Kristina and Dominic Guadagnoli weren’t necessarily seeking an opportunity to open a new business, but once they learned about Special Strong, all the signs pointed them in the right direction. Kristina shared their experience with us.
Tell me a bit about yourself – what does your background look like?
My husband and I were both working in Law Enforcement when we met.
After we got married he encouraged me to pursue my passion for fitness and obtain a career as a Personal Trainer, so I did.
Earlier in my husband’s career, he was working in New York City as a US Marshal. He was there on 9/11 helping people escape before the towers collapsed. He always said he felt like God had spared his life for something more, but didn’t know what that purpose was. When we found Special Strong, he thought this could be what God had in store for him.
How did you end up here? Why did you pick Special Strong?
One day, a man came into the gym where I worked, and it was clear he had more needs than the other members. He stood out to me because although he had limitations that kept him from training like the others, he was still determined to see what his body could do.
I later learned that he had a stroke, which led to some of the issues he was experiencing today. He seemed committed to training and my thought was how do we help him? I felt a burden for him.
As I expressed to my husband my desire to help this man, I was frustrated about not having more resources in our area. That led me to look up what was available in training people with physical disabilities or special needs. I ended up at the franchise link for Special Strong, started reading through all the information, and when I read through the core values I started crying. What Special Strong was all about and believed in tugged at my heart. I spent the rest of the night digging more into this company through social media platforms. I watched Ron’s video where he described that he felt a calling to do this, and that was exactly how I felt.
Working with the special needs population is something my husband has always been passionate about. He has experience volunteering with Miracle League and other various organizations. Even at his current job, he has been fortunate enough to work with someone who is a leading influencer in that community locally. Through this relationship, we’ve both had the opportunity to meet more people and families and experience other resources that are available to the special needs community here.
We each bring our own unique skill sets to the table. I have the knowledge, experience and passion from the fitness side of things and Dominic has the knowledge, experience and passion of working with this population; a great combination to make this work!
I had never thought about doing anything in this field at all; it had never been on my radar. I truly believe this was all God. Hindsight is always 20/20 and looking back, God had been paving the way for so long.
Were there any concerns that you had going into this process?
We felt this was what God wanted us to do and because of that, we had a lot of peace about it. Gerry, the President, was always reassuring, reminding me that they have all the systems in place already and if I ever got stuck all I had to do was just reach out and ask.
From start to finish, what was the process like of becoming a franchisee?
After we found Special Strong, we emailed them about receiving information and Gerry was texting and calling immediately to set things up. Throughout the process, we’ve had a lot of meetings with him via zoom, and even had the opportunity to meet the CEO and his family as they were vacationing nearby. Everything is already laid out, has a proper progression and is clear and concise.
During the process, what did you learn from talking with other franchisees?
I learned that it’s a lot more creative than I originally imagined. I’ve worked with clients with certain disabilities before, so I’m used to modifications. However, after speaking with other owners, I learned there will be a lot of thinking outside of the box. There will be things that might be simple for some but very difficult for others. I am ready for that.
What would you tell someone else who is considering becoming a franchisee?
Peace and clarity are everything.
In life I am constantly reminding myself not to doubt in the dark what God has shown me in the light. We had peace and felt at ease, but there were still moments of doubt and uncertainty about how it would all come together.
When you’re in the right place, you’ll know it – just stay the course.
Right around the time we signed our franchise agreement, I was doing a study on Joshua, from the Bible. There was a lesson about God parting the Jordan River for the children of Israel to walk through. It was perfect timing for the reminder that when you come upon obstacles, or things seem uncertain, it doesn’t mean you went the wrong way or weren’t listening clearly. It’s just an opportunity to remember how God has provided in the past and how He can do it again. It just gives you the opportunity to overcome that obstacle and rely on someone other than yourself.
What were some of the most attractive components of the business model?
When Gerry described the different systems they have in place, in terms of administrative tools, I realized my current job uses similar systems. I’m also a 1099 employee so I already understand that component of hiring/employment, and I do like that method. Not coming from a business background, yet knowing I’d have assistance at each step of the way and already understanding basic concepts, was very appealing.
What made Special Strong different from other opportunities you were looking into?
One of my best friends, who owns her own business, started asking me last year where I saw my future self. She would ask if I wanted to open my own gym and have my own business. Every time she asked that, I said that being in charge of everything and starting a business from the ground up seemed very overwhelming. I’ve seen other friends start businesses and it hasn’t always worked out. I never considered joining a franchise because those that I was familiar with were brick and mortar.
What did you think about the start up costs and fees with Special Strong?
When I read all of the information on the franchise website the very first time, it piqued my interest because the fees were capped. It seemed too good to be true. I wasn’t skeptical, but I did need to dig into it more.
Joining a franchise with programs, systems, the entire design already established, lower start-up costs and not having to worry about the overhead of my own physical building, couldn’t have been a better option.
