WEBVTT 1 00:00:05.160 --> 00:00:09.720 Welcome to the Transformation Station Podcast. I'm Christina, owner, operator, 2 00:00:09.759 --> 00:00:12.839 and founder of the Transformation Station, and this is where 3 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:16.399 we talk about getting stronger while navigating real life. If 4 00:00:16.440 --> 00:00:19.280 you're trying to stay consistent through the ups and the 5 00:00:19.320 --> 00:00:24.160 downs and everywhere else in between, this is for you. Hey, everyone, 6 00:00:24.239 --> 00:00:27.199 welcome back to the Transformation Station podcast Today. I want 7 00:00:27.199 --> 00:00:30.280 to invite you into my world just for a little bit. 8 00:00:31.120 --> 00:00:34.399 I'm not looking for sympathy, and I definitely i'm not 9 00:00:34.479 --> 00:00:37.119 complaining because I actually love what I do and I 10 00:00:37.200 --> 00:00:40.719 genuinely wake up excited to come here every single day. 11 00:00:41.000 --> 00:00:44.320 But I think sometimes people only see the end result 12 00:00:44.560 --> 00:00:47.880 or the finished product. You walk into the gym, you 13 00:00:47.920 --> 00:00:51.679 see classes are happening, coaches are coaching, music is banging, 14 00:00:52.320 --> 00:00:55.439 equipment's laid out, and everything looks organized, and it probably 15 00:00:55.439 --> 00:00:59.799 seems like it's just that it's a gym. But there's 16 00:01:00.320 --> 00:01:03.000 things that you may not see or you might not 17 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:07.799 know exist, and that looks like hundreds of decisions that 18 00:01:07.920 --> 00:01:11.040 happen every single week before any of that can actually 19 00:01:11.079 --> 00:01:13.719 be true. So I thought this would be fun just 20 00:01:13.719 --> 00:01:16.079 to pull back the curtain just a little bit, because 21 00:01:16.120 --> 00:01:18.359 I don't think many people actually know what it takes 22 00:01:18.439 --> 00:01:21.359 to go into running and creating a business like the 23 00:01:21.400 --> 00:01:25.239 Transformation Station. One thing I always want to say first 24 00:01:25.439 --> 00:01:29.439 is thank you. Thank you for caring enough to share ideas, 25 00:01:29.719 --> 00:01:32.640 for wanting the gym to be even better. Thank you 26 00:01:32.680 --> 00:01:35.040 for trusting me enough to tell me what you'd love 27 00:01:35.079 --> 00:01:39.000 to see. I genuinely do appreciate that creating space where 28 00:01:39.040 --> 00:01:41.799 people feel comfortable to come and talk to me, to 29 00:01:41.799 --> 00:01:45.079 speak up is something that I'm actually really proud of, 30 00:01:45.439 --> 00:01:48.719 and I never wanted my place of business to be 31 00:01:48.760 --> 00:01:51.519 a place where people felt intimidated to ask questions or 32 00:01:51.560 --> 00:01:54.079 to share ideas. So that to me says that we 33 00:01:54.159 --> 00:01:57.120 are doing something right. Check mark, big green, check mark. 34 00:01:57.159 --> 00:01:59.959 I love saying that. It means that we're hitting the stimulus. 35 00:02:00.239 --> 00:02:03.920 But there is a part that many people will not 36 00:02:04.079 --> 00:02:09.000 see listening to some of these things. It doesn't always 37 00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:11.280 mean that it gets implemented at the end of the day. 38 00:02:11.719 --> 00:02:15.479 And also, say no to those ideas doesn't mean that 39 00:02:15.520 --> 00:02:18.159 I don't care. One of the biggest lessons that I've 40 00:02:18.199 --> 00:02:21.479 learned as a business owner in my twenty plus years 41 00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:25.479 now of business ownership is that my job is not 42 00:02:25.599 --> 00:02:31.400 to make one person happy. I love everybody to be happy. 43 00:02:32.599 --> 00:02:36.120 The decisions that I make have to serve the entire community. 