Inside the Ultimate Longevity Center: The Gary Brecka & Tony Robbins Wellness Franchise

Sequel Brands is building the next generation of wellness franchises—and the team behind Club Pilates, CycleBar, StretchLab, and YogaSix is doing it again. In this episode, Chief Sales Officer Jen Cain breaks down the full Sequel portfolio, the brand-new Ultimate Longevity Center with Gary Brecka and Tony Robbins, and why this franchise model is built differently.

We cover the four core brands: Pilates Addiction and its proprietary Winduformer that combines four apparatuses in a 1,500 sq ft footprint. Body20's wireless EMS training that replaces heavy weights with muscle-accelerating group sessions. iFlex Stretch Studios for daily mobility and injury prevention. And Beam Light Sauna, featuring infrared plus red, blue, and first-to-market green light therapy for cellular recovery.

Then comes the big one—the Ultimate Longevity Center, created with longevity expert Gary Brecka and powered by Tony Robbins' Life Force. Three zones: the Playground (hyperbaric chambers, infrared, cryo), the Lab (bloodwork, peptides, IVs, personalized protocols), and the Apothecary (curated supplements for energy, recovery, and healthspan). This is the first franchise concept to bring elite longevity protocols to everyday consumers at scale.

We get into territory design, investment range, the executive ownership model vs. owner-operator burnout, data-driven territory mapping, market availability, and which franchisee profiles are winning in wellness right now.

If you're exploring wellness franchise opportunities, researching longevity business models, or want to understand how the franchise industry's top operators are building what's next—this is the episode.

Hit follow, share with someone exploring franchise ownership, and leave a review. Tell us which concept you want in your city.

📞 Send your questions for an upcoming episode: 305-710-0050 🌐 Subscribe at www.thefranchiseinsiders.com

From your pals in franchise ownership, Jack and Jill Johnson.

Visit www.thefranchiseinsiders.com to subscribe.
Send us your questions for an upcoming episode at 305-710-0050.
From your pals in franchise ownership, Jack and Jill Johnson.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:10

Hi everyone, welcome back to another episode of the We Bought a Franchise Podcast. I'm Jack Johnson. I'm Jill Johnson. And today we have a very exciting guest. We have Jen Kane with us of SQL brands. And guys, wait a year. Some of the things the brands Sequel has, the story behind it, and an up-and-coming brand that I know all of you guys are going to be so excited about. Jen, before we get to you, I want to make sure we introduce our team as well: Katherine Allen, Brian Gross, Jay, and Carolina Arosa. Of course, all of you that follow the franchise insiders know we are franchise owners helping future franchise owners. And as part of that, it's our job to bring you relevant, timely, exciting franchises. And so with that said, Jen, we would love to hear about you and about SQL brands. Welcome to the show.

SPEAKER_01 0:56

Thank you so much. It's great to be here. And to say that I'm excited and enthusiastic about sharing the journey that we're all on right now is an understatement. So thank you. My name is Jen Kane. I'm the chief sales officer at SQL Brands. I have a pretty lengthy background in franchise development. I used to run the largest franchise sales organization in the country. I've helped thousands of franchisees get into their new business and really create a lot of life change. So it's been an incredible journey. I've been on really sexy brands in the space like trash and drains and gutters. I've also been on, you know, some of the more fun brands as it relates to fitness, beauty, wellness, even a little dabble in the food industry. So I feel like I've seen just about everything. And now I'm on this journey with SQL brands where we are really trying to change the trajectory of fitness, wellness, and longevity.

Jen’s Background In Franchise Growth

SPEAKER_02 1:54

Jen, isn't it amazing what a small world franchising is? I mean, if you really look around, you know, you looking at where you came from with franchise Fastlane, and then looking how SQL, and I love the name because SQL is sort of, you know, a lot of the folks behind it are from Exponential Fitness, which of course we've done many different placements over the years of brands like Yoga Six and Cycle Bar and all all the all what else? Row House, so more than we can. And now here you are, and there is so much buzz on SQL right now. For what you guys are doing, the team that you have, the brands that you have. I wonder if for our audience, we could just talk a little bit about, you know, what what was the sort of you know premise behind SQL brands and maybe a little bit about some of the brands that you guys currently have to offer?

