know football in college, bodybuilding, then actually a professional MMA fighter. So I'm no stranger to sports and fitness, and I pretty much lived in the gym. And after I graduated college is when, you know, kind of things started developing. So I was sitting with my dad, I graduated with an econ degree. My family's full of doctors and lawyers, including himself. And he said, Okay, so are you going to law school? Are you going to med school? And I said, you know, I thought about it, and I'm going to be a trainer at 24 Hour Fitness. So you could imagine how that conversation went with a brain surgeon. It wasn't quite how I pictured it. But the truth is, I just wasn't really ready to decide. For me, it was an opportunity just to have fun, make some money, and you know, then really put some thought into my future. What ended up happening is I I fell in love with the career in fitness. I have always been in fitness, but I never made money from it. And so I was a trainer for 24 Hour Fitness, managed trainers for 24 Hour Fitness, went on to manage clubs, districts, areas. I managed markets throughout Southern California, Utah, Hawaii, Florida, before I was recruited up in BC by company SNFW. And so I came up here 10 years ago and was vice president president and COO for them, where I started the UFC Gym and Crunch Fitness Brands as well as managed Nash clubs. And then after that, I became the president for Crunch Fitness Canada, which owned the master franchise rights for the country. So I made it. I was at the top. I felt like, you know, I remember that conversation with my dad, and I was like, you know, my dad was proud of me. He's like, okay, you're not a trainer anymore. You're a president. That's pretty cool. And then something happened. I think you know the P word, the pandemic, and pretty much wiped a lot of people out, including myself. I found myself in a place I never thought I'd be, and that was unemployed. And so I took a few months and talked to my wife, and I said, What do you want to do? You want to move back to the States? We got some good offers there. And she said, you know what? I like BC. I like Vancouver. Can we stay out here? I said, sure. Let me think of something. So so I started really thinking about I said, okay, I think it's time for me to do my own thing. So I so that's a little about my past before I get into safe sweat. So I'll stop there for a second.

Yeah. But you know, first thing I want to give such a credit to you for staying in Vancouver because I love that city. My wife and I spent an entire month there a couple of years ago, and just beautiful, like physically gorgeous, right? Just not too big, just the right size, I think, as far as the city goes. It's not overwhelming with people in the food, like the variation of food that you guys have in Vancouver is unmatched. Like it's it's really incredible. So good choice. I just want to start with that.

Thank you.

So safe sweat. So what was the spark? Come on, what was the idea that kind of popped in your head? Be like, hey, maybe there's some, there's a different way to do things.

