Will the REAL Butterfly Life Franchise Please Wave Its Wings?
September 12, 2007 by Sean Kelly
Filed under Business
(FranchisePick.Com) Read interviews with Butterfly Life franchisees at UnhappyFranchisee.com
Finding reliable information on a given franchise opportunity can be a challenge. Sometimes you have to sort through wildly conflicting views and accounts.
For example, we sought out information on a fitness franchise opportunity called Butterfly Life in our post IS BUTTERFLY LIFE A GREAT FITNESS FRANCHISE?
The comments seem to be describing two different companies.
Mary Says: …the corporate staff has always lacked competence and professionalism from the beginning.
Kathy says: …There are many clubs all over the US that find a year or two later they are not even close to breaking even.
Linda says: the owner only believes in money and gets it by harrassing potential franchisees with verbal lies…
Claire says: I have heard of so many closures and personal bankruptcies from former franchisees… They take your money and ignore you!! Don’t go there.
Leigh says …run, run, run away!
However…
Phil says: The best fitness franchise for Women’s Fitness is Butterfly Life… a winning formula for members’ success and ours.
Susan & Jamie say: …we are very grateful to corporate for all the support you have shown. I feel that you care and want us to succeed and are doing everything you can to help us make it happen.
Cynthia says: … if I need something or have a problem I know that I call or e-mail someone from corporate office and I am going to get a response right away, often within the hour… I could not ask for a more supportive environment than the one provided by the corporate office at Butterfly Life.
Hard to believe these people – all supposedly franchisees – are talking about the same company. The lesson is that if you only speak to a person or two you may be getting only one side of the story. Hear only the negative, you may miss out on a great opportunity. Hear only the positive, you may buy into a financial nightmare.
The moral of the story? Keep asking and keep digging until you get a sense for the truth of the situation and the opportunity you’re considering.
ARE YOU FAMILIAR WITH BUTTERFLY LIFE OR SIMILAR FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES? HAVE YOU EXPERIENCED CONTRADICTORY ADVICE ON FRANCHISE OPPORTUNITIES? SHARE YOUR EXPERIENCE; LEAVE A COMMENT.
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I’ve got some past exp. in franchise health clubs, but have no involvement with Butterfly Life. I found this discussion pretty interesting, as I hadn’t heard of BL. I just read thru the BL website bio section and wondered: What were you franchisees thinking relying on this “team”? No one seems to have direct experience building a successful chain.
The claim to fame of CEO Mark Golob’s, Chairman Gergely, Marketing Dir. Zager, Exec Director Marsico, & Ops Director Galli is running Linda Evans Fitness into the ground, or building 18 unit chain Women’s workout and weight loss centers? In fact, it appears Golob abandoned the linda Evans chain and the CA atty general had to force him to refund prepaid fees to members. stand up guy? Oh, Zager has exp. at Women’s Workout World, another flat tire on the road to success.
Then there’s VP Taylor Golob and Director of Corporate Marketing Carly Golob whose claims to fame include coincidentally sharing the CEOs last name, and having careers unsoiled by the slightest hint of health club experience. Director Hoke remains untouched by previous franchise OR health club experience.
I don’t mean to be insensitive, but this team seems to have provided just what their bios indicated they would: a mediocre chain going nowhere. Just like they did in the past.
Ahh, you are mistaken in your judgement of me. I have owned my club for a long, time and I am not a newbie. I have debt, and we are still struggling. I simply wanted to point out the detrimental effect you may have on those of us that refuse to give up.
I have not had the negative experiences with corporate that you have. I have asked for help and received it every time. Perhaps your attitude here on this blog is the same one you had when speaking to corporate and is the reason you did not get the response you wanted. No doubt you’ve heard the saying about honey and vinegar?
I don’t believe I was sold my franchise under false pretenses. I do believe the business model is good. I also believe the business as a whole has a lot of growing to do and improvements can be made. I know there are successful Butterfly Life clubs out there, most of them aren’t responding because they are busy running their clubs. I am sorry you had a sour situation, but not everyone thinks the way you do, and religion aside, (since you think you know everything) I hope you can recognize your hand in your own failure and move on.
So Butt. Believer, since a franchisee wasn’t nice in asking corporate for help-they didn’t get any? Wow!
Passin’ Tru
Nice of you to stop by and post your opinion, especially since the rest of us here know FOR A FACT that BFL Corp. monitors this site on a regular basis. I wonder how some of them feel knowing an “outsider” see’s them as do a lot of their franchisee’s. As for the bio’s, when I first checked into BFL~those where not there, nor was all the hip hop about selling franchises. It told a good story about a great concept for women’s fitness. Now everywhere you look on the web for BFL….it is all about buying a franchise.Or becoming an AR and making all that money on royalities. It would be nice to know the exact number of clubs that are open (this week) and how many active/paying members those clubs have. But would one consider that info positive or negative? And the story continues………..
Do you have any children? Do they get what they want when they stand there and scream their demands? How effective are temper tantrums? At my house they get the opposite result of what the child wants.
I am not saying we are children or that corporate should treat us that way. I am simply drawing the comparison to illustrate human nature. If you are a business person that gives others respect, you will have respect returned.