44 00:02:36.520 --> 00:02:40.159 Every person is exactly them. I never look at people 45 00:02:40.199 --> 00:02:44.280 as a number. But there's some decisions that won't work 46 00:02:44.439 --> 00:02:48.199 because it's one person's idea that doesn't serve all of 47 00:02:48.240 --> 00:02:50.919 the people that I actually know personally inside of the 48 00:02:50.960 --> 00:02:57.759 transformation station. Those decisions will not make everybody happy. Sometimes 49 00:02:57.840 --> 00:03:00.960 they do make everybody happy. I will say that the stickers, 50 00:03:01.719 --> 00:03:04.360 ninety nine percent of members love the stickers, and some 51 00:03:04.400 --> 00:03:06.479 people they're like, well, I don't really care about the stickers. 52 00:03:06.639 --> 00:03:08.919 And then there's like at least sixty percent of people 53 00:03:08.960 --> 00:03:12.479 that their entire gym wellbeing and all of their classes 54 00:03:12.520 --> 00:03:14.599 that they come to is because they want a sticker. 55 00:03:14.840 --> 00:03:18.439 So it's pretty neat to see in that context. It's okay, though, 56 00:03:18.919 --> 00:03:22.199 if I can't make everybody happy. I'm not pizza, and 57 00:03:22.240 --> 00:03:24.159 even some people don't like pizza. We're not cheese, and 58 00:03:24.159 --> 00:03:26.759 some people are lactose intolerance. People can't eat cheese or 59 00:03:26.759 --> 00:03:28.759 they don't like cheese. At the end of the day, 60 00:03:28.800 --> 00:03:32.000 it's not personal. It never has been, and I don't 61 00:03:32.039 --> 00:03:36.599 decide things based also out of emotion. I don't decide 62 00:03:36.599 --> 00:03:38.919 things if I like somebody or if I don't like somebody. 63 00:03:39.400 --> 00:03:46.560 I decide things based on safety, accessibility, finances, staffing data, 64 00:03:47.639 --> 00:03:49.879 long term planning. I've learned to long term plan and 65 00:03:49.919 --> 00:03:54.159 not just weekly plan. Member experiences and whether it helps 66 00:03:54.199 --> 00:03:57.199 the majority of people that are under our roof, and 67 00:03:57.319 --> 00:04:01.599 all of those things are very different things. Sometimes it's 68 00:04:01.639 --> 00:04:03.719 something as simple as a bench. I've been looking at 69 00:04:03.719 --> 00:04:07.000 different benches. We're redoing our entrance way at the transformation station. 70 00:04:07.719 --> 00:04:09.680 Most people will walk past the bench and they don't 71 00:04:09.680 --> 00:04:12.199 even give it a second thought. But I don't do 72 00:04:12.319 --> 00:04:16.319 that because I immediately wonder can someone in a larger body 73 00:04:16.399 --> 00:04:20.439 comfortably sit on this? Can two or three people that 74 00:04:20.560 --> 00:04:23.759 exist in a larger body comfortably sit on this together? 75 00:04:24.160 --> 00:04:27.439 Can someone with bad knees get up and down onto 76 00:04:27.480 --> 00:04:31.240 this bench easily? Does it have arms? Does it have handles? 77 00:04:31.800 --> 00:04:34.759 What's the weight rating? Is it commercial grade? Will it 78 00:04:34.800 --> 00:04:38.360 scratch the flooring? Can it survive hundreds of people using 79 00:04:38.360 --> 00:04:41.319 it every single week? Is it easy to keep clean? 80 00:04:41.439 --> 00:04:44.240 Is it easy to sanitize? Especially after a workout, We're 81 00:04:44.279 --> 00:04:46.360 sitting on that bench with a whole lot of swash. 82 00:04:46.480 --> 00:04:50.199 It has to be able to be sanitary, and also 83 00:04:50.319 --> 00:04:54.360 how long will said bench last? Does it improve the 84 00:04:54.399 --> 00:04:57.240 flow of the entrance with the sizing? And it's funny 85 00:04:57.279 --> 00:05:01.600 because I'll spend so many hours re searching something that 86 00:05:01.639 --> 00:05:05.160 people might only notice for two seconds, and that also 87 00:05:05.199 --> 00:05:08.439 happens the same thing with gym equipment. One thing that 88 00:05:08.480 --> 00:05:11.439 shocked me when I first opened the gym is how 89 00:05:11.480 --> 00:05:16.120 much fitness