In this episode of The Owner Seat, Albert Ramos sits down with Ali Orleski — Operating Partner at Momentic Studios, former VP of Franchise Development at Pause Studio, and former national operations leader helping scale Orangetheory Fitness Canada with FSO.
Ali has opened 137+ boutique studios across two continents and now sits at the center of a multi-brand expansion engine with SweatHouz and STRONG Pilates, with a mandate to open 100+ locations in four years.
If you’re a franchisor, area developer, or multi-unit operator in fitness, recovery, or wellness, this conversation is a playbook in disguise: real estate, launch sequencing, owner behavior patterns, culture at speed, and the financial blind spots that quietly kill growth.
This one is sharp, honest, and deeply tactical.
🔍 In this episode, we cover:
- How Ali helped build the operational backbone behind 100+ studio launches
- Why most franchise systems think they’re ready to scale — and why they’re not
- The hard truths she wishes every first-time franchisee heard before signing
- The most underestimated step in launching a studio (that always bites people later)
- Where franchisees get blindsided financially and operationally
- How to read the early warning signals when a studio starts slipping
- What real culture and brand stewardship look like when you’re opening at speed
- How multi-brand ecosystems like Momentic Studios will shape the next era of wellness franchising
- The role data, systems, and AI will play in supporting franchisees over the next 3–5 years
Work with Albert – Fractional CFO for Fitness, Wellness & Franchise Brands
I’m Albert Ramos, Fractional CFO and Founder of Stratego Intel Consulting.
I help fitness, wellness, and franchise brands ($1M–$30M+) fix messy multi-location books, build 13-week cash visibility, and prove unit economics for every studio, territory, and brand.
👉 Book a CFO Strategy Call
If you want CFO-level clarity on your numbers:
https://calendly.com/albertramosjr-strategointel/youtube-podcast
📘 Free Resource – Stratego CFO Playbook (Fitness & Wellness)
Get the exact framework I use with owners and franchisors:
- 13-week cash flow structure
- Location-level unit economics template
- Core KPI dashboard for studios & franchise systems
🔗 Download the free Stratego CFO Playbook:
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🎙 More from The Owner Seat
The Owner Seat is where fitness, wellness & HALO owners talk cash flow, growth, and the messy middle — without the fluff.
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Learn More
Fractional CFO services (Stratego): https://www.StrategoIntel.com
Connect with Albert on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/albertramosjr/