*By Christian Smith*
Y7 Studio, one of the fastest-growing fitness boutiques in the U.S., is exploring franchising as part of the yoga brand's expansion into new markets.
"We're really looking into Chicago, Philly, D.C., San Francisco, more in L.A, and there's also a little bit of planning on the franchise side of things," founder and CEO Sarah Larson Levey told Cheddar.
Larson Levey was featured on the cover of this year's edition of Inc. Magazine's list of the 5,000 fastest-growing companies in the country.
Y7, a New York-based yoga company known for hip-hop yoga and sweat-you-from-the-inside-out infrared heat, debuted on the list at number 80 with $5.6 million in revenue for 2017 and an impressive three-year revenue growth of 4,022 percent.
The company, which got its start in 2013 in a small room Larson Levey rented in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, has grown to 10 permanent locations ー eight in New York City and two in Los Angeles.
The key to Y7's success? Consistency, said Larson Levey.
"There were definitely times where clients would have feedback, or a friend or a colleague would be like, 'You know weights are really, really starting to become big in yoga classes. You should do a class with weights. You should do a meditation class. You should add in this. You should add in that.'"
"That's all fine, but it's not what I feel passionate about. There are so many places that do those things, I didn't need to throw myself in that mix," she added.
Y7 offers single classes for $25 apiece ー less if you buy in bulk ー and a variety of sweat-ready merchandise in its online shop.
Streaming is a relatively new way for fitness entrepreneurs to grow their revenue, but Larson Levey, in keeping with her message of consistency, said she doesn't think it's the right method for her ー largely because streaming is less experiential.
"Unless we could come out with some small infrared room in your house, I'm not quite sure that would be able to translate," she said.
For full interview [click here](https://cheddar.com/videos/leading-the-boutique-fitness-boom-y7-studio-founder-sarah-larson-leveys-secrets-to-success).
Nestlé has dismissed its CEO Laurent Freixe after an investigation into an undisclosed relationship with a direct subordinate. The company announced on Monday that the dismissal was effective immediately. An investigation found that Freixe violated Nestlé’s code of conduct. He had been CEO for a year. Philipp Navratil, a longtime Nestlé executive, will replace him. Chairman Paul Bulcke stated that the decision was necessary to uphold the company’s values and governance. Navratil began his career with Nestlé in 2001 and has held various roles, including CEO of Nestlé's Nespresso division since 2024.
Kraft Heinz is splitting into two companies a decade after they joined in a massive merger that created one of the biggest food companies on the planet. One of the companies will include brands such as Heinz, Philadelphia cream cheese and Kraft Mac & Cheese. The other will include brands like Oscar Mayer, Kraft Singles and Lunchables. When the company formed in 2015 it wanted to capitalize on its massive scale, but shifting tastes complicated those plans, with households seeking to introduce healthier options at the table. Kraft Heinz's net revenue has fallen every year since 2020.
About 780,000 pressure washers sold at retailers like Home Depot are being recalled across the U.S. and Canada, due to a projectile hazard that has resulted in fractures and other injuries among some consumers.