Yeah. So at this time, I've been involved in corporate franchise, big gyms, small studios, and I felt that in every position from trainer to president. And for me, I felt like I had the experience to really think about what I wanted now. And I called up a former business partner of mine, Andrew Cloakman, incredible business partner, incredible operator. She's been the same amount of time, over 25 years, in the fitness industry out here in BC. And I said, Hey, I'm thinking about doing my own thing. What do you think? At that time, she took some time to be with her family and she said, Let's do it. She was ready to get back to work. So two of us are very much aligned. You know, we're opposite as can be, which is a great balance. However, we have the same North Star and same vision. We were aligned in a lot of things when it came to operations, team, environment. And so the spark was we were we were we've already decided we didn't want to go low cost, we didn't want to go big gym, we wanted to go small studio, but we wanted something different. And I know everyone says that. We truly meant it. We we we didn't want to do more of the same. And you know, no offense, there's a lot of great brands out there, but in our opinion, our humble opinion, there's only two products there's big gyms, and there's small studios with classes. The big gyms have all different bells and whistles, all different colors, all different marketing. The small studios, same thing, different classes, but it's two products. So for us, we're like, you know, only about 15, 20, 25 max of the population belong to that type of environment. And ever since I can remember, I was in a PT school, and the instructor was standing up there saying, you know, we're 15 to 20 percent, you know, one day we're gonna be 50, 60, we're gonna beat this epidemic we're in. And that was 25 years ago. Yeah, and we're still in the same place. And so why in the world haven't we been able to increase that percentage? And so there has to have been a reason. And so we started really thinking about it, and it helped that the pandemic put us in a place of really opening our eyes and saying, look, the pandemic wiped out our industry. Well, how in the world did that pandemic wipe out our industry? What couldn't we have done something different? And just like that, it hit me like a ton of bricks. What about a space with individual rooms where people can come in and go as they please to work out? Now, I gotta put caution here because yes, the pandemic gave and inspired the idea. It is not the reason we did it. Everyone's like, oh, pandemic business, pandemic business. We got all the shit talked about us in the world, and we never once mentioned the pandemic in our marketing. We knew we didn't want a pandemic business because we wanted to last. And during the pandemic, the fitness industry went digital, went home gyms, and where are all those products? They've consolidated, they're getting smaller again. Not us, and I'll get into that. But we said, what do people want outside of the pandemic? And then we started thinking about our experience because we've sold memberships, we've trained and developed salespeople. And when I was uh a salesperson, I remember being taught, hey, you overcome objections, you listen to them, and you overcome, you listen to them and overcome. And no matter how good we got, average conversion is about 50%, low cost, high cost, whatever it is, even $10 a month, 50%. So why are 50% walking out the door? Why are they walking out the door for a $10, $20 membership? It's not because of cost, it's because they didn't like something, they didn't tell you the truth. Or they join and they cancel within three, four, five, six months. Why is that happening? Because they don't like it. So then the fitness industry continued making more and more and more of the same product. So when we really thought about it, why? Well, the fitness industry is mainly comprised of people that like fitness. The world are not comprised of people that like fitness. Let's be real, let's be honest with ourselves. It was easy for me to be in gyms because I loved it, because I was an athlete, and we continued making that product. And when you look around any of those conventions, everyone loves that. That's community. But then if you go into the real world, 80% of those people don't like that. And so they're trying to find other solutions. Home gyms. Home gyms, very expensive, take up a lot of space, and there's too many distractions from home. Just like working from home. Some people can do it, but most people cannot. So people would buy home gyms and it goes to waste. So what if it was like a home gym away from home where people can come in, reserve their suite, work out, and go back home? And so we got the idea. From there, I had to make sure the financials worked. So before I get into that, I'll pause there too.

It's an interesting thing, and you think about the thought process of the industry, and and I I'm with you. We've been talking about you know 18, 20%, whatever it is that come into the gym and how we're gonna extend that. And you know, there's actually signs this year that we are we're actually expanding. But it's it's it's a conversation I've just gotten, you know, quite tired of over the years. And you know, every conference I go to, people are talking about that and how we get into other and GLP ones, when I don't think it's GLP ones, you know, anyway. So I I resonate with that that thought pattern. And I think you know, anytime you get into an industry, and ours is still relatively young. I mean, we could probably trace it back to like the 60s, really, is when this this whole industry started. But yeah, we're proving out a couple models. I would add one more model, which is like the you know, kind of sports performance or small group training or personal training studios. I think those are you know, like an alloy or you know, a D1 or something like that. But you know, I I think we haven't had the time or people haven't sat and completely reimagined what fitness and health could be like with a brand new lens, whatever you call it. Well, there's a startup Silicon Valley startup mindset. I can't remember what it is, what they call it. But any anyway, it's like how do we reimagine this? How do we just scrap everything we know? And if we were going to rebuild the fitness experience, how would we do it? And it sounds like that's kind of the approach that you've you've attempted to do, even though, right, you've been a president of a you know, a very typical gym model. So yeah, it's it's it's interesting. So give us some insights, like with Safe Sweat, what are the particular unique components of it that make it different than other gyms?

