Anne Mahlum – How Purpose and Grit Built a $100M Fitness Empire

How Purpose and Grit Built a $100M Fitness Empire- Anne Mahlum, founder of Solidcore and Back on My Feet, shares the journey of turning purpose and grit into a scalable business while impacting hundreds of thousands of lives. From running nonprofit programs for the homeless to creating a $90 million fitness brand, Anne reveals how deliberate action, environment design, and strong community can drive both social and financial success.

In this episode, host Brendan McGurgan dives deep into Anne’s story, unpacking the mindset, habits, and systems that allowed her to scale with purpose—first in the nonprofit sector, then in the boutique fitness industry.

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Episode Highlights:

• How running and community-building at Back on My Feet humanised homelessness and created a ripple effect of societal impact

• The importance of environment and deliberate habit design in achieving personal and professional goals

• Transitioning from nonprofit success to launching a high-growth fitness brand without investors

• The unit economics and scalability strategy behind Solidcore’s first studio and rapid expansion

• Lessons on leadership, process design, and building repeatable ecosystems for growth

• How focusing on purpose and quality first, rather than money, leads to long-term success

• Stories of resilience, strategic risk-taking, and creating culture in a fast-scaling company

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Meet Anne Mahlum

Anne Mahlum is a founder, entrepreneur, CEO, philanthropist, motivational speaker, and athlete. She is the founder and former Executive Chairwoman of Solidcore, a boutique fitness company with over 100 locations in the U.S., which she scaled from her last $175,000 to a multimillion-dollar enterprise. Anne also founded Back on My Feet, a nonprofit that empowers individuals experiencing homelessness through running and community.

Anne has been recognised as an ABC World News Person, CNN Hero, top 40 under 40 in Philadelphia and Washington D.C., New Yorker of the Week, and Penjerdel’s Citizen of the Year. Her entrepreneurial ventures have created a personal net worth of over $100M while positively impacting hundreds of thousands of lives.

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Key Topics Covered:

→ Scaling purpose-driven initiatives: from nonprofit to profitable business
→ Designing environments that remove friction and enable success
→ The “rinse, repeat” approach to building systems, processes, and repeatable ecosystems
→ Unit economics and early indicators of scalable business models
→ Lessons in leadership: building businesses that work without depending on the founder
→ Creating culture and community in high-growth fitness enterprises
→ The interplay of grit, intuition, and calculated risk in entrepreneurship

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Who Should Listen

This episode is essential for entrepreneurs, SME leaders, social impact founders, and anyone looking to scale with purpose. If you’re seeking inspiration on combining social impact with profitable business growth, Anne’s journey provides a blueprint for leadership, resilience, and scaling effectively.

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About Anne Mahlum

Anne Mahlum is a visionary entrepreneur who has successfully blended purpose, passion, and profit. She is the founder of Solidcore, a boutique fitness brand, and Back on My Feet, a nonprofit transforming lives through running and community. Anne’s approach emphasizes deliberate action, scalable systems, and fostering community to create lasting impact.

LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/anne-mahlum/

Website: https://www.annemahlum.com/

About ScaleX™ and Simple Scaling

ScaleX™ Insider is brought to you by Simple Scaling — creators of the ScaleX™ Accelerator Programme.
A 12-month journey for ambitious SME leaders combining strategy, mindset work, and peer support to break through growth plateaus.

Host: Brendan McGurgan
Website: simplescaling.com

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