equipment isn't actually designed for everybody. And I 90 00:05:16.160 --> 00:05:19.759 mean everybody, but I mean like everybody. A lot of rowers, 91 00:05:20.000 --> 00:05:25.240 spin bikes, cardio equipment, they mostly even commercial grade, have 92 00:05:25.319 --> 00:05:29.079 weight limits around two hundred and fifty pounds. Having once 93 00:05:29.120 --> 00:05:33.000 myself been over about four hundred pounds, I'll say that's 94 00:05:33.040 --> 00:05:36.040 something I think about all the time. I never want 95 00:05:36.079 --> 00:05:40.360 someone to walk into my gym wondering if they belong here, 96 00:05:40.600 --> 00:05:45.560 especially based on a weight limit. I don't want anyone 97 00:05:45.600 --> 00:05:47.959 to ever wonder like, hey, what am I capable of? 98 00:05:48.079 --> 00:05:50.040 Or oh maybe one day I can use the bike. 99 00:05:50.160 --> 00:05:52.959 That's not how fitness is designed. Fitness is for everybody. 100 00:05:53.279 --> 00:05:59.120 So I spend hours reading different specifications, talking to manufacturers, 101 00:05:59.199 --> 00:06:04.360 comparing equipment, getting quotes, figuring out sometimes even importing and exporting, 102 00:06:05.040 --> 00:06:08.959 asking questions making sure the things that we buy actually 103 00:06:09.000 --> 00:06:12.399 align with what the values are of the gym. That's 104 00:06:12.399 --> 00:06:14.600 one of the reasons we used to have i'll just 105 00:06:14.639 --> 00:06:18.600 call it the Bouncy boot workout. They changed manufacturers. I 106 00:06:18.680 --> 00:06:21.399 had people that were like two hundred pounds breaking boots 107 00:06:21.759 --> 00:06:23.959 at four or five hundred dollars a boot that I 108 00:06:24.040 --> 00:06:26.959 was supplying. Also every month it was an extra eighty 109 00:06:27.000 --> 00:06:29.720 dollars to replace the bands. The worst part is that 110 00:06:29.759 --> 00:06:32.879 when someone broke the band, the boot would collapse and 111 00:06:32.920 --> 00:06:36.639 they're like six inches one boots up, one boots down. 112 00:06:36.839 --> 00:06:38.839 And I remember someone leaving the gym and they were like, 113 00:06:38.920 --> 00:06:41.560 I shouldn't evate those French fries for dinner before I 114 00:06:41.639 --> 00:06:45.480 got here. Not cool. So that's why the Bouncy boot 115 00:06:45.519 --> 00:06:49.319 workout no longer exists in the Transformation station because I 116 00:06:49.319 --> 00:06:52.720 would never want someone to feel embarrassed in one of 117 00:06:52.720 --> 00:06:55.439 my classes. So everything that we have under our roof, 118 00:06:56.079 --> 00:06:59.360 every body can exist and use. There's no oh, you 119 00:06:59.399 --> 00:07:01.879 can't use that because you're over the weight limit. Excuse you. 120 00:07:02.439 --> 00:07:06.560 Fitness is for everybody. So that's why I spend so 121 00:07:06.759 --> 00:07:10.439 much time looking at these things. To me, accessibility isn't 122 00:07:10.480 --> 00:07:13.879 something that you add in after the equation. It has 123 00:07:13.959 --> 00:07:17.839 to be built in every single decision before you do anything. 124 00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:20.160 These things have to be built right from the beginning, 125 00:07:20.199 --> 00:07:22.040 and the same thing goes for our coaching as well. 126 00:07:22.639 --> 00:07:24.600 That's the one thing I'm an incredibly proud of and 127 00:07:24.639 --> 00:07:29.600 I'm also incredibly particular is about our coaches. People probably 128 00:07:29.600 --> 00:07:32.560 think coaching is just learning exercises, but it's absolutely not. 129 00:07:33.720 --> 00:07:36.480 Teaching people is actually one of the hardest skills to learn. 130 00:07:36.839 --> 00:07:42.319 Every single class has different personalities, different confidence levels, learning styles. 