To Hotel California,
Shame on you for wishing failure on others. I am sorry your life is so pathetic that you have to stoop to that level.
Human nature aside-this is business. Maybe the “children” are demanding because Corporate isn’t paying attention to them. After all, isn’t it the franchisees fault for not doing so well?
Butterfluy Believer,
I happen to know Hotel California and no
one wants the existing franchisee’s to be
successful more than she.
In addition she has great sympathy for those franchisees who have not been successful and knows that without an enormous change there will be more that fail.
I feel that I speak for all of us who have closed,
we are extremely happy for those who have been
able to break even – we wish we could have had
the same experience because we all loved our
position of club owner, coach and friend to our members. You get to spend your time with friends, everyone is getting healthier in the process and it is a great feeling when someone tells you they’ve lost 10 + pounds and they have gotten off their blood pressure meds or their diabetes is under control or fit into that special dress for the wedding, reunion or party. Greatest job I ever had.
Sadly enough at the end of each month when I had to come out of pocket thousands upon thousands of dollars my emotion changed and I lost sleep and had panic attacks in the middle of the night.
We just want to inform everyone who has not yet invested that they need to ask a lot of questions and get those promises in writing. I think a lot of women think they would love to do what we do. – - BUT we need to tell them before they get those stars in their eyes about
how fun it will be to own their own club – make sure you have $200,000 or more and the energy it takes to work 14 hour days 6-7 days/wk. plus market the gym plus you need a supportive family that can do without you all those hours.
I wish you all the success in the world and I hope you not only break even but can feed your family and even someday pay your mortgage.
God Bless!
Need to update. from Oct 3, 2007
Glendora,Ca. out of business sign up, closing.
Claremont , Fla. Closing
Foster City Ca. closing
We hear that there are an unbelieveable number of profitable franchisees out there. Tell your story I’d love to have another list of profitable making back my investment franchisees contrary to the criticism here. Send your name and location We need an open date and current status and we will verify and post. We would love to hear your emotional story but this list is the financial facts. Profitable or not and did you just solely go by the model. We know of clubs that are breakeven but stepped way outside the box to get there. And we applaud their success. They had the smarts to take matters in their own hands to make their situation work regardless of the safe line.
So Butt Believer give me your location open/re-purchase date and we will go from there.
I wish we all could have succeeded because the product could have been a viable one. We believed and worked for something that was opposite our corporate objective.
Let me hear from you sucessful franchisees.
Hotel California – Odd there’s no comments about profitable clubs. Maybe it’s just that time of year……or maybe it’s just bad times! I for one, am looking forward to those posts, especially from Eliza.
I am so glad I found this information before moving forward with my club. I started having my doubts when I needed a lot more money than I was originally led to believe. I was told that Martha Stewart was going to feature BFL on her show once a week starting in Jan 2008 and that there was also a BFL nutirition book that would be out at the end of 07 beginning of 08. Sounds great doesn’t it? But then I attended the new & improved university training and not once was either thing ever mentioned. You would think during the marketing/advertising portion of the training they would mention something as big as that! Then after hearing from a number of disgruntled owners and now what I have been reading here, I have decided to stop everything at least for the time being.
Smart move on your part!!!!
2nd. Who gave you the figures for the amount of money you were lead to believe you needed? Who told you about Martha Stewart? Who told you about the nutrition book?( I wonder if it is the SAME book being written this time last year!) What state would your club be located in if you decide to go forward? Have you read both BFL post on this site? The caution lights are all blinking no matter where you are located.
2d…sorry about the typo!
Call almost any club that has been open for the last year. See what that club owner will have to say. EX: Monthly expenses 7,000. Monthly income 3,900.(If you are lucky to have and maintain 100 members) Multiply a loss of 3,100. times 12 months and that may be where you are this time next year. At a $48,000.00(additional) loss.
2d . . .
I only wish this blog had been around last year at this time because I would not be meeting
with my attorney tomorrow to start my bankruptcy. If you feel a Knot in your gut – listen to it sweetie! – I wish I had – but I
was told by my A.R. keep “you just need to keep calling those old leads – you are the only one having problems with membership.
Our club would be located in NC and it was our AR who told us the info about Martha and the book. The danger signs are definately there!
2d
That would be Terry, your area Rep. Yes she has sold/opened several clubs in North Carolina. But there are NC clubs for sale, some that are about to go under, some that have already shut their doors and some that have been on board a year and still not opened. No matter what the state is the track record is not good. Unless you have 250,000. to open, operate and lose in the next year…….stop here! Revisit this site mid November. It could be an explosive experience for everyone involved or about to be involved with Butterfly Life. Better yet, read the new UFCO that BFL will have to produce in Jan.08
2d,
Smart move on your part. As I am learning from these blogs and from Sean, once someone signs the UFOC and slaps their money down, it becomes very difficult to reverse any part of the process. I am still just horrified at all of thes stories I have read between the two blog sites about Butterfly Life. I am astounded that these guys are stil continuing to sell these franchises!I have seen Hotel CA’s list of franchises that have closed, been sold or never opened. There just has to be a way to make this all stop. Does anyone really know what the AAFD and the Department of Corporations can do to make BL stop selling franchises? Exactly how many locations have closed their doors in the last 4 years? Does anyone know how many are scheduled to close their doors in the next three months? My wheels are turning…let’s think about working together to get this stop!
