Corbin Jennings opened his first MADabolic studio in Arlington, Virginia, five years ago. Following Jennings’ second studio opening, Eric Bolden came on board as general manager in 2019. Since joining forces, the powerhouse team has gone full steam ahead, with two additional locations set to open late this year and another five in the pipeline. By Lizzy Yeserski
Corbin Jennings opened his first MADabolic studio in Arlington, Virginia, five years ago. Following Jennings’ second studio opening, Eric Bolden came on board as general manager in 2019. Since joining forces, the powerhouse team has gone full steam ahead, with two additional locations set to open late this year and another five in the pipeline.
“Before this, I was stuck doing Excel 10 to 12 hours a day,” Jennings said. Now he’s doing something he truly enjoys, surrounded by people he loves. Besides helping clients hit their fitness milestones, Jennings and Bolden have a passion for supporting their community and rallying behind meaningful social justice causes.
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, the duo established a “Run Against Racism” campaign to raise awareness about police brutality and systemic racism.
The half-marathon event expanded into a 14-week objective, inviting participants to raise monies based on miles completed. “Along the way, we met up weekly at an outdoor track and hosted a training session,” Bolden explained. “We also took time at the beginning of each session to address different issues that were all over TV and newspapers.”
75 runners completed the final 13.1-mile run, supported by more than 500 donors. The team raised $45,000 from social media engagement alone. “It was a big drive for us,” Bolden said.
Then there are the locally-driven efforts that Jennings and Bolden rush to embrace. They helped one member raise $100,000 on behalf of a research project named after her mother, who was battling a fatal blood disease. They also created a fundraiser for another client’s fiancé, who suffered a devastating motorcycle accident.
And in a fantastic show of solidarity, Jennings and Bolden helped employees of other gyms who had been cut from payroll during the pandemic while prioritizing their own staff. “We took the PPE money we got to make sure people got paid,” Jennings said.
For all the good they’ve accomplished, Jennings and Bolden remain humble.
“We certainly don’t do any of this for the recognition,” Jennings said. “We have a platform; whenever there’s an opportunity, we’re happy to contribute.”
To learn more about franchising opportunities with MADabolic and how you can impact your community, visit madabolic.com/own-a-madabolic today.
– Lizzy Yeserski