From Cancer to Booming Biz, Hotworx Franchisees Overcome Obstacles
Inspired by a personal connection to Hotworx, Gwynda and Monica Nia Jones, a mother-daughter duo from Chicago, persevered to build a profitable fitness studio
Fitness franchising has emerged as an increasingly lucrative business opportunity, fueled by the $6.3 trillion global wellness economy. But for many entrepreneurs, owning a fitness business means more than dollars and cents. It’s personal.
For Gwynda and Monica Nia Jones, a mother-daughter duo who own a thriving Hotworx franchise in Chicago, this is undoubtedly the case.
Having already been considering opening up a franchise with Hotworx, an infrared sauna fitness brand, Gwynda became inspired to take the leap after overcoming a cancer diagnosis that originally gave her just six months to live. As part of her holistic treatment plan to beat cancer, Gwynda used infrared therapy, further convincing her of the modality’s health benefits.
“When I got that diagnosis that I was healed, I called Hotworx and said, ‘Let’s do this,’” she recalls.
Gwynda enlisted her daughter, Monica Nia, a Miss Illinois winner, to join her as co-owner of the franchise. Inspired by her mother’s health journey and her personal connection to the Hotworx brand as a client, Monica Nia decided to put her own career dreams on hold and run the studio full-time.
“My mom always reminded me, ‘This is basically like getting your MBA. People pay hundreds of thousands to learn this business school and you’re getting hands-on experience right now,’” Monica Nia says.
A Long, Winding Road to Business Success
The Joneses’ leap of faith has paid off. Today, their Hotworx studio is profitable in just its second year of operation, becoming a fixture in the local community with 490 members and counting.
But their road to becoming successful fitness entrepreneurs wasn’t easy – the Joneses have had to deal with the traditional hurdles of entrepreneurship along with the unique challenges of being Black women in business.
For example, Gwynda and Monica Nia faced difficulties in the real estate selection process, including being turned away from potential lease opportunities seemingly because of how they looked.
“I think there were times where we were turned away just because of how we looked, and maybe we were underestimated in terms of our abilities,” Monica Nia recalls. “We had to deal with a lot of adversity and a lot of being told no – and not realizing why at the time.”
Thanks to their grit and some help from the Hotworx corporate team, the Joneses overcame that challenge, eventually signing a 10-year lease on a studio in Chicago’s River North neighborhood which they now call home.
That was only half the battle, though.
Once they had their studio, the Joneses turned their efforts to the challenge that all fitness entrepreneurs face: getting enough members through their doors to turn a profit.
“Our biggest struggle was that Hotworx was such a new brand to Chicago,” Monica Nia says. “People would walk past this and would ask, ‘Is this a sushi spot?’ It’s such a different concept that we really had to educate people on what Hotworx was and what made us different from your traditional hot yoga workouts.”
Other challenges they faced included finding qualified staff members and general operational difficulties in running a franchise business, which demands a careful combination of entrepreneurial spirit and the ability to follow systems handed down by the parent brand.
“There was so much going on, there was one point I thought we weren’t going to make it. It’s just too much,” Gwynda admits. “Then we hit a breakthrough.”
The breakthrough was “learning our businesses,” Gwynda says. For the Joneses, that meant taking the time to dive into the ins and outs of running a fitness studio. That included some 80-hour work weeks and at times, tension in their relationship as mother and daughter.
But it was worth it in the end.
“We said, ‘You know what, we’ve got to learn this thing, because how can we coach and mentor someone else if we don’t know how our system works?” Gwynda says. “So we learned our business inside and out, which has helped us know what to look for when we hire people.”
The Rise of Hotworx
Looking back, the Joneses attribute their success in part to their own hard work and in part to Hotworx, which has become one of the fastest-growing brands in fitness.
Founded in 2017 by Stephen P. Smith, Hotworx offers workouts led by virtual instructors that take place inside an infrared sauna room heated to around 125 degrees Fahrenheit. Classes include Pilates, yoga, HIIT cycling, resistance training and stretching, with one to three people working out inside each room. The brand also offers FX Zone, a functional training area featuring free weights.
Today, Hotworx has over 700 locations and counting worldwide as members and franchisees alike are drawn to the brand’s unique take on heated fitness – and its distinct operating model.
Hotworx studios are open 24/7, with members able to book classes and enter the studio through an app on their phones. For franchise owners like the Joneses, this system cuts down on staffing costs and allows them to earn revenue around the clock.
Hotworx primarily targets females in their 20s and 30s, but the brand tends to do well with males and people of all ages.
“We target a young lady between the ages of 25 to 35 who’s gainfully employed; everything around Hotworx is designed around her needs,” Gwynda explains. “However, that design attracts professional athletes, it attracts people on a weight-loss journey and it attracts people who may have an illness and their doctor referred them to (infrared therapy) to accelerate their healing.”
A longtime former executive at PepsiCo, Gwynda knows a thing or two about what it takes to create a blue-chip company. She believes Hotworx is on track to becoming widely recognized not just in fitness circles, but in society at large.
“Hotworx is going to be a household name like Starbucks,” she believes. “I see it because when people come in they say, ‘Oh my god, what a concept.’ I hear people say, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?’”
The Joneses also praised Smith and the entire Hotworx corporate team for creating a great company culture for franchisees.
“Yes, the workouts are amazing and the benefits are amazing, but the company itself is amazing, too,” Monica Nia said. “What sold me on becoming a partner was meeting Steve, his business partner, Nancy (Price) and their families, because it showed me that it really is a huge family.”
Why Fitness Franchising Is Worth It
The Joneses are interested in opening a second Hotworx studio down the line, although they don’t have any firm plans to do so just yet. Instead, they’re concentrating on turning their River North studio into a long-term success.
Monica Nia still works full-time at the studio, although she’ll soon be transitioning back to her corporate career now that the business is on a firmer footing.
That’s not to say the Joneses won’t still be active inside their studio.
“I want to make sure we set the tone of our culture in our studio; I think we’re always going to be involved,” Gwynda says. “Our members love knowing we have a mother-daughter ownership.”
Both Gwynda and Monica Nia would recommend fitness franchising to friends and family members who may be considering opening their own businesses. They point to the benefits of having the support of a parent brand like Hotworx, and the special magic of running a business that helps people feel better and live healthier.
“I would say to anyone that’s (considering) opening up a business, know your why,” Monica Nia advises.
For the Joneses, their “why” is spreading the benefits of infrared sauna fitness, which has so deeply touched their lives.
“Yes, we want to create generational wealth and a legacy for our family, but we also (chose Hotworx) because this is something that supplemented my mom’s health when she was in a tough time, and it’s something that I’ve used as my escape.”