From climbing the corporate ladder to climbing a stair stepper, Mark Stevens made the career decision of a lifetime and loves every minute of it.

Mark Stevens and his wife, Kristie, own the Anytime Fitness franchise new to Meridian, and are excited by the interest already shown.

“We get to change people’s lives,” Stevens said.

Stevens said he had a corporate job in Houston, Texas, dealing with fortune 10 companies, but was unhappy because he never got to see his family. After he began working out he realized that Houston did not have a fitness center in his area.

Stevens got in touch with Anytime Fitness and he said within three months he and his wife had signed the papers and opened their own franchise’s doors for business.

Stevens said he came to Meridian after selling his business in Houston and buying ten locations in Mississippi. He already has a location in Tupelo.

“We love to see the quality of life improve in our members,” Stevens said.

Stevens said the fitness center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week with three levels of security available to its members.

Not built for body builders, Stevens and his wife want the gym to be accessible and inviting to everyone. And with the main room’s warm colors, carpeted floors and top of the line equipment, Stevens has achieved this need.

Working out will take on a new meaning as Anytime Fitness becomes a staple of the Meridian business world, he said.