Yeah, you know, I want to touch on the please comment you made about because even my experience, that's not what I was used to. You're absolutely right. And I had to look at it a different lens, and I looked at it from the lens of somebody that's never worked out before. And then I'm like, wait a second, this you're doing something very vulnerable, something very difficult. Fitness is hard for everybody. I don't care who you are. It's at some point, it's hard for you. And it's there's vulnerable positions, especially uh a lot of women feel vulnerable, especially middle-aged women that are their body is changing, they're going through maybe hormone changes. And what even science today, we're what we've been saying for years, people need to work out with weights. And maybe head style workouts isn't great for women. Maybe it's putting them to under too much stress and it's negatively affecting their hormonal balance. And so this is an opportunity again for them to work out with weights in a private environment. So that lens was if I was new and I was nervous and I felt a little uncomfortable with my body, do I want everybody looking at me? Because I don't care what you say, I feel like everyone's staring at me. And so that's how we decided to look into what makes it different. So let me explain the model. It's about 2,700 square feet. We have eight private fit suites. These fit suites we've just divided into two rooms. One is standard suite, two are luxe suites. So six of them are standard. The main difference between luxe and standard is size, little equipment, and then the aesthetics. It's all beautiful, but the luxe suites are even more beautiful. You we have an app on that app, you can do everything from joining to to changing your billing to reserving your session, canceling your session, booking out anything you want. So once you come in, your suite is perfect. It's already clean, smells good. We have an air purifier going on so it feels good. You have recovery products, hyper ice, meditation device. You have a phone charger, suspension training, mat, full squat rack, cable machine, dumbbells, piece of cardio, the cardio, everything's top of the line, by the way. Different types of cardio in the suites. That's the main difference. So most of the suite, about 90% of the suite is the same, except for the piece of cardio. Every room has a TV, so you can watch some programming, fitness programming, you can watch YouTube, live sports, news. You can play your own music on the speakers in your room. You can change the airflow, and you can also dim the lights. Interesting, Eric. We we did the dimming for meditation, for stretching, for yoga. The majority of our members they dim the lights when they work out. Interesting. It's a really cool thing we learned. Because if you if you built a gym with really dark lights, people are like, Why is it dark? But the ability for you to control it yourself is what they like, which is actually pretty cool. Memberships are divided on privilege. For example, if you just want the standard suites or if you want the bigger suites, also most of the members, two of the memberships out of three, you can bring a guest with you. And then, and then we just partnered with form, which we have one of their screens in the room, and there's hundreds of workouts on there on demand for whatever they want to do. So that is really the difference when people come in and what they get to experience. They're truly on their own if they want. The majority of our members work out on their own. There's a good percentage that will bring somebody with them. We have it covered with our insurance that mothers can bring in their babies. So this is now an opportunity for new mothers that are like, I need to get out of the house. They come here now instead of walking around the mall. And then about this is pretty cool. 20% of our members work with a personal trainer. They're our employed trainers because we wanted them aligned with our vision and our goals. So, what, three to five times the industry average, people are paying extra to work with a trainer. I'm gonna touch on that too. You know, the the privacy thing is is something really, really interesting as we're learning. We're three years in now and we're learning every day. Our clients are trying exercises they've never, ever done before. They never imagined they would. We have 60-year-olds that are deadlifting for the first time. We have 70-year-olds doing pull-ups for the first time. We have eight-year-olds that are getting started into some type of program. So the age group is a lot different. Our youngest person that exercises here eight, our oldest 92 years old. So all shapes, all sizes, because they don't feel the pressure. And then they work with the trainer and they're willing to do things that they wouldn't do in a big box jam because they feel like the magnifying glass is on them. And in here, they let their guard down as soon as the door closes. The trainer and client are able to build a much better, trusted relationship where they're sharing more so they're willing to be more vulnerable, and from there, they're able to do more. The last thing I would touch on really our focus around really our marketing and how we're getting these new users to come is I believe in the fitness industry, me included, we made a big mistake, and we continue to sell based off of physical results. We even we prescribe with trainers losing 30 pounds, 40 pounds, whatever it is. And we know that in fitness, it takes three, four months to see any type of physical results. We don't talk about physical results, we talk about the health and mental health benefits of coming in because after one session you feel better. After one session, you feel better. And so, with that, we've always prescribed minimum two to three times a week. Eric, you're starting fitness two to three times a week. You gotta make it a habit. 30 days, you're gonna be solid, blah, blah, blah. What you just did is I told somebody who's never done anything before. Who finally had the courage to come in. And then I might get the courage to say, you know, that's a lot. I don't know if I had the time. Time? What do you mean time? There's 24 hours a day, there's seven days a week. And we go into the whole prescription. David Goggins does. If you come in once a week, great. If you don't come in for a couple weeks, great. Come in when you come in. And when you come in, if you want to work out, great. If you want to walk on the treadmill, great. If you want to stretch, great. If you don't do anything, Eric, and you just show up, great. Our attrition is lower than other studios. Our lifetime value is higher than everywhere else. Our personal training penetration is higher than everywhere else. We have increased revenue every single month since we've been open. We've increased memberships. Year three, we're 40% over prior year. And there's no signs of stopping. So tell me people don't want private fitness.