The Origin Of SQL Brands

SPEAKER_01 2:42

Yeah, absolutely. And I I would love to tell you a story about my journey into SQL as well. Here is really where SQL was born from. Um, Anthony Geisler, who started Exponential Fitness with the brands that you just described, in addition to that, Club Pilates, which I think is one of the most notable brands, stretch labs, really, you know, he went on this huge, incredible fitness run, survived through COVID when, you know, fitness was illegal and you couldn't do a workout, but you could go get a tattoo, and we still joke about that. But, you know, what happened was he wanted to do this again and he wanted to build something that was really his that he could hold on to after taking exponential public. And I think the most important thing to note is he is still the largest shareholder in exponential fitness. So we support all of those brands. We want those brands to succeed, but we also saw that there was a place for additional players to be in this space, and especially with an emphasis around wellness, longevity, and you know, what matters to people right now globally. So Anthony started reaching out to me to join the team. I had never met Anthony. And I, after, you know, running franchise fast lane sales team, it was a big decision of what am I gonna come back and do after a short hiatus? And eventually I flew out to California, I met Anthony Geisler, and then I realized that I was in a room with the most extraordinary professionals. Sarah Luna, who grew Club Pilates, Ryan Junk, who grew Cycle Bar. And that was really a story of them, you know, acquiring it and then making it a success. Verdeem Baker, who was critical to the success of Stretch Labs, and Lindsay Junk, who was responsible for the drive behind Yoga Six. So I sat in a room and I looked around and I said, when in my career am I going to be around professionals like this that are hardworking, really, really good humans, and everybody running in the same direction. So SQL is Anthony Geisler's sequel. 70 people followed him into this company to grow these brands.

SPEAKER_02 4:49

It's an incredible story. And it, you know, it's so exciting. I'm so glad you brought up Club Pilates because, of course, what an incredible success story that's been. And we've seen Pilates just be such a good investment for so many clients. Um, and you talk about those people behind it. I mean, those are just incredible names. I'll never forget Jill and I had a client that he was so, so enamored with the team, so enamored with the brands that he invested in 20 units of Yoga 6. And that was such an exciting, you know, point in our career to see someone so bullish on such a great franchise and to see him growing. And now he's doing what successful franchise owners do. He's bolting on other locations because let's face it, every franchise system has owners that maybe it's not for them. And this is what a lot of people don't think about is once you're good at franchising, once you're good at running a franchise, there will be opportunities within your system to scale up a big platform. So I love that about these brands that they offer that. Team, I'd like to open it up for you guys if you have questions for Jen. Feel free to dive in.

Portfolio Overview: Four Core Concepts

SPEAKER_03 5:52

Yeah, Jen, I'd love to just kind of piggyback off what Jack was just alluding to and just talk about the right people to be investors in some of these brands, right? And you know, I look at your website, look at the brands, and these are they're sexy, right? They're they're fun. And I and I'm guilty. I work with over 700 brands and I look at these, and these are all brands where I want to be a customer at. And I get excited, I'm like, oh, I want to own this. You know, and I think a lot of people kind of fall in that trap. So can you talk a little bit more about hey, who are the right people that should be looking at these brands to own and scale?

SPEAKER_01 6:25

Yeah, I think that's a great question. And just to kick that off, I'll tell you about the four brands that are currently in our portfolio. So we have Pilates Addiction, iFlex Stretch Studios, Beam Light Sauna, and then Body20. And really, when they thought about, okay, how do we build this and incorporate all these different, you know, kind of modalities and where we see the future going, it really was in recovery, in muscle building, you know, with body 20, with the community factor and the lengthening and the strength of Pilates addiction. And then, of course, just lifestyle with iFlex Stretch Studios. You know, what we're finding is people younger and younger are starting to incorporate stretch therapy into what they do so that they can stay healthy and they, you know, even young athletes so they don't blow their ACL or so they, you know, can continue to dance or whatever it is they enjoy to do. So, as we are looking for our partners, luckily with our team, you know, they have launched and opened nearly 3,000 brick and mortar studios in this space. So we really know who we're looking for. And who we're looking for are people that are drivers. You know, words in franchising are thrown around a lot like is it owner operator or isn't it executive model? And what I will tell you here is we want our owners very, very engaged. They need to be managing the manager, but it's definitely more of an executive model, kind of like what Jacket said before. They can scale. So once they learn how to, you know, coach, teach, and really drive their manager, we're not looking for owners that are going to be in the studio, you know, 60 hours a week. We're looking for them to lead their teams, to really be aggressive as it relates to attracting members and growth. And we have systems and a team that has done this many, many times. So when it comes to customer acquisition, member acquisition, we're really, you know, A plus players in that. So it really helps when we just find driven, smart, educated owners.

SPEAKER_05 8:31

And just to jump in on that, Jen, you talked about scaling, right? So what do you think separates those brands that scale well versus those that simply just grow too fast?

