San Diego Moms: San Diego Mom Franchises Gymnastics Business

San Diego mom Christina Grady is determined to give every child an opportunity to thrive in an engaging and physical space. Grady founded San Diego Gymnastics 16 years ago, and recently announced she is now offering a franchise program called GForce Gymnastics, Parkour & More.

“From the beginning and our very first location, our goal was to create a safe, inclusive and supportive environment for kids and families of all types to benefit from the physical and mental aspects of gymnastics,” Grady said.

San Diego Gymnastics currently has six locations. The new GForce locations will follow the company’s existing model of gyms in the 6,000-10,000 square foot range. Under the franchise agreement, all new owners will receive full support from the GForce team, including pre-operations, training, safety, equipment lists and preferred vendor contacts, marketing, scheduling, customer support and more.

Grady chatted with Times of San Diego about running a business while being a mother.

What does this expansion mean to you?

Expansion means bringing San Diego Gymnastics to more families, more jobs to other communities and additional growth and opportunities to our dedicated employees. As we continue our quest for “Gymnastics for All Kids” we are also providing turnkey business ownership as well. Through our GForce franchise opportunities we believe we are providing a path for potential franchisees to have a work life balance, while directly impacting the young people in their communities. What can be better than having the time and the resources to enjoy their life, while providing a fun and healthy place for kids to learn and thrive? Strong communities begin with strong kids. We are committed to helping people establish GForce gyms in as many neighborhoods as possible.

What are your long-term goals for San Diego Gymnastics and GForce?

Our goals beyond bringing our programs to more kids, is to be the best franchise company in the country. We want to provide our signature business practices to our franchisees in a way that is easy to learn and quick to implement. We want to share everything that sets us apart from other businesses, answer their questions, provide them tools for success and support them every step of the way. Most importantly we want to spread our passion for bringing fun and fitness to kids.

What does it mean to have your family get more involved in the business?

We are truly a family business. My sisters, brothers-in-law, nieces, nephews and close friends have had a part in SDG. And our employees have become our family.

Having our children show an interest in our family business has been one of the biggest rewards in our life. They have always been a part of the gyms and most dramatically, they all showed up without hesitation during Covid. Seeing our family band together along side our employees during that time still brings tears to my eyes. As we were faced with the decision to franchise, the answer became clear when our kids committed to the journey.

Gavin, our oldest, graduated from Chapman University and has been a coach and operations manager for SDG for 5 years. He genuinely knows the day to day of our business and has an unwavering dedication to each and every kid that comes through our doors. He was the natural choice to lead this charge.

Our son Kyle graduated from the University of Michigan, Ross School of Business. While dedicated to the United States Marine Corps full time, he provides solid finance and business consultation. Kyle has an uncanny ability to multitask and holds us and himself to the highest standards.

Gabriella, a graduate of Arizona State University, brings her sales and marketing expertise along with the knowledge of 13 years of competitive gymnastics and cheer. Her extensive background in our industry as an actual product of SDG is invaluable.

Their involvement and commitment has allowed our CEO, managers and coaches to continue to grow and nurture our San Diego locations, which is our number one priority.

How do you juggle parenthood with your career goals? How have you done so up until now?

Like all busy parents, there were many years where we literally sprinting from morning to night. Three kids is a lot when they are all in school, heavily involved in sports and both parents are working demanding, full time jobs. Opening the first San Diego Gymnastics was one of the biggest blessings to happen to our family. It is what allowed my husband and me to truly be there in every way for our kids. With the support of our employees and customers, we have been able to create and grow something extremely positive, motivating and special as a family. The kids are now healthy, happy adults and amazing human beings. That makes everything a lot easier.

What advice would you share with other business owners looking to expand?

Quality control to the highest standards should be your goal. Finding a path where every single location is spectacular and consistent is the name of the game. If you are committed to your community and dedicated to your customers you are bound to grow and be successful.

For more information about San Diego Gymnastics, go to sdgymnastics.com.

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San Diego Moms is published on Saturdays. Have a story idea? Email hoaq@timesofsandiego.com and follow her on Instagram at @hoawritessd.