‘On the Shoulders of Giants’
Dr. Lois Zachary
Rachel andAlwyn Cosgrove
FITNESS IS A BIZ
Cosgrove is so convinced of its merits that, in 2008, she and her husband and business partner, Alwyn Cosgrove, launched a formal mentoring program called Results Fitness Biz. “Prior to that, we’d been coaching some people informally, but the demand grew by so much that we felt com- pelled to introduce a comprehensive, structured course,” she says. “Currently, we’re working with individuals from the U.S., Canada, England, Ireland, Germany, and Spain.” Corporate mentoring, she acknowledges, has
played an important part in the success of Results Fitness; despite a down economy, the club’s revenues are up. “Tapping new ideas takes you, and your business, to a higher level,” she explains. “Turning to someone, or some company, that’s already traveled the same path helps you to avoid lots of headaches, and fast-tracks you with respect to reaching your potential. “We ourselves have been mentored by a num-
ber of companies,” she continues. “
Zappos.com, an online retailer known for its excellent customer service, and the Thomas Plummer Company, an industry consulting firm, have both taught us a great deal. Initially, we were naïve and made tons of mistakes. But we were mentored, and learned, and, today, we’re generating sizeable profits.” Now the Cosgroves are eager “to offer to others
what we would have loved to have had when we were first starting out.” For a fee—Cosgrove refers to it as an “invest-
ment”—of $1,997, clients, whether they’re club newcomers or pros who want to revitalize a business, get to attend one of the sold-out, three-day Results Fitness Biz workshops that are held three times
46 Club Business Internat ional | SEPTEMBER 2010 | www.
ihrsa.org
Mentoring at Mill Valley
each year. “We work with 20 attendees at a time, and no question goes unanswered. It’s a hands-on process, and we cover everything from marketing, to team-building, to program design. We provide them with real-world business skills—things you don’t get from most other sources—and teach them how to implement what they’ve learned on a day-to-day basis.” The mentoring continues after the workshop
via printed materials, a members-only Website, monthly mailing of a newsletter and taped interviews, and two in-person “masterminding meetings” per year. Once they’ve returned to their clubs, the men-
tored students often become mentors to their own staffs, colleagues, or members. Does the process pay off? “Absolutely!”
responds Joseph Brandenburg, an award-winning personal trainer and owner of The Body You Want, in Washington, D.C. “I’ve taken part in the Results Fitness Biz program since it started,” he explains. “Eighteen months ago, I was doing between $2,500 and $3,500 a month as a trainer. Now, working the same 25-30 hours per week, I’m doing $11,000 per month. My income should continue to increase, but it isn’t just about the business; I’m also a far better trainer than I was 18 months ago.”
THE CLUB APPRENTICE
Michael Jenkins, the co-owner of the Mill Valley Health Club and Spa, in Mill Valley, California, is, like the Cosgroves, another believer in, beneficiary of, and practitioner of mentoring. “Everyone should be mentored,” he insists. “If you look at other sectors—police officers and medical profes-
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