Opening My First Curves Club: The Week I Learned What Ownership Really Means
By Kim McQueen – Part 2 of My Story
Hi, I’m Kim McQueen. I’m the President and CEO of Curves across North America, Australia, and New Zealand. But before any of those titles, I was a brand-new franchise owner opening my very first club.
If we go back to what happens after you make the decision to buy a Curves, first of all, it’s a big decision. You are doing something life-changing. Many people are leaving careers. I did. But here’s what I always say: you carry your career with you into Curves.
Women come into ownership from so many different angles. Corporate careers. Healthcare. Education. Marketing. Finance. You can pretty much find your sweet spot inside being a small business owner. But first, you have to go through training.
Club Camp: Excited… Then Completely Overwhelmed
When my girlfriend and I went to Club Camp training together (hers was in California, mine in Illinois) we were super excited.
“Woo-hoo! We own a Curves! This is going to be so great!”
Day one felt like that. It was exciting. Energizing.
By the end of day one?
“Ooh… this is overwhelming.”
In five days, we were expected to know how to run a full business. We had to learn muscles, equipment, scripts: how to say things, how to talk about things, how to conduct consultations, how to close sales, how to manage operations.
It was intense.
But that’s what you get in a franchise system. Whether it’s McDonald’s or any other established brand, the system has come from years of expertise: from mistakes and wins. It’s been tested. It continues to evolve.
Still, I remember feeling very “nerve-cited”: nervous and excited, at the same time. And by the end of that first day, we were studying all night like we were back in college. We had assumed it would just be fun and inspiring, that we’d learn a little and walk away ready to open our clubs, but we really have to dig deep and power on!
By day three, though, something shifts. You’ve got it. You’re on a mission to pass the test and do well. It becomes liberating. You meet so many like-minded people who have chosen this business for very personal reasons, often similar to your own.
And then one of the trainers walked out and said something that stayed with me forever:
“Whatever you’re thinking, just forget it. What we’re training you on…works. It’s been tested. Don’t waste your time doing other things.”
There were 500 people in that room, but I felt like she was talking directly to me.
I was taking diligent notes. I wanted to be successful. Failure was not an option. And when she said that, I thought, “Okay. I’ve got to master this. If they say jump, I say how high.”
That mindset became foundational for me and my girlfriend. We’re achievers.
January 6, 2003: Grand Opening
I opened my doors on January 6, 2003.
Back then, January was everything in fitness. New Year’s resolutions were serious. It was the time women said, “This is it. I’m going to do it this year!”
Leading up to that week, there was demolition inside my space. Painting. Equipment installation. Hiring staff. Training staff. Marketing: newspaper ads, flyers, lead boxes. My appointment book was so full, I could barely track how many women were scheduled.
Curves sends a mentor for the grand opening week. And let me tell you, they don’t mess around.
Energy Inside the Club
The energy inside my club was high. I’m a pretty fun person. I work very hard, but I don’t make it miserable, at least I hope I don’t. You attract the kind of members that gravitate toward the energy you put out.
My club was fun. Exciting. Women were laughing. Encouraging one another. Some would say, “You guys are always having so much fun! I want a job here too!”
I hired high school girls who brought a great vibe and energy. I had women my age and women my mom’s age working for me. Every generation was represented. And it reflected the membership: women of all ages. It was amazing.
But inside, I still had this quiet worry: “I hope I made the right decision.”
I had earned good money in advertising. I loved what I did. I had mastered that world. Walking away from mastery is terrifying.
So I said, “Please send me a sign that I made the right decision.”
The next morning, a woman grabbed my hands and said:
“Kim, thank you for opening this club in our neighborhood. It’s going to be life-changing for me.”
And I burst into tears.
It was all the anticipation, the anxiety, the energy bubbling up. That was the sign.
First message: I need to go do something that helps people.
Second message: someone is actually thanking me for doing it.
I was on a mission.
I was so excited. So proud.
“Look at my club! It’s so pretty!”
“Look at my staff! They’re amazing!”
“Look at my appointment book!”
And she was focused:
“Is your banking ready?”
“Is this ready?”
“Are you prepared to run consultations back to back?”
At one point, I suggested she spend more time with my manager; my girlfriend, because I was still transitioning out of my advertising job.
She looked at me and said:
“Who owns the club?”
“I do.”
“Then I’ll spend time with you.”
That was my first real lesson in business ownership: inspect what you expect. If you don’t know how to do it, don’t leave it entirely to someone else. Learn everything first. Then delegate.
The grand opening week was brutal and exhilarating.
By Thursday night, we had signed 101 members…record-breaking at the time.
By the end of the month, we had 220 members.
At that point, it was clear. I could not stay in my advertising job. My business was exploding. I had to take care of it.
The Dream of Eight Clubs
From the beginning, I wanted eight Curves. I have no idea where that number came from, but it was clear in my head.
The system at the time required you to prove yourself with one club before buying another. The challenge was that Curves was selling so fast, by the time you proved yourself, that territories were often gone. Great owners couldn’t always secure additional locations.
But I made my intentions clear. I wanted to grow. The sales rep explained how it worked. I pursued securing a second club nearby before everything sold out.
My first club performed extremely well. By November of my first year, I became Franchisee of the Year. Six months later, I opened my second club, and had my second child.
I always say: two is terrible, three is good, five is great.
Two is hard because you’re dividing yourself. It forces you to build systems and leadership inside your business.
Mastering Before Improving
As I grew, I got to know other owners in Chicago. A co-op formed in Chicago among franchise owners. But I didn’t love the tone. It felt like, “Corporate says this, but we want to do that.”
That didn’t make sense to me. If I joined a system, why would I fight it? That’s like working inside a company and constantly pushing against your boss. With thousands of clubs, surely the best ideas are coming from corporate. Why swim against the current?
So we formed our own group. Our focus was simple:
What has corporate given us?
How can we execute it better?
Where are our operational weak spots?
How can we help each other improve?
We stay aligned with the company and elevated what was provided. Anything suggested, we did a little more: same strategy, stronger execution. When you master the system, then you can see opportunities for improvement.
It doesn’t come from saying, “I was a top-notch Creative Director, let me tell you how to fix the marketing.” My role was to master the business in the trenches. I have to understand why women love Curves, and experience it from any age and stage of life. Because of that, I became Franchisee of the Year.
I began bringing my advertising background into that space, not to override the system, but to enhance it. We would take corporate marketing and do a little bit more. Amplify it. Strengthen it. Stay aligned while elevating.
That balance: discipline first, innovation second, shaped how I lead today. I don’t know too many people at Curves who have both deep franchise experience and an advertising background like mine.
I am really excited about what we built, and what’s happening today because of it.
Everything I lead today started that week.
With a full appointment book. A tough mentor. 101 sign-ups. 220 members.
And one woman who grabbed my hands and said thank you.
That was the moment I stopped being someone who bought a franchise… and became an owner of a Curves club.
Interested in experiencing Curves for yourself?
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Thinking of following in Kim’s footsteps?
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