When I started Urban Air in 2011, I was 25 years old, attempting to persuade banks, investors, and landlords to gamble on a trampoline park. The vast majority said no. It was a nascent concept, and few were willing to fund something unprecedented. My vision was to create vibrant indoor spaces where children could expend energy, socialize, and have fun, a crucial need in regions like Texas where extreme summer temperatures often confined families indoors. This initial struggle to secure financing highlighted a common hurdle for early-stage entrepreneurs: the challenge of convincing established financial institutions to embrace innovation that deviates from conventional business models.
The initial rejections, while disheartening, served as a critical learning experience. It underscored the entrepreneurial imperative to possess both the audacity to question established norms and the humility to consider that dissenting opinions might hold valuable insights. While I remained convinced of an unmet market need, the objections prompted a deeper examination of potential risks and drawbacks.
Ultimately, securing a lease for the first Urban Air location was facilitated by my father’s established reputation within the community, and my family’s substantial investment of nearly $1 million of their own capital. This was a true family endeavor: my father’s construction crews were instrumental in the build-out, I personally learned to operate a forklift to manage logistics, my sister contributed her graphic design skills, my mother meticulously planned birthday party packages, and my wife managed crucial human resources functions. The opening day, October 28, 2011, was marked by an overwhelming turnout, a palpable line extending out the door, which solidified the conviction that this was far from a speculative venture. The immense responsibility weighed heavily, particularly the concern for my loved ones’ financial well-being should the business falter. This period underscored that entrepreneurship involves profound, often unseen, responsibilities beyond the visible confidence and optimism. Fortunately, the overwhelming customer validation affirmed our belief.
From Single Location Success to Scalable Business Model
Within ten months of opening, the initial $1 million investment was recouped. This success propelled the ambition to expand, with the proposal to open two more locations. As the company grew, the realization dawned that the initial success was intrinsically tied to my direct, hands-on involvement. Managing a single location allowed for intimate knowledge of every employee, direct interaction with customers, and immediate problem-solving. Replicating this level of personal oversight across dozens, let alone hundreds, of outlets demanded a fundamental shift in strategy.
This led to a rigorous focus on core business fundamentals: unit economics, customer retention rates (repeat visits), the efficacy of birthday party bookings, labor efficiency, and the consistency of the overall guest experience. The critical question became whether the success in Southlake, Texas, was replicable in diverse markets, indicating genuine market demand rather than a localized phenomenon. The development of robust systems for recruitment, training, safety protocols, labor management, and daily operations became paramount. A business model heavily reliant on the founder’s constant presence inherently limits its scalability. Therefore, the strategic pivot was to answer: "How can I build a business that empowers someone else to successfully operate a location?" This question fundamentally reshaped the approach to growth.
Reimagining the Customer Experience: Beyond Trampolines
As the trampoline park industry matured and competitors began launching facilities with nearly identical offerings—warehouses filled with trampolines, party rooms, and concession stands—a predictable outcome emerged: intense price competition. Recognizing this, the focus shifted to understanding the deeper experiential needs of families. The question arose: "What if Urban Air could evolve into an indoor adventure park, offering a diverse range of attractions to appeal to various age groups, thereby incentivizing families to extend their visits?"
This strategic evolution involved integrating activities beyond trampolines, transforming the parks into destinations where families could spend extended periods. This broadened the customer base and significantly enhanced the economic viability for franchisees. This departure from the established trampoline park model drew criticism from industry veterans who perceived it as a deviation from a proven formula. However, the guiding principle remained the customer. Parents were not seeking a Saturday morning trampoline session per se, but rather solutions to the perennial question: "What are we going to do with the kids today?" This profound insight guided the transformation from Urban Air Trampoline Park to Urban Air Adventure Park. Every CEO must periodically re-evaluate the core problem their company is solving for customers, as this can unlock opportunities far beyond the initial product or service.
Leveraging Proven Models: The Subscription Revolution
In 2018, a significant strategic initiative was the introduction of a membership program. This was inspired by the success of companies like Netflix, Disney, and fitness clubs, which had cultivated enduring customer relationships through subscription models. The prevailing industry reliance on individual ticket sales created a dependency on families making spontaneous visitation decisions.
