In today’s fast-paced business environment, scalability is not just a buzzword; it’s a necessity. Entrepreneurs often get trapped in the daily grind of running their businesses, neglecting to put in place the systems, procedures, and people needed for sustainable growth. Without this foundation, companies hit bottlenecks, suffer inefficiencies, and face the risk of stalling or failing. This series aims to delve deep into the intricacies of operational scalability. How do you set up a framework that can adapt to growing customer demands? What are the crucial procedures that can streamline business operations? How do you build a team that can take on increasing responsibilities while maintaining a high standard of performance?
In this interview series, we are talking to CEOs, Founders, Operations Managers Consultants, Academics, Tech leaders & HR professionals, who share lessons from their experience about “How To Set Up Systems, Procedures, And People To Prepare A Business To Scale”. As part of this series, we had the pleasure of interviewing Don Allen.
Don Allen is the Chief Operating Officer of Zoom Room, a premier dog training franchise. He’s spent decades in franchising, working both as a multi-unit franchisee and on the franchisor side for national brands including KidStrenght and Orange Theory Fitness, and has led everything from opening new markets to boosting company profits by huge margins. Along the way, he’s built and led teams of hundreds, presented at industry conferences across the globe, and earned a reputation for getting results without losing sight of the people who make them happen. Don mixes strategy with humor, believes the best teams laugh a lot, and swears the right systems can make work feel a whole lot less like work.
Thank you so much for your time! I know that you are a very busy person. Our readers would love to “get to know you” a bit better. Can you tell us a bit about your ‘backstory’ and how you got started?
I was born in Atlanta but grew up in St. Petersburg, Florida, where I had a wonderful childhood filled with outdoor adventures, water sports and just about every sport I could get into. My parents were entrepreneurs who owned their own business, and from them I picked up a strong entrepreneurial spirit and a strong work ethic early on. In our house, if I wanted something big like a new BMX bike, I had to create a business plan and present it. Sometimes that meant splitting the cost with my dad and figuring out how to earn my half.
There was no corporal punishment in our family, but sometimes I almost wished there was because if I got in trouble, I might end up rebuilding the back deck, fixing the roof, or servicing the cars. I would be sent to Home Depot to talk to people, learn the process, get the tools, and do the job. At the time, it felt like a lot, but looking back I am incredibly thankful for those lessons.
After high school, I spent a year at the University of South Florida before transferring to the University of Florida in Gainesville to major in exercise science. I needed a job during college, so I started working at Gainesville Health and Fitness Center. At 19, I did not realize I had just walked into one of the top, if not the top, single health club operations in the world. The owner, Joe Cirulli, became a mentor and later a friend. That facility did not just teach me how to work with clients; it taught me how to run a business from the ground up. I had no idea I would spend the next 30-plus years in the fitness industry, but that is where the journey began.
It has been said that our mistakes can be our greatest teachers. Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?
Soon after I started at Gainesville Health and Fitness, there was a program to be promoted to supervisor. Everybody wanted that job. It came with a huge pay increase of 50 cents an hour, which I say with heavy sarcasm. I think it took me from around $4.65 an hour to $5.15, if I remember right. Shout-out to you, Joe Cirulli, for knowing how to keep payroll in check.
When I first got promoted, my leadership style could best be described as Darth Vader. I had this new authority, and I could tell people what to do and they had to do it. I quickly learned that this approach only worked if you were standing right there watching. As soon as you left the room, people were just relieved you were gone and their effort dropped.
So, I swung too far the other way and tried to be everyone’s buddy. That did not work either, because people would take advantage of it, sometimes right to your face. Eventually, I learned the middle ground: the balance of accountability, respect and charisma that gets people to follow you because they want to. I was lucky to learn those lessons early in my career and in an environment that gave me the room to make those mistakes and improve.
What do you think makes your company stand out? Can you share a story?
For me, there are two big things that make Zoom Room stand out, and they were the same two things that stood out to me when I was deciding to join the team.
The first is that Zoom Room reminds me so much of Orangetheory Fitness in the early days. Back then, there was so much white space and so little competition that the upside potential felt limitless. I remember thinking that if we came out strong, innovated and grew quickly, we could stay ahead of any competitor or copycat. I feel that same energy here. Zoom Room is unique. There is no real competition for what we do, and it is exciting to be part of a brand with such a clear path to lead the market.
The second thing is that Zoom Room connects the opportunity to run a successful business with one of life’s great loves: our dogs. It’s more than an intellectual business decision, it’s emotional. I have heard so many stories from owners and team members about certain dogs that completely turned their day around. Maybe the air conditioning went out or something broke in the store and stress levels were high, but then a favorite dog came through the door and the whole mood changed. That connection is powerful. There are a lot of great businesses to be in, but I think that is something special about Zoom Room and one of the reasons I am so proud to be here.