Who Should Own These Studios

SPEAKER_01 8:41

Yeah, great, great question. You know, I think in franchising, we always have this conversation about responsible growth. And one thing that was really important to me as I figured out my next venture after helping support many, many service brands where they're more territory related versus brick and mortar. It was a really important conversation. And, you know, I tell people as it relates to purchasing these businesses, we have a pretty aggressive development schedule, but we do that because we're in the business of opening locations, not selling them. We don't want to sell somebody 10 units of, you know, beam lights on and have them wait 10 years to get them open. We want them to be focused on opening their studios, getting to break even as fast as possible, and then of course, above and really turning this into a legacy building opportunity.

Scaling Smart Vs Growing Fast

SPEAKER_02 9:35

You know, I think that's a great point. And it's a I actually have a client I was speaking to this morning about this because when it comes to retail and opening up multiple studios, I agree, Jen. I think let's not do for most people, and our client who did the 20 units was a real high net worth, you know, individual who could do it. But for most people, probably better to start with no more than three and really look at it as a long-term platform building play, right? Get them open, put the profits from the first one into the second one, and the second one into the third one. And what you'll find is in five to seven years, you have a very valuable asset that might be an attractive acquisition to institutional capital, but also it will give you at that time the ability to then go big because now you've got the proven team, you've got the capital to go do it, and you can turn three units into 10 units pretty quick. So I think it's just a different mindset for this type of investing. But it's it's and that's why we do this podcast is to help people think this stuff through. And I have one more quick question. Body 20, can you really build muscle without lifting weights? How does that work?

SPEAKER_01 10:59

Yeah, it's such a remarkable brand. So EMS is the technology. And one thing that is new since we did acquire both Beam Light Sauna and Body 20, when Anthony was looking at, you know, how he could really round out the portfolio with things that will stand the test of time, he found those. And so with Body 20, it used to be where you would put on, you know, more of a wet suit and it was plugged in and it would stimulate your muscles and it allows you to have contractions in a way that you couldn't have throughout one year of, you know, doing bicep curls. So it exponentially speeds up your ability to build muscle. Well, what we have now done is we have dry suit. So you no longer have to put on a wet suit in order to do it, which is a game changer. It's also unplugged. So where body 20 used to be a modality where you were one-on-one, now our owners can do group fitness, which, you know, as the community-building concept, it's so important in fitness that people feel that sense of community. So yeah, I will tell you right now, in my opinion, body 20 and EMS, in order to, you know, do these small motions, but build muscle at, you know, 10 times, 20 times the rate is so ahead of its time. It's a little bit like what Pilates was back in the day when people were wondering what this Pilates was and you know, driving by their first studio. So I think Body 20 is definitely our futuristic brand.

SPEAKER_06 12:26

Hey, Jen, it's Catherine. So talk to me about territory design, right? So these are all brick and mortar locations. We're talking about buying a unit. So that's a territory, right? What, how are those talk to me about how your four brands, like, how are those territories designed?

EMS At Body20 Explained

SPEAKER_01 12:44

Yeah, great, great question. I will tell you this that with our team, we say that, you know, they're 10 years smarter with a lot more capital, which is a really good combination, especially when you know you want your clients to feel confident coming into a system. One thing that is very important to us is that we're not cannibalizing our franchisees. So in our first round of territory mapping, we're working with a national real estate company, boots on the ground. They are very dedicated to us, moving quickly. And what we're looking at is a market that perhaps in some concepts, they would say, hey, this will support five studios. And we're starting with three because we want to get these open and successful. And again, when I talk about, you know, an aggressive development schedule, it also ties back to we want to get these studios north of, you know, 500,000 in average, you know, AUVs as fast as possible. Our goal is much, much bigger for total revenue, but getting them there, we want to make sure we're not cannibalizing. So from a hunting ground perspective, they're gonna have a lot of territory to hunt. We protect census tracks and zip codes in order for them to feel confident that they can find a location. We always also use a ton of data. So very much data driven as to who our target clients are from an age group perspective, from an average household income. And for all of our concepts, we're typically going to be north of that, you know, 100,000 plus average household income.

SPEAKER_06 14:18

Okay. And so just so I'm clear, so a unit, you might buy a unit, but there could be multiple brick and mortar locations, like multiple beams within one unit. Is that correct? Or is it like one brick and mortar per unit?

SPEAKER_01 14:34

Yeah, one brick and mortar per unit. So yeah, so what we'll do is we'll make sure that as we're mapping them, and I'm gonna give you a real generality across our brands, but we're looking for populations that exceeds 100,000 for each location. So we we look for that for the hunting ground. And then once they sign their lease, that's when we'll get back to that market and say, hey, are we leaving any opportunity on the table where that franchisee could continue to grow? Or is that maxed out? So we can use data, we can use geodefensing and start to figure that out.

SPEAKER_06 15:09

Okay, thank you. And I did do a territory check for beam in my area. I'm in California in the Bay Area. So I did a territory check for Lafayette, but it was sold out this is not available.

