Congratulations on being recognized as one of the 10 Fabulous Companies of the Year 2025! What does this achievement mean to you and your team?
It’s a great honor, but more than anything, it’s a reflection of the hard work being done by our franchisees and their teams. PickUp USA was built from the ground up by people who believe in the power of basketball to create structure, community, and opportunity—and this recognition validates that. We’re proud of how far we’ve come and even more focused on where we’re going.
This recognition isn’t just about brand visibility; it speaks to the strength of our franchise model and the dedication of everyone involved in bringing it to life. From our corporate team to our operators on the ground, everyone plays a vital role in delivering a consistent, high-quality experience to our members. Being named one of the Fabulous Companies of the Year is a meaningful milestone, and we view it as fuel to keep refining, expanding, and elevating what we do every day.
PickUp USA has built a unique niche in the basketball fitness and training space. What inspired the founding of the company, and how has the vision ?
The idea started with adult pickup games—just structured, officiated basketball for adults in an environment where players could show up and count on organized, high-quality runs. That was it. There were no youth leagues, no private training programs, and no court rentals. We were simply solving one pain point: adults who loved basketball had no place to play where the experience was consistent and professionally run. That singular focus became the foundation of Pickup USA.
As demand grew and members asked for more, we started layering on new services: youth development programs, private training, and court rentals. Each addition was driven by member feedback and refined through the lens of operational simplicity and scalability. Over time, the model evolved into a fully integrated basketball fitness center—and eventually, a franchise system that empowers entrepreneurs to bring this concept to communities under one unified brand: PickUp USA.
What started as a single location to solve a local need has since evolved into a national franchise brand with a scalable model. The vision grew as we realized there were thousands of communities across the country with the same challenges and the same opportunities. Today, the mission has expanded to include empowering entrepreneurs, developing youth programs, and creating consistent access to structured basketball nationwide. The core idea hasn’t changed—but the reach and impact have grown exponentially.
How does the franchise model of PickUp USA work, and what sets it apart from traditional gym or sports facility franchises?
Franchisees license our brand and operating system and receive structured support from day one—from site selection and buildout to marketing, training, and daily operations. What makes us different is our focus: we’re not trying to be everything to everyone. We’re basketball-first. Our model delivers structured games, private training, youth development, and court rentals—all under one roof. This specialization creates a stronger identity and clearer path to revenue than general fitness models.
In addition, our support structure is deeply embedded into the day-to-day operations of our franchisees. We don’t just hand over a playbook; we walk alongside our franchisees through every phase of development and growth. Our programming is specialized, our revenue streams are diversified yet basketball-centric, and our customer base is highly engaged. That creates an ecosystem where owners can scale faster and more predictably than in more generalized fitness or sports models.
What are some of the biggest milestones or success stories you’ve achieved in the past year that contributed to your recognition in 2025?
We hit several major milestones. We opened new clubs in multiple states, restructured our operations team to better support our cornerstone clubs, and rolled out a proprietary marketing platform that has transformed how our franchisees manage their local campaigns. Most importantly, we’ve seen unit-level economics strengthen—more clubs are growing revenue month-over-month, which is always the clearest marker of success.
Another big win was the implementation of a stricter facility approval process, which has raised the overall financial sustainability of new clubs entering the system. We also improved our franchise onboarding systems, accelerating the learning curve for new operators. These changes have not only helped us grow but also grow the right way. Our model is more stable, our operators are more prepared, and our network is healthier because of it.
As CEO, what leadership principles do you follow to ensure your team and franchisees stay aligned with the company’s mission and values?
I follow the SERR framework: Strategy, Engineer, Recruit, Resource.
- · Set the right strategy
- · Engineer the system that will execute it
- · Continuously Recruit A-Players
- · Provide the resources they need to succeed
This keeps our internal team and our franchisees focused on performance, accountability, and scalable execution—without distractions or fluff.
I also believe in over-communication, simplicity, and alignment. We have a fast-moving business, and clarity is everything. I focus on eliminating unnecessary complexity, making sure the team is rowing in the same direction, and ensuring that every strategic decision ultimately serves our franchisees and customers. Leadership is about making sure the machine works—and then constantly optimizing that machine.
The fitness industry is highly competitive. How does PickUp USA maintain its competitive edge and ensure continued growth across markets?
We stay in our lane. We’re not a general fitness brand—we’re a basketball company. That clarity is our competitive edge. We’ve also built systems that scale: franchisees don’t need to reinvent the wheel. They follow a defined model, with structured programs, support, and vendor relationships that accelerate their growth curve and reduce operational drag.