Yeah, it's interesting. I got a lot of questions on that, but and just to recap something I said. So first principles thinking, that was the concept I was trying to nail down that I forgot. So people can look that up. But here's the question people are asking. Well, what about community, dude? People love community. People want community. That's why they show up.

I love that. Love the question. The first time I got it, I was on stage before we opened, and someone said that. And I said, Well, tell me the definition of community. I said, I'll tell you. The definition of community is like-minded individuals gathering together. And that's exactly what we have. We have like-minded individuals that come in, and a lot of them start have started talking to each other before session. And then they work out privately. And then maybe they talk after the session. But they have a community within this last summer. Members organized their own hiking event. These are people that not only had anxiety with fitness, a lot of them have social anxiety in general. And they're talking to people for the first time. Our web enrollments, our online enrollments, 20% of our memberships are online at a 225 average price point. People have never seen our studio before. They've never seen this in the entire world. And they're joining online. And then a lot of them, we know they're a new member because we see the check-in. We see they're about to come in and we gauge it. I was taught you say hi to everybody, and you make sure you make out kind. Well, no, some of these people don't want us to say hi. And so I'm watching, and I look, I look at their body language, and some of them don't want to talk at all. And so they just go in, they work out, they leave. You know what happens after a couple weeks? They start looking, they start saying hi, they start having a conversation, they start becoming our friends. And what we're realizing is some of them, their only social interaction is actually us. So if that's not community, I don't know what is community. You know, the reason that question comes up, Eric, is because we've been taught that everyone needs to work out in a social environment, hence group fitness classes. We've been taught that you get better results when you're around others. You know what? I do. I've been a competitor, I've been an athlete. If you're gonna run fast, I'm gonna run faster. If you're gonna lift heavy, I'm gonna lift heavier. That's me though. The majority of the population is not like that. Majority of the population does not thrive with competition. Those group fitness classes, there's no community because the first time somebody walks in, they see five, six women gathering, talking, they look the same, they act the same, they're laughing the same, they move the same. I don't belong. So I never go back. Community in the gym. What community? 90% of the members go in there, and what do they do? Put on their headphones or headphones, and then they do their own thing. There's a very small percentage of people that actually talk to each other. So I would argue we have more community here than other gyms. And Eric, you got to get out here next time you're in Vancouver so you can see it for yourself.