SPEAKER_02 15:21

Well, and that's Catherine, that's a great pivot point. I want to talk a little bit about Beam because I do the I do the infrared sauna, but when I look at Beam and all the different types of lights that you got, Jen, are you able to speak a little bit on the benefits and why people do it?

Territory Mapping And Protection

SPEAKER_01 15:35

Yeah, absolutely. You know, if you think about something that people really look forward to going to, it's beam light sauna. There is nothing, it's a relaxation piece. It's it helps, you know, with your health from the inside out on a cellular level. So, really what we offer with Beam Light Sauna is infrared technology. So we have our infrared saunas where your temperature of your body is heating up, but it's not like the old saunas where it's steamy and and you know it there's a lot of moisture. They're dry saunas. So, really, from a cellular level, what starts to happen is it starts to activate your cells, starts to burn calories, heat up, heal you. Um, there's a detoxifying aspect to that. So that is one. And then we also offer a light therapy. So we have blue light therapy, and then we are the first in the market to have green light therapy. And what those do, in addition to red light, I should start with red, red, blue, and green. And what those do is those really help then also on your, you know, your skin level. So with people that have conditions like psoriasis, acne, really, yeah, there's and there's so many out there. And it's amazing the healing powers and also the usefulness that those light therapies bring. So really excited about that. You know, red light therapy was approved and tested by the FDA, really, because NASA wanted to use red light therapy, but the additional therapies have not been tested as thoroughly for the benefits. However, we've done our own internal tests so that we can also really back up the science behind what we do.

SPEAKER_04 17:13

Hey, Jen, amazing brands and super exciting space, super relevant. So, in in a space that's becoming super popular, more and more people are looking to health and wellness. I know you touched on some of this, but turning into the franchisee that's getting started. Like, how how can you describe like how you guys support someone getting started in their locate their first location? And how do they differentiate from some of the other, you know, maybe brands that are in the same space?

Beam Light Sauna: Infrared And Light Therapy

SPEAKER_01 17:41

Yeah, great question. I have a lot of experience with what I would consider new emerging brands, where, you know, perhaps it's a franchise or that has one or two locations or even 10 locations, but they really want to scale nationally. That comes with a lot of joys and perks, but that can also be challenging, especially when you have franchisees that need a lot of extra support and confidence in what's being built. So we take it, it's completely turnkey from start to finish. Once a franchisee signs with us, they're on the phone with our real estate team immediately. They are our priority. It's within 48 hours. We want them to feel that engagement. They're welcome to the team. And we're really just holding their hand through the entire process. What we say is we're giving them the vehicle to drive to their success, but they're the ones that have to start the engine. So we like to, we do a lot of Formula One references on our team. Um, Anthony is a sports car lover and Formula One lover, so we do that. But it really makes sense, you know, when you think about business ownership and how overwhelming that can be, especially to a first-time business owner. I think a lot of us have been there. I know I certainly have. I speak to it. We own businesses and franchises. Um, but when you explain it that way, look, you're gonna have it all the playbook, the team, the support, the real estate, the marketing, the retail. And I will tell you that having an experienced team of four incredible CEOs coupled with Anthony Geisler and the leaders of those departments that wanted to be part of SQL, they're in the best of hands.

SPEAKER_02 19:22

Can we talk about Pilates addiction and kind of it was Jill's question? I skull it. Do you want to finish the best? You probably have a smarter way of asking.

SPEAKER_00 19:32

I mean, I I I I love Pilates, it's my favorite and has been for years. But what do you say to someone who might say, well, there's 10 Pilates studios in my area? You know, what sets it apart? Do we welcome the competition? You know, I think that that's always a big concern. Like the other brands are great because we're not seeing a lot of those. But then some people are worried about that because they're new. And, you know, how are people gonna be, you know, receptive of a sauna? They, I mean, you are obviously, but not everyone's on board with that. But when you talk about something like Pilates and someone says, well, there's 10 studios in my, you know, location, like near me, you know, what would you say to them about welcoming the competition or, you know, anything like that when that subject comes up?

