John and Rebecca Metzger own four Burn Boot Camp locations in Virginia and manage over 70 employees while raising two young children.
For Burn Boot Camp multi-franchise partners John and Rebecca Metzger, life revolves around the “three B’s”: their boys, Burn and baseball.
As they continue to juggle their roles as parents and franchise partners, Burn Boot Camp has been a big part of their daily lives for the past seven years.But before they became multi-unit franchise partners, the Metzgers were members of Burn Boot Camp in Cornelius, North Carolina.
John graduated from the University of Virginia and pitched for the school’s baseball team before being drafted to play professionally for the Kansas City Royals for several years before moving into real estate investing and financial advising. Rebecca graduated from Arizona State University with a background in commercial real estate and worked as a transportation planner and GIS analyst for the Department of Transportation. Though in different fields, they both shared the same aspirations, drawn to entrepreneurship.
Just six months after becoming members of Barn Boot Camp, the couple began exploring ownership options to fulfill their dream of starting a business and decided to pursue their passion: business. By fall 2017, the Metzgers had signed their first community development agreements for three locations in Northern Virginia.
Their first store in Gainesville, Virginia, opened in January 2019, when the couple had a 3-year-old and a 5-month-old.
“The exhaustion of starting a new business across state lines and raising children meant I barely got any sleep that year,” Rebecca says, “but we persevered and opened our second location in South Riding, Virginia in January 2020.”
Six weeks later, the pandemic hit, forcing the Metzgers to close their doors for 16 weeks.
“It wasn’t just difficult, it was terrifying,” she added.
Still, the Metzgers and their passion for fitness were no match for an unprecedented global pandemic, and after overcoming the challenges and working to rebuild their community and membership base, they opened their third location in Fair Lakes, Virginia in August 2022.
With fitness consumer confidence on the rise and the community need greater than ever, a new opportunity arose: a new area development deal. In February 2023, the Metzger family opened their fourth location in Westfield, Virginia.
Burn Difference
As John points out, Burn Boot Camp’s various protocols encourage members to return more frequently and provide a more consistent experience than other fitness franchise brands, a key factor in keeping members engaged. Burn Boot Camp also has a friendly, welcoming atmosphere, which the Metzgers experienced firsthand.
“I believe the Barn brings the best sense of community, and we felt that from the beginning at Cornelius Gym,” he said.
While success stories from Burn Boot Camp members are common – they say the fitness experience helped them get in shape or better cope with real-life problems – John also notes the impact Burn Boot Camp has had on his employees, building their confidence to take on training or move into management roles.
“Burn injuries affect people on so many different levels,” he said.
Finding balance
Balancing a business, marriage and raising children is no easy feat, but the Metzgers have managed to do it with respect for one another and a deep understanding of what each can bring to the table.
“We’ve found a balance,” Rebecca said, adding that she and John recognize each other’s strengths and try not to overlap.
“I think we’re lucky that we have complementary strengths,” says John. “I think she’s the quintessential integrator. She’s great with spreadsheets and data and she loves it. I’m more of an outgoing person, so I think the combination of the two works really well. Also, we don’t really like to hold each other back. She has her sandbox and I have mine.”
Even during vacations, the Metzgers make sure they remain flexible and available to handle any issues that may arise at the gym, but they also make sure to carve out blocks of time for themselves and their sons, now ages 5 and 9.
With parents who are both entrepreneurs in the fitness industry, the kids are learning the importance of consistent exercise and proper nutrition, and what it means to reach their goals and continue to excel.
“Work-wise, I think they see us working all the time,” Rebecca said. “They see us working late into the night, early in the morning, on conference calls. I think it’s important that they learn the work ethic of wanting to keep progressing, wanting to keep growing. Never stop trying. Never get complacent. Never get complacent. You have to push through challenges.”
Their two sons are active in Little League, and it has become a family event with John coaching and Rebecca cheering.
The baseball field has become a special place for them to have fun, to rejuvenate and spend time with their young family. The two or three hours they spend at the field every evening are important to them, and a comfortable break to spend time with their family.
“As an entrepreneur, you never stop working,” Rebecca explained, “You don’t clock out at 5 p.m. You’re always on. You need to be available, but you also need to know when to turn off and find that balance.”
Having a strong staff also allows the Metzgers to find some comfort in their day-to-day operations.
“I think we have a bit of an advantage as a multi-location owner in that we can have a lot of trust in our staff,” John says. “We have great on-site managers at each gym and we also have one general manager who really helps tie it all together.”
Allowing staff to develop their own lanes and management style has paid off in terms of success and Burn Boot Camp locations.
“You have to trust your staff and let them do their jobs,” he said.
What’s next? More from Burn Boot Camp
Currently operating four Burn Boot Camp locations, the duo is searching for real estate for a future base.
“While we have yet to open/develop our next two neighborhoods in Vienna and Brambleton (Virginia), we are diligently searching for the best real estate so that we can again build permanent communities within these markets,” Rebecca said.
For the Metzgers, with strong family ties and a passionate franchise, the success of the past seven years is just the beginning.
“I look forward to even more personal and professional growth as we continue to grow our organization,” Rebecca said. “We have over 70 beloved employees who work every day to provide the best member experience across Burn Nation. It’s an honor to lead such an incredible team; none of this would be possible without their hard work, dedication and commitment to the communities we serve.”
