MUM ON A MISSION
For Melbourne mum and entrepreneur Sally Johnson, her foray into franchising means more than just financial gain.
For Sally Johnson franchising is more than a financial asset.
“Sometimes I see the change happening in front of me and I have to stop myself from running in and giving everyone a big group hug.”
It’s a daily occurrence for the Aussie master franchisee and owner of special needs gym We Rock the Spectrum. Her Preston location opened last year, spearheading Australian expansion for the innovative US chain.
We Rock the Spectrum provides purpose-built equipment to aid sensory development in children with processing disorders and has been wildly successful in its home country. Now, 12 months on from her Australian launch, Johnson is seeing the same results.
“We’ve been so thrilled first off from a base level with the support from the local community with all of the things that we had hoped would happen in our single gym.”
The Aussie master franchisee reveals that while support from families of special needs children was encouraging, she had been overwhelmed by the amount of mainstream families looking to get involved.
“We have a great mix of mainstream families and families with a special needs child and it’s been fantastic to see them learning from each other,” she says.
“That’s what I saw when I visited the gyms overseas and I thought I must find a way to bring this to Australia.”
MOTIVATION
While We Rock the Spectrum’s Australian success has come quickly, Johnson is the first to tell you her journey with the brand started years before.
When her son Digby was just two years old, he was diagnosed with autism, leaving Sally considering a life of care-costs and specialised development therapy.
A chance visit to the US and a meeting with We Rock the Spectrum founder Dina Kimmel changed all that, however. The pair found mutual ground when Kimmel revealed that her own son, Gabriel, had received a similar diagnosis at the same age.
It was that revelation that prompted Kimmel to launch the first We Rock the Spectrum gym in her own home.
“When you receive that diagnosis, like I did with my son Gabriel, I’ve never felt so lonely in my life,” Kimmel says.
“I just wanted to do anything and everything for my son, and I was seeking a community that didn’t exist five to 10 years ago. After seeing miracles happen with Gabriel and my daughter, who is not special needs, in terms of inclusion, I thought ‘there’s got to be more families out there who need this as well’.”
She was right.
Within 10 years We Rock the Spectrum grew from one home-based gym to a network of over 80 locations worldwide.
“It’s an awesome thing that happens when you do something meaningful, you see a growth and it’s organic,” Kimmel says. With Johnson at the helm of the Australian business, that growth looks set to continue.
EXPANSION
An outpouring of support from both her local Preston community and the wider Australian public has Johnson already gearing up for expansion.
At We Rock the Spectrum’s inaugural Team Australia conference, the brand added four new franchisees to the mix, with five new gyms to open later this year.
“We’ve seen interest from other families to open in their local communities. It’s happened faster than we expected, but we have great support from head office, so we aren’t overwhelmed,” she says.
The new gyms also mark We Rock the Spectrum’s first venture interstate, with two of the new locations set for New South Wales.
“We have another three happening in Victoria, in Geelong, Ringwood and Darebin, with the first two New South Wales locations in Wollongong and western Sydney to come.
“These were chosen as the initial round for a number of reasons, namely as they were people who stood out as ready to go, but also because they were in territories we knew would be successful and that had a real need.”
While five gyms in four months seems like a monumental undertaking, Johnson says she is employing a measured approach to the first round of expansion.
“We do have a very powerful team backing us, so it’s not like we can’t manage more gyms to roll out in the future, especially with the enormous amount of interest from around the country,” she says.
The “mumpreneur” jokes that support is so strong, We Rock the Spectrum’s original target of 30 to 35 Australian gyms seems underwhelming.
“Now just seeing the level of interest, not just from prospective owners but from regions, local councils and politicians saying ‘how can we help?’ I’m beginning to think that may have been conservative.
“We had close to 200 enquiries come in, nobody expected that, and what’s more, they were all amazing quality. They are coming from far-away places as well, perfectly positioned around the country, from Katherine to Margaret River, not places we’d put on our map.”
It isn’t just people with experience taking up the challenge either. Johnson says the new franchisees come from a range of professional backgrounds, but all share one key similarity.
“They are people that get the brand, they have a real fire in their belly and a passion for inclusion. We have the systems in place to turn those people into super business people.
“That’s the difference, we can bring to the table all the backup, we just need people who are comfortable leading the mission with passion.”
WE ROCK ON WHEELS
It’s a mission that is set to change rapidly over the next few years as well. Johnson reveals she is pioneering We Rock the Spectrum’s latest network innovation: We Rock on Wheels.
The mobile model has been tentatively rolled out in the US to great success, with the Aussie entrepreneur eager to bring the model Down Under.
“The mobile business is a traditional American school bus that is fitted out as a small sensory space, with the ability for equipment to spill out, whether that be at a park, or school or childcare centre,” she says.
“Some gyms in the US have the mobile version alongside the bricks and mortar model, and we are very keen to get our first ones rolling out.”
While the We Rock on Wheels model opens up the opportunity for a lower investment cost option, Johnson says its real benefit is in cross-country representation.
“The We Rock on Wheels model caters to a more regional market, however it can also supplement the existing business. We do a lot of family-fun days, fetes and school incursions where we turn up, but to set up the sensory activities takes time.
“To be able to swing in with a bus, it’s exciting for us and the community. It won’t just be regional areas, but it makes sense, particularly in regions that perhaps wouldn’t have the infrastructure or member base to support a bricks and mortar gym.”
MISSION FOR INCLUSION
Along with Kimmel, Johnson has been instrumental in implementing We Rock the Spectrum’s mission of inclusion at all levels.
In fact, a number of her Preston staff members are also living with a disability, demonstrating her commitment not just as a community member, but also as an employer.
“That is another thing that’s been terrific. As business owners you get to see milestones reached by staff as well,” she says.
“On staff at Preston, we have some young people who are on the spectrum, two deaf staff members, as well as a couple of parents and grandparents who volunteer. People feel that when they walk into the gym and see that inclusion at all aspects.”
Johnson reveals it’s all part of the We Rock the Spectrum mission for change.
The budding franchisee believes that if the latest interest is anything to go by, the network will go a long way in achieving its business and cultural goals.
“We’ve had a few tears, not just appreciating the hard work that’s already paying off, but also the shift in the world that we’re a small part in creating. It’s heart-warming as a parent, not just as a business owner.”