Turnkey Support And Owner Enablement

SPEAKER_01 20:14

Yeah, that's a great question. Um, here's what I will tell you the Pilates space is seeing 15% year-over-year growth, and we don't anticipate that slowing down. It's very interesting that Club Pilates really paved the way. And then now we're seeing kind of this second boom and influx of studios. But here's what I attribute that to. I attribute that to the fact that, you know, there's a place for everything, boxing and crossfit and bodybuilding and cycling. Um, but what I will say is from a longevity perspective and being able to sustain those types of workouts, it can be challenging, especially if you think of, you know, CrossFit, for example. That was that was what I would consider trendy for a while and it still has a place. However, you rarely see somebody that does CrossFit for 30 years. It's a little harder on their body. Pilates is opposite. Pilates is about longevity and lengthening and strengthening. And really, you know, from I love watching men, by the way, in Pilates because they learn very quickly that those little small twitch muscles are very different than, you know, do on a squat. But here's where I will tell you we differentiate. Um, so we've talked about Club Pilates. Club Pilates serves a very certain market. Traditionally, in most locations, our membership is a little bit older than what we're seeing at Pilates Addiction. Meaning we're attracting at Club Pilates, they're attracting more people that are 45 to 65. Now, what I will tell you at Pilates Addiction is we wanted to create a movement. We wanted it to be a sexy environment. It's black and gold with mirrors and lights. Why does that matter? Because the new generation of participants in Pilates, they care about community. They want to take selfies, they want to post, they want to be influenced, and they want to influence. So we were really, really, I would say, particular about the vibe that was within the studio. In addition to that, we have a piece of proprietary equipment called our Winduformer. And this is patented, trademarked, proprietary to us. No one else can get their hands on it. We manufacture it. So we can really control that. And what it did is it took all four Pilates apparatuses. So when you're thinking about, you know, your reformer and your chair and your bar and balance board, it is all built into one piece of equipment. What that does is it allows our participants to never experience the same workout twice. So it keeps them excited and engaged for each workout. It also allows us to create more challenging classes because one thing we were hearing in the Pilates space is, gosh, I'm not even sweating anymore. I go to the top-level class and I'm not sweating. I, you know, I'm I'm fit and I feel good, but I want to take it to the next level. So we're continuing to add classes that increase the intensity and also change up, you know, the workout, which keeps people coming back for more.

SPEAKER_05 23:15

And so do you have a specific type of training for the instructors for Pilates addiction?

SPEAKER_01 23:21

We do. So we do all of it in-house. What you'll find as well in Pilates is a lot of members want to become instructors. They fall in love with it. It they see how it transforms their body in a short period of time. But we do, we take them through start-to-finish training very in-depth so that they can learn about the body. And I think most importantly, how to make adjustments for everyone that's on the wound deformer because there might be someone in there that has a knee issue or a bad lower back. And with our equipment, we're able to make real-time adjustments without slowing down the speed of the core the class.

Differentiating Pilates Addiction

SPEAKER_04 23:55

Hey, Jen, I'm one of those guys that feel those tiny muscles twitch every the every now and then when I go to the Pilates classes. I'm like, I didn't know that existed. But the interesting thing that you mentioned is getting those four pieces of equipment down to one. So how does that translate to a franchisee? I'm like thinking, does that reduce the footprint required for maybe a studio or not necessarily?

SPEAKER_01 24:19

Oh my gosh, it does. And I am so glad you brought that up. So what we have done with all of our brands is really we want to maximize our space and our revenue opportunities. So when you look at SQL brands as a portfolio, we are really trying to keep the square footage down. One thing that the team learned again in that space was that, you know, if you go into like a stretch labs, for example, incredible concept. But sometimes there's wasted space in the middle of the floor and there's no opportunity to generate revenue. So we're really trying to keep these studios around 1,500 square foot for Pilates Diction, and those will hold 12 reformers. Holding the 12 pieces of equipment and one small private room for one-on-one has really been a secret sauce for us with group and then also additional training.

SPEAKER_04 25:07

Amazing.

unknown 25:08

Yeah.

SPEAKER_06 25:08

I did just want to add in, Jen. When you said, you know, I think of my mom, for example. She's uh mom, don't listen. She's 73, but she looks fantastic. But the one workout she still does is PLODIS. And she's doing it because she wants to have good support strength to prevent falls. Jack and I were in senior care. We know the number one leading cause of death in the United States is falls, right, Jack? And they're preventable. And so I do think, you know, with what you have a lot, like the demographic of that younger, you know, I think like a berry's boot camp is coming into Wana Creek, which I used to do in my twenties. I'm now older than that.

SPEAKER_02 25:50

Never berries.

SPEAKER_06 25:54

But like I'm kind of scared because that was 15 years ago that I did that. And I'm like, I don't know if I have like I I tore my ACL because I didn't stretch my MCL. So I've had injuries, I've had kids, and so that I just anyways, point being the 15 over 50 or the 15% growth year over year makes sense to me. And I think as baby boomers age and longevity focus and just that core strength, it's you know, I think a great, a great concept.

