When Josh Grinstead got laid off for the second time, at 41, he knew he was at a crossroads: “Either stay on the treadmill, be unhappy, and fail to attain my potential,” he says, “or be brave enough to take that midcareer risk.”
Until then, he’d worked in senior management at various colleges. But on aptitude tests, he’d always scored high for entrepreneurial instincts. As a longtime fitness enthusiast, personal training services appealed to him—so in 2015, Grinstead bought three GYMGUYZ territories (GYMGUYZ is a handy acronym for Get You Motivated, Genuine, Unique, You can do it, Zero Excuses). Today, he owns 10 of them in New Jersey and New York. His annual revenue tops $1 million, he’s first in sales among GYMGUYZ franchisees in 22 states, and last year,…