Husband & Wife Team Finds Success as Multi-Unit Fitness Franchise Owners
Jon and Rebecca Metzger own four Burn Boot Camp locations in Virginia, managing over 70 employees while raising two young kids
The lives of Jon and Rebecca Metzger, multi-unit Burn Boot Camp franchise partners, revolve around the “3 Bs”: their boys, Burn and baseball.
The two continue to successfully manage their roles as parents and franchise partners, with Burn Boot Camp a major component of their daily lives for the last seven years. But before they became multi-unit franchise partners, the Metzgers were members at Burn Boot Camp’s location in Cornelius, North Carolina.
Jon, a University of Virginia graduate who pitched for their baseball team, was drafted to play professionally for the Kansas City Royals for several years before entering the world of real estate investment and financial advising. Rebecca, an Arizona State University graduate with a commercial real estate background, had worked for the Department of Transportation as a transportation planner and GIS analyst. Despite their different fields of expertise, both were motivated and united in the lure of entrepreneurship.
Just six months into their Burn Boot Camp member journeys, the couple began to explore ownership options to fulfill their ambitions of opening a business — and one that they found passion in. By the fall of 2017, the Metzgers signed their first Area Development Agreement for three locations in the Northern Virginia region.
Their first location in Gainesville, Virginia, opened in January 2019, when the couple had their 3-year-old and 5-month-old.
“Between opening a new business across state lines to the exhaustion of parenthood – not much sleep was had that year,” Rebecca said. “But we powered through and opened our second location, South Riding, Virginia, in January of 2020.”
Six weeks later, the pandemic hit, forcing the Metzgers to close their doors for 16 weeks.
“It wasn’t just tough, it was terrifying,” she added.
Still, the Metzgers and their passion for fitness were no match for an unprecedented global pandemic. The couple powered through, and after working to rebuild their communities and membership bases, they opened their third location in Fair Lakes, Virginia, in August 2022.
With fitness consumer confidence on the rise and the need for community at an all-time high, a new opportunity presented itself: another Area Development Agreement. In February 2023, the Metzgers opened their fourth location in Westfields, Virginia.
The Burn Difference
As Jon points out, Burn Boot Camp’s varying protocol allows members to come more frequently and offers a more consistent experience than other fitness franchise brands — a key element in keeping members engaged. There are also friendly, welcoming vibes within Burn Boot Camp, which the Metzgers experienced for themselves firsthand.
“I do believe that Burn delivers the best community feeling, and we felt that right from the get-go in the Cornelius gym,” he said.
While Burn Boot Camp member success stories are common — with members sharing that the fitness experience has helped them get into shape or better deal with real-life issues, Jon also notes the impact Burn Boot Camp has on employees, building their confidence to train or become managers.
“Burn just impacts people on so many different levels,” he said.
Finding a Balance
Balancing business, marriage and parenthood is no small feat, but the Metzgers have mastered it with mutual respect and a keen understanding of what each can bring to the table.
“We found our balance,” Rebecca said, adding that she and Jon are aware of their strengths and try not to overlap one another.
“I think we’re lucky in the fact that our strengths complement each other,” Jon said. “I think she is the classic integrator. She’s great with spreadsheets and data — and she loves that. And I’m a little more of a people person. So I think you marry the two together, and it really works. And we don’t really like stepping on each other’s toes. She’s got her sandbox, and I’ve got mine.”
While the Metzgers remain flexible and routinely available for any issues that may arise at their gyms — even on vacation — they have carved out a block of time for themselves and their sons, who are now 5 and 9.
Having two entrepreneur parents involved in the fitness industry has taught their children the importance of staying in motion and proper nutrition, as well as what it means to meet goals and continue to excel.
“On the work side, I think they see us working all the time,” Rebecca said. “They see late nights, early mornings, they see us on conference calls. I think it’s important that they’re learning a work ethic that you want to keep progressing and you want to keep growing — you can’t stop working at it — you can’t be complacent, you can’t find comfort, you have to push through the hard.”
Both sons are active in Little League, and it’s become a family affair, with Jon coaching and Rebecca cheering them on.
The ballfields have become their happy place, a designated space to recharge and focus on their young family. Those two or three hours each evening on the ballfield are cherished by the two, a welcomed pause for family time.
“As an entrepreneur, you’re never off,” Rebecca explained. “We don’t clock out at 5 p.m. You’re always on. You still have to be available, but you also need to know when to turn it off and find that balance.”
Having a strong staff has also enabled the Metzgers to find some relief in the day-to-day.
“As multi-unit owners, I do think we have a little bit of an advantage because we’ve been able to place a fair amount of trust in staff,” Jon said. “We have excellent on-site managers for each gym, and then we have one sort of overarching manager who really helps us keep it all together.”
Allowing staff to develop their own lane and management style has paid off in terms of their success and their Burn Boot Camp locations.
“You’ve got to put your trust in your staff; let them do their thing,” he said.
What’s Next? More Burn Boot Camp
Now with four Burn Boot Camp locations under their belts, the two are on the real estate hunt for future locations.
“We have yet to open/develop our next two territories in Vienna and Brambleton (Virginia), but we are hot on the search for prime real estate so we can, once again, create an everlasting community within those markets,” Rebecca said.
Powered by their strong family unit and a franchise they are passionate about, the success of the last seven years is just the beginning for the Metzgers.
“We look forward to more personal and professional growth as we continue to grow our organization,” Rebecca said. “We have over 70 employees that we love and who work day in and day out to provide the best member experience in all of Burn Nation. We are honored to lead such an amazing team of individuals. Without their hard work, dedication and selfless giving back to the communities they serve, none of this would be possible.”
