Sam Langer and Jimmy Bonavita are a pair of childhood best friends whose professional and personal lives have become as entangled as any two friends could possibly be. When Sam and Jimmy met in elementary school in Irvington, NY, no one could guess that the two would stay such close friends, eventually becoming business partners and even brothers-in-law.
As the first franchisees of GYMGUYZ®, the largest in-home and on-site personal training company in the world, Sam and Jimmy had no idea what their lives would look like 10 years down the road. Their involvement with GYMGUYZ started thanks to a casual conversation over a plate of brownies in Mexico, and the rest, as they say, is history.
The duo now runs up to 1,000 sessions a month with the help of 20 employees across the Westchester area, and they have seen clients physically transform through their mobile personal training program.
Sam & Jimmy’s Background
Sam and Jimmy had a unique experience of being the first ever franchisees for GYMGUYZ’s franchise blueprint. Given their success from day one, they now advise new franchise partners to help set them up for success.
As the brands’ most veteran franchisees, Sam and Jimmy have grown up alongside their business. Their relationship as business partners was rooted in decades of friendship. When the duo married two sisters, their franchise became a family affair; raising the stakes for success, but ultimately strengthening their bond.
Sam has a Bachelor’s of Science from Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business with degrees in Finance and Operations Management, and is a National Academy of Sports Medicine Certified Personal Trainer, and International Sports Science Association Certified Personal Trainer.
Jimmy is a Certified Personal Trainer with a specialty in group fitness training. He earned his certification through the National Academy of Sports Medicine and brings a wide-ranging skill set to his clients. He began honing his skills in his college days, where he played football as an offensive lineman for Sacred Heart University. Additionally, he earned his Communications degree from Coastal Carolina University in 2012. Jimmy also serves as a youth sports coach in his community, with a goal to bring out the inner athlete in all of his clients, regardless of age or ability.
In 2014, Jimmy and Sam signed on as the first GYMGUYZ franchisees and have loved every day working together since. In navigating the highs and lows of being business co-owners, brothers-in-law, and lifelong friends, Sam and Jimmy have learned a thing or two about where to draw the line.
“The key to sustaining such a strong friendship and business partnership all starts with being transparent with one another,” said Jimmy. “You have to communicate, if not overcommunicate, when you decide to intertwine your career goals with someone you have a personal relationship with. Let the other person know what you are working on, what your strengths are, and most importantly, what you really think.”
Giving Back to the Community
Strong advocates for giving back to the community in which they grew up and now currently serve, Sam and Jimmy donate to and regularly support Alexandra’s Playground, a local charity that gives the ‘gift of play’ by building playgrounds for deserving communities in the NY-NJ-CT tri-state area. They also work with adaptive populations, ensuring that their trainers have the correct certifications to assist adults and children with special needs.
Additionally, they are heavily involved with PTA boards, donating sessions to help better children’s health. They run after-school programs at pre-schools, middle schools, and high schools, and offer fitness classes at hospitals, assisted living homes, and health companies.
“Working together to make our community a healthier place has been a true blessing,” said Sam. “Our friendship is based on honesty and understanding, which is why we are able to not only succeed in our business efforts, but our charitable efforts as well. Our business relationship was built on a handshake that specified who would handle what part of our business. We each understand what we need to do to support each other, and know that we need to respect boundaries. Letting someone know that you trust them builds mutual respect into your partnership.”
With many success stories under their belts, the ones that stands out the most was helping a 280-pound teenager lose 120 pounds through consistent workout sessions and a healthy meal plan.
Looking to the Future with GYMGUYZ
“Helping our clients commit to a healthier lifestyle and build confidence is the drive behind everything that we do at GYMGUYZ,” said Josh York, Founder & CEO. “Sam and Jimmy have truly grown alongside our #1 in-home personal training company, as they were our very first franchisees, and have proven our business model to be highly effective. New and existing franchisees regularly turn to them for advice, and I couldn’t be prouder of what they have accomplished. I look forward to seeing what they do next.”
Josh York, Founder & CEO, started the GYMGUYZ business after noticing dozens of reasons why many people aren’t consistent gym-goers, such as lack of accountability and motivation. Using those reasons as his own motivation, he wanted to create a concept that made fitness convenient and accessible. That concept turned into GYMGUYZ, the business that Josh began in his parents’ house in 2008.
Changing over 100,000 lives since the company was founded, GYMGUYZ is the largest in-home and on-site personal training company in the world, redefining physical fitness by bringing the workout to clients, when and where it’s convenient for them. The company announced the addition of 18 new territories over the last year, contributing to its overall growth goal of another 75 territories by the end of 2023.
Jimmy and Sam have been with GYMGUYZ since the beginning, and were humbled to celebrate the brand’s 15-year anniversary. They both look forward to being a part of the future, paving the way for its next era of growth.
To set the stage for accelerated development, GYMGUYZ recently opened a two-story, 18,000 square-foot headquarters in Melville, New York, only a short drive from Sam and Jimmy’s territory.
As the brand continues to grow in size, it also grows in its service offerings. GYMGUYZ has launched highly-successful new fitness programs outside of in-home workouts, offering B2B fitness programs at corporations, schools, and senior living centers. The brand has fast become a critical provider in the corporate wellness space, developing on-site and at-home fitness programs for some of the world’s largest corporations. As the brand keeps growing, so will the stories and business ventures of its long-term franchisees like Sam and Jimmy.