Show Notes
In this episode of The Localist, host Carrie Rollwagen speaks with Kaitlyn Bentley, the entrepreneur behind True40 and the Wellness Passport. Kaitlyn shares how her early career in corporate PR laid the groundwork for her transition into the fitness world, where she began as a franchisee and eventually acquired and now leads the entire True40 brand. She discusses the unique blend of high-intensity, low-impact workouts that make True40 inclusive and effective for a wide range of clients, and how her experiences as both a franchisee and franchisor have shaped her thoughtful leadership style.
Kaitlyn also talks about the creation and growth of the Wellness Passport — a seasonal initiative that gives consumers affordable access to a curated list of fitness studios, self-care providers and healthy eateries across Alabama. The Passport lowers barriers to trying new places while helping local businesses attract and retain customers. Kaitlyn explains how community, automation and adaptability have been key to managing multiple ventures and expanding into new cities.
Mentioned in this episode:
Localist episode with Cala Coffee
Episode Transcript
Carrie
Welcome to the localist, a conversation with local makers and independent entrepreneurs. I’m your host, author of The localist book and former small business owner, Carrie Rollwagen. So when you’re trying to find a gym or a fitness studio or a wellness space, it can be pretty difficult to find the right fit, and that’s why Kaitlyn Bentley started the wellness passport. So she also owns true 40 she owns the brand, and she also owns a couple of actual, true 40 studios, and she created that passport as a way to encourage people to try different wellness spots around the city. So with the passport, you can actually try a bunch of different places without paying for a membership at each place, or without having to sign up for a trial, and then kind of unsign up and get all of those emails involved with trying to leave a gym, you just get to try a bunch of different spaces. And then that’s good for the businesses as well, because they’re attracting new people who they may not have been able to advertise to otherwise. So the wellness passport launches really soon. It launches this fall, but you actually can start signing up later this month. And they also have a year round wellness offering called the well and that offers kind of rolling discounts at different spots around the city, year round. And the wellness passport isn’t just in Birmingham anymore, either. They also have locations in Huntsville and in Tuscaloosa. So I think all of this is really amazing. But also, if you are, if you have done anything like this before, you know the logistics side is really overwhelming. So I talk some about that with Kaitlyn today. We also talk about how many different iterations of businesses that she has. So she was, she is, and was a franchisee at true 40. She also owns true 40, so she’s also a franchisor. She also runs the wellness passport. And I just think her journey and how smart she’s been about approaching her business has is really interesting and is really going to connect with a lot of us, I think, whether or not you have a fitness space, a wellness space, or any other kind of business. So I’m really excited about this interview, and I hope you enjoy it too. So welcome to the podcast.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Thank you.
Carrie
So to start out with, can you tell us a little bit about how the wellness passport idea came to be?
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yes. So back in I think, started having conversations about it in 2018. As a fitness studio owner, looking at creative ways to get people into our studio and the only program similar to this we had heard of is called class pass. Are you familiar with class pass at all?
Carrie
A little bit, but yes, yeah.
Kaitlyn Bentley
So basically, ClassPass users pay a monthly fee, and they get classes a certain number of credits, and they can redeem those at studios around the city. Class pass has kind of been slowly trying to get into the Birmingham market for a while. But the reason it hasn’t quite yet is because, as a business owner, it’s it kind of deincentivizes people from joining your studio as a member year round. Because why would they be a member at your studio if they can just be a class pass user and go? So wanted to creatively come up with a way to support studio owners, and so the wellness passport was born from that as a way, it’s a very specific nine week period in the fall, as a way to get more leads in, but still promote the businesses and hopefully capture some actual memberships coming out of that at the end.
Carrie
Yeah, I mean, I love that. So the listeners know, but my husband owns Ohm Jiu Jitsu, so it’s
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah,
Carrie
yes, yeah. And it is so different, like, I used to own a coffee shop, and it, it was a real mind shift to me, of like, more of a service based business, and that those, you really need those sign ups. And there is a reason that not not our gyms, of course, but like a lot of gyms, are like kind of predatory, almost, and that’s not what we want to do. But also the reason people do that is because getting those memberships are so important,
Kaitlyn Bentley
yes,
Carrie
yeah. So that is a really smart way to do it, and I feel like you probably knew that again, because you came from owning the business,
Kaitlyn Bentley
yes, and also on the flip side of that, from the consumer side and the Passport Holder side, something I’m really passionate about is building community within my business, but also just wherever I’m living, that is Birmingham. So. Yeah, it’s a really fun initiative for the passport holders, because a lot of times trying a new studio or business can be intimidating, but during that nine week period, you’ve got literally hundreds of other passport holders that are trying things for the first time too, and you kind of can find people that can be a part of a community of things that you’re also passionate about. So it’s really fun to community build, not just among the businesses, but among the passport holders too.
Carrie
Yeah, I think that makes sense. And even I would think that kind of, the shorter the specific timeline almost even helps you as a user.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yes,
Carrie
kind of the way that I know some people are January 1 people, and some people aren’t. Yeah, I am, I am a January person. I like that feeling of, like, now is the time. And so having, like, if you can do it anytime, it’s kind of like, well, I’ll do it later,
Kaitlyn Bentley
right. You can put it off,
Carrie
yeah, like, now is the time. Yes, I think that’s almost a benefit.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah, absolutely. And it also on the business side, we all know to expect passport holders to come in. So it helps us look at, okay, how are our processes? How are we talking to people who are coming into our businesses for the first time? So it helps operationally, on the business side, and then it’s so nice to get that influx of people. It’s an opportunity for all of the businesses, the studios, the self care and the restaurants that participate to really give people a good experience.
