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The Mag   

The Mag, here with another episode of Franchise Marketing Radio, and this is going to be a good one Today we have with us Jennifer Cutillo with the BeBalanced welcome, Jen.

 

Jennifer Cutillo  

Hi, thank you so much for having me.

 

The Mag 

Well, I'm excited to learn what you're up to tell us a little bit about be balanced. How you serving folks.

 

Jennifer Cutillo  

Okay, so with BeBalanced we're a little bit unique in the marketplace, in our complete name is BeBalanced Hormone Weight Loss Centers. And sometimes people can think that we give hormone therapy or something like that we do not actually we are non-medical. And we give women the tools that they need to manage their hormones naturally and to get them balanced. And to alleviate the symptoms of PMS, menopause plus help them to lose weight very quickly, efficiently, and in a very healthy manner.

 

The Mag   

Well, can you explain for our listeners who aren't familiar with how hormones affect those things? Like they may not be familiar kind of the science behind it?

 

Jennifer Cutillo

Yeah, no problem. So, it's funny because women will often feel that something's off that something's just not working right for them anymore, that they used to be able to maintain a weight that now all of a sudden, they can't maintain it anymore. So, and that really answer is hormones. So, the stress in our culture, well it creates cortisol generates cortisol as you're familiar with. And cortisol has a major impact on all the rest of the hormones in your body and can throw everything out of balance. So, we help women to manage their stress through a number of different means through some natural supplementation, but also through lifestyle and dietary methods. 

 

Because stress isn't just your husband nagging you and your job being stressful, it's also all of the influences around us in our environment are the sound of our cell phone going off, you know, the impact of artificial lights and electromagnetic fields that were around in our computers all then image pain that we could be contributing or experiencing all of that contributes to other symptoms of hormone imbalance, which then can cause PMS and menopausal issues. And all that also insulin. Those are the two main hormones that we help with is cortisol, and then insulin. And Insulin is a hormone. And the impact of insulin is huge when it comes to everything else in your body, and the symptoms around it.

 

The Mag

Now it sounds like most people are kind of dying a death by 1000 cuts by being having all these stimuli affecting them negatively in lots of different ways. And you kind of stumbled upon a solution that helps kind of regulate some of that. And

 

Jennifer Cutillo  

It's true, our program is holistic, and that it really impacts every woman's systems in every woman's body. So, almost like the beginning is a wellness, immersion therapy, almost where we're so always hit with these messages of, oh, you should do this. And you should be doing that. And you should be doing this to take care of yourself. And it leaves us as women actually create more stress for us because we feel more like a failure of all the things that we're not able to do, you cannot possibly complete all of the should on the list that people try to add to your life, and you just end up feeling guilty then. 

 

So, we have a very comprehensive program that women come to us, and magic men can also do our program. It's just that women. We know how we always feel that dieting with our husbands and men, they do great, they lost all this weight and all they've done is stopped going to the donut shop and it's just not cool. But anyway, that's why we speak of women mostly, but we do help them. So, when women come in, our program is so it's completely comprehensive. So, they are eating a diet that balances their blood sugar and removes all of the inflammatory and foods that are often sensitive to our body. So, it kind of stops that damage from happening. And then we layer in natural supplements to help them support their liver while they detox from all of those kinds of toxins of the garbage food that we tend to eat. 

 

And then we also balanced their gut flora with probiotics, and we do relaxation therapy. It's different than a lot of other programs where you will go in and it's you know we have to do all of this intense exercise and do these things and sometimes those things are not helpful to your body. And your overall balance. So, we introduced different types of movement and exercise and relaxation and guided meditation, even to the extent of gratitude, and how that impacts your, your mentality, we see so many times with women, how much your mind really can impact your weight. So additionally, we help to balance estrogen and progesterone while they're going through our program.





The Mag

So is it something that they sign up for 30 days, 90 days, or is it something that is kind of just part of their lifestyle, now, when a client kind of finds this, they get some sort of an assessment to see where they're at and come up with a roadmap, and then you kind of have these touchpoints where you're helping them kind of, you know, just moderate their hormones and get everything under control, and also kind of chill them out a little bit?

 

Jennifer Cutillo  

Yeah, brilliantly. So pretty much and in a lot of those cases, so when women come to us, most of them, if they have weight to lose, they will start with our 14-week program, which is that kind of wellness, immersion therapy, that that they go through, and there are different phases of that program that take them through, you know, the initial lifestyle changes, and then education around how their body works. And we get, it's all supported through coaching and even ongoing classes after that, at the end of it, which our group and they are giving you kind of real life, eight, this donate that this is how this impacts you. Here's how to read labels to understand what works best for your body, discovering, you know, guiding them through discovering food sensitivities, and everything, we don't actually test hormones, because we are non-medical. 

