MEET CHUCK & DAVE
Building Believers, Not Employees
The Partnership
Chuck Runyon and Dave Mortensen are co-founders of Anytime Fitness, the world's largest fitness franchise. Without a college degree between them, they grew a single gym in Cambridge, Minnesota into a $3.7 billion global wellness empire with nearly 6,000 locations across 42 countries—and created over 1,000 millionaire franchisees in the process.
But their real achievement isn't measured in dollars or doors.
It's measured in the 4,000+ people who voluntarily tattooed the Anytime Fitness logo on their bodies. Not because they were asked. Not because they were paid. Because the culture Chuck and Dave built made them believers.
MEET CHUCK
Chuck Runyon is the CEO and strategic architect behind Anytime Fitness and Purpose Brands' global expansion. He analyzes data and sees the logical path forward—creating frameworks like the "Empty Chair" decision-making technique (borrowed from Jeff Bezos) that puts franchisee profitability at the center of every choice. Honored with the "John McCarthy Industry Visionary of the Year" award, Chuck's leadership philosophy focuses on investing in people and relationships—not just making employees more productive, but making them better humans.
What Chuck Brings to the Stage:
The ROEI framework: How to measure Return on Emotional Investment that drives valuation
Three strategic pillars for increasing franchisee revenue while reducing operational complexity
The "Empty Chair" technique borrowed from Jeff Bezos for franchisee-first decision making
The business case for why culture is your only sustainable competitive advantage
MEET DAVE
Dave Mortensen is President and Co-Founder of Anytime Fitness and Purpose Brands. With 25+ years of experience managing, owning, and franchising health clubs, he's distinguished himself as a leading authority in the fitness industry and a thoughtful, generous leader who knows what resonates with franchisees. His heartfelt practice of emotional intelligence has earned him a reputation for authentic human connection—but he backs it up with operational discipline. He oversaw the development of Anytime Fitness's integrated security, surveillance, usage-tracking, and reciprocity systems that powered the 24/7 model. Dave's unique ability to combine operational excellence with genuine human connection is what allows him to scale without losing the personal touch.
What Dave Brings to the Stage:
How to build operational systems that support culture instead of crushing it
The emotional storytelling that transforms audiences from compliance to championship
Why "heart first" leadership doesn't mean sacrificing operational excellence
How to scale franchisee support systems while maintaining authentic relationships
THE JOURNEY
2002: One Gym, One Big Bet
In May 2002, Chuck and Dave opened their first Anytime Fitness location in Cambridge, Minnesota. While competitors raced to build the biggest, fanciest, or cheapest gyms, Chuck and Dave made a different bet: be the most human.
They designed smaller, 24/7 neighborhood clubs with affordable memberships, quality equipment, and surprisingly personable service. But more importantly, they obsessed over something their competitors ignored: how people felt.
2009: The Decision That Changed Everything
By 2009, Anytime Fitness was growing fast—opening a new gym every 2.5 days. Investors were knocking with multimillion-dollar buyout offers. Most entrepreneurs would have cashed out.
Chuck and Dave did the opposite.
They bought out their third partner who wanted to extract profits instead of building legacy. In the middle of the Great Recession, when banks weren't lending, they signed their names to a substantial loan and bet everything on their vision: that culture—not capital—was the real competitive advantage.
It was the hardest decision they ever made. It was also the best.
The Secret Millionaire Revelation
In 2011, Chuck and Dave filmed an episode of ABC's Secret Millionaire, living in a run-down house in Oklahoma City with no air conditioning, surviving on $71 for six days while volunteering for local charities.
The experience revealed something profound about their partnership: Dave is "heart first"—he feels something, then it travels to his brain. Chuck is "brain first"—he thinks first, then feels.
This complementary dynamic became their secret weapon. Together, they could speak to both the head and the heart of their business—the strategic frameworks and the emotional connection that builds fanatic loyalty.
THE PHILOSOPHY: THE 4 PS
Chuck and Dave didn't invent culture. They codified it into a framework now taught in business schools worldwide:
PEOPLE
Invest in your people—not just to make them better employees, but to make them better humans. One team member was terrified of heights and public speaking. Chuck and Dave took her skydiving. When she landed, she said: "If I can jump out of a plane, I can speak in front of people."
PURPOSE
Connect work to emotional outcomes that matter beyond paychecks. 64% of millennials would rather earn $40,000 at a job they love than $100,000 at a job they find unfulfilling. Meaning is the new money.
PROFITS
Profits aren't just money. They're flexibility. Experiences. Time freedom. The promise that you'll never have to miss life's most important moments. Real profit is measured in lives changed, not just balance sheets.
PLAY
Every single day, no matter how tough it gets, there's laughter. There's fun. Chuck and Dave take their business seriously, but they don't take themselves too seriously. Laughter fosters collaboration, creativity, and the courage to raise your hand with ideas.
The MISSION TODAY
Chuck and Dave aren't consultants. They're not theorists.
They're practitioners who built something extraordinary—and now they're sharing exactly how they did it.
Through keynote speaking, their books (Love Work and Franchise Your Franchise), and their continued work with Purpose Brands, they're on a mission to help franchise owners build cultures worth staying for.
Because if you're not building a culture worth tattooing, you're building a business worth leaving.