Leveraging years of accumulated customer data—detailing visit frequency, spending patterns, and duration of stay—provided a solid foundation for modeling the subscription program. Despite warnings from industry peers that subscribers would overwhelm park capacity and erode profit margins, a meticulous analysis of projected usage patterns, capacity constraints, and pricing tiers was conducted. Initial tests with monthly memberships ranging from $6.99 to $14.99 proved highly successful, ultimately attracting approximately one million members. This recurring revenue stream introduced much-needed predictability, while simultaneously incentivizing families to visit more frequently and fostering a deeper connection with the Urban Air brand. Competitors eventually followed suit, though some faltered due to insufficient modeling of utilization and pricing. This experience reinforced a core belief: CEOs should actively seek inspiration from outside their immediate industries. Proven business models, when thoughtfully adapted to a new market, can generate substantial value. The crucial discipline lies in understanding the underlying economics and rigorously testing assumptions before scaling.
Crisis as a Catalyst for Expansion: The Birth of Unleashed Brands
The COVID-19 pandemic presented one of the most daunting challenges of my entrepreneurial career. On March 17, 2020, franchisees were mandated to close their locations, a devastating blow to entrepreneurs who had invested their savings and personal capital. Overnight, revenue streams evaporated. The company faced approximately $20 million in annual corporate payroll expenses, with royalty income ceasing as locations shuttered. Immediate efforts focused on renegotiating obligations with landlords, vendors, insurers, and other stakeholders to conserve cash. The belief was that the financial burden needed to be distributed equitably across the entire system. Remarkably, by June 2020, reopening commenced, and not a single Urban Air location was lost.
During this period of intense operational stabilization, personal experience offered a new perspective. While seeking activities for my own children—gymnastics, tutoring, sports, STEM programs—the fragmentation of the youth enrichment industry became strikingly apparent. Families were forced to navigate a complex landscape of disparate providers, each addressing a distinct need. This led to a pivotal question: "Why hasn’t anyone built the ‘Marriott Bonvoy’ of youth enrichment?" The analogy was drawn from Marriott’s successful aggregation of distinct hotel brands under a unified platform, creating value for both customers and owners. The hypothesis was whether a similar model could be applied to families.
My wife’s initial reaction was skepticism, understandably so given the prevailing uncertainty of the pandemic. However, the more I explored this opportunity, the more convinced I became that the infrastructure developed for Urban Air—encompassing franchise development, real estate, construction, marketing, technology, and operations—could serve as a powerful launchpad for other youth enrichment brands. Emerging brands could immediately leverage these established national capabilities. The concept was presented to the board, secured their support, and the acquisition of businesses commenced, starting with Snapology and The Little Gym. In July 2021, Unleashed Brands was officially launched. The pandemic, while a period of immense crisis, also served as a catalyst, forcing a re-evaluation of the business model and uncovering an opportunity that might have remained obscured during more stable times. CEOs facing crises are encouraged to ask: "What is this situation making possible that wasn’t possible before?"
The Platform Advantage: Brands Own Their Difference, the Platform Owns Their Improvement
The core thesis of the Unleashed Brands platform is straightforward: exceptional brands can achieve accelerated growth when provided access to capabilities that would be prohibitively difficult and expensive to develop independently. For founders who have successfully scaled their concepts to 50 or 100 locations, possessing an incredible brand but lacking the resources for further expansion to 500 or more, this presents a significant opportunity. The strategy involves acquiring these promising brands, preserving their unique identities, and equipping them with resources they could never economically justify building on their own.
The operational philosophy is distinct: "The brands should be responsible for what makes them different. The platform should be responsible for what makes them better." For instance, The Little Gym’s focus remains on delivering an exceptional childhood development experience, Sylvan Learning on academic success, and Urban Air on creating unforgettable entertainment experiences. However, the necessity for each brand to independently develop its own technology infrastructure, franchise development organization, procurement capabilities, and real estate teams is questioned.
A more potent dimension of this thesis lies in the synergistic potential of the brands serving the same household at different stages of a child’s development. A parent might enroll their toddler in The Little Gym, their elementary-school-aged child in Snapology, seek academic support from Sylvan, and celebrate a birthday at Urban Air. Historically, these would represent entirely separate customer relationships. However, the common thread is the same parent, the same household, and the shared desire to foster a child’s growth and potential. This is where the platform’s opportunity becomes truly compelling: the creation of an ecosystem centered around the household. Considering the millions of families served by these brands, the potential for interconnecting these relationships is immense.
