How Tony Hartl turned endurance, ownership, and patience into one of Crunch’s most durable franchise groups
Most fitness operators talk about growth. Tony Hartl talks about endurance.
An avid mountain climber and marathoner, Hartl has spent much of his life doing hard things for long periods of time — a mindset forged through endurance sports, a long career and building businesses strategically rather than quickly. Today, that philosophy sits at the core of Undefeated Tribe, one of the fastest-growing Crunch Fitness franchise groups in the country — and one of the most unconventional.
Hartl isn’t interested in quick wins or short cycles. He’s interested in building something that’s durable.
That belief system lives in the name itself. Undefeated Tribe wasn’t chosen for branding flair, but as a reflection of a belief system that Hartl has been developing for decades.
After building and selling a company in 2008, Hartl spent time living between Jackson Hole, Wyoming, and Argentina, where his personal and professional philosophy took shape. He’s held only a handful of jobs throughout his life, not for lack of opportunity, but because he believes deeply in long-term commitment.
“I’m good at sticking with things for a long time,” Hartl says. “Endurance sports teach you that you don’t quit just because something gets hard.”
That mindset eventually found its way into a book Hartl wrote, Selling Sunshine, where he codified his philosophy around work, leadership and resilience. When it came time to name the company, he deliberately avoided anything generic or fitness-forward.
“I didn’t want the word fitness to be part of the name,” he says. “Undefeated Tribe is about ethos. It’s a no white flags philosophy. You may not win everything, but you don’t quit.”
The word tribe matters just as much as undefeated.
“It takes a group of people, all playing different roles, to move something meaningful forward,” Hartl explains. “That spirit spoke to me more than anything else.”
Investing in People
Undefeated Tribe has been named Crunch Franchisee of the Year multiple times — an achievement Hartl attributes less to tactics and more to people selection.
From the beginning, Hartl prioritized building a leadership team with depth, specialization and shared values. “I invested heavily in people early on,” Hartl says.
Rather than asking one leader to cover multiple disciplines, Undefeated Tribe built distinct roles across operations, marketing, finance, real estate and people. That structure allowed the organization to scale without burning out individuals or diluting accountability.
Hartl’s experience as a CEO for more than 30 years also shaped how the company was built. “I identified potential potholes and addressed them early,” he says.
One of Undefeated Tribe’s most defining decisions was opting out of the traditional general manager model altogether. Instead, Undefeated Tribe hires Managing Partners — individuals who are philosophically aligned and financially invested. Each Managing Partner invests in the company and receives profit sharing tied to their location.
“It’s a shopkeeper mentality,” Hartl explains. “They own the hiring, the culture and the results.”
The impact is tangible. Managing Partners earn an average of $117,000 annually, with some surpassing $200,000 operating a single gym, far exceeding industry norms.
“We don’t just pay more,” Hartl says. “They earn more because they’re owners. They treat the business like it’s their own — managing costs, engaging with customers and sharing directly in the results”
That ownership shows up in tenure, performance and financial outcomes across the portfolio.
While Undefeated Tribe continues to expand rapidly — with 60 gyms open and under development, and plans to have 100 locations open across Texas, Oklahoma, Minnesota, New Mexico and Missouri by 2028 — Hartl is clear that growth isn’t defined by doors alone.
“We think about performance today and growth tomorrow,” he says. “That balance ensures we deliver results now while building a business that compounds over time.”
The company approaches expansion at the market level, not the unit level. By building infrastructure first, Undefeated Tribe achieves economies of scale and operational efficiency as additional gyms come online.
“As we add gyms into a market, we already have the team, systems and leadership in place,” Hartl explains. “That makes growth more profitable and sustainable and gives our brand the best opportunity to connect with the community.”
At the enterprise level, the focus shifts to organizational readiness — capital, personnel and leadership depth.
“The tip of the spear is our Managing Partner program,” Hartl says. “Those partners should be able to run more gyms over time, which then becomes a win for everyone.”
Career Pathways, Not Ceilings
Perhaps the most compelling part of the Undefeated Tribe story is how intentionally careers are built inside the organization.
Every role has a next step.
Compensation is tied to three factors: responsibility, performance and tenure, a structure that rewards commitment and results equally.
The Managing Partner in Training program functions like a paid apprenticeship, teaching both hard business skills and leadership fundamentals. Hartl expects more than 70 percent of participants to graduate into Managing Partner roles.
“This could be someone coming out of college who learns how to run a $5 million, 40,000-square-foot business,” Hartl says. Beyond that, there are equity pathways at the VP level and clear advancement tracks for those who choose not to pursue ownership.
“Our philosophy is simple,” he adds. “If you can get here, we can help you get there.”
That same mindset shapes how Hartl thinks about hiring leaders in the first place. He’s far less concerned with traditional fitness resumes than he is with character and decision-making.
“What I’m really paying for is judgment,” he says. “Has this person stayed with one company or brand for the long haul or have they jumped around. Have they been promoted? Do they make good decisions consistently? Can they build teams?”
And when it comes to describing his own leadership style, he says accountability and presence are defining traits.
“I lead from the front, lead by example and have a high say-to-do ratio,” he says. “The gyms are open 24/7 every day of the year so availability is also critical. I’m here for the business and my team at all times.”
About what the future looks like, Hartl says the market is simplifying fast. “Mid-tier gyms are fading,” he explains. “What’s emerging are luxury clubs and high volume, low price gyms. And inside that HVLP lane, Crunch is in the strongest position to grow.”
Combined with the growing awareness of movement’s physical and mental benefits, he feels the outlook for the industry is strong.
“Not all moments in time are created equal,” Hartl says. “This is an exciting one.”
Nearly a decade after signing its first lease, Undefeated Tribe is still early in its journey — but far enough along to know what works.
“It takes six or seven years to really understand what you’re doing,” Hartl says. “We’ve reached that point, we’ve built a compelling model, and we see a clear path to rapid growth over the next three to five years.”The goal, he adds, is simple and demanding: be a great place to work and a great place to work out.
“If we do the hiring right and give people partnership in their own business,” Hartl says, “everything else takes care of itself.”