 

So, but we do a symptom analysis, and they do a symptom analysis when they come to us in the beginning, and then they do it again at the end. And that helps to determine you know, if you have symptoms, you're doing our program, it's not, it's not medical, it's not interacting with any medications that you're on, you know, all those, we leave those to you and your doctor and support you in that journey. But ultimately, at the end of the day, when you do look at your symptom assessment, again, you see where all of your symptoms really get went down. And or in some cases, most cases actually are gone. So, then we work with you to help you to stay balanced. 

 

And that's when you enter our stay balanced program. And that is a monthly membership, which gives you supplementation, and also continued education, on the lifestyle behaviors and how they impact some of those things you wouldn't ever think, why do I get hot flashes after I, you know, have a latte, you know, a couple of hours later kind of help you to kind of trace those things back lots of education that comes in there to help people stay balanced.

 

The Mag

And it sounds like there's also an accountability component as well that by you know, taking part in being active in this that is kind of keeping you on this path.

 

Jennifer Cutillo 

Absolutely 100%. And really, it's, you know, our specialists work with each client individually and together kind of form what is that wellness goal? And what does it mean to their life? And why are they doing this, and it's keeping that in front of them throughout their journey. And watching these, the changes that they're making, and the real impactful difference it makes in their life. So, while their specialists are with them, coaching, guiding, educating, supporting all of that, and of course, accountability is all part of that. It's so multifaceted because there are real differences. And the changes that are happening in their bodies also help to support them to give them that positive feedback, that that rewards for their behaviors. And it's that continual positive reinforcement that helps our women to maintain their weight loss long-term.

 

The Mag  

Now let's talk a little bit about the franchisee side of things. You mentioned that you don't have to have a medical, I guess background in order to be a to-do that executes this plan. Is that being your franchisees typically, kind of medical people that are doing this as an adjunct to their existing business? Or are they just kind of wellness folks that want to serve and help people get those kinds of outcomes you were describing?

 

Jennifer Cutillo

Yeah, so we do have some medical people as part of our brand. Typically, those that are saying, I just feel like I'm not making as big of a difference. I want to have more time with the people that I see so that I don't feel like I'm just putting a band-aid on them of medication without really getting to the root cause of what they're dealing with and not meeting them not so they wouldn't need medication in the first place. So that's one but are only a very small portion of our franchisees that just because they are already, I don't even think that there's any, there's no aptitude that they have, which helps them to be more successful within the business, I really believe, I think it's just more than their interest already lies in helping people. 

 

And, you know, helping them make those choices to improve their quality of life. Mostly it's women that have done our program and men, of course, who have done our program and those that have also, you know, experienced the benefit of it. In fact, 100% of our franchisees had done our program, before they bought into our business. So once they have experienced the life change, and the empowerment really that comes from it, they are just excited about helping others along in the journey.

 

The Mag

Now, is this something? Do they need to have kind of a brick-and-mortar outpost? Or is it going to be done? virtually?

 

Jennifer Cutillo

Well, interesting. So, it's 2020. And the way it was, we are all brick and mortar. So, we do also serve our clients virtually. And the beneficial relationship of being in person with clients is really important. And honestly, the brick and mortar are beneficial because of just that context of seeing and your products are there locally for you. There's that in-person presence because we're so relational is so valuable for group settings and everything else. But we do serve our clients virtually. And we have done some more over this past year, which is good for convenience as well. So, we oftentimes people will do their initial consult virtually if they're busy, but then they want to come into the centers and see us and have you don't have to be part of the community that's really being formed around those local communities. 

 

The Mag

well, I would think that the community part is kind of part of the secret sauce, right? Because you're around a bunch of like-minded people who kind of believe what you believe, and you can all support and help each other through this.

 

Jennifer Cutillo 

Absolutely. It's so funny because, for me, it's kind of reminiscent of when, you know, we used to people, women get pregnant, and they have babies, and they go to childbirth classes. And it's like you're experiencing this transformation together that's so similar in that like they are bonded because they're sharing the experience at the same time. And the same thing happens when we go through this transformational program. It's, you're connected to those people that did it alongside you. So, there's normally that's an event because our program in itself is an opportunity group. 

 

It's really individualized in that way until later on when the education and other things are beneficial to be done in a group and the connections that are formed there. Continue outside of our centers. We hear about that all the time. And it is it's so rewarding; I think that's one of the most rewarding aspects of this business.