Add to closing/sold list -
Audubon, NJ opened 11/05 – closing or closed 07
Cherry Hill, NJ 7/06 – closed 5/07
Palmerton, PA 5/06 – closed 4/07
West Hazelton, PA 11/05, sold 9/07 (for a song)
Groton, CT 04-05? – closing or closed 07
After the Mountain and Mohamed meeting we have learned ALOT! Oh my all of you BFL franchisees out there, if you are not succcessful it is because you are all bad business managers. There is nothing wrong with the model!! Given that the updated list of closures etc. is coming. There are alot of bad business managers out there!! Or could it be no qualifying , if your check clears your in ,but Corporate forgot to mention on your own.
We still challenge BFL Corporate. Where are the successful clubs who followed the model per financial, marketing and advertising? What percentage of your 90?? open clubs falls into that category?
To any and all who bought , opened and failed, opened and struggling, bought never opened(we know there are many), about to those looking/thinking of buying. Contact the Butterfly Life Chapter of the AAFD for the latest update. http://www.aafd.org
If you believe the MO of this company has changed think again. Same con that has been running since Woman’s Workout World and Weight Loss Centers. We have inside knowledge and facts.
Coming soon the latest on the California Dept. of Corporations complaint filing!
What has become clear over and over again in actions and words, the problem with ButterflyLife Corporate is their inability to focus on the most critical issues…. the success of franchisees. And when the franchisee fails as have so many, the blame is squarely placed on the shoulders of the franchisee and their inability to run a business. The words can vary, but inevitably they include phrases such as … you are the only franchisee having these types of problems. Are these new behaviours for the BFL. No, as can be verified by the following.
“Golob and Gergley denied the corporation is culpable for any of the franchise failures and say they have a great business model for the right kind of owner. “Franchising is not for everybody,” Golob said. “When franchisees don’t make it, they always blame the franchiser.” The fitness business is highly competitive, Gergley said. (later telling me that not all owners are ready to commit the time and energy required). ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER, June 16, 2005, by Frank Mickadeit
And yet, two months earlier.
“For the franchise owner, Golob believes that Butterfly Life’s most attractive features are its affordablility, the fact that no building permit is required because it’s all built out of fixtures, and the ease in which it can be run.
The franchise fee starts at $29,500 plus buildout costs, which usually run between $15,000 to $20,000.
“Our experts help the franchise owners in every aspect of the business so they literally wouldn’t even need a high school education to run it,” Golob said. “They could own a franchise for a price less than it costs to buy a Ford Blazer.” SAN MATEO COUNTY TIMES, Saturday April 30, 2005 by David Morrill, Business Writer.
And the beat goes on. Who gets hurt? Franchisees and area reps get hammered. But not corporate…the guys who with more than “100 years of proven success in the fitness industry”, and who came up with this wonderful business model that has proven so very successful.
The Department of Corporations complaint is allive and moving forward. Responses to the DOC’s questions are in process as of this posting . They are very interested in the history of this franchise system
These closures are as we are aware 11/28/2007,
We know ther are more coming.
Butterfly Life Franchise Closures
City/Open/Closed/Change Info.
ARIZONA
Glendale, AZ. 04/04-04/05 Corporate resale
Glendale, AZ Mesa, AZ 04/06-08/06 2nd owner
Mesa, AZ 04/06-08
CALIFORNIA
Antioch,CA. never opened (pd $30K)
Brentwood, CA. 2/04 – 03/05
Clayton, CA. pd. $10k never opened, Corporate resold territoryy
Cameron Park, CA. 11/04- now debranded
Clovis, CA . 08/06-03/07 (3purchased 2 never opened)
Clovis, CA .(North) (3purchased 2 never opened)
Cupertino, CA (Pd $10K – never opened)
Fairfield, CA 6/04 – 12/05
Foster City Ca. Open 2005? Closing 11/30/07 (3purchased 2 never opened)
Fremont, CA. Spring/05-Summer/07 Corporate resale
Fresno, CA (3purchased 2 never opened)
Glendora, CA.12/04-02/05(1ST Owner pd corporate $50K) sold- 2nd owner out of business sign up, closing.