Footprint, Equipment, And Revenue Design

SPEAKER_01 26:21

Yeah, and thank you for that, Catherine, because I do think it's important to talk through the fact that this does hit a lot of age groups. So if you're able to capture a member, you know, who who he or she is in their 20s and really sustain them based on how good they feel, how strong they feel, how it's lengthening and not bulking, you know, people are just more interested in longevity than they are into, hey, how much can I bench press? Because it's not sustainable. So talking about your mom is perfect. We love that. And and look, we're also seeing, Jay, for you, an increase in men participating. Definitely having a lot of our new franchisees come on board and say, gosh, I feel comfortable in this space. It's dark, it's moody. It has a little bit of that, you know, orange fairy feel where you're in a group, but maybe there's not a spotlight on you, which is of course a differentiator from some of the brighter concepts out there.

SPEAKER_02 27:15

You're gonna see, I mean, we're already seeing it. This year is the fitness is coming back, wellness is coming back, the food pyramid just got flipped upside down to prioritizing protein. Obviously, we're all prioritizing strength for reasons that Catherine mentioned, but also you for all the social media reasons you mentioned, people want to look good. They want to age well. It's just a different ballgame. And so that's why I think this is so timely. Jen, my question for you is if I'm a member of Beam, do I get discounts for Body 20 or iFlex or Pilates addiction? Is there any cross-selling between franchise owners in the market?

SPEAKER_01 27:49

You know, that's a really great question. We have just being, you know, that we're still growing and emerging, we have a lot of conversations around that. And, you know, we're definitely looking into possibilities of that to support. We have a new brand coming in with some really well-known celebrities that are gonna have products throughout all of our modalities. So I definitely don't think that's off the table. As of right now, we've been operating them, you know, as their own pillars in the space. But being part of the SQL brands portfolio, having Anthony be the sole owner of what we're doing, we're able to make decisions quick, pivot quick, and really do what's best for our franchisees and for our members.

SPEAKER_02 28:31

That's great. And it's Carolina, hold on one second, and then I want to I want to come back to you. So the question I have for you, Jen, is were you were you at Fastlane when game day was there, when game day sold like in two seconds?

SPEAKER_01 28:45

So I I was at the very beginning. And what I'll tell you is this my friends over at Fastlane, I was begging for a brand in that space. And when I met Evan Miller, the founder, and found out about the brand, I called Carrie, the then CEO, and said, this is going to be it. This is there's such a need, such a demand, and such a niche for this. And especially as it related to men that just predicted that it was going to go on the exact run that it did. But I was there to launch it and then I had exited shortly after.

SPEAKER_02 29:20

For those of you listening, we're referring to, of course, Game Day Men's Health, which for those of you that listened, we talked about it quite a bit when it came out and the whole thing sold out and so quickly. It was, and and I'll I'll never forget the people we would talk to were so passionate about it. The reason I'm bringing this up now is that SQL is doing something with a couple of celebrities. One of them is the ultimate human, who I happen to follow on social media and have for some time. And I think Sequel is about to release in the next couple of months, and Jen, maybe you can share some color on that, a franchise that is going to sell very, very quickly. So for those of you listening to the podcast, you're here to, you're getting an inside scoop right now. Jen, how should we approach this? What do you what do you want to share with the folks about the new brand you guys have coming up?

Cross‑Selling Across SQL Brands

SPEAKER_01 30:05

You know, thank you for that. And I couldn't agree more that this is going to be one we all believe not only one of the biggest things we do, we do as a team as it relates to franchising, but really to humanity. And I know that sounds crazy, but that's how excited we are. I can tell you quite a bit because the cat's out of the bag. So I will walk you through, you know, what we're launching and what that's going to look like. Um, so anyone interested can reach out to you and and and really explore this more. We are launching a brand. It's called the Ultimate Longevity Center. And as Jack alluded to, this is with the ultimate human, Gary Brec. I had the honor of having dinner at Gary Brecka's house, where he also welcomes in celebrities like Tom Brady and Steve Harvey and Jelly Roll and all these people whose lives he has changed in extraordinary ways. And I think the reason why we are so excited and really talk about changing humanity together is because it's so off limits to get to Gary Brecca unless you can pay, you know,$100,000 to get, you know, time with him and treatment with him. So we're actually putting this brand out so that we can really help everyone at scale and not have it just be for the elite. This is for the grandpa, the child, the mom, the dad, the brother, the sister. And we really want people to live longer, feel better, and you know, and be and be happy. And part of how you feel each day when you wake up uh drives that happiness. So this is a once-in-a-generation, you know, category shift as we're watching really traditional medicine turn into hey, what else can I do from an oxygen standpoint, from peptides? Uh, we're gonna have a lot of modalities uh captured into one location, and it's gonna be powered by Life Force, which is Tony Robbins company. So we have Gary and Tony Robbins.