Carrie
Yeah, absolutely. I mean, anytime you’re getting in front of a different audience, and especially, I think digital advertising is getting harder and harder all advertising, so having someone else help you out with that is huge.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah.
Carrie
Well, what happens on the side of let’s start with the gyms or the fitness the wellness spaces?
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yes,
Carrie
well, I guess actually, first talk about that, because it’s not just fitness,
Kaitlyn Bentley
yes. So we break down our businesses into three categories, sweat, self care and savor. And so sweat will be all of your fitness studios and gyms. Self care is probably our broadest anything that could fall into the self care bucket. So we’ve had nail salons, blow dry bars, physical therapists, massage therapists, actual therapists. We’ve had birth services, doula services, so basically anything that could be considered part of that holistic self care. and then savor is kind of self explanatory. It’s anything, food and beverage. We try to keep it on the healthier side of things. So healthy restaurants, coffee shops, things like that.
Carrie
Yeah, yeah. Like, I think, as we’re recording, and this will air later, but I think your current specials are with a Pilates place and cala coffee
Kaitlyn Bentley
for the well, yeah, yep. So it’s ignite cycle and Cala coffee.
Carrie
Oh, sorry, yes,
Kaitlyn Bentley
for this month. we had Pilates another month. I like, it’s hard to keep it straight.
Carrie
I was also thinking, because I told our staff, because I think they’re both across, there’s a Pilates place, and ignite cycle across this, yeah? And then we love Cala coffee, we’ve had them on the podcast.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah.
Carrie
I was like, Oh, this is perfect,
Kaitlyn Bentley
yeah. And it’s been really cool for me to get to make all these connections with all these other business owners, because everyone is so fabulous. And that is something I feel like is unique to Birmingham, is our small business culture is so collaborative and supportive versus competitive, and it’s really nice to see us all be able to kind of promote each other through this initiative and just build relationships, because that’s so important.
Carrie
Yeah, I agree. I mean, I’ve found that to be true also. And it’s, it’s almost like a mini, like, mastermind,
Kaitlyn Bentley
yes, yeah,
Carrie
seeing how other people do it. I’m not even in coffee and books anymore, but whenever I’m in another coffee shop or bookstore, I’m always like, Oh, they do this, yeah? How they solve this problem? So I think that’s pretty cool. So if somebody, if a business, is wanting to become part of the wellness passport, what does that mean for them? Are they paying a fee? Are they just filling out a form or?
Kaitlyn Bentley
Good question. So it’s totally free to participate for businesses with the expectation that they will offer something to the passport holders during that nine week period. So our gyms are usually offering like three to six complimentary classes, or they’ll do like a private Passport Holder only class that’s off of their schedule. The self care and the savor will discount their services a little bit. Or they’ll choose a few days in that nine week period. It’s really flexible, because we want the businesses to be able to offer what is beneficial to them and what makes the most sense for them. And if there’s days that are slow for them or products that aren’t selling like they want, then maybe we look at those are the things we’re discounting, or those are the times we’re discounting because we want it to be mutually beneficial. And so yes, free for them to participate, and in return, they get the contact information for passport holders that they can use for their marketing channels afterwards. And to participate, they fill out a form on our website. It’s just an intake form. It gives their elevator pitch. They upload a couple of photos that they want to be used on social media for promotion, and then they say what their offering is and how passport holders can redeem it, yeah. And then a lot of businesses will choose to offer a post passport discount, just to kind of like, keep the engagement going in whenever it ends.
Carrie
Yeah, that’s awesome. Do you find what is the feedback that you get from like, places that participate? Are they like, we got a lot of people, people didn’t join, or is it kind of dependent on, do most people get a lot of people get a lot of people joining? Or is it just kind of like depending on how much they put into the experience and how much
Kaitlyn Bentley
That’s exactly right. It really is about how much businesses put into the experience. I have found that the businesses who engage the most, or who are friendly and really give passport holders an experience when they come in, those are the businesses that are seeing the most like long term results after the passport and sometimes, you know, businesses, it varies year by year. Sometimes they don’t have the capacity to really do that full experience. And that’s totally fine. It still gets people in the door during that time, and especially for the self care and savor, they’re still making money. It’s just, you know, discounted off of their products. So I think, yeah, it’s dependent,
Carrie
yeah,
Kaitlyn Bentley
that was a lot of words.
Carrie
Like, I think that makes complete sense. And then, honestly, even being able to, like, have that contact info that you’re feeding into your marketing
Kaitlyn Bentley
yes
Carrie
is, I would, I would think that would be worth it.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yes.
Carrie
Anyway,
Kaitlyn Bentley
yes,
Carrie
just having people who are interested in fitness, because even, or in wellness overall, because I’m even thinking, it’s hard to target ads like our sister company is the digital marketing agency, and it’s, it’s still difficult to say, are you hitting people who are even ever gonna come?
Kaitlyn Bentley
right.
Carrie
You know? So you have kind of that self, that selective group, and that helps, even if you’re paying for advertising or whatever, to be even more targeted.
Kaitlyn Bentley
yes, and you know that it’s people who are passionate about something in your space which is great.
Carrie
right, yeah. So tell me about the the side of the person using the passport, like, what happens? What is that like for them?
Kaitlyn Bentley
So they will purchase a passport. It’s $111 and that covers everything for the nine weeks. We’re actually
Carrie
That’s great.