Hemet , CA – 4/07 never opened
Hunnington Beach, CA. 11/04-06/05
Jackson, CA. late 06-05/07,club sat unmaned for 2-3mos, supposed corp. buyer
Lincoln, CA. 02/07-08/07, Corporate resale, due to massive financial losses of 1st owner
Martinez, CA. (pd corporate $10K) never opened
Murrieta, CA- 4/07 -never opened
Pacifica, CA. Spring 05-Spring 07 (indep. sale)
Roseville, CA – Opened 7/04 closed 9/04
9 (NINE!) Sacramento, CA – never opened 2004 (pd $125K)
San Francisco, CA (Marina District) 1/06-03/06
San francisco, CA. (Downtown) still open but corporate removed from website
San Jose, CA. pd $50K never opened
San Leandro,CA. Summer 04 – 4/06
San Mateo, CA. Fall2006/closing
Sausilito, CA. 10/05-05/07
San Jose, CA. pd $30k never opened
Temecula – April 07 – never opened
Vacaville,CA. 06/04-01/06
Walnut Creek, CA (Treat Blvd) (purchased from Linda Evans) 3/05 – debranded 9/07
Walnut Creek, CA (Ygnacio Valley Rd) , sold never break even
Walnut Creek, CA. 07/04-06/05 sold 06/05-07/06 2nd owner
Woodland, CA. Spring 2004/sold 12/05(corporate resale) 12/05-08/07 2nd owner
Woodland Hills, CA. 10/04-04/05
COLORADO
Boulder, CO. 06/06-08/06
CONNETICUT
Groton, CT. Spring 05-selling Groton, CT closed 10/07, corporate star of the program
Norwich,CT. Early 06 – 09/07
Southington, CT. closed 09/07
FLORIDA
Claremont, FL Closing
GEORGIA
Atlanta, Ga. Fall/05-Early 06
Atlanta, GA – Pd $10K never opened
Atlanta, Ga. Fall/05-05/07 Corporate resale
Atlanta/Roswell/Alpharetta, Ga. 2/ 04 – 11/05 (3 clubs)
Buford, Ga. whose club closed 10/07
Lithonia, Ga. 05 pd. $10k never opened or rec’vd UFOC
Roswell, GA. 04 Pd. $10k never opened
IDAHO
Bosie, ID. Pd. never opened
Meridan, ID Fall 05-07/07
Meridan, ID Pd never opened
Meridan, ID Pd never opened
IOWA
Johnston, IA 1-07 – 10/ 07
NORTH CAROLINA
Cary,NC. Pd $30k never opened
Cary, NC. 12/06-sold 09/07
Raleigh, NC. Pd. $10K never opened
NEW JERSEY
Audubon, NJ opened 11/05 – closed 07
Cherry Hill, NJ 7/06 – closed 5/07
Howell, NJ Pd. $10K never opened
OREGON
Medford, OR. 04/06-03/07
PENNSYLVANIA
Palmerton, PA 5/06 – closed 4/07
West Hazelton, PA 11/05, sold 9/07 (for a song)
RHODE ISLAND
Westerley, Rhode Island 09/07
TEXAS
Arlington, TX. selling
Irving, TX. Spring 06-Summer06
Keller, TX 04/07-09/07 Corporate resale -( because of lease)
VIRGINIA
Ashbun, VA. 11/06-02/07
WASHINGTON
LONGVIEW, WA – Opened Dec 06 – Closing soon
A few more:
Blackwood, NJ – Opened Aug 06 – Closing soon
Cherry Hill, NJ – Pd. $10K never opened
Glendora/Blackwood – Pd. $10K never opened
Glendora/Blackwood, NJ – Pd. $10K never opened
Mark G., the spineless hunchback, jumped ship leaving his pee on apprentice, lil’ Tommy boy, in charge. Wouldn’t you hate to be Tommy’s wife, Lisa? Imagine Lisa’s public embarrassment when all this implodes on them from the inside out. She will have to leave their $2-3 million dollar home in the foothills of San Ramon.
Perhaps, that’s what they call Bad Karma? An eye for an eye as they say in the Bible. Get packing Lisa….the government is coming for you! Hope you look good in an orange jumpsuit.
OMG………where are all the dedicated and loyal club owners that were here just a couple of weeks ago raising hell with the “few disgruntal franchisees that are now being referred to as “bad business managers”. Have ya’ll nothing to add to this blog? Can the 1(one) profitable club owner please come forward? My mistake, Corp. never could produce that 1 (one) club. Could some of those dedicated franchisee’s have changed their attitude, could they be amoung the 30+ additional calls the AAFD has received since the mediation( not a total waste of time!) with Corp. Let me see……does this mean some people have FINALLY opened their eyes and ears?
Maybe they called their accountant and got their P/L’s……..maybe they have nothing more to say here because they are all busy trying to find an attorney. The best as already been retained….don’t miss the boat again…call the AAFD today because tomorrow or next week could be too late. Get on board before all the “life” vest are gone. And if you still need more proof………..WELL CHECK BACK IN DAILY AS THE LIST OF CLOSING/DEBRANDING CLUBS GROWS. THAT LIST IS ALREADY LONGER THAN THE ONE FOR OPEN CLUBS!
CALIFORNIA
Foster City, CA–Opened 2005–NOW CLOSED
San Francisco, CA–Opened 11/07–closing soon
San Bruno, CA–paid–never opened
San Mateo, CA–paid–never opened
Burlingame, CA–paid–never opened
Menlo Park, CA–paid–never opened
San Jose, CA–paid–never opened
Richmond, CA–paid–never opened
As pressure continues to mount on the existing open clubs from bleeding every month, jumping ship and de branding may be your only hope. With this negative association with the name Butterfly, it would be wise to change your name.
With the advent of the Area Rep “confidential” conference call on last Thursday, I am anticipating more “panic mode” throughout the BFL system to continue and worsen. An implosion is immanent as the “deep throats” keep coming forward and have communicated their willingness to testify against corporate.