Navigating Complexity: The "One Size Fits One" Philosophy
The most significant challenge accompanying rapid growth has been managing organizational complexity. The diverse brands within the portfolio possess distinct customer bases, business models, cultures, and franchisee expectations. What proves effective for Urban Air may be ill-suited for Sylvan or The Little Gym. Early efforts were heavily focused on identifying opportunities for shared capabilities. However, experience has dictated a more nuanced approach to standardization, leading to the guiding principle: "One size fits one."
Decision-making processes also become more intricate as an organization expands. In a small business, a decision made on Monday can be implemented by Tuesday. In larger corporations, decisions can become ensnared in interdepartmental dependencies and approval workflows. For someone driven by rapid execution, this can be frustrating. A critical realization has been the impossibility of personally resolving every issue. When all significant decisions funnel through the CEO, organizational velocity inevitably slows.
Acknowledging Strategic Missteps: The Importance of Culture and People
One of the most substantial miscalculations was underestimating the profound impact of people, culture, and the unique characteristics inherent in each acquired business. The initial assumption was that a successful operating system could be universally applied across different businesses with consistent outcomes. In reality, integration demands a far greater degree of nuanced judgment. The instinct upon acquiring a company is often to immediately address perceived outdated technology and inefficient processes. This is an ingrained inclination: identify a problem and solve it.
However, acting too precipitously can undermine the very qualities that contributed to a business’s initial success. Apparent inefficiencies may serve a vital, albeit non-obvious, purpose. Sometimes, a founder possesses an intuitive understanding of the customer that cannot be quantified by data. Consequently, the learning has been to dedicate more time to understanding the business and building trust with the team before implementing changes. Integration requires patience. It involves aligning teams, comprehending the underlying economics, and fostering a sense of belonging within a larger entity while simultaneously preserving the distinct identity that made the company successful.
Furthermore, rapid growth can inadvertently mask underlying operational deficiencies. When revenue streams are robust and acquisitions are frequent, there is an abundance of activity: new locations, new executives, new initiatives, and new deals. The focus must remain on the tangible results beneath this activity. Are franchisees experiencing increased profitability? Are customers demonstrably happier? Are teams operating more effectively? Is the return on invested capital strengthening? These metrics provide the true indicators of a healthier, more sustainable business.
Guidance for CEOs Embarking on Platform Growth
For any CEO contemplating the transition from a single successful business to building a larger platform, five key lessons emerge:
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Embrace Evolving Ambition: The definition of success shifts dramatically. Initially, it may be opening the doors. Subsequently, it might be recovering investment, reaching a certain number of locations, or achieving a billion-dollar valuation. With each milestone, the goalposts invariably move. Therefore, finding satisfaction in the process of building, in the collaborative relationships forged, and in the positive impact generated is crucial. For me, this impact has consistently revolved around children and families. While financial achievements are acknowledged, the driving force is the knowledge that millions of children are experiencing formative moments and that entrepreneurs nationwide are building businesses and providing for their families.
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Cultivate Adaptable Leadership: The skillset required to launch the first Urban Air has evolved significantly. From operating a forklift and managing cash registers, the focus has shifted to building the team, systems, culture, and strategy that empower thousands of others to succeed. Continuous learning is paramount. The advice is to think expansively, remain intellectually curious, challenge deeply held assumptions, and surround oneself with individuals who excel in their respective domains. Develop the discipline to delegate decision-making and the humility to recognize when one’s approach requires adaptation.
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Maintain Core Purpose: Crucially, remember the foundational reasons for starting the venture. The objective has never been to build something merely for the sake of scale. The aspiration has always been to construct something that possesses genuine meaning and makes a tangible difference.
The journey from a single, unfinanced trampoline park to a multi-brand youth enrichment platform like Unleashed Brands is a testament to perseverance, strategic adaptation, and a deep understanding of market needs. It highlights the transformative power of rethinking business models, leveraging existing infrastructure, and embracing a vision that extends beyond the immediate product or service. The challenges encountered and lessons learned underscore the complex, yet rewarding, nature of scaling a business with a profound impact on families and communities.
