Empowering Teams and Institutionalizing Growth

When a regional Massage Envy franchise in the wellness industry faced an existential crisis, it wasn't due to lack of demand – it was people. A direct competitor had poached virtually the entire staff and even many loyal clients from this spa location, leaving the business gutted. The franchisee suddenly found herself with just one employee and a trickle of customers, a shadow of the operation's former self. The challenge was twofold: rebuild an entire team from scratch and regain the trust and patronage of customers who had left. Essentially, the business needed a complete turnaround to avoid permanent closure. This required more than a marketing fix; it called for on-the-ground team-building, process re-engineering, and community outreach – all under severe time pressure. Levered was brought in to orchestrate this turnaround, with the goal of restoring the franchise to its previous performance levels and putting systems in place to safeguard against future shocks.

Levered approached this daunting situation with a comprehensive strategy centered on training and empowering new talent alongside data-driven marketing. The fulcrum here was the rapid creation of a resilient organization – rebuilding the human capital and instilling operational discipline – coupled with smart growth tactics to win back customers. On the team front, Levered helped form a "tiger team" task force to jump-start recruiting and community engagement. The founder's cross-functional experience was vital: he rolled up his sleeves to coach the franchisee in hiring not just for skill but for attitude, bringing in massage therapists and staff who were eager to be part of a turnaround story. Each new hire was onboarded with clear training – from customer service expectations to wellness program knowledge – effectively rebuilding the company culture from the ground up. Levered's founder acted as a temporary operations lead and coach, working side by side with the new manager to train these employees quickly in delivering the quality experience Massage Envy customers expected. This empowerment-through-training philosophy meant the growing team could start executing without the franchisee micromanaging every step. In parallel, Levered deployed data-driven processes to guide the recovery. Executive dashboards were created to monitor key performance indicators like weekly service hours, appointment bookings, and revenue – a new practice for this small business. By transforming raw sales and scheduling data from clunky CSV files into insightful charts, Levered enabled the owner and team to see where they stood each week and set tangible goals for growth. These dashboards highlighted opportunities too – for instance, identifying lapsed clients who hadn't returned, which informed targeted outreach. With a team forming and metrics tracking in place, Levered turned to customer re-engagement and acquisition strategies. Locally, the team executed grassroots outreach: they re-established the spa's presence in the community, from reintroducing themselves to nearby businesses to ensuring word got out that "we're open and better than ever." A creative referral program was launched, incentivizing existing customers to bring in friends by offering special perks – even something as personal as giving out the new therapists' business cards to encourage word-of-mouth, adding a human touch to the referral process. On the digital side, Levered guided a hyper-local marketing campaign: they ran targeted search ads aimed at customers in the region searching for relaxation or spa services, and set up conquest ads that would appear when people looked up the competitor's name that had poached the staff. This two-pronged digital strategy ensured that anyone in the area searching online would see that this Massage Envy was thriving and welcoming clients again, effectively capturing new customers while reclaiming market share from the rival. Every week, Levered and the new team examined the data – which referral sources brought in bookings, which ads converted – and refined the approach, in a cycle of continuous improvement. The emphasis throughout was on building internal capacity: by teaching the franchisee and her team how to read the dashboards, run simple promotions, and maintain community relationships, Levered was transferring the knowledge needed for sustained success beyond the engagement.

The results of this intensive turnaround were nothing short of remarkable. In the span of six months, the franchise went from one employee to a fully staffed operation with 25 employees, essentially rebuilding an entire workforce in record time. This enabled the business to restore service offerings and operating hours to normal levels. Customer return rates climbed steadily as the new staff impressed clients and word spread that the spa was rejuvenated. By leveraging both personal outreach and digital marketing, the location regained roughly 80% of its pre-exodus revenue within that period – a rapid recovery that far exceeded initial expectations. The dashboards implemented by Levered showed the week-over-week growth in service hours and client bookings, providing tangible proof of improvement to the franchisee (and franchisor). As important as the revenue was the renewed customer loyalty: clients old and new appreciated the franchise's commitment to wellness in the community, reinforced by local events and the referral incentives that brought a personal touch to marketing. In re-building the team, Levered also built a foundation for long-term success. The emphasis on training and clear processes meant that the business could continue operating smoothly even after Levered concluded the project. In fact, this location turned its near-death experience into a strength – it became one of the best performing Massage Envy franchises in the region following the turnaround. The combination of a motivated, well-trained team and a data-informed marketing approach created a resilient operation. The franchisee not only saved her business from extinction but now had a roadmap (and the know-how) for continued growth. This case study illustrates Levered's ethos that empowering people is the ultimate force multiplier. By focusing on the "Train" vertical – equipping a team with skills, systems, and confidence – Levered helped transform a dire situation into a thriving enterprise. It's a powerful reminder to startups and businesses alike: when you invest in training your team and institutionalizing knowledge, the results scale far beyond what any single campaign could achieve. At Levered, growth isn't about doing more—it's about doing what matters. By pinpointing the pivotal lever (Fulcrum) within your business challenges and applying focused, strategic action (Force), we deliver outsized results without the overhead. Inspired by our founder's proven track record—from scrappy startup campaigns to sophisticated growth initiatives at multi-billion-dollar tech companies—our approach cuts through noise to deliver clear, measurable impact. Whether you're a DTC brand, startup, or growth-stage company, Levered turns your toughest challenges into your greatest opportunities.