THE MAX Challenge of Mill Basin/Marine Park, Brooklyn, NY opened in September as the newest franchise location in THE MAX Challenge community. Mill Basin is operated by Debra and Gary Mirabella, as well as the newest MAX Challenge Managing Partner, Mike Andersen. Mike was a personal trainer fresh off of a weight loss journey, looking for the perfect opportunity to change people’s lives when he discovered the MAX Challenge. We sat down with Mike to ask him a few questions about what brought him to the Managing Partner Opportunity in the first place, and how his experience with THE MAX has been so far.
1. When did your MAX journey begin?
“I first heard about THE MAX a little while after I got certified as a personal trainer. One of my coworkers at the time, her parents were actually the ones that opened up the Bay Ridge MAX location. She started telling me a little bit about the concept of it, and it sounded interesting to me. So I decided, why not give them a call and see if they’re looking for trainers.
I wound up meeting up with the owners and taking some of their classes. They emphasized that if I was going to work for the company, they wanted me to start out by having a member experience. So I completed a challenge in Staten island before I actually started training. They wanted me to understand the members in order to understand what the program is really about.
It ended up being something that I definitely saw myself doing. I lost a lot of weight through my own transformation before I ever heard about THE MAX, but funny enough, everything I did myself was exactly what we do at THE MAX. So it was a perfect fit.”
2. What sparked your interest in the Managing Partner Opportunity?
“My overall goal is to one day open up my own MAX center, and hopefully down the line, a few locations. This opportunity was really the best way for me to get my foot into the door. Becoming an owner can be financially tough. Especially getting there on your own as a younger person. This is an opportunity to partner up with someone who is as invested in the business as you are, with the additional advantage of their financial backing behind you. It was something I couldn’t refuse. Owning my own MAX is now my goal, so this opportunity was really great.”
3. Why is the managing partner opportunity a good fit for you and how do you see your future growth in this position?
“I’m able to learn so much about operating a business that I didn’t know before. Of course, as a trainer, I knew exercise science, nutrition, and how to cultivate member engagement. It’s the logistics of business operation that I wasn’t familiar with.
Partnering with two individuals who are so well versed in the business world is a huge advantage. They are right there to coach me in real-time. Having them there 24/7, any time of the day really helps out a lot. I feel like this opportunity is a really good fit for me because I’m not just learning from a screen, I’m learning hands-on.
I’m so excited to build this center up. I plan on working together with my partners and continuing to branch out and. The more centers we open the more people in the community we can reach.”
4. Do you have any advice for someone who’s looking to get into the Managing Partner Opportunity?
“The best rewards come with some of the biggest risks. Making the decision to go into business is a scary thing for sure, but you just have to feel that fear and keep going. The Managing Partner Opportunity specifically is one of a kind. You’re not going to find another opportunity like this.
It creates a support system for you and honestly, I can’t think of a downside.
There may be no other time in your life when you’re given an opportunity like this. This was put in my hands. I would tell people, do you want it? Take it.”
5. What does the future of Mill Basin look like?
“We have to keep growing and building the community. I mean, everybody really likes the program. We have a lot of members already signing up for legacy. Some people are in their third week or fourth week and they’ve already made the commitment to legacy, which is fantastic!
I want to keep the success of the members going. A lot of people, again, even in only their third or fourth week, have seen a lot of changes in themselves both physically and mentally.
They’re starting to feel and think a lot differently about their abilities. We have to keep that going, but we also want to reach out to everybody that’s in the area.”
Mike wants people to know, that no matter whether you’re coming to THE MAX from a member standpoint or a professional standpoint, you’re making the right decision. He is a firm believer in THE MAX’s programming, saying “Even though I didn’t lose all my weight through THE MAX originally, I’m keeping that weight off, which is actually the important part. It’s been almost 10 years and I still have all this weight off because I’m doing this program.” Mike is proud to represent THE MAX community, and likewise, THE MAX is extremely proud to give opportunities to young entrepreneurs like Mike. “I feel like the reason I’m here is because THE MAX has an extremely effective way of reaching people. That’s really what we’re about,” says Mike. “My goal is to get THE MAX out to as many people as possible and really help them mentally and physically. I feel like right now The Managing Partner Opportunity is the best way to do it.”
