How a $20K Fitness Contest Launched Her Franchise Journey

Raisa Zovklaya didn’t have the money to start a franchise—so she entered a $20K fitness contest. She lost… but kept going anyway. In this episode, Wes sits down with Raisa to unpack her bold leap from nursing into franchise ownership with Project Lean Nation, how she funded it, built community, and found purpose. This is what betting on yourself really looks like.

⏱️ Timestamps:

00:00 – Wes mispronounces Raisa’s last name 😅

00:44 – Meet Raisa: Ukrainian-born, Syracuse-raised

05:13 – From CrossFit curiosity to franchise opportunity

06:50 – The $20K fitness contest that sparked everything

09:40 – Losing the contest but refusing to quit

11:15 – High-interest loan → franchise fee paid

13:30 – Choosing the perfect location with Tim

18:45 – What Project Lean Nation actually does

22:00 – Why passion, not profit, drove her decision

29:50 – Burnout, delegation, and team building

37:00 – How community and networking fuel real growth

45:10 – Why she says: “If you're in it just to open a business, this isn’t for you.”

55:00 – Her vision for store #2 (and beyond)

7 Steps to Owning a Franchise:

https://path2frdm-1.hubspotpagebuilder.com/path-to-freedom-about-franchising

🔗 Want help finding the right franchise? Book a free strategy call with Wes:  https://calendly.com/wes-barefoot/introcallwithwes

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