Kaitlyn Bentley
It’s less than a month membership at like, one studio. Yeah, it is super cost effective. And so they receive. This is actually the first year we’re doing something a little different, which is exciting. Usually we launch sales in August. This year we’re gonna launch them mid June, and our Birmingham Well members get access a week earlier than the general public will get access. And so we in the past have done a physical passport book, but a lot of times, people will leave it in their car, or they’ll lose it, or it’ll be at home. So this year, just for ease, we’re doing a digital passport, and then we’re giving everyone a physical stamp book. So when they visit a business, the business will, like, put a little passport stamp or sticker, and then, depending on how many stamps they get, you’re eligible for prizes at the end of the passport.
Carrie
That’s awesome.
Kaitlyn Bentley
yeah.
Carrie
so, and that does it’s, it sounds like a very smart way to solve the problem. Because I would have thought, yeah, it is fun to get the little book, yes, and you don’t want to lose that part of the experience,
Kaitlyn Bentley
right, right?
Carrie
But then Yeah, I bet I would imagine a lot of people called and Were just like, yes, yeah,
Kaitlyn Bentley
well, and the book has everyone’s offering in it. So if you don’t have it in front of you, and you’re trying to remember, trying to remember, like, Oh, what did true 40 offer again? So I think being able to just pull up on your phone and have it whenever you have questions is great, because we have a lot of passport holders that are they do it every year, and they’re super passionate about it. And they will literally have, like, a spreadsheet of a calendar of what classes they’re going to, what days, and some people will try to get a stamp, like, daily the whole nine weeks, which is so impressive. I don’t know how they keep it so organized, because we have like, 80 something businesses participate every year, but it’s really fun to see. And I’m hopeful that the digital passport will just make it even easier than it’s been in the past.
Carrie
Also, at that price point, I feel like you can still be a member of your, like, core
Kaitlyn Bentley
totally,
Carrie
and do something fun to kind of like, yeah, get
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah. And we, we have a lot of people do that. They’ll keep their memberships and just use this as, kind of like a supplement to their normal routine. And we actually, for the businesses, they all get one free, like, business owner passport, and then staff at all the participating businesses get a discount too, so that incentivizes a little bit also.
Carrie
Yeah, that’s awesome.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah.
Carrie
Do you? Do you hear any stories from them, like trying other things, or?
Kaitlyn Bentley
the business owners?
Carrie
Yeah.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah. So this year, we’re starting we’re trying something different again too, because usually we all get our passports and then we never have time to go try everything, because we have so many new people in our businesses during
Carrie
it’s not like you’re running multiple businesses.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yes, yes. So this year, we’re talking about actually, and we’re going to let businesses either opt in or opt out, but we’re going to start business owner and staff access, like, a few weeks before the general passport season starts, so that we can have a chance to, like. Like, enjoy the benefits of the passport, visit each other’s businesses, and honestly, that informs everyone about what everyone offers a little bit better. So I feel like it just benefits everybody as a whole so we’re gonna try that this year.
Carrie
That’s awesome.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah,
Carrie
so with the benefits, is it, or with the businesses, Is one of the requirements, I guess, that they don’t have to sign up for a trial that they they can just bring the passport? Or does that differ per business? Does that make sense?
Kaitlyn Bentley
Mostly, they can just bring the passport in. There’s a couple gyms who, especially like in the CrossFit space, who need, like that intro class before people can really Yes. So we’ve had a few who stipulate that in the past. But in general, it’s just Yeah, bring your passport in.
Carrie
Yeah. Well, that’s really fun. So what kind of what feedback are do you get from people who who use it?
Kaitlyn Bentley
who use the passport? It’s been really cool to see what an impact it’s had on people, because a lot of people have found their like thing that they love, and I hear a lot that people have been super intimidated to try group fitness, but the barrier to entry is lower when you have a lot of other people trying too. So I have had people try things they would never normally try, and then they end up, you know, being a member at that studio for years to come. and it’s fun to see too, A lot of the connections that are made, so a lot of passport holders will become friends. and have super close relationships, and they’ll be like gym buddies, which is so cool. So I think it’s just nice for people to be able to feel like they’re doing something to support local businesses, while they’re also getting something themselves, and they’re getting an experience out of it.
Carrie
Yeah.
Kaitlyn Bentley
So yeah, usually feedback is pretty positive,
Carrie
yeah, yeah. And so, when did you decide to do the well, in addition, has that been the whole time?
Kaitlyn Bentley
It has not been the whole time. And actually, the woman who did our rebrand for me, I think it was in 2020, is when we did this. All the years came together. She actually suggested it to me as kind of a monthly subscription service. And so we rolled it out. And it’s also a way to keep people engaged with the passport year round, because otherwise, you know, people are really just engaged September through November,
Carrie
right?
Kaitlyn Bentley
And so we charge $8 a month, which is like a coffee.
Carrie
right. Exactly. I, I I saw the first offering, I think, and I was like, Oh, cool. And then I was digging in and I saw the price. I was like, oh my god,
Kaitlyn Bentley
yeah, it’s so cheap. yeah. So we always highlight just two businesses. And so the pitch to the businesses is you get more eyes on you than just during the passport, when you’re one of many. And so we always do a studio, and then we choose either self care or a savor to go along with that studio each month.
Carrie
Yeah,
Kaitlyn Bentley
yeah. And it’s we have significantly less well members than passport holders. I think right now we’re at about 70 well members. So it’s like a hyper-engaged group, which is great on the business side. Yeah. And the well members, true 40, which was just the well member last month, and it was so cool to see most all the well members will come in and redeem the offerings because they’re super invested.
