Stephen P. Smith

Stephen P. Smith is the Founder of Planet Beach and HOTWORX®. He has served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board of Directors since April 1996. He received a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Mississippi, a Masters in Organizational Management from the University of Phoenix, and the Distinguished Certified Franchise Executive Designation from the International Franchise Association for his work and study in the Franchise industry. He has received his Personal Training certification through AFAA and Suspension Training certification through TRX among other fitness training certifications. His background as an athlete includes college football and Arena Football as well as numerous bodybuilding titles including NPC National Collegiate Champion.

Mr. Smith has an extensive business background, which includes being an entrepreneur since 1986. In 2014, Mr. Smith invented a new infrared fitness sauna, which is now patented. It was designed for three people to work out with virtual instruction. He opened the original HOTWORX® 24 Hour Infrared Fitness Studio in 2017 and founded the HOTWORX® Franchise in that same year.

Stephen founded HOTWORX in 2017 with a vision to reinvent the traditional gym experience through a combination of infrared heat, isometric workouts and virtually-instructed sessions. Since then, the brand has expanded to over 900 locations across the globe, attracting a loyal and growing membership base of over 400,000 members.

Beyond its business performance, HOTWORX has remained committed to supporting the communities it serves, including initiatives that promote health, wellness and entrepreneurship. Smith’s leadership continues to emphasize both scalable growth and meaningful local impact, aligning with the values recognized by the Most Admired C-Suite Executives program.