For Jason Markowicz, the CEO of Fitness Premier, fitness has always been more than just a career — it’s a passion rooted in a lifelong love for sports and competition. Growing up in the Midwest, he spent his youth on the football field, basketball court and baseball diamond, eventually playing college football. But it wasn’t until a connection through a former teammate led him to his first job in the fitness industry that his entrepreneurial journey truly began.
At just 22 years old, Markowicz stepped into the industry as a trainer, immersing himself in the operations of a fitness club. A year later, he seized an opportunity, gaining sweat equity in his first gym and stepping into ownership at the young age of 23. By 2006, Markowicz and his team took a bold step, rebranding and relaunching their vision under the Fitness Premier name — a move that laid the foundation for the thriving brand it is today.
Now, over two decades later, Fitness Premier has become a respected name in the fitness industry, known for its community-focused approach and commitment to helping people live healthier lives. Markowicz believes the biggest component to Fitness Premier’s success is its people, leadership and culture.
The company prioritizes team development, investing in programs that foster growth at all levels. Markowicz and his partners actively participate in executive groups like REX Roundtables and Vistage, continuously learning and sharing insights with their teams. This focus on leadership development creates strong facility leaders who, in turn, build positive environments that attract both great employees and engaged members, ultimately enhancing the customer experience.
“It’s a lot of hard work within all that, but I think for us, it’s a great differentiator,” said Markowicz. “At the end of the day, we can all buy the same equipment, right? We can all buy the same tech and, in a lot of ways, do a lot of the same things when it comes to programming. So, I think our team and the way we think about leadership development is a little bit of a separator for us.”
Markowicz embraces a team-centric leadership style, shaped by his hands-on experience and sports background. Early in his career, he was deeply involved in daily operations, but as Fitness Premier expanded and transitioned to franchising, he shifted his focus. Now, he prioritizes supporting franchisees while empowering his team to handle day-to-day operations. His role centers on anticipating industry trends and strategically applying them to the business, ensuring continued growth and innovation.
One of the latest trends Fitness Premier is capitalizing on is GLP-1s.
Rick King, a co-founder of Fitness Premier, acknowledges the long-standing debate in the fitness industry about weight-loss supplements, historically advocating for natural methods like exercise and nutrition.
However, after studying GLP-1 medications, King recognized a structured, healthy approach that minimizes side effects and supports long-term success is possible. Fitness Premier has partnered with a trusted GLP-1 provider to integrate medication with fitness, nutrition and coaching, ensuring a comprehensive, sustainable solution for members. This partnership aligns with the company’s core values, reinforcing its role as a trusted community resource for holistic health and wellness.
The program is first launching at four locations as a beta test before expanding to all 18 clubs. Integrity and safety are central to the initiative, ensuring members meet specific BMI criteria before receiving the medication. The program includes a structured timeline for use, mandatory weaning off the product and ongoing support from both the GLP-1 provider’s coaches and Fitness Premier’s team. This approach prioritizes member trust, responsible health practices, and long-term success through nutrition and exercise.
“That was the biggest thing for us,” said King. “You can have it administered to you the right way, under the right circumstances, with the right guidelines for your safety and to maintain the results, or else we would have never done it.”
King emphasized that Fitness Premier’s mission is to help people improve their lives through multiple avenues, including GLP-1 medication as one tool — not a standalone solution. The company prioritizes safety, ensuring members don’t experience harm, long-term side effects or regain lost weight after stopping the product. Success comes from a holistic approach that includes fitness, nutrition and mindset. King stresses the importance of simply getting started and committing to change, all while working with the right partner.
“I love everything about this industry, and I’ve been in it for 20 years,” said King. “There’s a lot of resources out there. There’s a lot of vendors out there. There’s a lot of partnerships out there. There’s a lot of avenues and it’s really overwhelming at times. How do you pick who to partner with? The way we do things is we identify what a need is or where the industry is going or what’s something that we can provide. And then we have a thing internally where we want to talk to at least five people for everything we see. So at least five different vendors, providers, whatever it may be. And throughout that process, not only are you really interviewing them to see who you want to give your business to, but you’re also learning all the ins and outs about it from the people who are specializing in this.”
This commitment to trying new things and best serving members not only helps attract new people to the club, but it also helps Fitness Premier stand out as an employer. Many employees value the company’s “never quit” attitude, including Christina Graf, an operator with the company.