We also prioritize innovation and listening to our operators. Our edge isn’t just in our concept—it’s in how quickly we adapt. Whether it’s refining our training modules, optimizing pre-sales processes, or upgrading our technology stack, we’re constantly iterating based on real-world feedback. That responsiveness, combined with a narrow focus on basketball, allows us to outpace broader, slower-moving competitors.
Can you share how technology and innovation play a role in the services or operations of PickUp USA facilities?
Absolutely. We have a wide range of technology systems powering everything from member check-ins to sales tracking to operational performance reviews. ClubReady and Digital Stack are two examples, but they’re just part of a larger tech infrastructure that supports scalable execution across the network. We’ve implemented ClubReady for member management and Digital Stack for marketing operations, giving franchisees better visibility, automation, and execution. Our centralized marketing system allows clubs to run branded campaigns, track performance, and localize efforts—all in one platform. We’re also developing data dashboards to track KPIs across the network and give real-time feedback to operators.
Technology is a key part of our ability to scale and differentiate. By centralizing tools like member management, scheduling, and marketing automation, we reduce the operational burden on franchisees while also ensuring brand consistency. We now have a fully integrated command center that helps every club manager make better decisions daily, using real-time data and centralized tools to support more informed, efficient, and consistent operations across the network. That’s what will drive long-term systemwide performance.
Franchisee satisfaction is key to sustainable growth. What support systems or training does PickUp USA offer to ensure franchisee success?
Support starts before a location even opens—and in many cases, before a location is even chosen. We assist franchisees with early-stage financing strategy and planning, including guidance on loan options, financial modeling, and feasibility thresholds. From there, we provide hands-on support with site selection, using our real estate partners to identify qualified locations that align with our buildout standards and operational requirements.
Once a site is secured, we help franchisees navigate lease negotiations and kick off the construction phase. We offer detailed buildout specifications, pre-approved vendor relationships, and a comprehensive construction playbook to ensure each facility is delivered on time and on budget. As the buildout progresses, our team simultaneously supports pre-sales strategy and execution—including marketing planning, local campaign scheduling, and outreach programs.
Operational training follows shortly after. We onboard franchisees into all core systems, from ClubReady and Digital Stack to staffing procedures and service delivery standards. By the time a location opens, franchisees have had months of layered, end-to-end support designed to set them up for success on day one and beyond. Once they’re live, they receive hands-on training, operational playbooks, and access to ongoing support across sales, marketing, HR, and finance.
We believe success is engineered. That’s why our training systems are modular, our marketing is centralized, and our operations support is proactive. We don’t wait for problems to arise—we check in regularly, offer data-based insights, and help franchisees get ahead of issues. The better our franchisees perform, the stronger our brand becomes. So we invest heavily in the systems that make that performance predictable and replicable.
What challenges have you faced in scaling the business nationally (or internationally), and how have you overcome them?
Every franchise system hits growing pains—ours came with permitting delays, overextended operators, and early-stage marketing inefficiencies. We addressed these by tightening approval processes, creating better financial thresholds for feasibility, and standardizing onboarding. More importantly, we learned to say no. Not every candidate is the right fit, and scaling smart is more important than scaling fast.
Another challenge was aligning every new club around the same operational standards. With a niche concept like ours, consistency is critical. We built playbooks, created checklists, implemented compliance audits, and restructured our internal team to provide more hands-on guidance. That allowed us to grow while preserving the integrity of the brand. Every challenge became a learning opportunity—and those learnings are now baked into our system.
Looking ahead, what are your major goals and vision for PickUp USA in the next 3 to 5 years?
Our focus is on building a financially sustainable network of strong operators, even if that means growing more slowly. We’re not chasing unit count—we’re chasing healthy economics. Every club in our system needs to work, not just for the brand, but for the owner running it. That’s where our attention is: making sure each operator has the tools, resources, and systems to generate meaningful cash flow and long-term success.
After 13 years of refining this model across a wide range of markets, we’ve built a machine that works. New franchisees aren’t experimenting—they’re stepping into a well-oiled system that has been tested, optimized, and proven. Our role is to support their execution, not to overcomplicate it. We’ve built something powerful, and the next phase is about amplifying that strength through disciplined expansion and world-class support.
Organization Name: PickUp USA Franchise Company
Website: https://pickupusafitness.com/
Established: 2016
Highlighted Leader: Jordan Meinster, CEO
Workplace Address: Pasadena, CA