Carrie
Yeah, that’s really awesome. So I probably have, well, okay, before I move on, because I definitely want to talk about true 40 also. But what are some things that, because this sounds so awesome. And when I think about running it, I’m like, the logistics of this is so much,
Kaitlyn Bentley
yes.
Carrie
So like, what are some kind of trial and error things?
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yes. So, man, yes, it’s a lot. Yeah, I had a co founder back in 2018 when we first started it, and then she moved away. So she kind of stepped out of it in 2020 but having an extra person was great. It started out as a side hustle, like the first year we did it. Now we have 80 plus businesses participate. The first year we did it was only studios. I think we had 20. We sold a lot fewer passports, so it was a lot more manageable. And then every year has been kind of a learning experience of, how can we make this experience better for passport holders and businesses? And we’ve incorporated like business, Instagram takeovers and all kinds of marketing things, weekly emails featured passport holders all these things. So it’s continued to grow. And it went from being a side hustle to like an actual business,
Carrie
yeah,
Kaitlyn Bentley
in addition to, uh, true 40 and so as things have gotten busier, on the true 40 side of things, I had kids, we have, I have an intern who’s now kind of graduated into she’s pretty much basically on my team, but she has automated a lot of things for me, so it’s just made everything a lot more efficient, like Businesses submitting the form directly into the website, instead of me and them literally emailing back and forth to get their offerings. Also when they input their things in the website now, it goes automatically onto a what you get page on the website where we were manually doing that before. So automation has helped so so much. I think this is going to be a big year to see how it does, expanding to Huntsville and Tuscaloosa, since I’m not physically there. The list for both of those markets is smaller, participatory wise, than Birmingham, I think because it’s businesses first time they’re just hearing about it. Yeah, it’s gonna take a couple years to expand, but I think this will be a big learning year of how to execute well in more than just one market.
Carrie
Yeah. So do you have a staff for wellness passport that’s separate from True40 or is it the same staff?
Kaitlyn Bentley
separate from True 40 and just Emma is my intern turned team member. It’s literally just me and her for passport. So
Carrie
yeah, in the new cities. How did you even start getting in touch. Was it just cold emailing?
Kaitlyn Bentley
So fortunately for Tuscaloosa, I have a true 40 franchise there. So that was an easy in. We researched businesses. Asked her for some business connections. For Huntsville, there are a lot of businesses in Huntsville that are also here, especially in terms of, like restaurants. So it was easy to kind of start here with the connections and go there, um. we’ll probably try to do Auburn next year, because that makes sense. But yeah, it was a lot of just cold emails and dms, yeah, and sometimes calling,
Carrie
yeah. How do you distribute the passports? Do they the physical ones? Do they? Are they mailed? Or did they pick them up?
Kaitlyn Bentley
So we have a designated pickup studio. In Birmingham True 40 has always done it because it makes sense. This year, since the passport’s digital people will just be picking up their stamp book. So I’m actually working on identifying who those studios will be in Tuscaloosa and Huntsville right now.
Carrie
Yeah. Well, do you when, when you are doing your personal networking, is it? Is it mostly just organic in that you’re, I think you’re right in Birmingham, it is like small business owners are, I think, pretty supportive of each other. Or is it that you’re like, No, I have a strategy. I go to events, I do LinkedIn, like, what is
Kaitlyn Bentley
honestly with how crazy life has been. Should I have a strategy? Yes. Do I have a strategy? No, and it’s been
Carrie
It’s working.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah,
Carrie
you don’t have to do the things if it’s already working.
Kaitlyn Bentley
And I keep, like, a running list. I have a note in my app, and like, all year I’m looking, if I see a new business pop up, I’ll be like, Oh, that’d be good for the passport, and I’ll add it to my note for outreach, but that’s really extensive as it gets.
Carrie
But I think that’s, again, that is great, and it is, I think, a huge benefit of Birmingham. I feel like business in business, the business side, and creatively, both of those communities, it seems like mostly people are happy to help.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah, yeah.
Carrie
So, okay, let’s sort of back up to true 40.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yes.
Carrie
So I, when I was first researching, I didn’t even realize, like, I read, that you owned a true 40 franchise, and I just thought it was like, oh, somebody else did that. But that’s not right, you. It’s your thing.
Kaitlyn Bentley
It’s kind of, okay. It’s an interesting story.
Carrie
Okay,
Kaitlyn Bentley
Okay, so I started my career in corporate America in corporate public relations, and learned a lot, but always knew I wanted to own my own business. Back when I was looking for something to do in 2016 I didn’t feel at that time like I had I’ve always loved group fitness, but I didn’t feel at that time like I had the science background I had like business and PR degree to create a workout and feel confident that it was safe, which is so important. So started looking at franchising a fitness concept. I found true 40 at that time, there was only the first location in Auburn and one in Cahaba Heights was about to open. And so I left my corporate job to manage Cahaba Heights as it opened for a year before I could start looking for my own space as a franchisee. So I opened the downtown location as the first franchisee in 2018. and then in 2020 the founder just sold the company to, like, a group of guys who, you know it was COVID,
Carrie
yeah?
Kaitlyn Bentley
So I kind of like, went with them, but over the next couple of years, I was put in the position to take on the role, like I was training all of the instructors, I was designing all of the retail and I was, I was running a lot of the operational side of the business, and I was supporting the managers of the corporate owned locations. And so I was kind of like, why am I a franchisee?
Carrie
right? Yeah.
