Why Experienced Brand Builders Are Adding Burn Boot Camp to Their Portfolios
By Burn Boot CampMay 1, 2026
Wes Henderson has already built what most people spend their careers chasing.
He co-founded Angel’s Envy from his basement, grew it into a globally recognized bourbon brand, and earned a place in the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. Today, he’s developing a $92 million distillery alongside his sons.
He didn’t need another project, which is what makes his next decision more interesting. Wes and his wife Julie chose to build again, this time with Burn Boot Camp.
They knew before they got started that the world didn’t need another fitness concept. However, Wes and Julie recognized something different about Burn that was hard to ignore.
Don’t Reinvent the Wheel, Make it Better
When Wes was building Angel’s Envy, he was aware that the marketplace was flooded with bourbon brands that had long, storied histories and were firmly planted in the space.
He explains, “What the market did need, however, was a bourbon that's authentic. A bourbon that has a good story and a twist.”
This is the way experienced builders think. They don’t wait around for empty markets or try to invent categories from scratch. They look at what already exists and ask a better question: “Can this be done better?” This was the philosophy that led Wes and Julie to Burn.
As Devin Klein, CEO of Burn Boot Camp put it, “It's not like Wes invented bourbon nor did I invent fitness. Fitness, like bourbon, is crowded. There’s no shortage of options. No gap waiting to be filled. However, there is a difference between something that exists and something that’s done at a higher standard.”
“I'll go head to head with everybody else,” Wes adds, “but I'll make a better product. Just like Burn does. There's a lot of other concepts out there, but guess what? We do it better than anybody else does.”
--Wes Henderson, Franchise Partner & Co-Founder, Angel’s Envy
From Member to Owner
Wes and Julie didn’t come to the idea of owning a Burn by analyzing a franchise model. For years, Julie showed up to Burn Boot Camp as a member, not as someone evaluating an opportunity. Just simply someone who found something in it.
She built relationships. She showed up consistently. She became part of a community that extended beyond the workout itself. Wes saw that transformation in her up close. When the opportunity came to step into ownership, there wasn’t any hesitation.
“When the opportunity came to become franchise partners, I didn't have a second thought,” he states. “The first thing I talk about with Burn is the community. I was blown away by Julie's strong community at Burn.”
--Wes Henderson, Franchise Partner
Build a Team First, & the Members Will Come
While many gyms immediately focus on member growth, Wes and Julie went about starting the business differently. They knew they had to build a great team first, and then concentrate on the gym’s membership.
“In order to grow members, you have to be a team first,” Wes says. “If your team is not the priority in how you build your business, you're not able to serve the members the way they want to be served. The experience inside a Burn Boot Camp is created by the trainers and staff, people who show up every day and shape what members feel.”
--Wes Henderson, Franchise Partner
He adds, “Julie understood that early. She built the team. She set the tone. And over time, that approach became visible in the way our locations operate.”
At a recent Burn Summit, team members from all three of their Louisville locations shared that same perspective. The leadership made a difference. The culture felt different.
Have a Vision, but Pick Up the Gum
There’s a tendency, especially when you’re building something, to focus only on big decisions. However, the decisions that make all the difference are the small ones.
When asked about how he manages multiple businesses, Wes described himself like this:
“Details matter to me. I notice every little thing because it’s critical to the success of the brand. And if you start to give on the details, it weakens everything you worked so hard for.”
Devin echoed that belief with a small but powerful example:
“Walking past a piece of gum on the sidewalk outside your location and ignoring it is easy. It may not feel important in the moment, but that’s how standards slip.”
--Devan Kline
Businesses like Burn that feel different to customers are usually built by people who don’t ignore those moments. In other words, they pick up the gum.
All Along, She Had It in Her
Julie Henderson didn’t step into Burn ownership because she suddenly became something different. She realized it was who she already was.
At first, Julie wasn’t sure she knew how to run a business. It didn’t feel like her background.
But Wes saw it differently:
“I said to her, you are the mother of six sons. You have run a household, which is a business with employees, metaphorically speaking. You have already done this.”
That shift in perspective changed everything.
Julie took on the locations. Built the team. Led the culture. Created something that reflects the same consistency and care she had already been applying for years, just in a different setting.
Wes is quick to put the impact she’s made in perspective: “At our gyms, I'm not Wes Henderson. I'm Julie's husband.”
There’s pride in that statement because it reflects what’s been built. Not just a business, but a place where people show up for each other. Where standards are held. Where leadership is lived out in real time.
Wes and Julie are builders. They’re operators. They believe in people first, in showing up every day, and in holding a standard that doesn’t slip just because it’s easier not to notice.
Why Burn is the Perfect Fit
The Hendersons have never been interested in reinventing something just for the sake of it. They’re drawn to what already works, finding a way to do it better than anyone else. This is why Burn Boot Camp was the perfect business for them.
A business built on community. A model where the team comes first. A place where the details matter, and better isn’t a slogan, it’s the expectation. At Burn, great owners aren’t made, they’re found.
Learn more about what franchise opportunities await you at Burn Boot Camp!