I would like to publicly thank all those that have come forward and identified themselves to the AAFD. Because of your integrity and ability to stand up, there will be countless other women that will be saved from the ruthless and greedy leadership that control BFL. Among the ARs that have come forward, joining the AAFD will probably be the only way to get back your or your investor’s $$.
God bless the souls that remain loyal to BFL.
Anonymous
Thanks to all the franchisees, open and closed, the ex-employees and area reps who have supported and continue to support our efforts in protecting the innocent victims who have yet to purchase a BFL. We’re hoping that our efforts can also serve to protect those who are current franchisees and fear losing everything they have. We want you to know that all of your support is allowing us to make extremely good progress and we will keep you informed as we move forward. Please keep your information coming as it has been very helpful in making our case. Our continued unity is proving successful. There’s much more to come……………
I support what owner’s and past owner’s are doing to make Butterfly Life accoutable but come on – the kind of talk that refers to Lisa Bellini and degrades Mark and Tom is totally out of place, inappropriate, demoralizing and cuts way below the belt. Please keep this kind of garbage off the site and raise your standards.
Dear Miss Holmes,
It appears that the dissembling Flies in the Butter corporate jackals (and their “in house” sycophants) are without redemption, so revealed during the recent attempt by the very well organized group of Anti-Flies in the Butter warriors who sought restitution for the damage caused to them by the Lords of the Flies and their ilk. So, it appears to be inevitable that “plaintiffs” and “defendants” are the roles to come because honest business practices have been transmogrified into swindles by the unscrupulous crooks and their toadies.
Area Reps, heed! When the facts of the case are officially on record and published, not only is it going to be very difficult for you to sell any franchises (except on Mars, maybe!!), but you will no longer be able to ignore the 900 pound gorilla in the room … and that 900 pound gorilla is really loud & really angry!!! Flies in the Butt area reps are now nothing more than henchmen for a bunch of racketeers. The sales pitch you’ve memorized by rote can now be distilled for truth through the filter of documented facts. If you continue to lie, even one scintilla, about the merits of owning a Flies in the Butter franchise (I can’t think of one, can you?), you’ll be named, you’ll be liable. And you already know in your hearts and minds that if you tell the truth about owning an F in the Butt franchise, you couldn’t sell a single one, not even on Mars.
And the admonition applies to those current owners who are desperate to sell their failing clubs and who resort to using the corporate mantra to put lipstick on the pig. Don’t forget Koko’s boyfriend!! He’s not going away, not ever!!
So, which side of right and wrong do you want to be on?? We have a date with destiny.
My friend, Miss Pedagogue, reminded me of something Atticus Finch said at the end of To Kill a Mockingbird:
“Our courts have their faults… but in this country our courts are the great levelers …”
ok I tried to contact the BFL chapter of the AAFD but my email was returned. How do I go about contacting them about the song & dance I was given? I want my 30k back!
offended said the kind of talk that refers to Lisa Bellini and degrades Mark and Tom is totally out of place, inappropriate, demoralizing and cuts way below the belt. Please keep this kind of garbage off the site and raise your standards.
offended is right. Please refrain from personal attacks for your own sake (libel suits), as well as for the individuals and FranchisePick.com. It’s our policy not to edit or censor comments except in the most extreme cases (posting personal info, addresses, etc. or threats) even at the commenter’s request, so keep it professional. I’m not as worried about discussions about CEOs who, in my opinion, are public figures with more to gain from their actions.
Sherleylock Holmes said …area reps are now nothing more than henchmen for a bunch of racketeers.
Kudos to Sherleylock for a record 3 literary references in a single comment! I knew my English degrees would come in handy eventually.
However, isn’t the Area Reps’ situation more complicated than simply being henchmen for corporate? Didn’t they each pay $250K for the right to sell BL franchises? If they were to openly acknowledge the problems, their investments would be lost, correct?
Have any of the ARs spoken to or joined the AAFD group? Have any of the ARs acknowledged the problems with the franchisees in their territories?
I can tell you that my AR has not said a word to me about any problems – she’s still trying to convince me to open. When I asked her what she knew about some of the stuff I’ve heard, I was directed to corportate with my questions.
Dear Sean,
“Kudos,” indeed! Credit the pedantic & overly educated Miss Pedagogue for her assistance & research.
Regarding the plight of the ARs, it is a tangled web they’re weaving having found themselves in the unenviable position of having paid a lot of dough to good ole Tom Sawyer Gergley for the privilege of whitewashing that fence whilst he goes fishin’.
ARs need to put down those brushes & stop whitewashing the dilapidated, splintered fence that they’re straddling. Put down the brushes and walk through the gate to the other side, the right side.
We’re still waiting … and waiting … and waiting for the owner of that flourishing club to come forward and share the sweet secret of success to counter the myriad tales of loss and despair that are known. Shall we wait and wait and wait as did Estragon, Vladimir, Lucky, & Pozzo, for someone who will never come?
Double double, toil and trouble….fire burn and cauldren bubble!
