Pink Iron Franchise Is Building a Community, One Gym at a Time

Pink Iron founder Holly Holton took a risk and dedicated her life to creating her dream gym. Not only did she want to build a gym that could help women get the best workout of their lives and feel empowered and encouraged, but she wanted to build a community. A place where women felt like they belonged, where they could meet other girls with similar goals and interests.

We recently had the chance to speak with Adam Kaslikowski, COO of Pink Iron, to talk more about Pink Iron franchise opportunities. We asked him what differentiates the franchise among others in its niche, what qualities they are looking for in potential franchisees and, lastly, what’s next for the franchise, both in the near future and long-term.


What’s your background?

I’m an entrepreneur at heart and have started five of my own businesses. I’m addicted to the starting of companies, which is why I love franchising. I get to help start new companies for franchisees every day!

Give us an overview of your franchise.

Pink Iron is the fitness club created for women by women to be the premier club in every city.

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What makes this franchise special?

We are a community first. We ensure that every member feels welcome and happy. We are not the “cool girls” table; we are the friendly girls table.

Who are your biggest competitors?

We go head to head with Orange Theory Fitness, Soul Cycle and Barry’s Bootcamp.

What differentiates your franchise among others in your niche?

Because everything we do is focused on the female body only, we are able to really hone in on what works the best for our members without making them bulky or manly.

Who are the key figures within your franchise? 

Everything goes back to our founder, Holly Holton. She is the spirit and friendly smile behind Pink Iron.

What’s your franchise’s motto?

Learn. Lift. Love.

What is the total investment to open a franchise?

$249,000-$360,000

Can you describe a typical day in the life of a franchisee?

Come in when you like, check on your front desk and the day’s metrics so far, make sure classes are running smoothly, follow up with emails and marketing, maybe do some light maintenance or organizing and review the days metrics/sales via email after close. What’s not to love?

What do you tell potential franchisees about the profit potential of opening up one of your franchises?

We always say that profit potential is dependent upon the amount of work you put in. We’ve been around for eight years and have learned a lot of lessons along the way — both the hard way and the easy way — and we share those with all our franchisees to make sure they have a leg up on any other franchise system.

What makes this concept a good fit for potential franchisees?

We are intimately involved in the startup of every Pink Iron and the whole founding team is available 24/7 for help. We are putting a lot of personal work and time into every new club to make sure it is a success.

What qualities do you look for in potential franchisees?

Positive attitude and a deep understanding of what it is like for women trying to get fit at traditional gyms or boutique clubs. I can train specific skills and techniques, but I can’t train a frame of mind.

What type of initial training do you offer new franchisees?

We request two weeks with every franchisee at our flagship West Hollywood location to bring them up to speed and let them witness first-hand what our original club runs like.

What kind of ongoing support do you offer?

After the initial training, we interact on a weekly basis during the startup phase and then weekly to monthly going forward. We are certainly a high-touch franchise system.

What’s next for your franchise, both in the near future and long-term?

We are looking around the US for new locations now, and the sky is the limit! We are excited to both expand into other major metro areas, but also to get into much smaller markets that drastically shrink the startup costs for us. We will be possibly getting into nearby markets like Canada, Mexico, and the Caribbean.

What motivates you to keep going?

At the end of the day, the entire founding team here is dedicated and stubbornly insistent on helping women. We make sure that every decision we make is actually going to help our members pursue their goals.

If you were to start again, what would you do differently?

I’d certainly change some annoying legal filings and time spent on classifying or physically building our club, but I wouldn’t change a thing about our business from our members’ point of view.

Please tell us your secret to success…

There is no secret, there is only hard work and persistence.

What is the worst job you have ever had and what did you learn from it?

My worst job was, like many other people, my first. It was simple retail and I learned that you need to make sure you get clear direction on your tasks and goals from your supervisors.

What is one trend that really excites you?

Wearables, once they can measure everything we need to measure, will allow us to track progress in a very minute and actionable way. I can’t wait for these systems to keep improving.

Do you (or did you ever) have a mentor?

I have several mentors, each that bring different areas of expertise and attitudes. I don’t call them mentors, though, I just call them friends.

Any final words for aspiring entrepreneurs?

Know thyself and just take action — any action.

What advice can you offer potential franchisees?

What makes franchises so great is that they are a team effort. You are not left alone or without answers to your pressing questions. This is the fastest and safest way to work for yourself. 

Where can people find out more about Pink Iron franchise opportunities?

Visit the website here.

Where can people find Pink Iron on social media?

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