131 00:07:42.439 --> 00:07:44.920 There's also different injuries that people are coming in with. 132 00:07:45.120 --> 00:07:48.439 They have different fears, different goals, different body shapes, different 133 00:07:48.439 --> 00:07:53.279 body sizes, different mobility levels, different life experiences. Our coaches 134 00:07:53.319 --> 00:07:55.480 are not just learning the workouts and reading it off 135 00:07:55.480 --> 00:07:58.399 the screen or reading it off of Instagram. They're learning 136 00:07:58.439 --> 00:08:02.800 how to teach humans, specifically, how to modify for unique bodies, 137 00:08:03.000 --> 00:08:05.600 how to read the room, how to know when someone 138 00:08:05.600 --> 00:08:09.000 needs encouragement or when sometimes they need space. Sometimes people 139 00:08:09.000 --> 00:08:11.439 come in and they don't need encouragement. But it's also 140 00:08:11.759 --> 00:08:15.759 how to challenge someone without making them feel like they're 141 00:08:15.800 --> 00:08:18.560 an inch big. We don't want people to feel defeated, 142 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:21.560 so it's learning those things. It's learning how to make 143 00:08:21.560 --> 00:08:24.279 someone who's never stepped foot into a gym before feel 144 00:08:24.279 --> 00:08:27.240 like they belong because they do. Because of that, I 145 00:08:27.279 --> 00:08:30.319 spend a lot of time developing our own branded classes 146 00:08:31.000 --> 00:08:33.320 and a lot of time training our coaches so every 147 00:08:33.360 --> 00:08:37.679 member gets a consistent experience while still allowing the coach's 148 00:08:37.720 --> 00:08:41.440 personality to shine in those classes as well. So watching 149 00:08:41.519 --> 00:08:45.120 our coaches grow has Honestly, that is such. That's one 150 00:08:45.159 --> 00:08:48.360 of my favorite parts of owning this business is seeing 151 00:08:48.399 --> 00:08:51.919 the team develop and grow. I love that. I live 152 00:08:52.000 --> 00:08:54.639 for that. I love seeing members hit their goals and 153 00:08:54.679 --> 00:08:57.360 grow and learn as well. But I also love sitting 154 00:08:57.399 --> 00:09:00.679 back and watching the coaches excel and learn how to 155 00:09:00.720 --> 00:09:04.559 help the same people excel in their lives too. And 156 00:09:04.840 --> 00:09:07.720 I also something else that I don't talk about too often. 157 00:09:08.600 --> 00:09:11.159 I spend a lot of time helping other business owners 158 00:09:11.200 --> 00:09:14.159 as well. Sometimes there are other gym owners. Sometimes I 159 00:09:14.240 --> 00:09:17.720 own completely different businesses. But people ask me about marketing, 160 00:09:17.799 --> 00:09:21.240 staffing systems, equipment. They asked me about if I've ever 161 00:09:21.279 --> 00:09:24.159 made mistakes, Like let me get out that huge rolodex. 162 00:09:24.879 --> 00:09:29.080 Twenty two years of business, that is a lot of character, formation, formation, 163 00:09:29.279 --> 00:09:32.200 in twenty two years, and so yeah, I've made quite 164 00:09:32.200 --> 00:09:33.799 a bit of mistakes before I can get to where 165 00:09:33.799 --> 00:09:36.759 I am now. Or sometimes business owners they just want 166 00:09:36.759 --> 00:09:39.600 someone else to bounce ideas off of, and I always 167 00:09:39.639 --> 00:09:43.639 try to help if I can. I've always believed competition 168 00:09:43.679 --> 00:09:46.399 over community. Actually are shoe cubbies. I reached out to 169 00:09:46.440 --> 00:09:49.120 a few gym owners that I know, and I said, hey, 170 00:09:49.360 --> 00:09:51.600 I have these on marketplace. However, if you want them 171 00:09:51.600 --> 00:09:55.639 their commercial grade, their custom come and take them there yours. 