In this Built in Cincy episode, host Marcus Celestin talks with Chase Whitehead—Cincinnati native, husband, and father of four—who scaled from Duke Energy engineer to multi-unit franchisee across Orangetheory Fitness and Clean Eatz. We unpack the franchise ROI (royalties vs. speed-to-market), how to delegate with extreme ownership, and practical work-life operating rhythms (early blocks, meeting cadence, no-phones-in-bed rule) that let a founder-dad grow without burning down the calendar. We also dig into the real “why”: changing lives through community, accountability, and consistent follow-through—right here in Cincinnati, Northern Kentucky, and the Tri-State.

What you’ll learn

• Franchise math that actually pencils (brand playbooks, vendor rails, unit economics)
• Delegation frameworks: the 80% rule, “defend your decision” policy, and manager guardrails
• Work-life tactics for dads: early deep-work, stacked leadership meetings, evening boundaries
• Community impact: health outcomes, confidence gains, and why local service wins

Chapters

00:29 From UC engineer to franchise operator

01:46 Why Orangetheory + Clean Eatz (and why now)

06:05 Building teams so dad can be present at home

08:45 Delegation, mistakes, and extreme ownership

14:39 Tension between growth and family—managing it with structure

17:07 Boundaries: phones, evenings, and mental reset

24:33 Founder faith, resilience, and community outcomes

29:42 Advice for first-time owners in Cincinnati

Get in Touch with Chase:

Website- https://locations.cleaneatz.com/ky/newport/meal-prep-76.html

LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/chase-whitehead-87980921/

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/chase_whitehead/?hl=en

Get in Touch with Marcus:

Website- https://marcuscelestin.com/

Pink’s Window Services- https://pinkswindows.com/cincinnati

LinkedIn- https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcus-celestin/

Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/marcusincincy/#

Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/marcus.celestin.723944/

#fatherhood #CincinnatiEntrepreneurship #BusinessGrowth #BuiltInCincy #FranchiseOwnership #HomeServiceBusiness #Dadpreneur #WorkLifeIntegration #CustomerExperience #SmallBusinessCincinnati