| Last Rep |


An Industry In Motion


One Hundred Twenty Million Members by 2010


The fitness industry is composed of talented, tenacious, and good- hearted people who are committed to making a real difference in the world. It’s an honor to work with them, and, this month, I’d like to share my thoughts about just a few of them with you.


A


while ago, I stopped by The East Bank Club, a legendary, 450,000-square-foot Chicago landmark, to visit with Joseph Rossi, the club’s senior man- ager, and Simon Meredith, its general manager. (See “30 Years of Success,” September CBI, pg. 41.) As I approached the front door, I saw Simon baby- sitting a member’s dog while the member retrieved something from inside the club. Now that’s service! I t demonstrates that ,


although Simon holds an important executive position, overseeing a world-class, $52-million-a-year business, he’s never forgotten his basic values. And it’s clear that the clubs’ members understand and appreciate that. Then, more recently, I had


Joe Moore IHRSA President & CEO


the opportunity to preside over a teleconference meeting of IHRSA’s board of directors. All of the board members participated in the call, but two deserve special recogni-


tion. David “Patch” Patchell-Evans, the founder, president, and CEO of the GoodLife Fitness Clubs, and, at the time, the board chairperson, contacted me before the call to say he’d just been thrown from a horse, and, though injured, would be taking part anyway. Patch conducted a wonderful teleconference,


and it was only later that I learned that he had broken ribs, a bruised heart, and blood clots in his lungs.


The board member who did the most work


preparing for the teleconference was Sandy Hoeffer, the former vice president of the Western Athletic Clubs, Inc. (WAC), and chair of the finance committee. She’d spent the previous week having numerous discussions with board members and performing hours of preparatory analysis—despite the fact that she had pneumonia. During most of the teleconference, she kept her phone on mute so the other board members couldn’t hear her coughing, but, when the time came, she insisted on giving her committee report. Patch’s and Sandy’s efforts certainly qualified as


above and beyond the call of duty. One of the first stories I ever heard club opera-


tors use to persuade their members to become more active was based on the theory of momentum. It went something similar to this: “I’m sure you’re familiar with Newton’s First Law of Motion: A body in motion tends to remain in motion, and a body at rest tends to remain at rest, unless acted on by an outside force…” The idea, of course, is that once someone becomes active, they’re likely to stay active. Club operators, themselves, are, perhaps, a per-


fect example of the concept. They’re always in motion, it seems, and tend to remain in motion— no matter what. They never say: “I don’t do that” or “That’s not in my job description.” They do whatever’s necessary—whether it’s watching a club member’s dog or working when they feel absolutely terrible. That attitude, fortunately, is pervasive throughout our industry and one of the many reasons for its success. —|


– Joe Moore, jmoore@ihrsa.org


120 Club Business Internat ional


| OCTOBER 2010 |


www. ihrsa.org


Tracy Powell


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