172 00:09:56.480 --> 00:09:57.840 And they asked me like, hey, what did you use 173 00:09:57.879 --> 00:09:59.399 them for? And we don't want to use them for 174 00:09:59.440 --> 00:10:01.399 the same thing. We're not doing that. Yes, I know, 175 00:10:01.480 --> 00:10:04.159 I appreciate that. That's why I'm renovating the space to 176 00:10:04.240 --> 00:10:07.720 make it more accessible for everybody. But helping other people 177 00:10:07.759 --> 00:10:10.080 to succeed doesn't take anything away from me. I want 178 00:10:10.120 --> 00:10:12.240 us all to win. If anything, it makes our entire 179 00:10:12.279 --> 00:10:15.559 community stronger. And I remember what it felt like when 180 00:10:15.559 --> 00:10:18.200 I had to figure out everything on my own. If 181 00:10:18.240 --> 00:10:20.480 I can help shorten someone else's learning curve, I'm happy 182 00:10:20.559 --> 00:10:23.320 to do that. Most of my work. Actually it happens 183 00:10:24.279 --> 00:10:27.399 low grade, not low grade. They call it like under 184 00:10:27.440 --> 00:10:29.480 the earth. There's a word for that too that I 185 00:10:29.519 --> 00:10:31.840 can never I will not even tell you underground, there 186 00:10:31.840 --> 00:10:34.960 we go, not mostly what happens underground. That kind of 187 00:10:35.240 --> 00:10:37.840 sounds sketchy, But people don't see the amount of work. 188 00:10:38.440 --> 00:10:42.720 I'm looking at attendance data and schedules, planning future schedules, 189 00:10:43.240 --> 00:10:46.279 seeing what the check ins are because people can say 190 00:10:46.279 --> 00:10:48.360 they want something. And other business owner said to me 191 00:10:48.440 --> 00:10:52.320 that owns a similar structured gym to what I've created, 192 00:10:52.840 --> 00:10:56.559 and they say, like, people's vote isn't their word. People's 193 00:10:56.679 --> 00:10:59.240 vote is if they get there to a class. So 194 00:10:59.279 --> 00:11:01.919 it has to do with all the data, the building, 195 00:11:01.919 --> 00:11:05.480 the workshops, researching equipment, just like the benches, dumbbells. What 196 00:11:05.519 --> 00:11:07.919 do we need, what's being used? What are we falling 197 00:11:07.960 --> 00:11:11.360 short of? Talking to suppliers in different time zones. Sometimes 198 00:11:11.399 --> 00:11:15.559 as well, it's comparing quotes, importing products, meeting with local businesses, 199 00:11:15.919 --> 00:11:20.279 researching technology. I do a lot of zoom meetings. Right now, 200 00:11:21.159 --> 00:11:24.360 I'm switching over one of our systems that no one 201 00:11:24.399 --> 00:11:26.600 will ever see. It's just a company that I switched 202 00:11:26.639 --> 00:11:29.440 over to two months ago. I'm switching to another company. 203 00:11:29.519 --> 00:11:33.080 So I have had a lot of online training because 204 00:11:33.120 --> 00:11:36.200 they're still on Ontario, but they're they're far away from me. 205 00:11:36.600 --> 00:11:39.639 So I'm also training in that context how to make 206 00:11:39.679 --> 00:11:42.919 our systems better and to switch that over, which is 207 00:11:43.440 --> 00:11:47.399 usually a two month process. So I am learning, also 208 00:11:47.399 --> 00:11:50.080 getting different certifications as well for what people need, and 209 00:11:50.080 --> 00:11:54.000 training different coaches for more of what we need. This 210 00:11:54.200 --> 00:11:57.200 also installing the new iPads and replacing the TVs that 211 00:11:57.600 --> 00:12:01.399 in the last two weeks, I've also replaced testing music, 212 00:12:01.519 --> 00:12:05.720 changing systems, policies, emails, managing a whole lot of finances, 213 00:12:06.120 --> 00:12:09.720 and a whole lot of marketing, payroll, hiring, training, planning 214 00:12:09.759 --> 00:12:12.639 months ahead, planning September start for when people go back 215 00:12:12.639 --> 00:12:15.519 to routine, planning, how to keep people engaged over August 216 00:12:15.600 --> 00:12:18.679 so they don't fall off, looking at different cash flow, 217 00:12:18.799 --> 00:12:22.000 solving problems, trying to think six months into the future 218 00:12:22.039 --> 00:12:25.600 instead of just six hours into the future. People often 219 00:12:25.600 --> 00:12:27.559 ask me how come I'm not coaching as much anymore. 