Rita Goldberg
They call Rita Goldberg the “British bulldog” for a reason. She persisted for three years to convince L.A. Fitness to allow her Florida-based British Swim School back in their clubs.
The franchise, in which franchisees teach swimming lessons in pools owned by others, had access to Bally’s pools until L.A. Fitness bought Bally’s and ended the arrangement, in November 2011.
Goldberg kept after the director of development there, calling him each year until this year they inked a deal. LA Fitness has 650 clubs in the United States and Canada, and now those clubs will be ready-made targets for British Swim School franchisees.
She has a long way to go to ramp up the number of franchisees, now 14. “You have to not take no for an answer,” the native of England said, about her business philosophy.