Yeah, yeah, I would love to, man. And it's everyone's so different, and I think that's something that's I mean, even just I use a personal example of me and my wife. My wife goes to CrossFit. She's been doing it for well, we met at my CrossFit gym. So she's been doing it for 12, 13 years now. And 14, actually. She needs that. Right? But I don't. In fact, she doesn't like working out with me because I'm boring. Like I put on my, I put on my ear, you know, I listen to a podcast, I know what I'm doing, I like to do it. I like to go to a spin class every once in a while because I'm training for a bike ride. I think it's kind of fun. But I don't do it because of community. I do it because I get to get, I get a guided workout. I don't have to think. Right. And, you know, it sounds grumpy and old, but I when people talk to me at the gym, sometimes I get irritated because I'm like, dude, I only have like an hour. Like I don't have time to catch up on all the things I want to, but I just don't have time. So it's like it is, I think everyone's so individual. I think having a place where a lot of, you know, there's so much value on extroverted people nowadays, right? Type A, extroverted. That's like the ideal. But most people aren't that. I think there's an overwhelming percentage of people actually introvert introverted or somewhere in between, like me, where it's like, you know what? I just want a relaxing place I can go to. You're right. Like I can just do my own thing. Maybe I get some guidance, maybe I don't. Maybe I just want to lay on the floor and sit in the dark for 10 minutes and not be bothered, right? So it it's it's a really interesting concept that I like a lot. And of course, the big thing is like, is this scalable? Right. That's what people are listening to right now. Is like, is this something that will work in multiple markets? Like, so give us some insights into like what the economics are. Well, actually, before we do that, you're franchising, right? You're going to a franchise model. Walk us through that decision process because that's a big, that's a big moment in time for a lot of for a lot of operators, right? A lot of people have thought about it, right? Some people do it, some people are successful, a lot aren't. I don't have to tell you this. But what walk us through that to that decision? How'd you how did you decide to go that route?

