Show Notes
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What does it actually take to build a franchise that lasts, not just through the hype years, but through market shifts, Covid, competition and real growth pains?
In this episode of Geronimo Unfiltered, we sit down with Peter Hull, Founder & CEO of Fitstop, to unpack the unfiltered story behind building one of Australia’s fastest-growing fitness franchises, from selling his wife’s car and leasing a tiny industrial shed, to scaling across four countries with 170+ studios.
This is a raw, honest conversation about resilience, leadership, franchising realities, and why the pilot matters more than the plane when it comes to building a million-dollar studio.
Here’s what we’re covering:
-The moment Fitstop almost didn’t happen, and why quitting felt like an option every single day
-The brutal realities of franchising (and why most people shouldn’t do it)
-Why you need at least 75 studios before a franchise model actually works
-The traits of the highest-performing Fitstop owners, and what holds others back
-What Australia can learn from the US, and what the US is behind on
-Why multi-site owners are the happiest, most profitable operators in the network
-The mindset shift required to build $1M+ studios
-Why playing defence is killing growth, and how to start playing offence again
… and a whole lot more
Don’t forget to like, subscribe, and comment below with your biggest takeaway.
We read them all.
Connect with us:
My website: https://thegeronimoacademy.com
IG Geronimo: https://www.instagram.com/thegeronimoacademy
IG Hey.Doza: https://www.instagram.com/hey.doza
LinkedIn: https://au.linkedin.com/in/andrewhandosa
Chapters:
⏳ [00:00] From Knee Reconstructions to Fitstop Founder
⏳ [04:30] Selling the Car, Leasing the Shed & Betting on the Vision
⏳ [09:45] How Fitstop Accidentally Became a Franchise
⏳ [12:40] The Harsh Reality of Franchising (And Why Most Fail)
⏳ [17:10] Scaling Through Covid: What Nearly Broke - and What Made Them Stronger
⏳ [22:00] Competition, Market Cycles & Why Trends Kill Weak Businesses
⏳ [26:30] Leadership Growth, Feedback & Learning to Slow Down
⏳ [31:40] The Traits of High-Performing Studio Owners
⏳ [36:45] Coachability, Curiosity & Why Most Owners Stay Stuck
⏳ [41:05] Why It’s Not the Plane - It’s the Pilot
⏳ [46:20] Building Million-Dollar Studios & Playing Offence Again
⏳ [51:30] Global Vision, Purpose & Why There Is No Exit Number
More from Geronimo Unfiltered
👉🏼 Thought about selling your studio more than once? Book a Strategy Call with my team and we'll find what's actually keeping you stuck.
👉🏼 Everyone's telling you the market's flat, and your numbers are starting to agree with them. If your studio isn't growing anywhere near 20 percent (our Academy average) and you can't work out why, my team will help you find what's holding you back: Book a Strategy Call.
👉🏼Can't explain why someone should pick your studio over the one next door? Start with Britt's five-question brand framework: Grab Britt's Framework
👉🏼Build your own Vision book with the exact tool we use. Grab it here: Vision Book Template
There are 5 parts to a conversation that turn a trial into a member. Grab your 5 Part Conversation Framework here: The Convertible Conversation