Energie Fitness Head of Performance Ashley Lutchmunsing on Franchise Growth, Support and Success

Since joining Energie Fitness as Head of Performance in May 2025, Ashley Lutchmunsing has played a key role in strengthening the support, systems and commercial performance strategies that help franchisees thrive across the network. With a career spanning personal training, operations, sales, business development and leadership roles at some of the UK's biggest fitness brands, Ashley brings a unique blend of industry expertise and commercial insight to the business. We sat down with him to discuss his journey into fitness, the evolution of the Central Performance Team, and his vision for building a stronger, more resilient Energie Fitness network.

1. Tell us about your background and what first sparked your passion for the fitness industry? 

My passion for fitness really started in my childhood. My grandfather was in the RAF and went on to become a professional boxer after leaving the military. He eventually opened his own boxing gym, and a lot of my early years were spent there helping with coaching sessions and being immersed in that environment.  

Sport was always a huge part of my life. Alongside boxing, I was heavily involved in showjumping through my family’s equestrian background. By the time I was 16, I knew I wanted to combine that passion for sport and fitness with my career.  

I started by studying gym instruction and sport performance while working in a gym environment. From there, I qualified as a personal trainer and completed additional qualifications to further my knowledge. I spent around five years working as a PT before moving into management roles, which eventually led me into operations, sales, business development and strategic leadership across some of the biggest fitness brands in the UK. 

2. You have a strong commercial focus today. Where did that business mindset come from? 

I think it comes from both sides of my family. 

My father's side gave me a strong sporting influence through boxing and equestrianism, while my mother's side was highly entrepreneurial. My grandfather owned hotels in London, operated businesses internationally and my family continue to run successful businesses today. 

Growing up around those environments gave me an appreciation for both performance and business. When I became a personal trainer, I quickly realised that success wasn't just about coaching people. It was also about generating clients, building relationships and understanding the commercial side of the industry. 

Those two influences naturally merged together and shaped how I approach business today. 

3. How did your career eventually lead into fitness franchising? 

Most of my career was initially spent within large, international gym brands or independent operators, holding positions across operations, sales and management. 

My first real exposure to franchising came through my time at Anytime Fitness, where I gained insight into how franchise systems operate and the value of having a proven business model. 

That experience gave me a different perspective on the industry. I saw how powerful it could be when local business ownership is combined with strong systems, support structures and commercial frameworks. 

Over time, that naturally led me towards franchise leadership and ultimately into my current role at Energie Fitness. 

4. Since you joined the brand in 2025, how has the Central Performance Team been refined to support franchisees across the network? 

The Performance Team exists to help franchisees create greater commercial control. 

We operate through a structured support model that includes weekly performance calls, monthly webinars, on-site visits, regular business reviews and ongoing phone and email support. 

Every franchisee has access to a dedicated Franchise Performance Manager who acts as both a consultant and a bridge between the franchisee and the wider support team. 

Everything starts with data. We look at the indicators that tell us how the club is really performing, identify constraints and then work with franchisees to build solutions. 

Our goal is to transfer knowledge, improve decision-making and help franchisees develop stronger businesses. 

5. How adaptable is the Energie Fitness performance framework? 

Very adaptable. 

The framework is designed to work across different club sizes, locations, demographics and stages of maturity. 

Every club has unique circumstances, but the principles remain the same. We simply adjust the area of focus depending on what the data is telling us. 

For one club, the priority may be lead generation. For another, it might be retention, pricing or operational efficiency. 

The framework provides consistency, while still allowing us to tailor support to the needs of each individual business. 

6. From your perspective, what makes the Energie Fitness model different from other fitness brands? 

What makes Energie unique is the balance between national scale and genuine local ownership. 

Some brands have excellent systems but can feel impersonal. Others have strong local personality but lack the infrastructure needed to scale effectively. 

Energie sits somewhere in the middle. Franchisees benefit from national marketing, operational systems, performance support and brand recognition, while still having the freedom to build a club that feels genuinely local and owner-led. 