Yeah, it's interesting. Everything ties in what you said, the financial model, scale being scalable, the why we launched franchise. We always knew we were going to do franchise from day one. And I'll tell you the reason we knew it was because of the financial model that we created. So going back, I said this earlier and I didn't elaborate. When I was creating the financial model, I created it and I'm like, holy shit, this looks really, really healthy. And then I went back, scrubbed it, I made it more modest. I'm like, what? Come on, this is really, really good. This is exciting. And I've done PLs, I mean, almost my entire career. I'm like, this is this looks really, really good. And I'll tell you the reason I didn't even think personal training back then was going to be as good as it is right now. But the reason was because we don't have costs. And because we don't have costs, we don't have instructors. So we are a small studio like these other studios, but our product is different. Their product costs ten, fifteen thousand dollars a month in operating costs in labor. Our product we already paid for in the build-out because we are a small studio with beautiful finishes, beautiful equipment. The tech is already done, and so people reserve it, they work out, and they leave. So you're saying someone's gonna pay 200 bucks a month for you with no instructor, and 200 bucks across the street with a psycho instructor? I said, absolutely, because your members value that instructor. Our members loathe that instructor. Our members don't want that instructor in their face, and that's exactly what they're telling us. We have Orange Theory members, P5 members that are coming here saying it was a nice idea until about month two, and I stopped going because I was dreading having that instructor in my face. Your wife thrives on that, and that's great for her, but a lot of people do not. So we believe that people were gonna pay that. Our average dollar per unit last month was over $250 on new memberships to work out by themselves. There's no training included, there's no extras. Number two, we created a membership model. Most of these studios are drop-in passes and class passes. We have drop-in sessions and all that, but most of our members, I would say about 90% of our members are monthly paying members. So we have a predictable revenue source coming in every single month. Also, our operations are much easier. You ask any studio operator, the toughest part of their job is recruiting, hiring, developing, retaining top coaches and instructors, and then managing them. We don't have that. We eliminated the hardest job. So we have a more profitable studio and it's an easier job. So we're like, of course they're gonna franchise. So that was the plan from day one. Andrea is a whiz when it comes to creating all the manuals. So she's been working on that since day one. Now, the reason we decided to launch franchise sooner than later, and this is goes back to your question about others considering it, is because the demand was there. I was doing a different podcast, it was a little over a year ago, and after the podcast, the interviewer said, Emory, can I ask you a question? And I said, Yeah, I was like, Why haven't you launched your franchise yet? I'm like, Well, you know, we have one studio, and you know, usually you should have three, four, five. And he's like, Emory, you're a fucking idiot. Thank you. I appreciate that. He's like, no, but really, he's like, you have people that want to pay you money to build your products. You and Andrew are two of the best fitness operators in North America. Like, you're basically consulting for your own product. And guess what? No one has your product yet. You are first to market in the entire world with something that has scalable options, it's an easier operation, it's more lucrative, and people are already wanting to do. Why wouldn't you launch franchise? I'm like, you know what? Like, there's no rule. There's no rule. And so we got to work and we are officially launched in January in Canada. We turned on very little marketing out here, and we are getting about one to two new inquiries, information, leads every single day right now. That we're overwhelmed with how many people are inquiring, and they're all saying the same thing. I've never seen this before. I've always wanted to do something like this. You guys are like in my brain. Why has anyone ever come up with anything like this? Now, a lot of listeners might be fitness listeners, and they're like, Well, guess what? Most of the franchisee requests are non-fitness people, they are entrepreneurs, they're business operators, and they're the other 80%. That's why we're getting so many inquiries, is because they can see this vision. Now, when the fitness industry sees what we're seeing, it's game over. And by the way, I'm gonna say right now, anyone that's listening that's excited about what I'm saying and can resonate, we are currently entertaining partners, investors, franchisees. We plan to launch a franchise in the States by the end of 2026. So now to end with your the answer to your question about those thinking about franchising, it's the same thing as us deciding to become entrepreneurs. We didn't wake up one day and decide to be an entrepreneur. We've been doing this, this has been our life for over 25 years. We have a ton of experience, and it's still difficult to be an entrepreneur. Franchise, we were prepared, we planned, we believe we did everything right, we had the demand, it's still difficult. So the reason we launched early is because we have the demand there. We would have waited a little bit if we didn't. So if anyone's listening, keep in mind, even if you have a great product, do you believe the demand will be there? And if the demand is there, cool. Get ready, go. But if not, then you're gonna have to create the demand. So, how are you gonna create the demand?

Well, it's very exciting, Emery. It's like anytime I see something new and different, you know, I want that to happen because we we just get interrupted in the industry. We we look at the same things, and and right now, it's a great time to be in this industry. I mean, I was you know, talked to a lot of people, and you know, between I think the overall consciousness around people's health from the pandemic, I think it brought a lot of people to be like, holy shit, I need to get healthy, right? So that conversation started here in the States, of course, just a little south view. We have, you know, some political will that's building here to to make some significant changes. And I mean, all signs so far in 2025 is that gyms are doing well. And, you know, people aren't taking, and to the best part, I'm curious about this, but like 20 somethings, early 30 somethings, they're in the gym, dude. They're lifting weights. And uh, you know, it's it's a really cool thing to see that I didn't I didn't really see much of 10 years ago. So it's it seems to be a great time and to bring a new concept to market is is the opportunity is pretty ripe.

