Lindsay Junk is an accomplished triathlete/marathon runner, who’s also a working mother of 3, and extremely passionate about fitness and knowing the importance work life balance. As the President of YogaSix, Lindsay oversees the complete franchise operations from real estate, development, studio operations, marketing and finance. Prior to YogaSix, Lindsay held leadership roles at YogaWorks and TruFusion, as well as her own consulting company.
Tell us a little bit about your background and what brought you to YogaSix?
From an early age and into college, I played sports, competing in varsity cross country at the University of Hawaii, doing ironman triathletes, and swimming. I’ve always been competitive, so after college, I took that drive with me to roles at Gold’s Gym, 24-Hour Fitness, and worked my way up in the industry to YogaWorks. After 8 years there, I started my own fitness consulting company and later became Chief Development Officer at TruFusion. This is where I learned the ropes of franchising, and eventually got introduced to Xponential Fitness, an emerging franchisor at the time. I connected with Xponential’s mission, culture, and people right away and jumped on the opportunity to become President of YogaSix when they acquired the brand in 2018. Now I’ve been with YogaSix for six years, and it’s been a dream role.
What is YogaSix for those who may not be familiar? How does YogaSix bring the ancient practice of yoga to a modern audience?
YogaSix is the largest franchised yoga brand in the United States, and we offer many kinds of heated and non-heated yoga classes accessible to all. There is truly something for everyone with our class formats including Y6 101, Y6 Restore, Y6 Slow Flow, Y6 Hot, Y6 Power, Y6 TRX, Y6 Mix, and Y6 Sculpt Flow. We offer a fresh take on the ancient practice of yoga by eliminating the intimidation factor and expanding the practice in new directions with strength-building, cardio-boosting, mobility-increasing formats and more. Studios and staff are welcoming and inclusive, and we explain the yoga poses and flows in layman’s terms, as Sanskrit terminology can be confusing to yoga newcomers.
YogaSix is now one of the largest franchised yoga brands in the world. To what do you attribute that growth and success?
There are several factors driving our success, most notably our dedicated franchise partners and Xponential’s tried-and-true franchise business model. We have amazing owners from all walks of life that are doing incredible things in their communities, bringing the immense benefits of yoga to as many people as possible. Yoga has also seen a resurgence in recent years as people prioritize their health and wellness, especially post pandemic. Yoga is great for improving mobility and flexibility and reducing stress, all things people need right now more than ever. Fitness enthusiasts and athletes are also realizing the benefits of yoga as cross-training. It can help with recovery and improve performance in other activities or types of exercise.
How does YogaSix differentiate itself from and stay ahead of competitors in the space?
One differentiator we have is our franchisees who know their local communities better than anyone. They can take our incredible YogaSix experience and tailor it/elevate it to the specific needs of their members and community, which you can’t get from a lot of yoga programs, especially virtual ones. That “local edge” is a huge benefit. Our variety of class types is also a major differentiator. There is truly something for everybody on our schedule, whether you want to improve mobility, build strength, or simply sweat out your stress. You can achieve a well-rounded fitness routine at our studios. Furthermore, our brand continues to foster the next generation of yoga lovers and instructors with our 200-hour and 300-hour Yoga Teacher Trainings. We have fantastic Master Trainers and instructors that set us apart from other brands and help YogaSix to continue delivering world-class yoga experiences day in and day out.
What has been your greatest achievement as President of YogaSix? Any particular memory or moment that stands out?
One of the biggest achievements has been reaching 190 open studios so far. When I first came to the brand, there were only a couple dozen locations and we weren’t sure if we’d ever reach such milestones like 100 and 150, and now we’re at nearly 200. It’s been so rewarding to see our brand, and more importantly, our Y6 family grow over these last several years. I believe our talented team here at headquarters and all of our franchise partners will make that dream a reality. Anything is possible when we all come together with a common goal.
How do you motivate yourself and your team to keep performing at your best each day?
I think yoga provides a lot of the groundwork for how I like to keep myself and my team motivated. A lot of people think you have to get your team hyped up and energized to drive results. While there is a time and place for that, I find that our team performs best by practicing mindfulness and slowing down a bit. Being present has been key in driving productivity and success on the YogaSix team. For example, when you’re distracted by an email or social media during a meeting, you might miss something important, and then you end up more stressed than when you walked into the meeting. By slowing down a bit, practicing mindfulness and living in the moment, you can get so much more done, stay motivated, and prevent burnout.
What’s next on the horizon for YogaSix in 2025?
In 2025, we will continue to grow our footprint in the U.S. with new studio openings and welcoming more entrepreneurs into the YogaSix family, as well as continue supporting our international expansion in Germany and Japan. We are also rolling out our new class format Y6 Mobility.
