Charlie Graves was a world-ranked swimmer and successful professional triathlete before turning to a career in sports management, sports television and event production, and sport equipment manufacturing. He has been the CEO of Athletic Republic since 2007, when he acquired and rebranded the company, introducing new franchising, operations, business, and marketing systems now in use in a worldwide network of franchises.  Athletic Republic is the world’s premier destination for individualized, sport-specific training. With technologically advanced equipment, Athletic Republic tracks and showcases the improvements an athlete experiences through their training regimen. The brand is the leading sports performance franchisor, with over 80 training centers and has surpassed two million athletes trained in the program. It is the premier destination for individualized, sport-specific training for athletes of all ages and abilities who seek to improve their speed, power, stability, agility and stamina.    Key Takeaways: [2:25] - Charlie shares his background as an athlete before becoming a business owner. [3:53] - You have a hand in your success. [5:26] - Doing things that are within your control will improve your performance. [8:47] - There are a lot of cross overs in sports and business. [11:10] - Charlie became the head of marketing for a mall operator. This was the introduction to a franchise model for him. [12:36] - How did Charlie learn about the opportunity of Athletic Republic? [15:42] - The founder was a scientist. He tested and evaluated everything. [17:53] - Charlie made a lot of mistakes in the early years but learned through them and attended conferences and programs to improve and network. [20:08] - It wasn’t a franchise at first. Charlie lists some of the things they developed before jumping into launching a franchise model. [21:27] - The collaboration in franchising is extraordinary. [24:17] - An ideal franchisee is one that has passion for sports. [25:45] - Over half of the current franchisees are female. [27:56] - Charlie is in the business of opening successful operators. [30:15] - It’s important to care for franchisees that are making big investments. [31:19] - Rather than selling more units and having franchisees wait to get going, Athletic Republic takes their time with each franchise owner. [32:28] - What value does the franchisor provide to franchisees after they are established? [35:03] - Scaling in particular is something that needs to be considered and supported by franchisors. [36:42] - What role does celebration play in the Athletic Republic locations?   Mentioned in This Episode: Athletic Republic Home Page Athletic Republic Franchise Site