220 00:12:27.559 --> 00:12:29.759 I'm still coaching five six days a week most times, 221 00:12:30.279 --> 00:12:34.000 but like I said, like okay, So the answer to 222 00:12:34.039 --> 00:12:37.600 me is it's pretty simple. It's the business has grown, 223 00:12:38.000 --> 00:12:40.600 and one of the best decisions I've ever made was 224 00:12:40.639 --> 00:12:44.320 trusting my team. Like years ago, I coached every class, 225 00:12:44.639 --> 00:12:47.399 and then I'd go home. I'd work another ten twelve 226 00:12:47.440 --> 00:12:50.600 hours on the business. I wouldn't sleep. I remember one 227 00:12:50.639 --> 00:12:52.799 of our gym members can attest to this too. I 228 00:12:52.840 --> 00:12:57.320 would be up all day, all night, dealing with different 229 00:12:57.360 --> 00:12:59.360 systems and putting things into play, and then I would 230 00:12:59.360 --> 00:13:02.360 go and coach six o'clock in the morning. That wasn't sustainable. 231 00:13:02.399 --> 00:13:04.440 I made myself so sick. But I was the only 232 00:13:04.519 --> 00:13:08.080 person doing every single thing today. Because I trust our coaches, 233 00:13:08.480 --> 00:13:10.919 I have time to improve the business itself. I have 234 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:13.879 had time to build in systems, to design our check 235 00:13:13.919 --> 00:13:17.320 and champions passport that didn't happen in one hour. I've 236 00:13:17.360 --> 00:13:21.360 had time to create new programs, different certifications, to train staff, 237 00:13:21.600 --> 00:13:26.440 to improve our technology, to make your experiences better, as 238 00:13:26.440 --> 00:13:30.000 simply enough as installing proper paper towel holders that now 239 00:13:30.039 --> 00:13:35.279 hold four thousand sheets instead of just four hundred, so 240 00:13:35.639 --> 00:13:39.720 simple things like that, installing and buying and researching where 241 00:13:39.720 --> 00:13:42.279 am I going to put new sanitation stations? We need more? 242 00:13:42.360 --> 00:13:45.679 How can I implement these? Like even something as small 243 00:13:45.720 --> 00:13:49.960 as that, I have time now to do because ironically, 244 00:13:50.200 --> 00:13:53.559 the business has grown because I've spent less time trying 245 00:13:53.600 --> 00:13:56.679 to do every single thing myself and trusting my team, 246 00:13:56.720 --> 00:14:00.559 who is incredible, has allowed me to become a better owner. 247 00:14:00.879 --> 00:14:04.320 I'm more present, even though it looks like I'm less present, 248 00:14:04.360 --> 00:14:08.120 I'm actually more all in. So let's talk about those shoecubies, 249 00:14:08.159 --> 00:14:10.679 because I know that's something people have noticed. We are 250 00:14:10.720 --> 00:14:13.039 excitating the shoe cubies, and I've heard people assume that 251 00:14:13.039 --> 00:14:17.240 we're removing them because one person complained, that's not even close. 252 00:14:17.960 --> 00:14:20.960 The reality is I was spending close to five hours 253 00:14:21.879 --> 00:14:27.480 most weeks dealing with shoes, people missing their shoes, shoes 254 00:14:27.519 --> 00:14:32.000 getting moved. I was looking through security cameras, talking to coaches, 255 00:14:32.120 --> 00:14:35.679 contacting members this member that member, trying to solve those little, 256 00:14:35.759 --> 00:14:39.480 tiny detective mysteries that had nothing to do with helping 257 00:14:39.519 --> 00:14:43.399 people become healthier. And I even installed two additional cameras 258 00:14:43.519 --> 00:14:47.240 specifically to watch the shoe area, and we already have 259 00:14:47.399 --> 00:14:52.440 well over a dozen cameras throughout our facility inside outside, 260 00:14:52.840 --> 00:14:57.639 every single blind spot. We have cameras for your safety, 261 00:14:57.679 --> 00:15:01.840 for my safety, to watch over the business. And one 262 00:15:01.879 --> 00:15:05.799 of our employees very kindly because she's like, oh, everyone's 263 00:15:06.000 --> 00:15:08.000 not everyone, but a lot of people can understand why 264 00:15:08.039 --> 00:15:09.559 we're losing the cuppies, and they were a little bit 265 00:15:09.559 --> 00:15:12.039 offended to be honest with you. And that's all right 266 00:15:12.159 --> 00:15:14.840 because it has to change to make our experiences better. 