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/

 

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https://youtube.com/playlist?list=PLEEithd54kMle5_OUXiuLbc_UPBtz1vTE&si=uCOgDya1VnnCarDf

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#FranchiseGrowth #GrassrootsMarketing #FitnessBusiness #PilatesStudios #FranchiseSecrets #LocalMarketing