How Donuts, Pop-Ups, and a $3 Lead Strategy Built a Pilates Empire

How do you grow a multi-unit fitness franchise without a massive ad budget?   Ray Dunn did it—with free classes, donuts, grassroots events, and relationships. In this episode of Franchise Secrets, Erik Van Horn and Ray unpack a masterclass in guerrilla marketing, team management, lead generation, and semi-absentee ownership.   Whether you're launching a new location or scaling an established brand, this episode is packed with real, proven strategies to help you win locally.   Timestamps:   00:00 – Why Grassroots marketing still works 01:30 – Ray Dunn’s journey from CPA to franchisee 03:25 – Beating household brands with grassroots tactics 05:10 – Early hustle: donuts, Jeep deliveries & costumes 06:30 – Launching Club Pilates with no brand awareness 08:30 – How to test your brand’s local visibility 11:40 – Landmarks vs. addresses: smarter local marketing 13:25 – Visibility = growth: rent as a marketing investment 15:00 – Defining semi-absentee ownership (and what it's not) 17:45 – Event-based growth strategies (with real examples) 21:40 – Partnering with breweries, parks & coffee shops 25:00 – Low-cost events: $75 budget, real ROI 28:00 – B2B outreach & free "Pilates Party" lead gen 31:00 – How to build win-win partnerships with local businesses 33:00 – Using AI (ChatGPT) to plan local marketing strategy 36:00 – Prize wheels, contests & collecting quality leads 40:00 – The $3 lead strategy that generates customers 44:30 – High-value, low-cost giveaway strategies 46:10 – Hiring & training staff for grassroots engagement 49:00 – The mindset shift owners and staff must embrace 52:45 – Selling by removing barriers (not pressure tactics) 55:00 – What emerging franchisors can learn from top operators 57:10 – Ray’s final advice for franchisees & franchise brands   📌 What You'll Learn:   -Smart local lead gen using free classes and community events -Why visibility and location matter more than you think -Training staff to love community marketing (even introverts) -How to build real partnerships with neighboring businesses -When and how to delegate grassroots marketing -The truth about semi-absentee ownership in franchise systems -How franchisees can influence the playbook for entire brands -Creative prize strategies to boost lead capture and conversion -Why emerging brands should listen to the field   Connect with Erik Van Horn: 🌐 Website - https://franchisesecrets.com/    📷 Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/erikvanhorn/  👍 Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/erik.v.horn/  💼 LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/evanhorn/   Best Franchise Starter Playlist: https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMlgRgsBAo4LWNCMSOthnK0r&si=TD1z25-ie2d23rGm https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMle5_OUXiuLbc_UPBtz1vTE&si=uCOgDya1VnnCarDf https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMk2Kw07KwZGWgF8UTx9N5_T&si=ZldjBOqFanGE-JUL   #FranchiseGrowth #GrassrootsMarketing #FitnessBusiness #PilatesStudios #FranchiseSecrets #LocalMarketing