Special Strong has awarded a $5,000 bonus to community member Kristin Miller after her referral resulted in the newest Special Strong location in West Houston.
Kristin Miller first heard about Special Strong through a community group she’s involved in, the Galveston-Houston Families Exploring Down Syndrome (GHFEDS). The group partnered with local franchise owner Mike Lutey who had recently launched his Special Strong location and had committed to donating the first month of any new memberships back to GHFEDS to support the organization.
Kristin had been looking for an opportunity for her son Warren, who has Down Syndrome, to live a healthier and more active lifestyle. He had been involved in the Special Olympics and the Christina Sullivan Foundation, but Special Strong stood out from the programs he had tried previously.
“They were phenomenal in encouraging him, motivating him, and getting him to sweat and not complain about it!” said Kristin. “All the coaches motivated him so much, he loved going there, and his whole attitude changed. He was so proud to start using the word ‘strong’ to describe himself.”
Tammy Ishee and Teri Dunn are longtime friends of Kristin’s, and Tammy was looking to move on from the corporate world but wasn’t ready to retire completely. Kristin immediately thought of them when she received an email about opportunities to franchise with Special Strong.
“Teri has been a special education teacher for more than 30 years, so she’s been in the special education world for a long time. Plus, their 19-year-old daughter has special needs,” said Kristin. “They’ve been involved with Special Olympics and are very much a part of this community, so it seemed like a natural fit for them. I’m very excited for them. I’m very excited for their daughter and the changes it’s going to make in her life.”
Kristin noted the incredible benefits Warren had seen in getting more involved in physical fitness: “It increases their attitude, their way of being and living, their health increases, they become stronger. It’s a really positive experience. Not to mention the friendships. When you start going to a workout group, you become friends with that group. Friendships are sprung from Special Strong. I would urge any parent to consider it a very solid investment in their child’s future to get them enrolled in Special Strong. They won’t regret it.”
Special Strong’s Franchise Referral Program provides a $5,000 referral bonus to anyone who refers a candidate that becomes a franchise owner and opens their own Special Strong location. Those who would like to participate can send candidates to www.specialstrongfranchise.com and select “Referral” under the “How did you hear about us?” menu when submitting an inquiry.
Kristin will be using the referral bonus to help cover the cost of a graduation gift for Warren, who graduated high school in 2022. “What a great perk. In addition to this being a great opportunity for Teri and Tammy and the entire community, this is such a great bonus,” she said. “I gave Warren the option of where he wanted to go as a graduation gift, and he chose a cruise. We had paid our down payment but hadn’t yet had the funds to pay for the whole trip. He wants to snorkel, he wants to be out there in the sun. The whole family, including Warren’s twin brother, gets to go. We’re very excited.”
If you would like to learn more about owning a rewarding Special Strong franchise, we encourage you to reach out to us today for more information.