Absolutely, absolutely. You were you were talking about the different demos that are actually working out. That's the other cool thing about us. We we were targeting a first-timer, maybe gym anxiety type of individual, and we're very pleasantly surprised to realize we have all different types. We have the business, you know, executive that is really busy. Maybe they're an extrovert at work, and then at home, they don't want to think, they don't want to talk, they just want to get in, get out. They don't want to do a class, so they don't really have an option. They don't want to build a home gym because that's not that important to them, it's not their life. So they come here and they're in and out. Sometimes they take a phone call, sometimes they don't. We have the mothers, we have the youth, we have the senior population, we have content creators, you name it, we got it. And it's really, really cool to see. And I'll tell you what, this is kind of tying into everything. And we we're pretty, I believe we're pretty good with our branding and our marketing and our social media. If you get a chance, check us out on especially Instagram, maybe TikTok too. But Instagram is really our bread and butter, and we don't do any grassroots marketing. We, you know, I grew up in a time where I was sent outside to hand out flyers, to get leads, to cold call, you name it, we did it. And that's another thing we wanted to challenge the industry on is can we do this without that, which would help with our franchise model? And so we do zero, zero grassroots marketing. Everything is digital. So, yes, we're getting referrals, and that's a great play, but everything is digital marketing. And so we've gotten to a place where we're continuing to grow memberships just with our digital marketing. And so now as soon as a franchisee comes on board, boom, boom, boom, boom. So we made the job, I mean, as easy as can be. And that's what's really cool to us is fitness industry franchising has always been more of usually fitness entrepreneurs or business operators. I would say the majority of our leads, like I said, are outside of the fitness industry. So it's pretty interesting to see. Right on, man.

Well, Emory, I appreciate you spending some time with me and describing all this stuff. I think it's it's cool. Yeah, and I'll definitely come by and check it out when I'm in Vancouver. It sounds like something I would really enjoy as well.

Yeah, absolutely.

If I mean it sounds like, but I'll I already know, but I'll ask the question anyway. What do you need help with right now? If people are going to reach out to you, what's the most important critical things for you?

You know, right now, a lot of people that look into our website or social media and what we've been doing, what we've been fortunate to accomplish and think we're a big team, we're not. We have a small team at the studio that runs a studio, and then it's Andrea and I. And so we own the company, we're the founders of the company, we operate the company, we launch franchise, and so we are ready to go. So we need, I mean, I'll put a money. So if you're if you're yeah, if you I mean, I'm I don't beat around the bush, we're ready to go. We we're very, very, very confident that safe sweat will be around the globe within five years. And so if somebody's listening says, you know what, I I can resonate with some of the stuff he's saying. And by the way, this is 30, 40 minutes. You can get me for the day, and I'll I'll show you everything. And if you're ready to go, we're ready to bring some strategic partners, investors on. You know, we were part of Meet the Athlete in Los Angeles a handful of months ago, where NBA athlete chose us out of other entrepreneurs, said, I want to be a part of that. His name is Matt Barnes. He's on our advisory committee. They're gonna be investing because they want us to grow faster. But we're looking for more and we're ready to go. So, what we need help with is if you believe that you would like to come on, you know, uh strategically or financing, we're ready to go. We're absolutely ready to go.

And we're uh where do people get a hold of you, man? Where do you want them to go?

You can go onto our website or my email is pretty easy. It's my first name, Emery E-M-R-E at safesweat.com.

Easy enough. Emory, thanks for thanks for doing this, man. It's really fun.

It's all my pleasure.

Yeah, please. It's been it's been a lot of fun chatting with you. So we'll uh you heard your guys. So go check it out. Uh, if you got some money you want to invest, contact Emery and ladies and gentlemen, Emory Oscar.

Let's go.

Thank you, Eric. Hey, wait, don't leave yet. This was your host, Eric Malzone, and I hope you enjoyed this episode of Future of Minutes. If you did, I'm gonna ask you to do three simple things. It takes under five minutes and it goes such a long way. We really appreciate it. Number one, please subscribe to our show wherever you listen to it, iTunes, Spotify, Castbox, whatever it may be. Number two, please leave us a favorable review. Number three, share. Put it on social media, talk about it to your friends, send it in a text message, whatever it may be. Please share this episode because we put a lot of work into it and want to make sure that as many people are getting value out of it as possible. Lastly, if you'd like to learn more or get in touch with me, simply go to the feature of fitness.co. You can subscribe to our newsletter there, or you can simply get in touch with me as I love to hear from our listeners. So thank you so much. This is Eric Malzone, and this is the Feature of Fitness. Have a great day.