Alfa Fit Holdings’ Dmitriy Aleyev and Zhana Gali combined complementary skillsets, disciplined hiring and community-driven hype to become JetSet’s largest franchise group
Pilates owes much of its current momentum to its unique fusion of elements found in yoga, ballet and calisthenics. Dmitriy Aleyev and Zhana Gali have their own signature blend as well.
Each coming from different industries, Aleyev and Gali brought differing skills to the table when they began franchising with JetSet Pilates in South Florida. Aleyev spent years in asset management and investment banking. While a Pilates consumer, Gali enjoyed a career in financial services before moving into a consulting role with Accenture.
While they referred to their launch as a gamble given their lack of business experience, specifically in fitness, it was more of a calculated ploy.
“We had such complementary experiences and skillsets with Zhana’s knowledge of Pilates and my knowledge of marketing, business and finance,” Aleyev told Athletech News. “It was the right franchisor, the right time and we decided to bet on ourselves.”
As of today, Aleyev and Gali have expanded to six JetSet locations, making them the brand’s largest franchise group. They’re targeting further growth as well, taking staffing seriously, creating noise and strategically leveraging the franchising foundation JetSet provides.
The Right People in the Right Places
Aleyev and Gali may have reached the top of the mountain in terms of JetSet franchising success, but their position isn’t without its challenges. Aleyev noted that as your operation grows, transforming into a “manager of managers” rather than that of a studio can become tricky.
“I think people underestimate how difficult it is to go from controlling things yourself to now needing a team to control stuff,” Aleyev said. “It’s hard to let go of what you used to micromanage and give it to someone else. The natural reaction is always to do it yourself.”
Difficult, but essential, Aleyev argues. Franchisees need to find strong, trustworthy teammates and empower them to support growth, especially those with ambitious expansion plans.
“Getting the right people, getting the right team, is the biggest challenge, and it takes some time to get it right,” he said. “You need a team. You need processes. You need procedures. You need advisors and vendors. You need all of that to make it all work.”
Personnel analysis shouldn’t stop at the hiring stage, either. Gali emphasized leveraging team members in new roles as a growth driver as well.
“A person can be happy within JetSet but in the wrong place or role,” she said. “Figuring out which role is best for specific individuals to make sure they thrive and perform their best could be helpful for any franchisee to focus on. That creates team culture and the strongest delivery of the product.”
“You have to know your instructors and you have to treat them like your IP,” Aleyev added. “You have to create the right culture, give people the right opportunities, pay them the right amount of money and always strive for excellence, because there’s always another studio that will be.”
Hype Fuels Growth
Aleyev and Gali focused externally as well internally to channel growth. Each cited concentrated efforts to ignite enthusiasm among local consumers as a competitive advantage. Keeping the energy up beyond the point of sale is, crucial too.
“Come strong, create noise in the community, create hype in the community, create expectation and then follow that through by nurturing the community inside the walls,” Aleyev said.
Whether that’s with a new in-studio challenge, a sale, or other initiatives, the delivery is just as vital as the offering itself when it comes to conjuring community hype.
“It’s very critical that we’re on the same page across all locations, so if we have something very critical to release to the public, such as specials, events, etc., I make sure management is ready to answer any questions for any specific nuances that clients may have,” Gali said. “We always need to come across as well-prepared, one team and knowledgeable about what’s going on.”
Build Off The Foundation
In sharing some final advice, Aleyev also recommended that new franchisees should never take a passive approach to their operation.
“People say, ‘Well, you get a car, you just need to drive it, right?’ I don’t agree with that,” he said. “I think you have a manual on how to do it and you have all the components, but you build your own machine and then you drive it. Think about what your strategy is, execute and take it seriously. This isn’t going to run by itself.”
“I’ve always joked with people that the business of Pilates is way harder than people realize. It’s competitive,” he added. “You can’t run it like you run a Dunkin Donuts.”
That said, both Gali and Aleyev mentioned the importance of “trusting the process.”
Gali said she did “at least” 300 validation calls with different franchises before opting to go with JetSet, endorsing the brand’s preparedness at the HQ level. While she advises against following JetSet’s playbook without adding any differentiation, she acknowledges its usefulness.
“I came to the conclusion that JetSet has the strongest, most supportive team of franchisor leadership,” she said. “You just need to trust the process. They figured it out for you. There is an amazing playbook that’s always evolving.”
