MADabolic Franchise Model Thrives on Early Owner Involvement
Partnership
Sponsored By MADabolic

One MADabolic location out of Cincinnati is blowing past early growth milestones. It already has its eyes on more as well
Strength and conditioning is what’s king right now in the Queen City. While MADabolic, now with 40+ locations operating and a strong pipeline in development, has no shortage of success stories, its latest one coming out of Cincinnati is turning in positive numbers just months after opening its doors.
MADabolic Cincinnati, captained by an ownership group including Brad Kenney, Kevin Arnold and Shannon Reilly, reached its breakeven point soon after opening its doors in January of this year, well ahead of the brand’s benchmark for franchisees. Also since opening, the location reports it’s seen continued growth in membership and revenue with each passing month.
But aside from the structured programming and emphasis on one-on-one coaching in a group setting that the brand facilitates, the close collaboration between franchisee and franchisor is what’s helping the location thrive.
Direct Support from the Jump
MADabolic’s corporate team helps franchisees deploy on-brand marketing strategies, onboard a local training team and operationalize the steps between signing a franchise agreement and opening through an ongoing series of weekly tasks. The Cincinnati location was no different.
“MADabolic provided a gameplan that we executed locally and a team that was there to support us along the way,” said Kenney, Operating Partner of MADabolic Cincinnati. “I doubt many franchise owners have a direct line to the brand’s founders, but Brandon and Kirk, along with the rest of the corporate team, were highly involved and provided their perspective on so many key pieces while getting our doors open and post-opening.”
One of the ways MADabolic brought this support early on was through a presale grassroots marketing plan that featured pop-up workouts and a strategic approach to tabling at key events and local businesses. The approach allowed Kenney to establish brand awareness in the new market, drawing in consumers even before they opened.
Addressing the Blueprint Correctly
Having witnessed the successes of other MADabolic locations, it was easy for the Cincinnati team to feel confident in the brand’s launch strategy.
“We saw the success of the presale plan from other MADabolic locations that opened before us; the strategy is tested, so we knew following the plan would set us up with a strong start,” said Kenney.

That’s not to say this location merely flipped the right switches and then walked away. There’s a certain level of care and attention franchise owners need to bring to the table when executing plans that’s vital to the level of profitability attained in Cincinnati.
“Successful owners are ruthlessly committed to the game plan yet have the humility or openness to understand their weaknesses and delegate these tasks to others,” said Kristi Wass, Vice President of Marketing at MADabolic. “There’s a common misconception that franchising is a passive investment. In reality, especially in a hospitality-based business like this one, it’s anything but. Whether you’re the one opening the doors at 5 a.m. or you’ve hired someone who owns this specific responsibility, the business demands energy, attention and leadership.
“So no, it’s not about carbon-copying Cincinnati — but it is about embracing the same mindset: fully committing to the process, showing up every day and leading from the front,” she added.
Cincinnati’s Mindset
Kenney being consistently present and active from day one was one of the most important factors in the location’s success, according to MADabolic.
“Brad was boots on the ground, deeply involved in every aspect of the launch,” Wass recalled. “When an owner has real skin in the game, there’s a level of urgency, pride and care that’s hard to replicate through delegation alone. It’s not that great general managers can’t deliver results — they certainly do, regularly — but there’s a different gear that kicks in when the owner is also the operator and they commit their full-time efforts to building and growing a successful gym.”
Kenney’s experience as a longtime MADabolic client at a top-performing market also worked to his advantage.

“He had seen the high bar firsthand,” said Wass. “That exposure gave Brad a mental model to emulate — and he used it to reverse-engineer early wins. Success leaves clues; Brad knew where to look and had the humility to learn from the brand and network around him.”
Setting Up for the Future
While MADabolic’s corporate team and the local team in Cincinnati are thrilled with the early successes, they know there’s more to the race than just that first leg.
“Once the doors open, marketing and lead generation don’t stop — your focus just starts to shift,” said Wass. “You move from nearly exclusively generating leads to also nurturing the client experience and building a strong culture within your four walls that keeps people coming back. We’ll continue working with the team to refine these pillars, ensuring their efforts don’t grow stale and that they’re growing with intention.”
In doing so, this franchise ownership team has already taken aim at additional expansion. MADabolic reports they’ve already signed on to establish a second location, with site selection scheduled for this summer.
“Our goal is to help them scale not just faster — but smarter — using what they’ve learned from launch one to set up an even stronger foundation for launch two,” Wass added.