Grace Ronquillo

The fitness and sports training industry is a dynamic and rapidly growing sector that caters to individuals seeking healthier lifestyles and athletic development. It includes services such as personal training, group fitness classes, youth sports programs, and recreational leagues. With increasing awareness of physical and mental wellness, demand for structured training and community-based activities has surged. Facilities now offer tailored programs for various age groups, emphasizing skill development, competition, and fun. Innovations in fitness technology, digital marketing, and program design continue to reshape the industry, making it more accessible, engaging, and results-driven for participants of all levels and backgrounds. In the world of basketball-focused fitness, Grace Ronquillo is a name that stands out. As the Vice President of Marketing at PickUp USA Fitness, Grace has built a powerful career from the ground up, combining her understanding of day-to-day club operations with a strategic, creative mindset. Her journey is one of growth, hands-on experience, and a deep commitment to the success of every franchisee. With a people-first approach, Grace is redefining how franchise marketing truly works.

A Ground-Level Start That Sparked a Purpose-Driven Career

Grace Ronquillo’s remarkable journey at PickUp USA Fitness began where the energy is raw and real, not in a boardroom, but on the gym floor. Starting as a club manager, she didn’t just oversee operations; she lived them. From managing daily workflows to engaging directly with members, Grace learned the heartbeat of the brand through hands-on experience. It was here that she developed a deep understanding of what truly drives customer satisfaction and operational excellence. Her connection to the community and attention to detail laid the groundwork for a leadership style rooted in empathy and authenticity. As her impact grew, so did her role. Grace transitioned into the corporate franchising team, where she helped identify and onboard new franchise owners. Guiding new entrepreneurs gave her a panoramic view of the business and allowed her to support others in achieving their dreams of ownership. But it was during this phase that she stumbled upon her true calling in marketing.

What began as small contributions to marketing initiatives quickly evolved into a full-blown passion. Grace discovered that marketing gave her a voice to shape the brand’s story, empower franchisees, and engage audiences through creative and strategic storytelling. It became the perfect outlet where her operational insights, creative instincts, and business acumen converged. Today, as Vice President of Marketing, Grace Ronquillo brings every layer of her journey to the forefront, from the gym floor to franchise development to brand strategy. She isn’t just promoting a fitness experience; she’s building a brand she knows from the inside out.

Leading the Brand Forward: From Grassroots to Executive Strategy

Grace Ronquillo’s rise to Vice President of Marketing at PickUp USA Fitness is not just a story of career progression; it’s a masterclass in grounded leadership and relentless growth. What began as hands-on learning at a local fitness club evolved into a leadership role where she now steers the entire brand’s marketing vision. With her natural talent and deep understanding of operations, Grace seamlessly transitioned into leading initiatives that power both local club success and national brand awareness. Today, she oversees everything from franchise sales lead generation and digital campaigns to vendor partnerships and performance analytics. She plays a crucial role in supporting individual franchisees, ensuring they’re equipped with the right tools, tailored strategies, and ongoing guidance to thrive in their local markets.

But Grace doesn’t lead from a distance. Her mantra of consistency, curiosity, and collaboration guides her every move. She believes in showing up daily with a problem-solving mindset, asking the right questions, and working side-by-side with her team and franchisees. Whether it’s brainstorming fresh campaigns, reviewing metrics, or producing content on-site, Grace remains deeply involved at every level. Her hands-on, in-the-trenches approach keeps her connected to the people and purpose behind the brand, ensuring that PickUp USA Fitness continues to grow with heart, vision, and unwavering integrity.

Shaping a Fitness Empire One Playbook at a Time: How Grace Ronquillo’s Strategic Milestones and Personal Values Drove National Marketing Success at PickUp USA

Grace’s journey at PickUp USA Fitness has been marked by impactful milestones and a commitment to values that define her leadership. A key accomplishment was launching the brand’s national marketing platform, a centralized system offering franchisees access to brand assets, campaign templates, and tracking tools. This streamlined local marketing efforts and established a consistent brand presence nationwide. She also created a detailed marketing playbook for new club openings, guiding franchisees from pre-sale to grand opening, ensuring each location launched with a strong, strategic foundation. Beyond systems, Grace has expanded the brand’s reach both online and within local communities. Her marketing team supports everything from social media to in-store signage and sales materials, empowering franchisees to build meaningful local connections.

Her success is grounded in three core traits: adaptability, empathy, and accountability. Adaptability helps her stay ahead in the fast-paced fitness industry. Empathy allows her to understand franchisees’ unique challenges and create practical, supportive strategies. Accountability drives her to own outcomes, analyze results, learning from setbacks, and continually refine her approach. These qualities, paired with her strategic vision, have earned Grace the trust of her team and the broader franchise network. She’s not just a marketing executive, she’s a mentor, a growth strategist, and a community advocate. Her leadership has helped PickUp USA Fitness grow stronger and more connected, with each franchise benefiting from her thoughtful and purpose-driven approach.

Powerful Offerings and Future-Focused Innovation: Building the PickUp USA Experience

At PickUp USA, the services offered are a major differentiator, and Grace is especially proud of two standout programs. The Youth Development Basketball League is a structured, high-energy program that helps kids build basketball skills and confidence in a supportive environment. The Officiated pick-up games, unique to the brand, give adults the thrill of organized competition with timed, scored, and refereed games. These offerings resonate with youth, adults, and families, while also providing franchisees with strong, recurring revenue streams built on a shared love for the sport.

Currently, Grace and her team are focused on refining the marketing playbooks for both new and existing clubs. They’re enhancing campaign strategies, updating email sequences, and creating ready-to-use content for social media and email. They’re also working on high-quality video content to capture the energy of PickUp USA’s core programs and help new owners understand the member experience. Another key focus is simplifying the Digital Stack platform, making it easier for franchisees to launch professional campaigns quickly and efficiently.

Purpose-Driven Growth: A Vision Fueled by Resilience and Leadership

Looking ahead, Grace envisions PickUp USA not just expanding in size, but evolving into a high-performance brand across every community it touches. Her vision for the next five years includes stronger tools, smarter automation, and best-in-class marketing support that empowers each franchise to shine. She’s deeply committed to positioning the company as the leader in basketball training and organized games marked by innovation, visibility, and genuine engagement. Her goal is purposeful growth, ensuring that every franchise not only opens but thrives.

But getting to this point hasn’t been without its challenges. One of Grace’s biggest lessons came from learning how to scale herself. In the early days, she wore every hat, creating content, managing vendors, and fielding constant questions. As the company grew, she realized she couldn’t do it all. Transitioning from a hands-on executor to a strategic leader meant building repeatable systems, trusting her team, and letting go of perfectionism. With the support of her colleagues and inspiration drawn from the drive of franchise owners, she made that shift successfully and became a stronger leader because of it.

Words of Wisdom: Advice to Future Leaders

Grace Ronquillo believes that true success begins with mastering your craft before stepping into leadership. She emphasizes the importance of building strong technical skills as a foundation, but also highlights that communication, teamwork, and taking initiative are equally essential to rise in any field. Her advice to aspiring professionals is not to wait for permission to take on extra projects, solve problems proactively, and step up during challenging times. For Grace, humility and continuous learning are key to long-term growth. As she puts it, “My success is measured by the success of our franchisees.” With her unwavering heart, relentless hustle, and authentic leadership, Grace is helping PickUp USA Fitness reach new heights one club, one campaign, and one community at a time.