You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?
I’m not sure I would call myself all that successful yet. It’s a work in progress. I try every day to be, but I think success is more than just profits. For me, it’s about the relationships you build and the way you treat people along the way. Everyone says that but putting it into practice is different. Looking back, there are three traits that have helped me the most.
The first is that I have always been a silver linings person. My 17-year-old son gets frustrated with me because he says I never let him just complain. I always have something positive to say. I can usually find the opportunity in any situation, no matter how bad it looks. One of the best examples I ever saw of this was from a mentor who owned restaurants in Fort Myers. After a hurricane, the team told him there was about $1 million worth of food about to spoil because there was no power. He asked if the grills and smokers still worked and if they had gas. When the answer was yes, he told them to pull out every grill and smoker, cook all the food and give it away to anyone who needed it. It turned into one of the best public relations moments I have ever seen, and people were still talking about it years later. That moment taught me that even in the worst situations, there is always a way to create something good.
The second trait is a sense of humor, especially being able to laugh at myself. One of my mentors told me that self-deprecation is a great way to get to know people better. It stuck with me because this was someone who was already very impressive, wealthy, and successful, yet he used humor at his own expense to break down barriers. I have tried to do the same. More than likely, people already think I’m a dork or that I have a bad haircut or walk funny, so I just go ahead and say it myself. It gets it out of the way so we can focus on what matters.
The third trait is something that changed in me after my son was born. From that point on, I began looking at everyone I worked with through the lens of how I would want my son to be treated if he were in their shoes. It made me more caring and more intentional about building family-style relationships at work. I want people to leave a job with me on good terms, stay in touch, and feel comfortable calling years later to share life updates. I remember a young man named Jason who worked for me, left the gym, and called me a year later just to tell me he had earned his first six-figure income. We were both thrilled. Another friend left soon after 9/11 to join the Army and sent me emails from overseas just to keep me updated. Those relationships mean a lot to me. Some say I get too close, but I believe the positives far outweigh the negatives. The Zoom Room corporate team has become a new family to me, and I love that.
Leadership often entails making difficult decisions or hard choices between two apparently good paths. Can you share a story with us about a hard decision or choice you had to make as a leader? I’m curious to understand how these challenges have shaped your leadership.
Leadership can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be lonely at times. I take it as an honor to be looked to as a leader, and I do not take that responsibility lightly. Still, it reminds me a lot of the “man in the arena” quote. It is easy to criticize the quarterback when you are sitting in the stands with a Coke and a hot dog, especially if you have never played the sport. I think the same is true in business. It is human nature to think you know exactly what should be done until you are the one making the call.
I often tell young leaders that the moment you make a decision you believe will make everyone happy, you will quickly find out there is a group who will be unhappy with it. One of the clearest examples I have comes from the late 1990s and early 2000s in the fitness industry, when many clubs started phasing out racquetball. I remember the company I worked for closing a racquetball court, and the uproar was unbelievable. There were angry letters, threats to cancel memberships, and it felt like we might lose a huge chunk of the business. In reality, it turned out to be a small but very vocal minority. Most of the people who complained stayed, and when we converted that court into something new, it was loved by an even greater percentage of members.
That experience taught me that sometimes, in leadership, you have to make the decision that feels risky and unpopular in the moment because you believe it is the right thing for the future. It will not please everyone, but over time the benefits often outweigh the noise.
Certainly, when working to elevate a brand like Zoom Room, decisions must be made quickly, and often there is inertial resistance to that change — even when it is logically necessary.
Thank you for all that. Let’s now turn to the main focus of our discussion about Operational Scalability. In order to make sure that we are all on the same page, let’s begin with a simple definition. What does Operational Scalability mean to you?
For me, operational scalability means having a strong, clear, and repeatable way of doing things. It is the idea that there is a shared understanding of “the way we do things here.” A new hire should be able to pick it up quickly, and a new franchisee should immediately see the path forward. It also has to be simple enough to be copied and repeated without losing its effectiveness. If it is too complicated, it will break down as you grow.
Scalability also means it can be understood and embraced by people with different personalities, backgrounds, and working styles. The systems need to be structured enough to maintain consistency but flexible enough that people can make them their own while still following the same core process. For me, true operational scalability is that perfect blend of clarity, simplicity, and adaptability that allows a business to grow without losing its identity.