267 00:15:15.759 --> 00:15:18.759 One of our employees kindly offered to help manage the 268 00:15:18.960 --> 00:15:24.080 shoe situation, like literally, I will take on the task 269 00:15:24.159 --> 00:15:28.480 of managing the shoes with clients. I appreciated that, but 270 00:15:28.519 --> 00:15:31.679 I also realized that we're a fitness facility. We are 271 00:15:31.720 --> 00:15:34.240 not a storage business. I should not have to have 272 00:15:34.279 --> 00:15:38.840 one specific employee to manage people's shoes. And every hour 273 00:15:38.919 --> 00:15:43.480 that I spent shoe shoe problem solving was an hour 274 00:15:43.559 --> 00:15:46.600 that I wasn't improving the gym. So the decision wasn't 275 00:15:46.600 --> 00:15:50.440 based on one complaint or one pair of missing shoes. 276 00:15:50.799 --> 00:15:53.159 It was about making better use of time and space 277 00:15:53.200 --> 00:15:56.840 for everybody, lessening my stress taking that five six hours 278 00:15:56.879 --> 00:16:01.039 a week and when I have to contact code, did 279 00:16:01.080 --> 00:16:02.360 you see this? Did this happen? Do you know where 280 00:16:02.399 --> 00:16:04.320 this person's shoes are? They're not paid for that time, 281 00:16:04.440 --> 00:16:06.600 they're having dinner with their family. When I have to 282 00:16:06.639 --> 00:16:09.440 contact other members, Hey did you see this person's shoes? Hey? 283 00:16:09.480 --> 00:16:11.399 Are these? Do you have ten ounce kickboxing gloves or 284 00:16:11.399 --> 00:16:13.399 do you have eight ounce kickboxing gloves because they're the same, 285 00:16:13.440 --> 00:16:16.639 but someone can't find them. That's a lot of time 286 00:16:16.679 --> 00:16:20.639 and effort and energy throughout an entire week. And literally 287 00:16:20.720 --> 00:16:22.720 I was spending at least five hours a week doing this. 288 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:25.799 So it's it's a lot. It's not about one situation. 289 00:16:26.000 --> 00:16:28.840 I don't make business decisions again, in twenty two years 290 00:16:28.840 --> 00:16:31.759 of business experience, I don't make those calls out of 291 00:16:31.840 --> 00:16:33.559 I want to be selfish and I don't want to 292 00:16:33.559 --> 00:16:36.559 see your shoes. I love seeing your shoes. Actually, today 293 00:16:36.600 --> 00:16:37.840 I had to go change my shoes and you know 294 00:16:37.879 --> 00:16:40.200 what I did. I walked to the cubbies where my 295 00:16:40.240 --> 00:16:43.120 shoes no longer exist. Actually, what happened was someone took 296 00:16:43.159 --> 00:16:45.639 my shoes out and put their shoes in. This is 297 00:16:45.679 --> 00:16:47.879 like a few months ago, and it still wasn't even 298 00:16:47.919 --> 00:16:52.639 about that, so I do understand. However, that was a 299 00:16:52.720 --> 00:16:56.759 choice that has to be done. It's making better use 300 00:16:56.799 --> 00:17:00.320 of time. Also, it gives us We're having quite a 301 00:17:00.360 --> 00:17:02.159 few people in and out of the gym in rotation. 302 00:17:02.320 --> 00:17:04.519 It's going to allow us more space. We have an 303 00:17:04.519 --> 00:17:07.640 additional iPad for members to check into. We have benches 304 00:17:07.680 --> 00:17:10.160 that are going to be more comfortable. We are redoing 305 00:17:10.200 --> 00:17:13.720 the bench situation, and I am so incredibly excited about 306 00:17:13.720 --> 00:17:15.400 the new entrance way because it's going to be more 307 00:17:15.400 --> 00:17:18.920 functional and cleaner and have more space for everybody. So 308 00:17:19.000 --> 00:17:20.720 it's going to be fantastic. One thing that I love 309 00:17:20.759 --> 00:17:24.480 seeing are people developing friendships and relationships and talking before classes. 