7. Membership growth will always be a huge focus for gym businesses. What are the key drivers behind successful club growth? 

Membership growth is rarely the result of one thing. It comes from building an effective commercial engine. 

I tend to look at growth through three key lenses: new client acquisition, price point and frequency of transaction. 

New client acquisition is about demand generation. Are people aware of your club? Are you visible within the community? Are your marketing activities generating enough enquiries? 

Price point is about yield. It's not just about adding members. It's about ensuring you're generating the appropriate revenue from the demand available. 

Frequency of transaction focuses on increasing engagement with existing members through services such as personal training, small group training, retail, challenges or recovery products. 

The strongest clubs understand these levers, measure them properly and manage them with discipline. 

8. What are some of the most effective strategies you've seen franchisees use to drive local membership growth? 

The strongest franchisees are almost always the most disciplined. 

They understand their catchment area. They know where demand comes from. They actively build relationships with local employers, community groups and sports clubs. 

They consistently invest in multi-channel marketing activity, ensuring their local brand awareness is strong, and their target audience is primed.  

They're also very effective at managing their existing database. Previous members, old leads and referrals often represent huge opportunities if managed correctly. 

Most importantly, they understand that local sales is a process. It's not one activity. It's a chain of events that must be executed consistently and professionally. 

9. Membership sales or membership retention: which is more important? 

They're both critical, but if you forced me to choose, retaining members will always be more cost-effective than replacing them. 

Every member you keep is a member you don't have to acquire. 

That said, successful clubs don't see acquisition and retention as separate conversations. They understand how closely linked they are. 

The goal should always be to create a great member experience that drives retention while simultaneously maintaining a strong acquisition strategy. 

Both need to work together. 

10. What qualities do the most successful franchisees typically share? 

Three words immediately come to mind: passionate, focused and disciplined. 

Successful franchisees understand their numbers, follow the operating model consistently and stay focused on the activities that drive performance. 

They don't spend their time firefighting. They understand their data, identify constraints and make informed decisions based on what the business is telling them. 

Most importantly, they execute consistently. 

11. What are the benefits of franchised gym ownership versus independent ownership? 

Franchising provides a proven operating platform from day one. 

Independent operators have to build everything themselves, including the brand, systems, supplier relationships, operational processes and reporting structures. 

That takes significant time and resource. 

A franchisee still has to lead the business and execute effectively, but they're doing so within a proven framework that allows them to focus more energy on growth rather than building infrastructure from scratch. 

12. How does Energie Fitness continue to evolve and support franchisees long term? 

Every business goes through life cycles. Markets change, consumer expectations evolve and technology advances. 

To remain competitive, brands need to continuously develop their products, services and customer experience. 

That's why we're investing in initiatives such as Reformer Pilates studios, recovery zones, membership bolt-ons, improved access technology and other enhancements that increase convenience and member value. 

It's not enough to simply maintain what already exists. We need to continue evolving so franchisees remain competitive and relevant within their local markets. 

13. How can franchisees still feel empowered as business owners while operating under one brand? 

One of Energie's greatest strengths is that we genuinely believe in local ownership. We're not trying to create identical clubs with identical personalities. We provide the operating framework, systems and support, but franchisees bring the local knowledge, relationships and personality that make each club unique. 

They're not simply managing a branch of a larger company. They're building their own business within a proven framework. That's a very powerful combination. 

14. Looking ahead, what is your vision for the future of the Energie Fitness network? 

My vision is to continue building a network where success is measured not just by scale, but by the quality and commercial strength of the clubs within it.  

I want to see franchisees with a deep understanding of their businesses, teams that execute consistently and clubs that are genuinely valued within their communities. 

If we can continue improving commercial discipline, leadership capability, data utilisation and operating standards, we won't just build a larger network. We'll build a stronger, more resilient one. For me, that's what sustainable growth looks like.