Fascinating…..many of the stories told here would give great fodder for a novelist. Unfortunately, there is much truth being spoken here. From what I have discerned, corporate may had a chance to “make things right”, even being able to turn things around and spin a positive aspect on the problems with new and exciting solutions. However, it just may be too late for that to happen. I would strongly suggest that if there is anyone wanting further information, to contact the AAFD through their website http://www.aafd.org.
“Angels and ministers of Grace, protect us….”
Help……….Help to you is only a phone call away. If your email bounced back….call the AAFD and talk to Bob Purvin or to Stacey. If that is not an option then let Sean know your contact info and one of the trustee’s for the BFL chapter will be in touch with you. Furthermore, if you want first hand experience/knowledge, call the other clubs around you…if there are some still open and I bet any number of them can lead you in the right direction before you,like soooo many before you, lose everything. $30,000. is bad enough when talking of losses, but many of those before you are out 10 times that much and some even more.
Help yourself and others………..make that call!
Dear Sean,
You asked, “If they [ARs] were to openly acknowledge the problems [with their territories], their investments would be lost, correct?”
What a great question!! Isn’t it kinda like those inside trader guys who have knowledge that a certain stock is gonna plummet, so they dump it on unsuspecting investors before the bad news surfaces & the bottom drops. They make a profit & survive while the other guy loses his shirt. Isn’t that illegal? Hasn’t the gubment stepped in to regulate the market to protect the public from those slippery varmints?!!?? Haven’t a whole bunch of ‘em ended up paying HUGE fines??
Haven’t a few of ‘em ended up in the Big House for a while??
Some people never learn the lessons taught by the example of others … I guess.
BIG QUESTION!
We all agree that BL is the best product out there and we all agree that BL lied when they said we only needed $90-$115 to open and get through the first 4-6 months. That said, is it possible to open and be successful with enough ($200,000) working capitol or is there something else wrong with the business? They also lied about Branding but Sean reminded us that we need to advertise our 3 mile world. Which brings me to the royalty fee which is inconvenient at best.
I know so many who, like myself, believed them and didn’t get loans before opening. Is the biggest obstacle lack of funds before opening or is there something wrong with the model?
I haven’t signed a space lease yet, i’m still trying to sort through all of this and figure out what to do.
I signed my agreement almost a year ago in spite of my feelings for Mark G. I believe in the product, but i’m not blind to the problems with corporate, i’ve had my eyes wide open all year.
I really want this to work I love the concept.
So if anyone could answer my question I would appreciate it.
Thanks,
Jackie
“Offended” & Sean have admonished us contributors to “raise our standards” and “refrain from personal attacks.” Our moderator acknowledges that the CEO’s’ status as public figures affords us more protection against libel suits but still advises us to “keep it professional.” OK. For the sake of us all, I will try to ignore the fact that the thing that walks like a duck and quacks like a duck is really a duck. I will keep my comments focused on the CEO’s and ALL the other PUBLIC figures who have CHOSEN to associate themselves with the subject corporation.
The following professional women have put their reputations on the line for the subject corporation; they are currently featured on the subject corporation’s web site as contributors to the whole corporate “concept.” They are the field experts, LifeVisionaries, who purport to have the best interests of women at their fore, to wit (ALL of the below biographical information is taken from the Butterfly Life web site):
Dr. E. Regina Widman, M.D.- Mill Valley, CA. Family medicine “with a ‘special interest’ in women’s health and preventive health practices.” She “fully understands the Butterfly Life member and their [sic] needs …”
Dr. Diane G. Sanford, Ph.D. – St. Louis, MO. Psychologist, educator, and speaker “whose work in women’s health psychology [and her contributions to improving women’s health] has received national attention … an internationally recognized expert [who] has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows …”
Beth Thorpe, AICI, CIP – “Winning Ways Institute” Carlsbad, CA. “ … she empowers Butterfly Life members with her expertise and practical approach to inspire change … [showing members] how to make the most of what [they’ve] got.”
Cecily Guest – Fitness Expert [a google search reveals Ms. Guest’s publicly published class schedule and location] “I love to teach members as well as new instructors. I really believe that everyone has room to grow and we can all learn to love ourselves in the process.”
Lisa Bellini – Registered Dietitian and cardiovascular nutritionist. “Her expertise has contributed immeasurably to the success and growth of Butterfly Life. As an Advisory Board Member of Butterfly Life, Lisa is focusing her energy and influence to create diet program guidelines and instruction that truly fit into a woman’s lifestyle and mindset.”
Beth Shaw – Hermosa Beach, CA. Butterfly Life Yoga Advisor & Creator/Founder “YogaFit.” “[She] believes in empowering others to take charge of their health and well-being … [she is] a devoted community service advocate [who] hosts a variety of fundraisers at her YogaFit Studio [and has] created “Visionary Women In Fitness” a non –profit scholarship organization geared towards improving young women’s lives. She is the publisher of Angles Magazine and donates to various animal and human rights causes.”
If these six women have knowledge of the harm that has been done to dozens of women and their families by the direct and intentional actions of the corporation with whom they have aligned themselves and from whom they are most likely receiving monetary compensation, then their claims of dedication to the betterment of womankind are disingenuous at best, corrupt at worst. What good are their words of wisdom or prescriptions or recommendations to a group of people who have been stripped of their lifesavings, their retirement funds, their homes.