Kaitlyn Bentley
I want to do something more. So I spoke with the owner at that time. We had a conversation like over a couple of years, and when he was finally ready to get out, he offered the company to me first. So I acquired it at the end of New Year’s Eve, 2022.
Carrie
Yeah.
Kaitlyn Bentley
And so the last couple of years has been really cool, going from being a franchisee to a franchisor. Like never thought I would acquire a company. Crazy,
Carrie
yeah.
Kaitlyn Bentley
And so the Auburn and Tuscaloosa, the current corporate studios, I converted those to franchisees, because I think it’s important for such a small brand like us, especially the owner, needs to be like in the market. And so I converted leadership at those studios to owners, and then spent 2023 and last year, really, we did a rebrand to make our brand a little more fresh, and then just getting our processes and procedures in place before we started to scale the franchise. And then we’re in kind of a crazy growth period right now. We had at a Trussville franchisee opened last week, which is exciting. We’ve signed one in Gardendale that should open late summer, early fall, and then we’re in talks for two other markets, one out of state right now, so we’re growing, which is awesome. And then I opened my second corporate- owned in Homewood last August, so a lot of moving parts at the same time,
Carrie
yeah,
Kaitlyn Bentley
and the wellness passport on top of that. But it’s been a really cool phase of my career to just, it’s like, I’m still with the same two companies, but the trajectory of both of the businesses have changed so much, and it’s so fun to take the role that I’m in now and see how we can continue to grow.
Carrie
Yeah, well, and those are massive changes anyway, like going from being a franchisee to, like you said, a franchisor, but then also converting some of those studios to franchises.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yes,
Carrie
those are all. Those are all difficult in, like the real world, but also the paperwork and all the taxes.
Kaitlyn Bentley
I have a really good legal and finance team that I pay way too much money, but they help me.
Carrie
Yeah, exactly. But I feel like that would be, I mean, it’s probably a little bit of a nightmare anyway, but like, without those teams, those are huge shifts,
Kaitlyn Bentley
yeah,
Carrie
like, and then also starting another business. When you’re sitting there, you’re like, What am I doing?
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yes, it’s like, when I when I normally, I’m just operating. And then when I have a chance to sit down and, like, actually say all of this out loud, I’m like, Oh, wow, yeah, a lot has happened, yeah, but it’s exciting. And I think we’re at this pivotal point right now for both true 40 and the wellness passport. And so it’s also been cool, like, a common thread between the two businesses is that we’re very community driven. And we hear a lot at true 40 people say, like, I came for the workout, I stayed for the community. And so that’s something we really inspire with the wellness passport as well. So it’s been cool to, like, have that common thread and build community in both businesses,
Carrie
yeah. I mean, I do feel like, and I have, I guess, a different role and that I don’t own, but I’m connected to,
Kaitlyn Bentley
yeah, but you see,
Carrie
yeah, but it is so like, you really do see that community, and especially in, you know, we always talk about, like, our culture in our world, and how, like, how fragmented it’s been, and how we live in our phones. And when people talk about third spaces, it is really cool to see how much a fitness studio can be, like a real third space,
Kaitlyn Bentley
like an actual Haven,
Carrie
yes, for people, because you, I mean, obviously you can work out at home, but like, you can’t do that kind of class without making some kind of connection,
Kaitlyn Bentley
right?
Carrie
And it is, it is really cool to see, yeah, and it feels like you’ve taken a lot of the wisdom of the corporate world and also applied it, yes. So do you think that is partly why you’re approaching that different this business differently than the average person who’s starting a business?
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah, I think so. I think it’s funny. I talk about this a lot my degrees like I’m not doing anything directly, like business admin or PR, but I use those skills so much in what I do, and I do think it helped me a lot, because as a small business owner, you do have to be a lot more business minded and the things behind the scenes that are separate from the products and services you offer than you realize. And you’re like, oh, wait, I’m HR, and I’m, yeah, creating the operations and the processes, and I’m doing payroll and I’m recruiting and I’m doing reporting and licenses and taxes. You know, you you don’t think about that when you first get into business. And I think having my background has lent itself really well, which is cool. I also think having had the experience as a franchisee before being a franchisor and really feeling like, what do I need as a franchisee? What do I like? What would I do differently, has really lent itself well to what I can give my franchisees now.
Carrie
Yeah, I think that makes a lot of sense. So when you did transition for more of a corporate job, were you seeing, like, Okay, this will be a path to just a different kind of business, or were you wanting, like, a fresh start where, you know, is it,
Kaitlyn Bentley
yeah, I um, I started after I graduated from Auburn, I lived in Atlanta until I met my husband, and I worked for, like, a really fast paced, fun PR agency called Edelman, and I learned so much. I loved all my coworkers. I loved my job, but agency life in a lot of industries, you eventually just burn out.
Carrie
Yeah,
Kaitlyn Bentley
so tired. And so when I met my husband, I moved here, and I started working at Southern Company doing corporate PR, and it was. And I learned a lot too totally different culture and environment, not as fast paced, but still very demanding. And I really did enjoy it, but I just knew, like, I wanted something for my own and so I was just kind of trying to wait for the right opportunity in the right time. And yeah, it eventually happened.
Carrie
yeah. So it was the fitness side of it Just it was because you’d always enjoyed it?
