by Kevin and Kayla Curtis
For most of our lives, sports and movement have defined us, have driven us.
For Kevin, it started on the football field in a small town in Texas. Football turned into a decades-long career—from playing at the college level at Texas Tech to playing professionally for the 49ers, Texans, and in Europe, to returning to the field as a coach for top colleges. Playing and coaching was a career and an identity, but the long hours, travel, and pressure came with the grind. Over time, the sacrifices became clearer, especially at home.
For Kayla, it started on the court playing basketball in high school and college. Movement was always more than sports and about being a part of a team and the science behind it. With a degree and background in exercise and sports science, fitness also became a career and identity. Together, we built our relationship around our shared values of discipline, consistency, faith, and family.
Married for nearly 10 years and raising two boys, we eventually arrived at a moment many families face: a growing sense that something needed to change. We didn’t want to stop working hard, but we wanted to start working for ourselves and working toward something new.
Choosing a New Kind of Team
Kevin spent years coaching young athletes, building programs, and leading teams, but the schedule was relentless. There were milestones missed and moments we couldn’t get back. We had conversations about what we wanted our lives to look like in five, ten, and twenty years. We knew that meant a career shift, but it needed to be something we believed in.
We were members of Orangetheory Fitness and loved the science-backed workout, the inclusivity of the environment, and the energy of the community. The workouts are approachable, welcoming, and again, created a community. The entire Orangetheory ecosystem was something we aligned with. The brand comes with a framework, system, and culture, and for two people coming from coaching and athletics, that type of structure really mattered to us. What drew us to franchising was the ability to step into a proven system while focusing our energy on leadership, culture, and execution.
Trading Playbooks for Presence
In late 2025, we made the decision to step into ownership at scale, purchasing seven Orangetheory Fitness studios across the Phoenix metro area.
From the beginning, we made a promise to ourselves. We decided that if we were going to do this, we were going to be present and committed. We wanted to be present at home with our family, we wanted to be present for the business, and we wanted to be present in the studios for our members.
And we are doing just that! You’ll find us working out alongside our teams, talking with coaches, welcoming first-timers, and learning the rhythm of each studio’s community. Our choice of commitment has shaped our whole lives. We moved our family to Phoenix, laced up our shoes, and got to work.
Where Teams Turn Into Family
We’ve always been part of teams, and that was one of the most powerful draws of franchising—you get to be a part of a larger group while building your own. Owners from across the Orangetheory system reached out to welcome us, members introduced themselves, and coaches shared their stories. Almost immediately, these studios felt like extended family, and it became clear that our business was really about belonging.
For Kayla, this new extended family came at a deeply personal time. After welcoming our youngest son, she began documenting her postpartum fitness journey through Orangetheory. By sharing that vulnerable season and the process of rebuilding confidence, the response from women and mothers has been overwhelming. Messages have come in from people who felt seen, encouraged, and hopeful.
When it comes to working together as a married couple, having these franchises has not created friction, but instead has strengthened our relationship. We each lean into our strengths, communicate constantly, and remind each other why we started. This business hasn’t pulled us away from family — it has brought us closer to each other, our children, and a new extended family through our studios.
Building Something Bigger Than Ourselves
The best teams are built on trust. Kevin’s years as a coach shaped how we approach leadership. We empower our studio leaders, trust our coaches, and support our staff with the same intention Kevin brought to his athletes.
Part of that trust has to be extended to the franchisor for a healthy franchisor-franchisee relationship. We invest in systems that work, and the Orangetheory System works.
What continues to excite us about Orangetheory is the integrity of the model. The workout is grounded in sports science. The technology provides real-time feedback. The structure allows people of all fitness levels to succeed in the same room, at the same time, without comparison.
For Kayla, that science-first approach reinforces everything she believes about sustainable fitness. For Kevin, it echoes the performance metrics he relied on as a coach.
We knew we wanted to step into franchising to build something meaningful. Our goal is to leave our family, our teams, and our communities better than we found them. We want to show entrepreneurs that a husband and wife can build something together and come out stronger. And we want our kids to grow up seeing what purpose, discipline, and teamwork really look like.
For us, Orangetheory Fitness isn’t just a business — it’s the platform we’re using to build leaders, impact families, and show our kids what it looks like to pursue purpose with discipline.