Franchisee Spotlight: Fitness Together in Washington, DC

Stacy Dykman leads the personal training franchise’s locations in the Washington D.C. area, leveraging strong business acumen and a willingness to help staff members further their careers

ACL tears often feel like the end of the world for fitness enthusiasts, especially those involved in athletics. However, for Stacy Dykman, hers was the start of a new journey. 

“I was an athlete my whole life,” Dykman told Athletech News. “I earned a full scholarship to play division one soccer and tore my ACL right after I signed my letter of intent. I went in and had a red shirt, and that’s kind of where it all started.”

Through her rehab and as she progressed in school, Dykman developed a passion for fitness and wellness. It even got to a point where she decided to transfer schools her senior year and change her major to exercise science. A year and six months later, she graduated in the top 1% of her class. 

“After that, I realized I had made the right decision,” Dykman said.

Her next steps only reinforced that thinking. After school, she helped build WTS International into one of the first full-service gyms in the D.C. area. She then took a job at a Fitness Together in Bethesda, and after an opportunity to buy the brand’s Georgetown location presented itself, she seized it and turned it into the brand’s top revenue-producing location nationwide.

Founded in 1984, Fitness Together provides tailored attention, expert coaching and guidance in strength training, weight management, injury recovery and overall health improvement. It differs from traditional gyms with the structured, one-on-one attention it delivers, and currently features 89 franchise locations. 

Thinking Outside the Box To Help Members & Staff 

When Dykman first began her franchising journey, she wasted little time charting her own course. Before she bought it, the Georgetown location was underperforming, but she knew how to turn things around.

“When I walked into the studio, I saw a bigger vision than what the previous owner saw,” Dykman said. “I’m a big visionary, so I always look at things and wonder what I can make of them.”

That started when Dykman began using private studios as places to train members either struggling with their weight or just embarrassed to be seen working out. Doing so helps her site attract more members, even beyond what it already pulls in as a “meet you where you are” type of operation. 

Dykman also extended that added layer of care to her staff. 

“I saw an issue with people coming out of school,” she said. “Unless you get into a fitness director position, there’s not much opportunity to grow outside of just doing more training. But then you’re basically going to be training your whole life. What do you do when you retire? There’s no benefits, no retirement plan and no health care.”

Noting that lack of support for aspiring personal trainers across the industry, Dykman moved to provide it and leveraged it to build a strong staff. 

“I knew that if I could attract the right people, provide them with the right benefits and provide a full-time salary, that in return, the studio would grow, people would stay loyal and I could provide a unique experience,” she said. 

That staff empowerment even turned into ownership in some cases, as Dykman noted she currently has two trainers who are now co-owners at her other locations. 

“I never dreamed of having three studios, but to be honest, I opened the next two because I wanted to help my team grow and I wanted them to have opportunities,” she said. “I knew I had put the right systems in place. A lot of it just goes down to how you’re treating your staff and how you’re hiring.” 

A Collaborative System

Dykman also credits her success to the Fitness Together community, attending conferences and roundtables whenever possible. There, she takes what she can from others to improve her operation and does her part to assist in return. 

“I’ve been involved in everything that I possibly can be,” Dykman said. “I’ve really tried to be an advocate for franchisees and to help change the brand. I’ve implemented a lot of the systems that I’ve created with corporate, which helps the studios grow and take that next step forward with growing their teams.” 

A Next Step for Trainers

Dykman strongly endorses her path as something others should follow who have a similar passion for helping consumers and empowering fitness professionals. 

“If you’re a trainer and you want something more or you want longevity in your career, it’s a no-brainer to get into something like this where you can build a team and help employees grow,” she said. “It’s a natural step for a lot of trainers. For anyone looking for that next step, who wants a good model and a concept that focuses on one-on-one training, it’s an amazing model that’s fun and has endless potential.” 

Dykman added that she’s currently working on improving her current locations before expanding to include more, adding that she even sees room for her original Georgetown location to improve. That said, should she look to grow, or even look to Fitness Together HQ for assistance, she knows she’ll have full support. 

“We’re just at the base of our potential,” Dykman said. “We have a fantastic team at our corporate office that’s extremely supportive and vision-driven. They’ve really helped us over the last couple of years to move things forward. That’s always really important when you look at franchising.”