Kaitlyn Bentley
I had always loved group fitness. I’d always loved the community from it. I’ve always been an attendee in group fitness classes, and so I needed to find the right workout that I felt like I wanted to invest to participate in, which I did. But yeah,
Carrie
well, maybe talk a little bit about what is special about true 40.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah. So I always joke with my staff like our elevator pitch is so hard because we have a lot of different components, yeah. So overall, we’re a high intensity but low impact workout, so we are safe for any fitness level, body type, age. We have a lot of pre and post natal women who come in. We have a lot of people that are returning from an injury, because we offer modifications and challenges for everything, so you can really scale your workout based on what you need. So our components of class, we always start with some low impact cardio, and then we incorporate the bar methodology for like legs and glutes, and then we have a strength training section in the middle. We use TRX straps, which makes us a little bit unique. It’s resistance straps that hang off the wall, and it’s all body weight driven. You can do a ton of different exercises. We use weights as well, and then we have a Pilates inspired core work at the end, and a yoga inspired cool down. So a lot of core strength. You kind of get everything all in one. You get really intense, and then you feel really like Zen and calm after class. So yeah,
Carrie
so how was that workout developed? I mean, I know that wasn’t by you, but yeah.
Kaitlyn Bentley
So the founder and our master trainer, who is our master trainer, now she was my first hire, I brought back, created it together, and they both studied kinesiology in school, so they had the scientific background. I think they took so I think we all really like the aspects of a bar workout, but sometimes you’re missing some of the intensity that you can get at higher intensity gyms. So we wanted something that was kind of like a one stop shop, like you don’t have to do this, and something else. You can do one workout. You can get your cardio in, but you’re not overdoing it. You can get your strength in, and you’re stabilizing your joints. We do a lot of like, small intentional movements that help stabilize joints and help with flexibility and strength.
Carrie
Awesome.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah,
Carrie
so what does the name mean? Like, what’s true 40?
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yes, true 40 people ask that all the time. No, it’s a good question. So true is we, our kind of tagline, it’s move true. Be you. And basically, we want everyone to move true to their own bodies. We want everyone to take what they need. And that’s something us instructors talk about a lot during class, like, just because I’m giving you a challenge doesn’t mean you have to take it like you may have slept horribly last night and today’s a modifying day, but like, listen to where you connect best with the exercise that we’re doing, and that’s where we want you. So we want people to feel empowered, and we want people to not walk in feeling like, Oh, I’m not doing what my neighbor’s doing, or maybe my body doesn’t look like hers. We want everyone to just feel true to themselves. So that’s the true.
Carrie
yeah.
Kaitlyn Bentley
And then the 40 stems from 40 is like a period of test and trial, and then, like new beginnings. It’s just like, if you look into the numbers of it all, it’s like a significant number. So yeah, that’s where it came from. Yeah,
Carrie
yeah. Well, that’s cool. So when you’re talking about bringing back other hires, so you brought back like a master
Kaitlyn Bentley
Master Trainer, and then I have a COO she was my studio manager, and now she’s kind of like the point of contact for all the franchisees, and then she helps me with quality control for both of my corporate locations. And then we have a couple of assistant master trainers, and then a creative director in Denver, yeah,
Carrie
so were those when you brought people back, was that kind of because you were a franchisee and you were like, I liked what they brought to the table?
Kaitlyn Bentley
absolutely yes, our Master Trainer, she’s so knowledgeable. She’s so good with our instructors, at breaking down things in an easy to understand way. She takes really good care of them, and she and I have just maintained, always a really positive relationship, and so she was the first person that I wanted to bring back. Yeah,
Carrie
yeah. So how do you train instructors? Because in jiu jitsu, it’s very different. You kind of like train and become qualified in a different way, yes. So yeah. How do you do it with something that is unique?
Kaitlyn Bentley
yeah, so something we look for with all of our instructors is we want they have to be able to move to the beat, because our classes are beat driven musically. We also look for people. We look for people who have good form, and then people they don’t have to have prior Instructor experience, but we want people who can be a leader, like engaging with people, and ideally someone that has had an impact made on them from true 40 already, because those are our best advocates. So training, they will audition, where they practice a portion of our class and do it for the leadership team at the studio, and then if they’re hired, we have a six week pre training where they just learn so much about our method, the specific program that they’re going to learn. They spend those six weeks doing that. And then they have an in person training week. And we actually have one this weekend for our Gardendale franchisee. So they it’s just a super intensive, like 48 hours, and then after that, we have a post training. They do have a couple friends and family classes. They’ll team teach with some of our current instructors, and then teach a free community class, and then we’ll give the final sign off. So it takes, I would say, probably about 10 weeks Is the process. Yeah.
Carrie
But, I mean, that’s very like structured?
Kaitlyn Bentley
yes, yeah. It’s taken us, you know, trial and error to get there, but we feel good about our process.
Carrie
Yeah, is that? Do you have that same kind of thing when you have franchisees, like, what? How are kind of they trained to say
Kaitlyn Bentley
yes. So the franchisees, they have an instructor training, just like that, but they also get a lot of owner and operations training with me and my COO and we kind of do that in phases during their build out time to make sure that they understand. Like, how do you find the right candidate? How do you hire? What do you do in this situation? How does our software work? Client troubleshooting, all the things. It’s a lot of information, but And that in itself was a beast, like making our operations manual, understanding exactly how we do every little thing so that we can pass that to the franchisees.
Carrie
So is that something that you did, or were you a part of it when you were with the company before or
Kaitlyn Bentley
so, I was part of it with the company before, to kind of create it, and then when I acquired the brand, I pretty much rebuilt it, and then it’s constantly evolving.
Carrie
Yeah,
Kaitlyn Bentley
we want, it’s really important to me that our franchisees have autonomy, and they don’t feel like, like, we’re not a McDonald’s where it’s like, you have to look this way. You have to do exactly this. I want them to have autonomy, but I want them to feel supported. And so that’s kind of how we try to structure everything.
