Why Christy Raynor Left The Corporate World to Open a 9Round Franchise.
As the vice president of a company, Christy Raynor felt like she was dying at her desk. Exercise felt more like an afterthought than a priority, and she didn’t feel like she was making a positive impact on the world.
Instead of staying stagnant, Raynor decided to make a change. She quit her corporate job to open a 9Round franchise in Louisville, Kentucky, and hasn’t looked back.
“I started researching 9Round and just fell in love with it,” recalled Raynor. “It was just perfect for me.”
Raynor explained that financially, 9Round was easy to get into. “I have no business loan, I have no business partner,” she said. “This was completely self-funded.”
At its current pace, Raynor has been able to grow the gym’s membership by about one to two members a day. She says this has allowed her to form a one-on-one relationship with members. “The growth has been really spot on to what it should be,” she said.
Unlike with her corporate job, Raynor is now able to share her love of exercise with others on a grander scale. She explained that 9Round’s format makes that easy. “It removes all of those barriers that people have of, ‘Oh, I don’t have time. I can’t make the class. I planned to come, but something got in the way. I got stuck in traffic,’” she said. “With 9Round, [there are] no class times. So it removes those barriers for people and makes it very accessible.”
During her corporate days, Raynor explained she used to dread the Monday morning alarm. Now, she looks forward to another work week. “I’m glad I took that leap of faith and walked away from a big job to be able to help people,” she said. “And I can be active all day.”
Stay ahead in the fitness industry with exclusive updates!
Rachel Zabonick-Chonko is the editor-in-chief of Club Solutions Magazine. She can be reached at rachel@peakemedia.com.
