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In this episode, Deb Coviello sits down with Shaun Grove, CEO of Stride Fitness and seasoned fitness franchising executive. Shaun's career path is anything but conventional — from playing college and professional football, to practicing law, to becoming an FBI agent, to scaling Club Pilates from 11 locations to 150+ under Exponential Fitness. He shares what it really takes to build a franchise system that lasts, why the "grow fast or die slow" mindset can be dangerous, and why he believes the future of fitness lies at the intersection of cardio, strength training, and recovery — all under one roof. Whether you're a C-suite leader, an aspiring entrepreneur, or a fitness enthusiast, this episode is packed with hard-won wisdom about leadership, systems, and building something that truly scales.

 

Episode Highlights:

9:01 — Acquiring Stride Fitness and Leading Through a Messy Transition

Shaun describes how he took over Stride Fitness, which had 17 struggling locations, and gave franchisees a transparent choice: evolve, go independent, or exit. His willingness to help owners on their terms — working with landlords and lenders — set the tone for the kind of leader he is and the culture he was building.

11:47 — Why a Law Degree Makes You a Better Leader (In Any Field) 

Shaun reflects on how the critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills developed in law school have been invaluable across every role he's held — from litigator to FBI agent to franchise CEO. A reminder that foundational skills transfer far beyond the career path you started on.

17:58 — The Biggest Lesson in Franchising: You're in the Royalty Business 

Shaun delivers one of the most important insights in franchising: your success as a franchisor is entirely tied to the success of your franchisees. Selling territories is not the goal — getting those locations open, profitable, and sustainable is. This mindset shift is what helped Club Pilates grow responsibly and predictably.

25:38 — The Future of Fitness: Cardio + Strength + Recovery in One Place 

Shaun explains the vision behind the redesigned Stride Fitness model — a 2,000–2,800 sq ft boutique studio blending cardio, strength training, and recovery (massage chairs, compression therapy, red light therapy, and myofascial release) into a single membership. He argues that strength training is the missing piece in most fitness routines, especially for longevity.

 

Shaun Grove is the CEO of STRIDE Fitness, a boutique studio concept blending cardio, strength, and recovery under one roof. A former attorney and FBI agent turned fitness franchising executive, Shaun previously served as President of Club Pilates — growing it from 11 locations to 700+ worldwide — before acquiring and redesigning STRIDE with a bold new vision for the future of fitness.



Connect with Shaun:
https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-franchise
https://www.instagram.com/stridefitness_huntingtonbeach/

For more information about my services or if you just want to connect and have a chat, reach out at: https://dropinceo.com/contact/

In this episode, Deb Coviello sits down with Shaun Grove, CEO of Stride Fitness and seasoned fitness franchising executive. Shaun's career path is anything but conventional &mdash; from playing college and professional football, to practicing law, to becoming an FBI agent, to scaling Club Pilates from 11 locations to 150+ under Exponential Fitness. He shares what it really takes to build a franchise system that lasts, why the "grow fast or die slow" mindset can be dangerous, and why he believes the future of fitness lies at the intersection of cardio, strength training, and recovery &mdash; all under one roof. Whether you're a C-suite leader, an aspiring entrepreneur, or a fitness enthusiast, this episode is packed with hard-won wisdom about leadership, systems, and building something that truly scales.
&nbsp;
Episode Highlights:
9:01 &mdash; Acquiring Stride Fitness and Leading Through a Messy Transition
Shaun describes how he took over Stride Fitness, which had 17 struggling locations, and gave franchisees a transparent choice: evolve, go independent, or exit. His willingness to help owners on their terms &mdash; working with landlords and lenders &mdash; set the tone for the kind of leader he is and the culture he was building.
11:47 &mdash; Why a Law Degree Makes You a Better Leader (In Any Field) 
Shaun reflects on how the critical thinking, communication, and problem-solving skills developed in law school have been invaluable across every role he's held &mdash; from litigator to FBI agent to franchise CEO. A reminder that foundational skills transfer far beyond the career path you started on.
17:58 &mdash; The Biggest Lesson in Franchising: You're in the Royalty Business 
Shaun delivers one of the most important insights in franchising: your success as a franchisor is entirely tied to the success of your franchisees. Selling territories is not the goal &mdash; getting those locations open, profitable, and sustainable is. This mindset shift is what helped Club Pilates grow responsibly and predictably.
25:38 &mdash; The Future of Fitness: Cardio + Strength + Recovery in One Place 
Shaun explains the vision behind the redesigned Stride Fitness model &mdash; a 2,000&ndash;2,800 sq ft boutique studio blending cardio, strength training, and recovery (massage chairs, compression therapy, red light therapy, and myofascial release) into a single membership. He argues that strength training is the missing piece in most fitness routines, especially for longevity.
&nbsp;
Shaun Grove is the CEO of STRIDE Fitness, a boutique studio concept blending cardio, strength, and recovery under one roof. A former attorney and FBI agent turned fitness franchising executive, Shaun previously served as President of Club Pilates &mdash; growing it from 11 locations to 700+ worldwide &mdash; before acquiring and redesigning STRIDE with a bold new vision for the future of fitness. 
Connect with Shaun: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-franchise">https://www.linkedin.com/company/stride-franchise</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/stridefitness_huntingtonbeach/">https://www.instagram.com/stridefitness_huntingtonbeach/</a>
For more information about my services or if you just want to connect and have a chat, reach out at:&nbsp;<a href="https://dropinceo.com/contact/">https://dropinceo.com/contact/</a>

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