The Fitness Manger's Report

The fitness industry has always been a complicated world, but it has become even more complex since the pandemic. Some facilities and businesses have chosen to adjust to this new world, while some are very much stuck in their ways. As a "middle-manager, " we must determine if where we are is the right fit. Life is too short, and there's too much impact gone to waste if we continue to work for companies that don'...

Understanding and regulating your nervous system as a leader can help you lead with greater clarity, empathy, and resilience.

😶‍🌫️ It allows you to navigate complex challenges while maintaining your well-being and supporting those around you. In this interview with licensed psychotherapist and author Eliza Kingsford, we will dive into how recognizing mindset and belief systems and how our nervous system and the client&ap...

Club and Studio websites can be so much more than just a landing page for current and prospective clients to learn more about what you do and how you do it.

The website can be a place where... frequently questions can be answered, meetings can get booked and feedback can be gathered.

We are excited to have Connie Holen, Owner and Founder of Pixality Design on the podcast to share more about her thoughts and strate...

Creating, building, and offering successful Signature Formats is a unique challenge for fitness facilities. It takes creativity while also staying true to the specific talent, equipment, and formats facilities offer. I had the pleasure of meeting Amanda Young this past summer at the 2023 IDEA World Fitness Convention and attended her excellent session sharing the five steps to creating a winning Signature Format. I’m excited to ask...

Circuit experiences where clients move from one exercise or station to another for a dynamic and effective workout are timeless formats that remain popular. Circuit formats can become very successful programs with a large dedicated following and help make the most of smaller spaces with limited equipment when executed well. However, if the formula, execution, or coaching style is off, the experience can be ruined. I'm excited ...

Hiring quality talent in the fitness industry has always been a topic of conversation among managers. Still, now more than ever, the hiring situation in the fitness industry has become dire. As older instructors must either lower their client load or leave their posts completely, there are too many openings and opportunities for younger talent to choose from. I'm excited to bring back Group Fitness Director for all Las Vegas A...

As fitness leaders, we must recognize that fitness instructors and participants come from all walks of life. What actions can we take to find, hire, support, and motivate instructors and applicants with disabilities or as their bodies and lives change throughout their careers? Are our instructors trained and prepared to create an accepting, comfortable, and positive environment for all participants?

I was shook when I hear...

When people work for you, you want to do right by them. But hiring and motivating independent providers who are running their own offerings within your business is very different than managing a team with a more strict "corporate-like" structure. How do you best motivate someone you don’t have less formal authority over? How do you keep them interested and excited about the work when they don’t get perks like bonuses or b...

Regardless of your title, Fitness Director, Manager, Senior Director, or Supervisor, we must all learn to negotiate. We have to negotiate with instructors about their classes, negotiate with vendors for lower prices, negotiate with upper management for more support, and negotiate with members about our offerings. Negotiation is an art of give and take. I am so excited for industry leader and queen negotiator herself, Doris Thews, t...

As fitness leaders, we must recognize that fitness instructors and participants come from all walks of life. What are actions we can take to find, hire, support, and motivate instructors and applicants with disabilities? Are our instructors trained and prepared to create an accepting, comfortable, and positive environment for all participants?

I’m so grateful to have had the chance to meet with Matthew Alexander, an inspir...

Ever provide feedback to an instructor after taking their class or during their annual review and feel like it didn't go as well as it could have or wonder if what you shared actually stuck and will make a difference? Attending classes and providing feedback regularly is a pivotal part of our role as Group Fitness Managers. Without the right delivery and process, our feedback can be forgotten and may backfire. I'm excited...

How can we as Group Fitness managers succeed in understanding, interpreting, or identifying more about the instructors who may be more demanding and, dare I say, more challenging than others? In our upcoming interview with Patricia Norman, the Group Fitness Director for all of the "Las Vegas Athletic Clubs" in the Vegas/Henderson valley, we will discuss strategies she has used to set clear expectations from the beginning ...

Difficult conversations are an important part of being a good leader; there ARE ways to make them easier and more effective with your team. In this episode, I speak with Jessica Maurer the Senior Director of Instructor Development at Fit4Mom about her strategies for making difficult conversations an expectation, how to approach them, and even make them easier!

Questions I ask Jessica:

1) What are some good example...

Disclaimer - Apologies for the feedback from my microphone, wireless headphones are on their way for the next episode!

Not only has the entire fitness industry changed in the past two years, but so have the roles and responsibilities of Group Fitness Managers. The ones who've stuck around in this difficult position must recognize what's changed, listen to their gut, and act accordingly. Here are some questions I&...

Virtual is here to stay. We may have gotten away with some "okay" content in 2020 but it's time to level up. Technology and devices are only a small part of that equation. The talent you select and train to teach on camera is essential. In this live interview with Dane Robinson, we will discuss how to level up your instructor's ability to teach virtual classes.

Questions I will be asking Dane:
1) Wh...

Hiring talent is something we must constantly be thinking about as Group Fitness Managers. Having a deep bench of quality, engaged subs and instructors who teach various formats is helpful, but what about tapping into the other professionals in your facility? I was so excited to speak with industry veteran Gail Bannister-Munn about the strategy behind finding and fostering true fitness professionals.

A bit more about Gail:...

Chris Stevenson and Marisa Hoff are the founders of The Empower Group, a full-service consulting firm with services ranging from staff training, workshops, full facility management, and more.  Together they have over 50 years of combined experience in the health and fitness industry.  Both Chris and Marisa have played almost every role in the industry from personal training, teaching group X, sales, management, marketing, owning an...

In this podcast with Leah Rich, we will discuss how Social Media can be useful for fitness managers more than just as a way to promote our offerings, but also to make us better leaders.

I'll be asking Leah how social media can help us lead our teams, not only market what we offer.

We will also discuss the following:

1) Three ways Fitness Managers can use social media to promote their offerings and th...

From moving to a new location during a pandemic to teaching with masks, and having participants in "pods", Jessica Rodgers has seen it all. She's also created and fostered community at her new facility with her Women's Empowerment program. We will discuss the lessons she's learned, the connections she's made, and her continued respect for participants' ongoing concerns around the pandemic.