“I think our leadership team does a great job at keeping their fingers on the pulse of the industry and aren’t afraid to take chances,” explained Graf. “Our organization has partnered with other brands over the years and continues to explore others to provide a top-tier member experience. We’re not afraid to admit defeat. If it doesn’t work, we try something new. We’re always willing to grow to give our best possible gyms to our members.”
This commitment to growth and innovation is deeply rooted in Fitness Premier’s core values, which guide both their strategic decisions and daily operations. Graf explains how these values — All Grit, No Quit; Be a Fountain, Not a Drain; Play as a Team, Win as a Team; and Show Up, Step Up — serve as the foundation for the company’s culture, fostering a sense of community and belonging among members. Her recognition with the All Grit, No Quit award at the annual summit further highlights her dedication to these principles, alongside other key team members.
“We’re not a big-box gym, and we don’t want to be,” said Graf. “I know every person who walks through my door, and I make sure they know me, not just as the manager of a business they patronize but as a resource to better themselves. We’re 100% dedicated to every member being here for a long time and a good time and accomplishing something they maybe never thought possible before they walked through those doors.”
This dedication isn’t just shown to members. Franchisees of the brand also feel the same support.
In 2016, Fitness Premier began franchising. This concept has an affordable business model, high profit margins and a robust suite of support, making it one of the industry’s most exciting new opportunities.
“We’re really focused on the franchise development side of our business and really homing in on that as one of the avenues for us to grow, and to expand our network,” said King. “We got focused on some marketing for the franchise side early in 2024, and we awarded six new franchise locations last year. So, for us, it was a really big success and reward just getting into the franchise sales side of this business. It was some validation that we have a product that people want. We have a product that’s meaningful and valuable, and we have a support staff and an office support team I think our franchisees see the value in.”
However, the solid foundation of support didn’t come without hard work.
King explained they had an initial period of rapid expansion about 15 years ago, including out-of-state growth. While this aggressive approach had its pros and cons, it exposed weaknesses in their operations. Realizing this, they paused expansion to focus on building a strong support team and improving internal processes. Once they had a solid foundation, they resumed growth in a more controlled and strategic manner. Their priority became ensuring operational excellence before franchising, to provide franchisees with a clear path to success and a strong return on investment.
That intentionally and work behind the scenes is paying off, making it a standout franchise option within the industry.
Fitness Premier offers a unique support system, particularly in back-office operations like accounting and payroll, which can often be time-consuming for franchisees. By centralizing these tasks at the home office, franchisees are able to focus on leading their teams and serving customers.
“We take all that type of stuff, we centralized at our home office, and we do that for all our franchisees,” said Markowicz. “That’s really to let them focus on leading and developing their teams and being out there in the community, servicing customers and clients.”
Additionally, the company invests in leadership development, offering programs like weekly management huddles and monthly mastermind groups for personal and professional growth.
“For me it’s very team-centric in the way it’s very similar to playing sports growing up, and just that team type of mentality,” said Markowicz. “I think franchising support and the way it’s designed is very similar to what you’d see growing up as an athlete. For me, there’s a lot of synergy and a lot of fun that comes with that.”
Looking ahead, Fitness Premier is focused on sustainable growth, emphasizing the importance of building strong leadership teams to support its expansion. While opening new locations is a top priority, the company recognizes that successful growth is rooted in attracting and retaining exceptional leadership. As the brand continues to scale, it remains committed to ensuring the quality of its team members and the values of the company guide the growth process, ensuring a solid foundation for the future.
“We have a neat logo,” said Markowicz. “It’s a star design we did about 10 years ago as part of our rebranding. We talk about it in the form of just creating more stars on the map. We like to talk about growing more locations, and we’ll do that at the pace we can attract great leadership to operate in the business, whether that’s through up-and-coming management or new franchisee partners. We like to think of it definitely north of 100 locations, but at the same time, we’ll grow at the pace that we can attract and retain great leadership in our stores. That is really a focus for us.”
At its core, Fitness Premier’s success is built on a team mentality that mirrors the values of sports — teamwork, perseverance and a commitment to excellence. Just as Markowicz honed his leadership skills on the field, the company continues to thrive by fostering a culture of collaboration and support, both within its team and with its members. Whether it’s empowering franchisees, developing strong leaders or providing innovative services to clients, Fitness Premier plays as a team and wins as a team. As the company continues to grow, its foundation in sportsmanship will remain a guiding force, ensuring every step forward is built on the strength of its people.
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