From Parent Customers to Industry Titans: How Griffin Gordon and Kevin Condon Scaled The Little Gym into a $20 Million Enterprise
Before Griffin Gordon and Kevin Condon became the architects behind Somersault—a rapidly expanding multi-unit franchise organization—they were simply parents sitting on the sidelines. Their introduction to The Little Gym, a global leader in youth enrichment, began not in a boardroom, but in a local gym, watching their own children engage in structured physical play. The observation was straightforward: their children were enthusiastic, physically active, and consistently asking to return. However, it was the operational excellence, specifically the staff’s ability to build rapport with families and manage a high-energy environment, that first piqued the professional interest of two seasoned private equity investors.
A Professional Convergence of Business and Strategy
The partnership between Gordon and Condon is rooted in a long-standing professional acquaintance that began at the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business. Following their graduation, the two took divergent career paths that nonetheless honed their expertise in the mechanics of small-to-midsize business growth. Kevin Condon transitioned into the world of private equity, eventually co-founding Hidden River Strategic Capital, a Philadelphia-based firm dedicated to investing in and supporting the growth of smaller enterprises.
Griffin Gordon, conversely, built a career navigating the complexities of operational management and investment. His professional trajectory involved running small and midsize companies, which eventually culminated in the founding of an investment firm exclusively focused on the franchise sector. Their paths converged at a pivotal moment for The Little Gym brand, facilitated by an advisor who recognized that the aging ownership of a significant multi-unit portfolio required a strategic succession plan.
Richard Moore, a veteran operator whose family had spent nearly three decades cultivating a robust footprint for The Little Gym, was seeking a path to scale his business while preparing for his parents’ retirement. Gordon and Condon provided the necessary capital, management expertise, and organizational structure to facilitate this transition. By 2023, the partners had acquired seven North Carolina locations, serving as the cornerstone for their new venture, Somersault.
The Growth Trajectory: From Seven to Thirty-Plus
The growth of the Somersault portfolio has been aggressive, reflecting a broader trend of institutional capital entering the franchise space. In just three years, the firm has scaled from its initial seven locations to more than 30, with an additional 10 units currently in various stages of development. The financial performance of this expansion has been notable, with the enterprise currently generating approximately $20 million in annual revenue.
This rapid scaling is not merely a byproduct of capital injection but a calculated application of a "repeatable playbook." By leveraging the established brand equity of The Little Gym—a 50-year-old institution—and integrating it with modern operational systems, Gordon and Condon have successfully navigated the complexities of multi-unit management. This approach allows them to maintain consistent quality across disparate geographic locations while scaling the administrative and logistical overhead in tandem with their physical footprint.
Market Context and the Role of Youth Enrichment
The decision to focus on children’s physical development is supported by long-term market trends. Youth enrichment, specifically programs that emphasize motor skills, social interaction, and confidence-building, has proven to be a resilient category even during periods of economic volatility. Parents continue to prioritize extracurricular activities that provide tangible developmental benefits for their children.
However, the industry has historically been fragmented, often operating through small, owner-operated models that lack the benefits of enterprise-level technology and marketing. The involvement of Unleashed Brands, the current franchisor of The Little Gym, has been instrumental in this modernization process. Through the introduction of centralized digital platforms, such as parent-facing applications for tracking milestones, the brand has bridged the gap between its traditional, in-person curriculum and the expectations of a modern, tech-enabled consumer base.
Operational Philosophy and Human Capital
Despite the sophisticated financial modeling behind their expansion, both Gordon and Condon emphasize that the core of the business remains profoundly human-centric. The "simple" nature of the business—teaching children gymnastics and physical movement—belies the operational complexity required to execute these programs at scale.
"The lesson we’ve learned and continue to learn is that this business is all about people," Gordon noted in recent discussions regarding their growth strategy. The challenge lies not in the curriculum, which has been refined over five decades, but in the recruitment, training, and retention of staff. To maintain a high level of service across 30 locations, the firm has implemented career development pathways that allow instructors to evolve from teaching roles into management and multi-unit oversight positions. This focus on internal promotion is a critical component of their sustainability strategy, ensuring that the culture of the brand remains consistent as the company grows.
Institutional Implications and Future Outlook
The partnership between Gordon, Condon, and the broader Unleashed Brands ecosystem serves as a case study for the professionalization of the franchise model. By treating a children’s gymnastics brand with the same analytical rigor as a private equity asset, they have demonstrated that even legacy brands can achieve exponential growth when paired with modernized systems and strategic capital.
When asked about future milestones, particularly the potential for reaching $100 million in revenue, the partners remain ambitious yet disciplined. While they acknowledge that quadrupling their footprint again in the next three years would be a significant undertaking, they maintain high conviction in the sector’s longevity.
For prospective franchisees looking to emulate this success, the partners offer a clear directive: utilize the resources provided by the Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD). By conducting due diligence and directly engaging with existing operators, prospective owners can better understand the reality of the business beyond the marketing materials. Furthermore, the duo stresses the importance of passion. Even for investors who do not plan to manage the day-to-day operations, an authentic interest in the mission—in this case, the physical and emotional development of children—is essential for long-term success.
The success of Somersault illustrates a shifting landscape in the franchise world, where the combination of institutional-grade management and legacy brand equity creates a formidable model for growth. As The Little Gym marks its 50th anniversary, the transition from a collection of independent studios to a highly optimized, scalable enterprise reflects the evolution of the broader youth enrichment market. For Gordon and Condon, the goal remains unchanged from those early days on the sidelines: to continue providing a space for childhood joy while refining the systems that make that joy a viable and scalable business model.