What can be said by the LifeVisionaries? “Be sure to have a nutritious breakfast before you meet with your bankruptcy attorney so that you won’t dry heave when the news makes you throw up.” “Be sure to wear pastels and muted make-up when you go to the welfare office to sign up for food stamps. Pastels evoke sympathy from public assistance bureaucrats.” “Be sure to stretch your muscles for at least ten minutes before you begin lifting all that heavy furniture as you move it out of your home that the bank has forclosed.”
Although the LifeVisionaries are not directly involved in the selling of franchises, the use of their credentials and their endorsements contribute to the perpetuation of the fraud. Do they carry vicarious liability?? That is a question for judge & jury. (Perhaps this question should be posed to the best attorney ever retained, aka “Fierro en Guerra”). However, what is not in question is the responsibility of reputable women everywhere to ensure that they, first, DO NO HARM! Oprah and Martha were smart enough to steer clear. Are the LifeVisionaries ethical enough to do the same or are they just charlatans at their cores?? Personal and professional integrity cannot be separated here. I urge you, my sisters, to do the right thing. Help heal & prevent the pain. Separate yourselves from the Butterfly Lie.
Dear Jackie,
The concept is good. The unreasonable restrictions placed upon the franchisee by corporate contribute to failure: exorbitant (inconvenient?) royalty; over priced fixtures; etc. And, without corporate branding, the concept is limited to your neighborhood. If you believe in the concept, get the monkeyfly off your back & take your $90-115k & open your own gym. There are probably Contours Express machines and maybe even BL machines for sale, cheap! That $1000 monthly royalty saved can go a long way. You can hire vidographers (check out craigslist; there are lots of Indie film makers with nice equipment looking to work cheap in order to earn money to finance their art! They even do weddings!) to film some aerobics classes. I’ve thought about doing this myself but highly recommend that you do NOT take this advice. Instead, check out bluemaumau.com or google Richard Solomon. He’s a barracuda franchise attorney who represents zees and zors. He thinks it’s stupid not to hire a barracuda attorney to strip away all the fluff & glitter that zors use to cover up the traps that the UFOC was designed to sanction.
My advice (that I want you to TAKE), is to keep that blue ink pen far away from the landlord’s lease; contact aafd.org; and turn 180 degrees away from BL and run, run, run. That’s what I did. And how good it feels!! Whew!
Hey, Jackie,
If you are the same Jackie who has been posting here since September, it looks like you have been giving too much weight to the concept and not enough to the reality that Butterfly Life is a bad company. A lot of people anguished over whether or not to go forward to open a club; some opened & then closed; some opened and are now struggling; and some never opened & just told BFL to take a BFLeap!!
I don’t know if there is another category of owners who opened and have subsequently succeeded because NOT ONE OWNER has come forward with that claim. (Hey, Hotel California, do you know if any successful clubs have been disclosed by corporate yet?).
Jackie, there are many who can show you how the model hasn’t worked, but the only person who can tell you for certain that it does work is non-existent. Everything else is just speculation … wishful thinking.
If you decide to go forward, you will be risking your hopes and dreams on a concept that you believe in. There is merit to that. But you will have made an informed decision to be part of a company that has lied to you & hurt a lot of people. Where does that fit in with your hopes & dreams?
I decided that I could not continue to be part of such a despicable company … the thought was making me physically ill. I walked. And I WILL get my money back from the buzzards.
Good luck, Jackie.
Can you imagine how the Fly Girls would react if a whole bunch of people showed up in front of their professional offices or at one of their studios or at one of their fundraisers or in front of that Vivaldi hotel with signs & pamphlets that informed the public that the Fly Girls are advocates for a company that operates in contrast to their oaths & their own press releases & mission statements!! What if there were peaceful, lawful assemblies, protected by our Constitutional First Amendment that exposed the truth about the company they supported!! Nothin’ like a good ole fashioned noisy demonstration, an information picket line, to get the media’s attention and expose blatant hypocrisy. WOW!! Maybe this is the answer to the unanswered question: Where’s the branding we were all promised?? “Butterfly Life” might become a household name after all. There’s nothing like a little negative publicity to put you on the map!!
I’m off to the garage to build & paint some signs … maybe I can borrow some from the Writers’ Guild …
If the Fly Girls (Widman, Sanford, Thorpe, Bellini, Shaw, & Guest) need a wake-up call, don’t the people who are on the verge of opening a club need to hear an even louder alarm?
When a new group of franchisees arrives at the corporate headquarters in San Ramon, CA, to attend the university “training” (that ostensibly teaches them everything they need to know to operate their club & sell hundreds of memberships), they should be given the facts. If I had been met on the sidewalk by informational pickets & fact filled leaflets before I entered the lair of deceit, I would have saved myself a lot of grief.
There is a nice public sidewalk on the very busy street in front of corporate HQ. The “training” schedule is posted on the BL web site (although it has been changed in the past without warning). If even one person can be saved from tumbling down the bottomless pit that is called Butterfly Life, a day or two spent on the sidewalk holding “Honk If You Love Justice” signs will be well worth it. Stay tuned. We’ll be forming class reunion committees soon.