For me, operational scalability means having a strong, clear, and repeatable way of doing things. It is the idea that there is a shared understanding of “the way we do things here.” A new hire should be able to pick it up quickly, and a new franchisee should immediately see the path forward. It also has to be simple enough to be copied and repeated without losing its effectiveness. If it is too complicated, it will break down as you grow.
Scalability also means it can be understood and embraced by people with different personalities, backgrounds, and working styles. The systems need to be structured enough to maintain consistency but flexible enough that people can make them their own while still following the same core process. For me, true operational scalability is that perfect blend of clarity, simplicity, and adaptability that allows a business to grow without losing its identity. In a brand like Zoom Room that’s poised for explosive growth, being set and ready for scalability is block #1 in the foundation.
Which types of business can most benefit from investing in Operational Scalability?
You might think operational scalability is only important for businesses planning to open multiple locations or for franchises looking to grow their network. In reality, I believe even a single-location business can benefit from it. I have always liked the idea of acting “as if.” Even if you only have one location, running it as if you will one day scale, grow and open more units forces you to put better systems in place.
If that growth never happens, you still end up with stronger operations and more consistent customer experience. I think all businesses, whether single-unit, multi-unit, early-stage franchise, or even an established franchise brand in a plateau phase, can benefit from improving operational scalability. Using the “as if” mindset, you build your structure as though you are about to double in size, and in the process, you make the business stronger and more efficient.
For example, in a brand like Zoom Room, system execution must be strong at the individual unit level for the brand to grow.
Why is it so important for a business to invest time, energy, and resources into Operational Scalability?
I believe in fine-tuning operations until they are as sharp and efficient as possible. One of the best ways to do this is through what I call zero-base designing your operations. No matter whether you are a single unit, a large multi-unit, or a franchise network, I think it is a valuable exercise to run at least once a year.
I like to hold a counter-strategy session. You take an honest look at your business and ask: If we were going to start a company to compete with ourselves, where would we attack? What weaknesses could we exploit? Then you ask: What do we do so well that an opposing company would be intimidated to compete with us? Those strengths get enhanced even further, making the business even harder to compete with.
Investing the time, energy, and resources into operational scalability is always a positive. It sharpens the sword and keeps the company in a state where it can compete at its highest level, whether that competition is here now or comes along in the future. At Zoom Room, we run bi-annual counter strategy sessions to identify areas of opportunity for our company.
In contrast, what happens to a business that does not invest time, energy, and resources into Operational Scalability?
When I imagine a company that does not invest time, energy, and resources into operational scalability, I can almost feel the anxiety rise. It feels like leaving the doors wide open for a competitor to walk in and take advantage of vulnerabilities. I tend to operate every day as if somewhere in a boardroom there is a team of very capable people discussing whether to enter our space and compete with us.
My goal is always to have the companies I work for be so strong that when those smart, competent people look at us, they decide to put their money elsewhere. I want them to think there is no way they can make money competing against us because we are too strong, too efficient, and too well run. That level of preparation only comes from consistently investing in operational scalability.
Can you please share a story from your experience about how a business grew dramatically when they worked on their Operational Scalability?
One of my favorite examples of explosive growth through operational scalability comes from my time with Orangetheory Fitness. This is my perception from the field, so it may not be exactly how the corporate office would describe it, but I remember it clearly. In the early days, Orangetheory relied on very experienced, highly specialized, and highly certified coaches who could design part of the workout themselves and deliver it in their own style. These trainers were great at what they did and loved the brand, but there simply were not enough of them to support opening hundreds or even thousands of locations.
At some point, the corporate team made a pivotal decision. They brought in specialists at the corporate office to design every workout down to the minute, the second, the weight and the movement. That allowed them to focus on hiring charismatic, engaging coaches who were great with people, great with music, and certified to lead classes, but who did not need to design the workouts from scratch.
The moment that change happened, the business became exponentially more scalable. The pool of qualified coaches was suddenly much larger, consistency across locations improved, and the brand could expand at a much faster pace. In my view, that was a turning point when Orangetheory was able to grow its unit count quickly and confidently. We see a very similar situation happening at Zoom Room. The good news is we can identify and solve it quickly because we’ve seen it before.
Here is the primary question of our discussion. Based on your experience and success, what are the “Five Most Important Things A Business Leader Should Do To Set Up Systems, Procedures, And People To Prepare A Business To Scale”? If you can, please share a story or an example for each.
1 . Best idea wins. A true best idea can defend itself against challenge, so debate is encouraged. But best ideas win, and they can come from anyone. Within our Zoom Room network, we encourage idea “farming” from both the corporate team and the franchise network.
2 . Surround yourself with talented people. Hire people you love to work with and give them freedom of movement and job security. One of my first initiatives as COO of Zoom Room was to give job stability and then unleash them to strive and grow.