Back to Podcasts
Wes Henderson has already built what most people spend their careers chasing.
He co-founded Angel’s Envy from his basement, grew it into a globally recognized bourbon brand, and earned a place in the Kentucky Bourbon Hall of Fame. Today, he’s developing a $92 million distillery alongside his sons.
He didn’t need another project, which is what makes his next decision more interesting. Wes and his wife Julie chose to build again, this time with Burn Boot Camp.
They knew before they got started that the world didn’t need another fitness concept. However, Wes and Julie recognized something different about Burn that was hard to ignore.
Don’t Reinvent the Wheel, Make it Better
When Wes was building Angel’s Envy, he was aware that the marketplace was flooded with bourbon brands that had long, storied histories and were firmly planted in the space.
He explains, “What the market did need, however, was a bourbon that's authentic. A bourbon that has a good story and a twist.”
This is the way experienced builders think. They don’t wait around for empty markets or try to invent categories from scratch. They look at what already exists and ask a better question: “Can this be done better?” This was the philosophy that led Wes and Julie to Burn.
As Devin Klein, CEO of Burn Boot Camp put it, “It's not like Wes invented bourbon nor did I invent fitness. Fitness, like bourbon, is crowded. There’s no shortage of options. No gap waiting to be filled. However, there is a difference between something that exists and something that’s done at a higher standard.”
“I'll go head to head with everybody else,” Wes adds, “but I'll make a better product. Just like Burn does. There's a lot of other concepts out there, but guess what? We do it better than anybody else does.”
--Wes Henderson, Franchise Partner & Co-Founder, Angel’s Envy
From Member to Owner
Wes and Julie didn’t come to the idea of owning a Burn by analyzing a franchise model. For years, Julie showed up to Burn Boot Camp as a member, not as someone evaluating an opportunity. Just simply someone who found something in it.
She built relationships. She showed up consistently. She became part of a community that extended beyond the workout itself. Wes saw that transformation in her up close. When the opportunity came to step into ownership, there wasn’t any hesitation.
“When the opportunity came to become franchise partners, I didn't have a second thought,” he states. “The first thing I talk about with Burn is the community. I was blown away by Julie's strong community at Burn.”
--Wes Henderson, Franchise Partner
Build a Team First, & the Members Will Come
While many gyms immediately focus on member growth, Wes and Julie went about starting the business differently. They knew they had to build a great team first, and then concentrate on the gym’s membership.
“In order to grow members, you have to be a team first,” Wes says. “If your team is not the priority in how you build your business, you're not able to serve the members the way they want to be served. The experience inside a Burn Boot Camp is created by the trainers and staff, people who show up every day and shape what members feel.”
--Wes Henderson, Franchise Partner
He adds, “Julie understood that early. She built the team. She set the tone. And over time, that approach became visible in the way our locations operate.”
At a recent Burn Summit, team members from all three of their Louisville locations shared that same perspective. The leadership made a difference. The culture felt different.
Have a Vision, but Pick Up the Gum
There’s a tendency, especially when you’re building something, to focus only on big decisions. However, the decisions that make all the difference are the small ones.
When asked about how he manages multiple businesses, Wes described himself like this:
“Details matter to me. I notice every little thing because it’s critical to the success of the brand. And if you start to give on the details, it weakens everything you worked so hard for.”
Devin echoed that belief with a small but powerful example:
“Walking past a piece of gum on the sidewalk outside your location and ignoring it is easy. It may not feel important in the moment, but that’s how standards slip.”
--Devan Kline
Businesses like Burn that feel different to customers are usually built by people who don’t ignore those moments. In other words, they pick up the gum.
All Along, She Had It in Her
Julie Henderson didn’t step into Burn ownership because she suddenly became something different. She realized it was who she already was.
At first, Julie wasn’t sure she knew how to run a business. It didn’t feel like her background.
But Wes saw it differently:
“I said to her, you are the mother of six sons. You have run a household, which is a business with employees, metaphorically speaking. You have already done this.”
That shift in perspective changed everything.
Julie took on the locations. Built the team. Led the culture. Created something that reflects the same consistency and care she had already been applying for years, just in a different setting.
Wes is quick to put the impact she’s made in perspective: “At our gyms, I'm not Wes Henderson. I'm Julie's husband.”
There’s pride in that statement because it reflects what’s been built. Not just a business, but a place where people show up for each other. Where standards are held. Where leadership is lived out in real time.
Wes and Julie are builders. They’re operators. They believe in people first, in showing up every day, and in holding a standard that doesn’t slip just because it’s easier not to notice.
Why Burn is the Perfect Fit
The Hendersons have never been interested in reinventing something just for the sake of it. They’re drawn to what already works, finding a way to do it better than anyone else. This is why Burn Boot Camp was the perfect business for them.
A business built on community. A model where the team comes first. A place where the details matter, and better isn’t a slogan, it’s the expectation. At Burn, great owners aren’t made, they’re found.
Learn more about what franchise opportunities await you at Burn Boot Camp!
Back to Podcasts