The current “training” schedule is posted as follows:
January 21-26
February 18-23
March 17-22
April 14-19
May 12-17
June 16-21
July 14-19
August 11-16
September 8-13
October 6-11
November 3-8
At this juncture in our journey out of the abyss, it is important to ensure that the welcome mat is out, the candle burns bright in the window, the arms are open (Miss Pedagogue! Help me! I’m drowning in a sea of trite clichés!!) … Those of us who have banded together to stop the madness must provide a safe haven for the newly converted. All the animosity that existed before between us and those who’ve been carrying corporate’s water should be forgotten when those who’ve been deceived choose to see. It is a hard pill to swallow (Miss Pedagogue, where are you?), admitting that you’ve just been had, so let’s agree to move forward with our fight!! We were all believers at one time, remember.
If you are on the verge of reform, I invite you in. All of us must recognize who the real villains are. I implore you, contact aafd.org and join us. If you don’t, despair awaits you.
I wish I had only invested $30,000 and found out all this information rather than investing 2 years and $200,000 only to end up in bankrupcy and missing 2 yrs of time with my family & friends.
No Jackie $200,000 in the bank didn’t make my club successful. My advise is cut your losses and run. You can do this on your own if you are determined to open a gym. If you do . . . don’t get into an expensive lease!
If you have a $6500/mo lease like a lot of us did, you have to have 167 members just to pay the rent at $39/mo membership. But they have you sell the first 100 at $29/mo so that is actually 192 members just to pay the rent. Another 26 members can pay your royalties, another 10-11 members pay fort your electric bill – then there is, phone & insurance and advertising and and and …. Don’t forget you’ll be open 12 -15 hrs per day 6-7 days a week and you need to market to your neighborhood the 2-3 hrs you are closed in the middle of the day and you don’t see your family in the morning cause you are opening the gym and you dont see them till 9 pm or later. And you don’t have employees because you can’t afford to pay them.
360 days/yr.
I’ll say a prayer that you make the right decision.
Bless you!
An Open Letter said: let’s agree to move forward with our fight!!… If you are on the verge of reform, I invite you in…
An Open Letter & BFL AAFDers: What, specifically, do you want to happen? If BL corporate (hypothetically) were to ask for your “list of demands” what would they be? Have you provided them with such a list?
Separate question: January is the peak month for health club & weight loss club memberships, isn’t it? What marketing strategies and/or materials have been provided to you for the New Years Resolution membership drive?
It Isn’t Personal, Is It? said “Offended” & Sean have admonished us contributors…
IIPII: I didn’t admonish anyone. I’m simply asking for your help in being able to maintain an open, uncensored forum. There are many franchise companies with top law firms who would very much like to see discussions like this end. I’ve been in franchising for 20 years and can tell you that this kind of candid information has never been available to prospective franchise owners before. It’s very threatening to those who would prefer to stay in the shadows.
References to peeing on someone’s head won’t advance your cause nearly as much as the dark comedy of your paragraph on the “LifeVisionaries,” which could make someone laugh and cry simultaneously:
What can be said by the LifeVisionaries?
“Be sure to have a nutritious breakfast before you meet with your bankruptcy attorney so that you won’t dry heave when the news makes you throw up.”
“Be sure to wear pastels and muted make-up when you go to the welfare office to sign up for food stamps. Pastels evoke sympathy from public assistance bureaucrats.”
“Be sure to stretch your muscles for at least ten minutes before you begin lifting all that heavy furniture as you move it out of your home that the bank has forclosed.”
To All,
In answer to the question “Have we found any success stories?” NO! none that we are aware of within this system. We know of clubs that are close to break even without taking a decent salary but none we have spoken to are at that point merely by the “model”. They have done innovative out of the box things such as nutritional products, saleable clothing, extra services to boost there membership revenue. (Congrats to all of you, you get it!) Unfortunately this effort has be met with default notices from Corporate. Sounds like in a desperate situation they would like to see the clubs fail. Maybe they should take a cue from their own clubs. You can’t make it on membershi sales alone in this business.
Additonally, any club that we have talked with who says they are doing great, not breakeven or profitable yet, but great.( Yikes! When did that scenario ever become great! ) But these clubs have not been around long enough to go through the critical renewal period.
Watch for the updated list of clubs.
If there are happy stories out there….Where are you?
To All,
In answer to the question “Have we found any success stories?” NO! none that we are aware of within this system. We know of clubs that are close to break even without taking a decent salary but none we have spoken to are at that point merely by the “model”. They have done innovative out of the box things such as nutritional products, saleable clothing, extra services to boost there membership revenue. (Congrats to all of you, you get it!) Unfortunately this effort has be met with default notices from Corporate. Sounds like in a desperate situation they would like to see the clubs fail. Maybe they should take a cue from their own clubs. You can’t make it on membership sales alone in this business.
Additonally, any club that we have talked with who says they are doing great, not breakeven or profitable yet, but great.( Yikes! When did that scenario ever become great! ) But these clubs have not been around long enough to go through the critical renewal period.
Watch for the updated list of clubs.
If there are happy stories out there….Where are you?