cover story: the camp transformation center
Creating The Camp: Meet the Founders How the Camp Transformation Center Grew from a Single Gym and a Dream to an Incomparable Fitness Franchise
Luis and Alejandra Font went through a life-changing pivot during the 2008 recession. Like so many Americans, the couple with two young kids was left financially strapped by the economic downturn. Never one to make excuses for her circumstances, Alejandra identified the adversity as an opportunity to transform her fitness hobby and side hustle into a career. With just one year of part-time personal training experience under her belt, she pitched the idea of opening a gym to Luis. “While I loved that one-on-one connection with the clients and feeling like I was making a difference in their lives, I knew I wanted to do it on a larger scale,” Alejandra recalls. “I wanted to make a larger impact than training one person at a time. I wanted to do group training. I figured I might have a few locations eventually; I never imagined we’d grow to become a franchise with locations nationwide.”
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With 30 additional locations in development, The Camp Transformation Center continues to rapidly expand its footprint across the United States.
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10 Franchising MAGAZINE USA
Alejandra approached the couple’s longtime friend, a veteran fitness entrepreneur, Sam Bakhtiar. They joined forces, and in late 2010, opened the doors of the first Camp Transformation Center in Chino, California. In the beginning, Alejandra focused on day-to-day of the business while Sam led the marketing efforts. About a year later, Luis joined the business full-time. As someone who struggled with his weight and yo-yo dieting for most of his life, Luis brought a unique perspective to the
