The strength-focused fitness franchise is revamping its executive leadership team, and adding new tech and franchisee support tools, to drive more growth
MADabolic is revamping its leadership team and upgrading its franchise infrastructure, including new investments in AI tools, as the strength-focused boutique fitness brand prepares to surpass 50 studios.
The franchise currently has 44 studios open, with three more under construction and another three in the final stages of site selection. That pipeline is expected to take MADabolic past 50 locations by early 2027, shortly after the Charlotte, North Carolina-based brand celebrates its 15th anniversary this October.
To support that next phase, MADabolic has made several key hires, including naming longtime franchisee Corbin Jennings as brand president.
The move sees Jennings take over day-to-day leadership of the boutique fitness brand, with MADabolic co-founders Brandon Cullen and Kirk Dewaele transitioning out of operational control.
Jennings brings an operator’s perspective to the role, having spent nearly a decade inside the MADabolic system and built a five-unit portfolio across the Washington, D.C., Maryland and Virginia region.
“We’ve proven the model across 45 locations,” Jennings told Athletech News. “The next chapter is about scaling into more markets while holding the line on what makes a class here feel different from anything else on the block. That means giving franchisees the infrastructure to open faster and run better, and giving members the same great training experience in every studio.”
The company has also hired Liam Whalen as vice president of marketing and revenue growth and Taylor Beiers as an in-house recruiter, moves aimed at supporting two areas that can become increasingly important as franchise systems scale: driving studio-level revenue and finding strong operators.
Beyond its leadership hires, MADabolic is investing in technology and support systems designed to give franchisees greater visibility into their businesses and streamline the process of opening and operating studios.
The brand has introduced AI-based assessments for general manager candidates and rebuilt its franchisee onboarding process around a platform combining learning management, project management and an AI-powered knowledge base.
MADabolic has also rolled out a KPI dashboard that gives franchisees and corporate leadership a real-time view of studio performance, along with an AI-powered CRM designed to improve lead capture and conversion.
The company is also preparing to launch a redesigned website with a larger focus on SEO and lead generation, while testing new equipment and expanding its video content capabilities to support local studio marketing.
Through the end of 2026, MADabolic is offering discounted initial franchise fees for multi-unit deals, a $10,000 corporate contribution toward pre-opening marketing and additional post-opening incentives.
MADabolic’s programming centers on strength and conditioning through structured intervals rather than traditional group fitness choreography. The brand has studios in many states across the U.S., including ones in Brooklyn, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., the San Francisco Bay Area and a big presence in its home base of Charlotte.
