CURVES Monty Sharma’s WTF? Email to Curves Franchisees about Jenny Craig Acquisition

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• Wow unhappy franchisee, well said!!!! You must have read my mind! You hit every single thing that has left me scratching my head and making me say WTF??
  One thing I love in Monty's statement is when he says " However, we believe there are many things the Curves system can benefit from over time" OVER TIME...REALLY... OVER TIME!! So while we are crashing and burning we can find comfort in that Monty thinks over time we could benefit!!! WE DONT HAVE TIME ON OUR SIDE!!! WTF!

• I remember a couple years ago, how CC was going to knock Jenny Craig and WW out of the park. How on earth will CC be non competitive with JC? This will be interesting.............

• Thats true Carol joyce, that is what they said! So I guess they figure if you cant beat them join them....of course its not to help us owners as individual clubs

• I took over my Curves last Jan. The previous owner ran it into the ground. I was happy with the new level of support that CI was beginning to give owners. I was also happy that Curves will be uniform in looks. Our previous owner wasn't giving the customer Curves at all...it had eroded into a drop-in, chat, and move a little on some old dirty machines. We went from 60 members to 100 members in 3 months. Unfortunately, Curves Complete failed. It lacks the group consciousness that WW has. Now Jillian Michaels will be in video in clubs. Jenny Craig will probably be a cross referral kind of relationship. Maybe business will pick up. The one thing that CI fails to notice is that many of our members are NOT coming for diet or weight loss. They are either senior citizens coming for movement activity, or women who have been steady customers for 9 years but won't weigh in and still wear a size 4XXL! I think Monty Sharma is trying to breathe life into a system that is doomed to fail. We have no young members, and the older women simply age out. This is not a franchise where anyone can make money. It is only a hobby, and a labor of love if, like me, you have lost weight via Curves. The only way to suceed is to run your business the Curves way. Accept the fact that the "old" Curves is gone with Diane, and the "New" Curves has the potential to be awesome....for a whole new set of customers. Best of luck to you all.

• Mary, I wish you the best and no harm....however in another year check back and let us know how its going....would love to know if this becomes all that you hope it will. So many owners came in with the very same attitude as you....passion, positive attitudes, loving curves, trying to do it all the way curves wanted....but along the way, it all broke down, and it wasnt what they thought it would be....and it wasnt because they didnt care, or refused to do what curves wanted, it was because their hopes, sacrifice and hard work wasnt working, curves wasnt working!! Just as you have already seen the recent failure of curves complete it is a prime example of the same old curves hype. Every new thing brings a whole set of new expenses, after putting out money for all the new things, tv...mats...clothes...and new equipment...let us know how much your business increases and if the revenue will off set those expenses...time will tell... As time progressed, they ran out of money and couldnt make the changes or improvements and it became more and more oppressive and hopeless, it depleted their bank account business and personal, affected their homes, their lives, their family and their health....did they start that way, no! They started just like you! At the end of their days with their club, whether they sold, gave it away or closed, nothing about the club or themselves looked or operated well anymore.....but it doesnt necessarily mean thats the way they started, all you saw was their tragic ending....for your sake, I hope your right about all the new things, but what I see is just the same old hype, the same hype that drove others into the ground. The best of luck to you

• I've been a Curves owner for 6 years. I have a cheery, clean club. I still believe in the Curves program. I have a relatively new member (less than 2 months) that just went to the Dr & all her test results are half what they were the last time!! I'm almost as happy as she is!

  Most of my membership also are either senior citizens coming for movement activity, or women who have been steady customers for 9 years but won’t weigh in & still wear a size 4XXL! At least they are doing something! Maybe, the new Jillian "metabolic conditioning" moves will change that. I don't think so - not in my small town. The younger women think hiking, biking, skiing, & even walking are enough workout. They don't understand that working out at Curves makes them stronger for those other activities.

  The new investment/upgrade costs are prohibitive (nearly $1,500 by Dec 31st). Plus, there are new mandatory minimum monthly or quarterly expenses. Curves will no longer provide marketing materials. We'll have to buy an unknown minimum $$ amount each month. Also have to purchase $500 wholesale of new clothing line by Dec 31st. I haven't sold that much clothing in 6 years......plus must be updated quarterly. I have already run out of money & can't afford to make the changes/improvements. It's become more & more oppressive and hopeless!

  So, despite my desire, I'll be closing my club in Feb 2014. I'm really gonna miss it & all my wonderful ladies! Too bad Curves International doesn't want to help us out!

• Dear Kris, I am so sorry that the new requirements have pushed you over the edge....they are pushing many over the edge and I hear of more closings everyday....Curves continues to make their money by emptying our pockets, and nothing they force on us has in anyway brought new memberships, they profit and we go deeper into the hole.
  I am closing Dec 31st, you are not alone, yet it doesnt help relplace all we have lost, take care

• Hi I am an ex owner from Australia and would love (just out of curiosity) how many clubs are left in the US. We have lost nearly half of ours over here, and with the 10 years agreements nearly up for some of the clubs I'm wondering if alot more will go. I hope you all have a wonderful christmas and remember there is life after curves.

• I have just closed my club and my members fall into the same catagory as Kris's. I have a small club(had) in a small town. I took over a resale and I have only managed to keep going for two of my five years. The club was never a money maker, the previous owner had another lucrative career that enabled her to have deep pockets.....and her love for the members and Curves kept her digging into them. I have no pockets, just a lot of love. As you know that can only go so far! I have had so many calls from other owners who have to decide whether to close or not, and they all want to know what Curves is doing to me because of having so much time left to my contract. There is so little support for those of us who are in this position. I wish I new more about creating a Web site because I think we all need a strong support network. I think we are going to be dealing with alot of PTS symptoms in the months to come~
  I don't know what Curves will want from me. At this point I cannot worry about that, there is no more money. I may be in a better position than some, or maybe not...I have no assets at all. Not even a life insurance policy. I am not quite sure how I ever got approved. At the time I was thrilled, I never claimed to have any so there is no deception on my part. Now if I had a home to lose, I would be far more worried.
  I sat in my empty club yesterday and sobbed. Up until then I think I was in denial, just doing what needed doing, but all of a sudden I was hit with all these flashbacks of the past two years. It was like all the joys and sorrows shared in those walls were dancing around me. My members faces, their smiles and tears..............ugh. I am proud of what I was able to provide my ladies with during my short time with them, I refuse to feel like a failure and I won't allow myself to feel like I deserve to be punished for trying my very best to make my club profitable. There are different types of success in life and I have become a better person because of the members I have grown to love. That being said, I have made a note to self to never, ever, do the franchisee thing again!!!. Thanks, I feel better, Happy 2014. May you all find strength and peace this year.

• I was an owner for many years in the early days. I closed before my contract was over because I would not bankrupt myself to keep open a business driven by a narcissistic misogynist who was incapable of telling the truth. As he flew around the world, bought his wife a friendship with Olivia and bragged to all who would listen about how wonderful he was with his Christian ways, many many people lost everything they had.

  If you are having any doubts, I can tell you it was the best thing I ever did was to get away and be done with Curves. I am happy, joyous and free. There is no reason to think it is your failure alone, they share responsibility, but will never acknowledge that. I was in the time of being referred to as a "pruned" club. I have never looked back. Good luck to those of you still struggling. Nothing will save you if you are in bad shape. It is called throwing good money after bad.