HOTWORX Founder: A Casual Conversation Built An 800 Location Empire
- May 7
- 2 min read
Episode 109: Stephen Smith
Kyle Matthews interviews Stephen Smith, founder and CEO of HOTWORX, a 24-hour infrared fitness studio franchise that has grown to over 800 locations since opening its first studio in 2017 after a Jamaica conversation sparked the “yoga in a sauna” concept and a patented infrared fitness sauna. Smith explains HOTWORX's model—app-based access and booking, isometric sauna sessions (30 minutes) and HIIT sauna workouts (15 minutes) using cycling, a total body trainer, and a patented dual-tank rower—plus the claimed benefits of heat, infrared energy, and “3D training.” He shares his entrepreneurial path from opening Bodyplex at 22 to Planet Beach franchising, key franchising lessons, scaling practices like one coach per 50 locations, a “10/10 work ethic” hiring rule, and the launch of Diet Trax and AI-driven TrainingTRAX with Body Vision and 90-day challenges, while targeting 2,000 locations by 2030.
Show Notes:
00:00 Work Ethic Filter
00:48 Meet Stephen Smith
02:41 Scaling to 800 Studios
04:13 What Is HOTWORX
06:28 Infrared Training Science
08:38 Jamaica Lightbulb Moment
09:55 Early Entrepreneur Roots
12:29 Bodyplex Leap of Faith
15:52 Golds Gym Lessons
17:30 Planet Beach Franchising
18:51 Franchisor Playbook
21:46 Work Life Balance Debate
23:15 Motivation and Football Mindset
26:30 From Fitness to Tanning
27:25 Reinventing Planet Beach
28:24 Naming HotWorks
29:11 Launching the First Studio
29:46 Turning Customers into Franchisees
31:23 Scaling with Coaches
33:22 Ambition and Growth Mindset
34:30 Diet Trax to TrainingTRAX
36:44 Gamified 90 Day Challenges
37:15 Body Vision and AI Coaching
39:32 AI for Operations
41:11 Exit Plans and IPO Talk
41:57 Workations and Balance
42:52 Advice for Younger Self
45:30 Wild Entrepreneur Stories
49:14 Wrap Up and Where to Find HOTWORX
