---
title: "From Lifting Sales to Lifting Weights: Marketing Couple Excels with WORKOUT ANYTIME"
url: https://burnaze.com/article/4b122d36-e682-4ebf-a2c5-b4a863975f88
source: "1851 Franchise"
original_url: https://1851franchise.com/from-lifting-sales-to-lifting-weights-marketing-couple-excels-with-workout-anytime-1901
category: "Gym & HVLP"
industry: "Fitness"
segment: "Gym & HVLP"
topics: ["Marketing"]
published: 2015-06-23T21:16:00.000Z
modified: 2026-11-01T13:22:59.951Z
image: https://newimage.1851franchise.com/cdn-cgi/image/quality=85,format=webp,width=1280,height=720/story/featureImage/8d777f385d3dfec8815d20f7496026dc2531.png
---

# From Lifting Sales to Lifting Weights: Marketing Couple Excels with WORKOUT ANYTIME

**TL;DR:** Marketing couple Eric and Jen Cowden excel with WORKOUT ANYTIME, growing a location to over 2,400 members. They plan to open a second location in Somerset and continue expanding with the brand.

*originally published in 1851 Franchise on 2015-06-23. [Read the original](https://1851franchise.com/from-lifting-sales-to-lifting-weights-marketing-couple-excels-with-workout-anytime-1901).*

## Story

**Names:** Eric and Jen Cowden **Franchise:** WORKOUT ANYTIME **Location:** Lexington, Ky.

The world of marketing is where Eric Cowden began his career, and it’s a part of the communications industry he’s found himself drawn back to. After getting his start doing marketing with a voiceover IT company, Eric left the corporate world to start his own bar and restaurant in 2001. However, his skills were in demand, and he returned to a marketing role in 2002.

Eric’s wife, Jen Cowden, also has a professional background in marketing, working for the same company as Eric.

That experience has helped the couple well in their work in franchising. The dynamic duo opened up a WORKOUT ANYTIME location in Lexington, Ky. in 2013 and have grown it to more than 2,400 members. Both were able to quit their full-time marketing jobs and focus on WOAT entirely.

In fact, they’ve just sent their letter of intent to open a second location in Somerset, and have hopes to continue expanding with the brand in the future.

**How did you learn about the brand?** Greg Parker - he’s the area developer for WORKOUT ANYTIME and also a frat partner. I saw the success he was having and it seemed to fit because of my interest in health and fitness, and all of the healthful changes in society going on.

**Why did you choose an opportunity with WORKOUT ANYTIME?** The equipment is state-of-the-art and we felt Lexington could use some place such as this, emphasizing customer service, bargain fitness, no contracts, etc. It’s also a town people travel to frequently for business and this gives them a chance to take in a quick, affordable workout.

**What challenges have you overcome to get where you are now?** It’s really been finding the proper location because without that, the business model doesn’t work. With 150,000-plus households in a 3.5 mile radius, we wanted to make sure we found the perfect spot because we do think we offer a unique spin to the workout community of Lexington.

## Entities

- 1851 Franchise (publication)
- Fitness (sector)
- marketing strategy (topic)
- franchise success (topic)
- Workout Anytime (company)
- gym expansion (topic)
- Somerset (location)
- Lexington, KY (location)

---
Originally reported by 1851 Franchise (https://1851franchise.com/from-lifting-sales-to-lifting-weights-marketing-couple-excels-with-workout-anytime-1901). Summarized by Burnaze (https://burnaze.com/article/4b122d36-e682-4ebf-a2c5-b4a863975f88).