SPEAKER_02 32:04

Whoa, and so for all of you listening, Damon Johns, Dana White, these are people that sought Gary Brucca out for his and and you listen to Dana White, you can go look on his Instagram, like he will tell you Gary has changed his life. And so, Jen, to your point, for now everyday folks to be able to go in and and use some of this stuff that Gary has, and not to mention bringing in Anthony Robinson. Yeah. Wow. Pretty insane. Will there be cold plunges involved in this franchise? Always. It always comes close.

Tease: Ultimate Longevity Center

SPEAKER_01 32:34

Wow. Yeah. You know, so here's what we have found. Cold plunge is so beneficial and people love it. The amount of people, though, that do it and continue to do it is much smaller than you would think. Not everyone has the temperature for it. I am one of them. I am a baby. My husband will do it, I'm a baby. So here I'll give you a breakdown of what these centers are gonna look like and why we saw this gap. And we believe we're really gonna be able to, you know, bring cutting-edge health and wellness to the masses and really make this the leading brand. We have three categories that we're gonna have. So we're gonna have the playground, which is where you're doing your hyperbaric chamber, you're doing your infrared sauna, light therapy, massage. And then we actually have a cryo chair where you can stay clothed versus jumping in water. And so new technology that also will be able to fit, you know. A, when you have these centers, you're thinking about cleanliness, you're thinking about being able to appeal to, you know, a lot of members and how do you do that and make it really effective? So a lot of thoughtful teamwork has gone into the design, but you'll have the playground. So you can be a member of that just to experience all of the modalities. Then we have the lab. And the lab is where you're gonna do your blood work, your IVs, get your peptides, get those protocols, because what we were finding is there's a lot of places that offer one or the other. You can go here and you can do, you know, the modalities and experience, you know, saunas and cold plunge, et cetera, but you're not getting the lab work and the blood work to really figure out what's going on with your body. So we're gonna do that. That's powered by life source. And then we also have the apothecary, which is going to have all of the products that Gary Brecker recommends. So, you know, your perfect aminos, your H2 tabs, your Baja salt, all of those things that we are learning are, you know, big contributors to your health overall. We will be that one-stop shop so that people don't have to wonder or go, you know, seek out those solutions.

SPEAKER_04 34:38

I don't know if you had if you changed direction, Carolina, but I was gonna on your question, but I was just gonna jump in and ask, this is this sounds amazing. Um, I've been in the healthcare space for quite a while. This is absolutely kind of like a shift in a revolution and very much needed in the market. Uh, what's the timeline for this? I mean, for people that are interested, I mean, I'm sure there's anticipation, but when's, you know, what does that timeline look like?

SPEAKER_01 35:02

Yeah, so we will be launching over the next 30 days everywhere. So the opportunity will be available within the next 30 days. We are doing a little bit of a, you know, a tiered approach just to make sure that we can control the, I guess, the quantity of everyone's interest. You know, Gary Brecca and Tony Robbins have huge followings. So we're being really thoughtful about that. We want to make sure we're attracting the right partners. But, you know, within 30 days, you'll be able to get on calls with our team, anyone interested, and and start exploring this opportunity.

SPEAKER_06 35:35

And when you say it's available anywhere, does that include New York and California?

SPEAKER_01 35:39

So we have applied everywhere. We're awaiting registration. We are in all the, you know, non-registration states and most of the filing states. We did file that this month in January. So being this time of year, we're hopeful that we will get it. Now, we will get those registrations probably right around, you know, refile time. But but hopefully, you know, since we filed this year, we can we can skip that process and just roll right through 2026.

SPEAKER_05 36:05

And what type of franchise or are you looking for or franchisee are you looking for?

What’s Inside: Playground, Lab, Apothecary

SPEAKER_01 36:09

I I feel like this is cliche to say, but we definitely want people that are interested in this space, that have a passion for it. You know, being able to be in this longevity space and kind of feed off of what Gary Breca's passion is, which is, you know, he used to predict mortality. His whole job was for an insurance company, predicting mortality. And it was such a science. And he was sitting there thinking, I want to fix this. I don't want to predict mortality. I want to extend people's lives. And so we definitely want people that have a passion for this space and in wellness and longevity and you know, figuring out how to optimize, you know, their own lifestyles. In addition to that, really going back to those, you know, legacy builders, entrepreneurs, those that have been in, you know, similar spaces that understand the background of this. Um, we're really just looking for people that are drivers. This is going to be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. So we definitely want the best of the best. And they don't have to have prior business experience, but definitely looking for leadership experience.