3 . Stick to your guns but know when to pivot. Don’t allow “next big ideas” to cover up the fact that the last “big idea” was never executed. This is a very common mistake in franchising. It’s OK to pivot, but make sure you’ve executed at the best possible level.
4 . Hone your craft. Learned from those operators who have achieved more than you. This can be inside a network like Zoom Room, but don’t be afraid to look outside your own “bubble” to learn.
5 . Communicate and embed systems. Once a system is designed and implemented, communicate it, train on it, and communicate it again. Make it part of your company’s DNA. BE RELENTLESS.
What are some common misconceptions businesses have about scaling? Can you please explain?
One of the biggest misconceptions I see about scaling is the belief that if you can execute at a high level in a corporate-owned location, the same results will automatically happen when franchisees or other operators take over. The same issue arises in corporate-owned businesses that are very talent-driven. You can get a false sense of security that your systems are rock solid when, in reality, you might just have an exceptional talent or superstar making it all work.
The trouble comes when you try to scale. That is when you discover the system itself may not be as strong as you thought. It was working because of the individual, not the process. That is why I always try to build systems that make the average person look world class. Talented people are great, and I want everyone who works with me to be more talented than I am, but the foundation still has to be strong. If the systems are built well, they lift everyone’s performance, not just the top performers.
At every brand I’ve been a part of, there are top performers that can be uncompliant. This is a unique, skill-based success, not brand success.
How do you keep your team motivated during periods of rapid growth or change?
I think this is a great question because high pressure, rapid growth and major change can stress people out. There are a few core things I try very hard to do. I do not always get them right, but my team knows my heart is in the right place. One is maintaining personal relationships with them. We can talk about things other than work, and I know a bit about what makes them tick. I love knowing their kids’ names, their dogs’ names, their hobbies, and the interesting things they have done in the past. Those conversations help reduce stress and let off steam when it is needed.
Another thing I do is what my team would probably call counterintuitive management. The higher the pressure gets, the sillier I become and the more I look for ways to bring fun into the mix. Many leaders let their own stress rise with the company’s stress, but I try to make those two things move in opposite directions. While I may be stressed inside, I want my team to feel that I am steady and supportive. I am always ready with a bad dad joke if it will break the tension. I keep reminding them that we are going to be fine, that we will get through this, and that if we stay relentless and refuse to quit, better days are ahead.
That mindset comes from my experience doing Ironman races. I am not very fast, but I learned that if I simply refuse to quit, no matter what happens, I will finish. I take that same approach in business: keep moving forward and things will improve. I think my team feels that from me, and I hope it gives them peace when the pressure is on.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you share how that was relevant to you in your life?
One of my favorite life lesson quotes is very simple, which is perfect for someone like me who likes things clear and easy to remember. When I was about 20 years old, I took a sociology class in college. The professor and I would debate a lot in class, but for some reason she took a liking to me, and we would talk after class. One day she said, “Don, if I can give you one piece of life advice, it would be this: be where you’re at.”
At first, I smiled and probably looked a little confused, so she explained. She told me that whatever you are doing in a given moment, be fully there. If you are in class, give it your complete attention so you do not have to spend hours later catching up or studying. If you are at work, focus fully on your job so you do great work, earn promotions, and make more money. That way, when you are off the clock enjoying your hobbies, your friends, or your family, you are not worrying about work or school because you handled those things when it was time to handle them.
She said it much more artfully than I ever could, but the lesson has stuck with me for over 30 years. I share it all the time because I believe it applies to everyone. Teenagers, business owners, parents, anyone in any field can benefit from it. If you make a habit of truly being where you are in each moment, you can experience more success, less stress, and a lot more enjoyment in life.
You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. :-)
If I could start a movement, it would be about teaching and encouraging people to reach their full potential by seeing themselves as capable of more than they ever imagined. I would call it something like “Relentless Forward” because it would be built on the belief that no matter where you start, you can create a better future if you just keep moving forward and refuse to quit.
The heart of the movement would be helping people develop the mindset, habits, and confidence to change their own circumstances. That could mean leadership development for young people, mentorship for those who have never had it, or giving small business owners the tools and systems to thrive. The common thread would be equipping people with skills, encouragement, and belief in themselves so they can create a ripple effect in their families and communities.
I have seen over and over in my own career that when someone is given the tools and the belief to succeed, it changes not just their life, but the lives of everyone around them. If enough of us commit to helping others rise, the impact can be massive.
How can our readers further follow your work online?
Zoomroom.com
Donallen@zoomroom.com
https://www.linkedin.com/in/doallen/
Thank you so much for sharing these important insights. We wish you continued success and good health!