Carrie
Yeah, well, I mean, especially as a small business owner, so many small business owners have to just struggle through
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yes,
Carrie
You figure it out because you did it wrong, so I think having that, the more you can get like training. Especially that’s geared specifically toward what you’re doing is helpful. It doesn’t sound like you’re, like yes where exactly those. but just knowing like what am I doing for taxes? how do I advertise?
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yes and having two of my own Studios has been such a help in that, because I have learned so much through trial and error, and so I can help, you know, my new franchisees do better than I did from the start. You know?
Carrie
Yeah. So what I mean, are there things that, are there times that do you get together with the franchisees? Is it? Do they know each other? Is it?
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah. So we have a G chat, a Google chat that we’re all talking on daily. We have weekly touch points over email. We have a monthly call. We all get on video call. And then one of my, like, absolute favorite things is to travel to go see the franchisees and help them problem solve or teach a class for them. I was in Trussville last week, Tuscaloosa the week prior, Auburn in February. So it’s just fun to get face time with them. And then we make sure the communication stays open between them all, so that they can use each other’s resources.
Carrie
Yeah, yeah. Well, how did you figure that out? Did you look at what other franchises do? Was it?
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah, and it’s been interesting to see, as we’ve done research a lot of franchises, it’s not super open about, like, what their processes and procedures are, so it’s kind of hard to dig up that information. So I’ve always known I want again, like coming back to that community piece. I want community among my franchisees, too. So knowing that’s the goal, and then kind of backing up from there and putting some things in place. We also, last year, I’m making it a goal of every other year, probably. But we did an overnight at Ross bridge last year, and all got together, and that was like really good time together. We worked, but we got to spend time together too. So I think those times are important as well.
Carrie
Yeah. Well, I mean, that’s the I feel like that is really awesome, and that’s its own. I feel like there’s so it’s like a nesting doll of businesses in a way.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yes, yeah.
Carrie
Even like having franchises is a business,
Kaitlyn Bentley
yes.
Carrie
And then you own Fran, you own the actual franchises, yeah, those are business. So I feel like this is so interesting to see how like like and also planned and organized. It seems like they are, which probably doesn’t feel like that, and
Kaitlyn Bentley
it doesn’t sometimes, yeah, I’m glad you think so.
Carrie
But does it was that again, was that kind of like a process, or is that? Is that something that you’re naturally organized and you apply it to that? Is it something that you more learned?
Kaitlyn Bentley
I am naturally organized. I think I have a good business mind from my prior experience. I think it’s a few things. I think me having been a franchisee before, and knowing what I wanted in terms of organization, I have a really amazing team, and they help so much at keeping things on track. So I think that’s a huge part of it, too. And really, having my own two studios too, because I’m I’m not above anything. I’m like, literally in the trenches with them. I’m doing the same things. Yeah, they’re doing I have the same focuses and pain points that they have. So I think, like, having that lived experience is helpful too.
Carrie
Yeah. Well, how do you approach PR and like, social media, marketing, all of those things? At I assume that you have similarities between the businesses?
Kaitlyn Bentley
yes. So our creative director in Denver, she kind of hand holds our franchisees for the first three months, just to help them plan the grid so that everyone’s social media is looking cohesive and brand friendly, and then they kind of can run from themselves or themselves from there.
Carrie
Yeah,
Kaitlyn Bentley
she oversees, like any corporate photo shoots that are happening, or any of the franchisees when they do their own photo or video shoot she’s overseeing, just to make sure everything stays cohesive, which is nice. In terms of marketing, social media is a huge draw for us. We do email marketing, of course, and then something that’s been really successful for us here. We do a lot of pop up classes out in the community, again, the community aspect, but we have one at mayawell, this, well, this Saturday, yeah, the time doesn’t matter.
Carrie
They should follow you on social media find out, yes,
Kaitlyn Bentley
when the next one is That’s right. But we usually do like, a couple each month, and that’s been really fun. Sometimes we’ll collaborate with another fitness studio in town. We have one with gauntlet coming up in June. Sometimes we’ll just do it ourselves, and that’s a really good way to get in front of new people.
Carrie
So is that? I mean, that’s not going to be the whole class, because you don’t probably have the
Kaitlyn Bentley
right, no equipment. So we have a pop up version of class that we do. It’s the same sections of class, but we kind of tweak the exercises based on the lack of equipment, and then we encourage people to come into the studio to get the full experience.
Carrie
Yeah. So do you have people who are planning to like, when you go to mayawell, are they saying, like, I’m going to mark my calendar and come in workout clothes. Or are there also going to be people? Like, I’m just drinking and I’m gonna, you know,
Kaitlyn Bentley
so this particular one, we’re doing the class, like, 30 minutes before they open.
Carrie
Okay.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yes, some people will come to pop ups and they’ll just kind of sit off to the side and chill and then hang out after. Some people just come for the Hangout. And that’s totally fine.