SPEAKER_02 37:16

And I'll just say to all of you listening, definitely text us at 305-710-0050 if you want to just learn more information. You can also go to our website, thefranchiseinsiders.com. We actually have a three-minute franchise assessment where you can find out what brands and what types of franchises you compare to in three minutes or less. But for all of you listening, typically with a franchise like this, you will see Florida, Texas, you will see the Carolinas, you will see Nashville, Tennessee, you will see Phoenix, you will see these areas sell out very quickly. As Jen mentioned, for those of you in the registration states of California and New York, you might only have about a month, maybe three weeks to look at this thing and make a decision before it has to get registered again. So I would urge everyone who's listening to this podcast who has an interest in this space, definitely get in contact with us, ASAP, so we can keep you posted as to when this is going to get released. This is such an exciting time. Jen, next week we're going to be speaking to a franchise that they're called HB Wellness, and they do all protein smoothies. So when you go in there, any flavor, like 30, 40 grams of protein, this is such a neat time in health and wellness. And that's what I'm saying. You're going to see this year is going to be the absolute resurgence of health and wellness franchises.

SPEAKER_01 38:28

Yeah, agreed.

SPEAKER_06 38:29

What's the initial investment, Jen, for Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 38:32

So you're going to see a pretty large range from$508,000 to just under$1.2 million. The reason being is we do have equipment financing options. Obviously, when you're building our playground portion of this, it's really heavy-duty expensive equipment. So it really depends on, you know, how each franchisee wants to structure their finances. If they were going to go all in, pay cash, we want them to think, you know, around that a million dollar million dollar investment. If they want to come in with cash and they want to finance equipment, definitely can get that initial capital down.

SPEAKER_02 39:09

I'm assuming that equipment probably qualifies for a Section 179 tax deduction, wouldn't you think?

SPEAKER_01 39:14

You know, I would think you are the first person to ask me that. So I will get that answer for you.

Timeline, Registrations, Ideal Owners

SPEAKER_02 39:19

I would think so. Sorry, Catherine, go ahead.

SPEAKER_06 39:21

Oh no, just the square footage. Curious what the average the square footage is you're looking for for this center.

SPEAKER_01 39:27

Yeah. So again, just keeping in mind maximizing, you know, the footprint and also keeping rent down as much as we can. We're gonna be somewhere in that 2,000 to 2,500 square foot range. Thanks.

SPEAKER_02 39:39

It's gonna be very cool.

SPEAKER_06 39:40

Just like thinking in my area, like where is this gonna go? Who can I find?

SPEAKER_05 39:44

I know.

SPEAKER_01 39:47

I'm with you.

SPEAKER_05 39:48

So I have a quick question, Jen. As we're moving into 2026, what are the shifts you're seeing in terms of franchising, terms of the investor mindset and some of their brand expectations as well as sort of system design?

SPEAKER_01 40:02

Yeah, I think that's a great question. I think that consumers are more savvy than ever. Everything is at their fingertips. They can research brands, people, backgrounds. They can really dive into the weeds. I always think of it like, you know, car salesmen, no longer are they the educator when, you know, 20 years ago they were. You went on the lot and they told you about the car. Now you walk on the lot, you already know everything about the car. Then it comes down to do you like who you're working with? And so I would definitely say, you know, from an expectation standpoint and what I'm seeing in franchising, the buyer is smarter, the franchise the potential franchisee, they're educated. They might be comparing several different modalities to really figure out what that fit is. And my advice is always this you really need to make sure that who you're partnering with is well capitalized and that they're gonna be a true partner. Because to be a successful franchisee, you have to follow the playbook, communicate, and get things done. And if you can do those three things successfully along with a really good franchise or partner, your chance of success is extremely high. So I really would just say the education and and really the due diligence of the buyer has just gotten so much more sophisticated.

SPEAKER_02 41:16

Really exciting. This has been great, Jen. Thank you so much for joining us. I know that you've got a lot of interest and excitement around these franchises at SQL Brands. Jen, where can people reach where can people find you?

SPEAKER_01 41:27

Yeah, absolutely. You can reach out to me, Jen at sequelbrands.com if you have any questions. Also, you will see us traveling all over the country to promote this. So pay attention on social media on our SQL Brands Instagram page, TikTok, as well as each one of our brands has their own as well. And if you really want to get a feel for the culture and what we're building and how important this is to all of us and to our franchise partners, that will really, really show you, you know, who we are and and what we're wanting to grow and build over the next several years.

Investment Range And Real Estate Specs

SPEAKER_02 41:57

Excellent. Very exciting. Well, this has been an awesome episode of We Bought a Franchise. Thank you, Jen, for joining us. Team, thank you for joining us. We're all very excited again for those of you that are listening. If you have any questions about any of the brands you heard about today, please text 305 710 0050 or go to thefranchisinsiders.com. And for this episode, I'm Jack Johnson.

SPEAKER_00 42:20

I'm Jill Johnson.

SPEAKER_02 42:21

We'll talk to you next time.

SPEAKER_00 42:22

Thank you, everyone. Thank you. Thank you. All right, thank you.