LGC E64 - Peter Taunton | From Popcorn Stand to Building One of the Most Iconic Brands in Fitness

Peter Taunton is a pioneer in the fitness industry. In 2003, he had a vision for Snap Fitness: to create an affordable, 24-7, results-driven gym differentiated from the impersonal, expensive big-box experience. Today there are Snap Fitness franchises in 2,500 locations in 26 countries. And Taunton, CEO of Lift Brands, didn’t stop there. Taunton is an expert at understanding consumer desires and fulfilling them. In recent years, he has acquired and founded several brands to round out the consumer-fitness experience: 9Round, Farrell’s, YogaFit, STEELE Fitness, Fitness On Demand. Together with the Snap Fitness brand they comprise the world’s largest wellness franchise organization, serving 165 million workouts and counting. Taunton, who prior to founding Snap Fitness owned nine America’s Fitness Centers, has designed a franchise-development operation that is the envy of the industry. He leads with infectious enthusiasm, which attracts prospective owners from all over the world. He provides them affordable financing, world-class support and an easy turnkey process. Most importantly he teaches them his own management philosophy, “Success is 10 percent what happens to you and 90 percent how you react to it.” Taunton’s accomplishments have been well-recognized by the business community. In 2010, he was named an Ernst and Young “Entrepreneur of the Year.” His companies have also been featured for six years running in such prestigious industry lists as Entrepreneur 500, Inc 5000, Top Global and Franchise 500.