Carrie
Yeah,
Kaitlyn Bentley
some people were mostly, we have, we do have some male clients. We’re mostly female based. And so we always have, you know, the guy or two that comes and suffers through the workout. Yeah, they leave halfway through. So, yeah, it’s a mix of both,
Carrie
yeah. Well, that, how do you keep, like, a curated, I feel like, with true 40 it’s, you have the corporate side, and you have a creative director, and so you kind of like, can keep the curated feed and the brand going, but with wellness passport, you you’re working with a lot of different brands.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yes,
Carrie
how do you and also, it’s, it feels like, when I’m just following it, that the offerings are curated, but I don’t know if that’s just self selecting, like people who fit the brand are the people who are applying, or
Kaitlyn Bentley
so I’ll offer suggestions a lot to businesses based on what’s worked in the past. So I think that’s where some of the cohesiveness comes from. Social media can be tough, because our brand is really strong, but like, we’re about to start business takeovers, and so every day for the whole summer, businesses in Birmingham, Huntsville, Tuscaloosa, are going to be logging onto the Instagram every day and posting whatever photo they want. So like,
Carrie
sounds terrifying,
Kaitlyn Bentley
it’s yes, yeah. So there’s just not going to be cohesiveness and how pretty the overall brand is for those months. But I have found the passport holder audience is super engaged. And I think it’s, it’s interesting, because it feels different than true 40. they care less about like, the cohesive look. They like that it’s a bunch of different businesses, because it’s about the experience. Yeah, it’s worked so far.
Carrie
That makes sense. And then as far as the the businesses that are a part of it, you you aren’t really weeding out businesses. Is that correct or they?
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah, I, you know, I thought about it a couple years ago. Usually a business, if they approach me, we can figure out a way to make them wellness driven, because businesses understand, like, this is about wellness. I haven’t ever had any business reach out that’s like a complete non fit.
Carrie
Yeah,
Kaitlyn Bentley
and we’ve been creative. Like, last year was the first year we’ve had anyone like a doula offering. But I was like, That is wellness and offer. You know, we also had like, a business coach participate last year, which was a new offering for us, but that helps with your mental wellness. So we can Be creative.
Carrie
Yeah, that makes sense. Well, I mean, this is, I feel like this is awesome. There are so many, there are so many things that you can hit on. I know we said that before, but so if people are interested, I guess let’s do true 40, and then the wellness passport.
Kaitlyn Bentley
perfect.
Carrie
So they’re interested in true 40 they want to get involved. How do you do that?
Kaitlyn Bentley
So across all locations, we do a first class for $10 and a month unlimited for 99 and you can do both of those offers. So a great entry point is just coming to class for $10 all you do is you go to our website, true40studio.com, you make an account there, and you can choose whatever home studio that you’re going to be going to. Something to note that if you because I own both downtown and Homewood, if you buy classes at one, they do apply to the other location, which is great. And then, yeah, you make an account, you book your class, you can always we’re very responsive to our DMS. So if you run into any issues, find us on Instagram, and we will reply,
Carrie
what do you wear? Just like what you’d wear to yoga?
Kaitlyn Bentley
whatever you feel comfortable moving in. So we wear sticky socks in class. We have, like, soft, absorbent floors that don’t like shoes, they’re cork. So we do sticky socks so everyone’s feet stays clean. But other than that, I mean, we have people wear your normal leggings and top. We have people wear shorts. Sometimes people wear an exercise dress. Just whatever you feel comfortable in.
Carrie
awesome, cool and so then wellness passport, by the time this runs, I think that it’ll almost be time to sign up for the passport. So tell people how to do that.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah. So our website, it’s the-wellnesspassport.com, and you can pick your city from there. You’ll be able to buy directly on the website. It’ll be like a buy, very obvious button at the top, and you purchase it, you’ll get immediate access to the digital passport. And then it’ll give you instructions on how to pick up and where, when, your stamp booklet,
Carrie
yeah
Kaitlyn Bentley
and yeah. $111 it will be exactly middle of June for well members. And then the following week, it’ll open to the general public, and it’ll be on sale until they sell out. We cap it at 500
Carrie
okay. And then once the once it starts, are they still for sale? If they haven’t sold out?
Kaitlyn Bentley
they’ve sold out every year before we start. So. And honestly, because we need to get the businesses the information from the passport holders. We usually stop before because everybody needs to have their ducks in a row, and some of the businesses are literally manually inputting all of their info into the system. And so we’re like, we’re not going to add any more to your plate.
Carrie
Yeah,
Kaitlyn Bentley
so by the time password starts, there will be none more available.
Carrie
Well, what’s the cut off for a business if they want to be considered or they want to?
Kaitlyn Bentley
So we’re trying to round that out right now. It’s been more strict in the past with the printed passport because we’ve had to send the passport to print. Because it’s digital now, I’ll probably accept applications through the summer, so it’s not too late if you’re listening.
Carrie
and if they want to be considered for the well, is that something they apply for differently, or are you just looking at the passport members and kind of choosing, like curating, who’s part of the well?
Kaitlyn Bentley
um, I have curated in the past, but last year, and I’ll do this again this year. I’ve just sent an email at the end of the passport with a link, and that says, if you’re interested in signing up, like, pick a month, and I’ll reach out to you at that time. So
Carrie
awesome,
Kaitlyn Bentley
yeah
Carrie
Well, cool. Thank you so much.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Thank you for having me
Carrie
this was fun.
Kaitlyn Bentley
Yeah.
Carrie
the localist podcast is written and produced by me, Carrie Rollwagen. We record right here at the infomedia studios. So if you’re interested in doing your own podcast and just coming in and having me interview you, and we can cut that into reels and social media clips for your business or any other photo, video or website related thing we would love to help so head to infomedia.com and fill out that contact form to get the conversation started. In the meantime, you can find show notes for everything we talked about today at carrierollwagen.com and you can find me on social media @crollwagen. our showrunner is Taylor Davis, Jen Tucker is our outreach manager, and Alana Harmond is our promotions manager. So until next time, here’s to thinking global by acting local and putting small shops before big box.