 

The Mag

So now, how are you forecasting? 2021? Are you on a positive growth path? This is something that's taken off all over the country.

 

Jennifer Cutillo

Yes, we are. We're on a very positive growth path. We are excited, we believe that 2021 is our year, it's our year to shine our franchisees everybody on the team, we're all mobilized for brand growth, we are so needed right now more than ever, I believe. And so we are I mean, retail-wise, we're doing great, but we're really focusing also on this brand growth and taking that piece and going this belongs to everybody, you know, all of our owners are excited to see this grow. 

 

Because they see the transformational difference that happens where they are and bringing others into this, we're only able to achieve more and more and more. So, we just we haven't done as much, honestly with franchise development because a lot of it did come inorganically. But now this year, we are actually actively going to be putting efforts into developing strategic markets and such that are going to promote our overall brand

 

The Mag 

So what markets are you looking to get into? A good question.

 

Jennifer Cutillo 

So, we have Florida for sure is a big one for us. And Pennsylvania or so we've pretty much built out a lot of Pennsylvania but Virginia, that whole Mid Atlantic area and then Florida because we have a center a couple of centers there that they need some friends over there to help keep them company but mostly Florida and the Mid Atlantic area.

 

The Mag 

So, you can start on the east coast and work your way across the country.

 

Jennifer Cutillo

Yes, that is true. We do have a pretty decent-sized group that is in Texas we have a couple of owners they're making that kind of really built out and completed. Then we have a couple elsewhere in the country that is doing well. But we want to start here and then and then work out after we fill out this area a little bit more.

 

The Mag

and when you're in a market are there as part of the strategy for that local franchisee to partner with kind of the wellness community there

 

Jennifer Cutillo 

you know, that's how we started, we would start by partnering with the wellness community a lot, but it's been probably most effective for us to partner with cash, it's just everyone in the community because it's really not limited to the wellness community the women that are experiencing this and a lot of times, they've tried a lot of other things. So, they may have been here been there done that, we find that our best partners are our neighbors, and our clients themselves, their social groups, we do go in and connect with some wellness offices and go and speak to their groups and everything else, but also just businesses and connecting with local businesses. 

 

And that's really been the, you know, all of the local businesses I know that seems very vague in it, but it's more about building our community. And a lot of that is done in conjunction with the other local businesses because women are everywhere we like to and of course, local business is so important to us you now more than ever being able to be part of that community and reinforce not only our business but then help building those cross-referral relationships with I'm trying to think even those that are less typical in my mind-destroying like right now unfortunately.

 

The Mag

Well you know what, what I'm hearing you say is that this isn't something that they have to have already done a wellness class or have a wellness coach but if they're just a woman that is active in the community they're going through these stressors and if they meet somebody else it's more of an education of the hey this exists and this is APA you may want to try it it's worked for me is a better referral source than some may be a life coach that says hey, you should do this much better words.

 

Jennifer Cutillo 

Then I had absolutely we do I mean we get medical people that refer to us we get wellness people that refer to us for sure. But it's the age really women are already talking about this it's not like we have to be as strategic I think as others do and looking for referrals of the right person because if you go to any girl’s night anywhere haven zoom happy hour, you're hearing women talk about this it's not limited to one industry or right.

 

The Mag

Women as a whole it isn't just wellness-minded women it's any woman who is going through some of these issues so they're open to learning about a solution for a problem they're having so it doesn't have to they don't already have to be kind of drank the Kool-Aid of I'm a wellness person I'm organic everything's this way, they could just be opened to just solving the problem they have.

 

Jennifer Cutillo  

100% and oftentimes I feel like some of those that are into the wellness can actually be more frustrated because again, they're doing all those shoulds are they're trying to do this right you're trying to make this stuff happen for them, but it's not yielding the results that they're looking for and it can get frustrating and they just need to have that focus of bringing it all together and get out kind of emptying everything out that might be causing problems and then being really careful about what you bring back in and learning about yourself and your body and your experience and from your body and you know having the tools to be able to do that.

 

The Mag

Yeah, that's what it sounds like to me, and congratulations on all the success you're doing such important work and we really appreciate you.

 

Jennifer Cutillo 

Oh, thank you I know but that's what we were telling everybody over this past year, and they all feel it they're like we are all essential they are everybody's making such a great difference in their communities and it's so it's just inspiring to see it.

 

The Mag 

Now if somebody wants to learn more about maybe a local center near them and or if they're a potential franchisee that would like to learn more. Is there a website?

 

Jennifer Cutillo   There is so bebalancedcenters.com.

The Mag   


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Image source: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jennifer-seroogy-cutillo-cfe-b2bb3076