Brian Lowe is the American Dream personified. What started out as a 15-hour-per-week, part-time training job five years ago opened the door for him to harness his passion for exercise science and fitness, moving through the ranks to become a full-time employee and eventually a two-studio owner.

"When I first started working as a trainer with Fitness Together five years ago, I was thrilled just to have a job,” Lowe said. “The idea of being an owner was never even a thought. Now I own two studios, and can’t picture myself doing anything else.”

Finding a Good Fit at FT
Lowe now oversees business and operations at a predominantly one-on-one FT studio in Lincoln, Mass., and a larger one-on-one and PACK training studio in Waltham, Mass. As he's grown professionally and personally over the years, Fitness Together has continued to motivate his growth and support his success with job security, expanded professional opportunities and income levels that have exceeded his expectations.

“From the very beginning, Fitness Together always provided growth for me,” Lowe said. “After three years of both working and going to school, I finished up my degree (Master’s in Strength and Conditioning) and immediately knew that Fitness Together was where I wanted to be. My position at Fitness Together had changed. Not only was I training, but I was helping run the business as well. After about six months, things continued to grow for me. But I knew it wasn’t enough.

“On March 30, 2012, things got real very fast and I took over as the new owner of the Fitness Together in Lincoln. After seeing the studio and meeting with the former owner, I knew this was the best fit for me. It's always hard being the new guy, but thanks to my experience working with Fitness Together, training clients and running the day-to-day operations it soon became business as usual again. The biggest difference was having full control and responsibility of not only the studio, but my life. My monthly income basically tripled overnight, and I knew this was the best decision I had ever made.”

FT Support Leads the Way to Smooth Transition
Lowe attributes the smooth transition from trainer to owner at both of his studios to FT’s support structure, systems and people. Whenever Lowe faces an ownership challenge or wants to try out a new idea at one of his studios, he is able to contact a member of his support team who has experience running studios and is dedicated to helping other owners succeed.

“Becoming a studio owner was quite overwhelming at first and it was a challenge; however, never once did I feel alone,” Lowe said. “The support that Fitness Together provided helped me every step of the way. We basically have 24-hour business consultants who are fantastic and want everyone to be successful.”

Lowe was especially grateful of FT’s support during the transition of owning his second studio in Waltham earlier this year, which brought unique challenges that differed from his experience of taking ownership of his first studio in Lincoln.

“Unlike Lincoln, I knew this (Waltham studio) was going to be more of a project. But I decided to go for it. Things even went a little different than I expected during the transition, but again with the support of Fitness Together and the confidence I gained as an owner, we pulled through. After two months of blood, sweat, and tears, we now have an amazing group of trainers and a studio we can all be proud of.”

FT Owners Control Their Own Destiny
One of Lowe’s guiding principles for business ownership is the importance of controlling your own destiny. He encourages other trainers who may be thinking about becoming studio owners to believe in themselves, be passionate about what they do, and not be afraid to try something new.

“I feel so lucky and fortunate to be in the position I am today,” Lowe said.” “I started in the trenches and have worked my way up to owning two FT studios. I am so thankful for everything, and I can honestly say that Fitness Together has completely changed my life.”