BY KERRY PIPES president profile
FIT FOR LEADERSHIP Growth is a team sport at Title Boxing Club
In 2015 , when opportunity came knocking , Susan Boresow answered the bell . At the time she was CMO at Massage Envy . Today she ’ s president of Title Boxing Club , the boutique fitness franchise that specializes in boxing and kickboxing fitness classes with more than 160 locations in the U . S . and abroad .
Boresow knows her way around franchising . Before Massage Envy , she served as vice president of marketing at Pump It Up and BounceU , and has spent time behind the controls in both marketing and leadership positions at Cold Stone Creamery , Godfather ’ s Pizza , Mr . Goodcents Subs & Pastas , and at McDonald ’ s , where she began her franchising career in 1985 with an entry-level marketing job .
Since she joined Title Boxing in June 2015 , Boresow has been instrumental in developing the strategy guiding the direction and evolution of the brand , strengthening franchisee relationships , and helping spread the news of the brand ’ s mission of health and wellness . As president , she has helped lead the development of the brand , which was recognized in 2015 by Inc . magazine as the nation ’ s fastest-growing franchise . She says you can expect that rapid pace of development to continue in 2017 and beyond .
Building a great team and making allies is important to her leadership style and success . It ’ s vital for the corporate team to work together in close harmony with franchisees , she says , and imperative to stay focused on the big picture and achieving the brand ’ s goals and objectives . Communication is critical to Boresow , who relies on a collaborative approach with a skilled team she looks to for input and perspective when making decisions .
Boresow says in the near future she expects the company will continue its fast growth track , both domestically and internationally . Demand in the boxing / kickboxing fitness segment is growing fast and the market should continue heating up this year .
And she loves being part of a brand that changes the lives of its members for the better . “ Our mission is to be the best hour of someone ’ s day , and our focus of ensuring the experience is at a premium level is what we will deliver .”
NAME : Susan Boresow TITLE : President COMPANY : Title Boxing Club UNITS : 160 open , 250 in development AGE : 56
FAMILY : I come from a very large family . I have 8 brothers and 5 sisters and 52 nieces and nephews .
YEARS IN FRANCHISING : 31 YEARS IN CURRENT POSITION : 1.5
Leadership
What is your role as president ? I joined the Title Boxing Club executive team in mid-2015 . Since then , I have put my focus on developing a strategy that is guiding the direction and evolution of our brand , strengthening franchisee relationships , and evolving Title Boxing Club ’ s mission of health and wellness . Building a collaborative , skilled team to achieve the goals of our company has also been a focus .
Describe your leadership style . As a leader , I pride myself on my ability to listen and learn and I have always tried to remain down-to-earth and grounded . Franchising is such a collaborative business model , so naturally my leadership style tends to gravitate toward connecting with people and working together to devise solutions that are scalable across a system . You have to take the time to build relationships , especially in this business .
What has inspired your leadership style ? I have been very fortunate in my life and have had several wonderful mentors , leaders , and coaches . My current boss , John Rotche , CEO of Franworth and Title Boxing Club , is such a down-to-earth person . His vision and style is so incredibly inspirational to me . I learn so much from him . I also would add my parents to the list of the most influential people in my life and in business . My values came from them , and not a day goes by that I am not influenced by what they taught me .
What is your biggest leadership challenge ? One of the biggest challenges I face as a leader is keeping everyone — both franchisees and our corporate team — focused on the big picture and achieving the goals we have set . As a leader it ’ s important to stay focused on what we have committed to . There are always so many new ideas to explore ( which is good ), but we have
28 Franchiseupdate ISSUE I , 2017