310 00:17:25.000 --> 00:17:28.519 Way better use of that space. Something else I've learned 311 00:17:28.519 --> 00:17:31.559 over the years is that advice depends on the lens 312 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:35.160 that we're looking through, like the same way as different 313 00:17:35.160 --> 00:17:39.519 life experiences, and everybody can have their experiences that they 314 00:17:39.519 --> 00:17:42.319 bring to the table, and that is fantastic. But a 315 00:17:42.400 --> 00:17:45.759 contractor sees things differently than I do. An interior designer 316 00:17:45.799 --> 00:17:48.640 sees things differently than I do. A coach sees things 317 00:17:48.640 --> 00:17:53.079 differently than I do. Someone furnishing their home sees things 318 00:17:53.079 --> 00:17:57.039 differently than someone furnishing a commercial gym that has hundreds 319 00:17:57.039 --> 00:18:01.720 of people walking through every single week. Your home homes, 320 00:18:01.799 --> 00:18:04.559 period aren't designed for over one hundred people a day, 321 00:18:04.599 --> 00:18:08.960 with different body sizes, different mobility levels, different needs, and 322 00:18:09.200 --> 00:18:13.960 of course different constant wears and tears on the equipment 323 00:18:14.079 --> 00:18:17.640 on the benches, the toilets, anything and everything that's in 324 00:18:17.680 --> 00:18:22.960 a commercial space. Commercial spaces are completely different. I remember 325 00:18:23.000 --> 00:18:25.920 when we did have an HVAC issue with the air 326 00:18:25.960 --> 00:18:30.000 conditioning last year, a lot of people offered me who 327 00:18:30.039 --> 00:18:33.640 they use for their air conditioning in their home, and 328 00:18:33.720 --> 00:18:36.119 I would contact them because I was desperate at the time, 329 00:18:36.160 --> 00:18:41.160 and I hired like three different commercial AHEVAC people. It 330 00:18:41.200 --> 00:18:45.279 was a crap shoot. It was probably one of the 331 00:18:45.359 --> 00:18:50.039 harder times of business ownership was last summer because of 332 00:18:50.079 --> 00:18:53.640 this reason, and people were offering me their HVAC people, 333 00:18:53.680 --> 00:18:56.559 but they would come back and say, we only do residential. 334 00:18:56.960 --> 00:18:59.759 And then people weren't understanding. They're like, well they did 335 00:18:59.799 --> 00:19:02.359 mind and they have time, and well they just simply 336 00:19:02.400 --> 00:19:06.680 don't do commercial. It's totally different. And also the same 337 00:19:06.759 --> 00:19:10.799 goes for business ownership. Employees give employee advice and that 338 00:19:10.880 --> 00:19:14.759 to me, it is valuable. They see things that I 339 00:19:14.799 --> 00:19:19.680 don't see. But entrepreneurs also need entrepreneurial advice because running 340 00:19:19.720 --> 00:19:22.519 a business means thinking about things that people don't usually 341 00:19:22.559 --> 00:19:27.359 have to think about, finding customers, managing cash flow, payroll, hiring, 342 00:19:27.839 --> 00:19:30.920 having difficult conversations. That's the worst part because business is 343 00:19:30.960 --> 00:19:32.640 business and it's not personal and I don't like to 344 00:19:32.680 --> 00:19:35.839 have difficult conversations. I want everything to be fun all 345 00:19:35.880 --> 00:19:40.200 the time. However, we can't manage just based off of fun, 346 00:19:40.640 --> 00:19:44.680 So also marketing and negotiating and creating those systems, paying 347 00:19:44.680 --> 00:19:47.599 the bills before you even pay yourself. Sometimes that's definitely 348 00:19:47.680 --> 00:19:51.880 a thing in business ownership, making decisions that not just 349 00:19:51.960 --> 00:19:55.519 affect you, but also that affect your staff, your members, 350 00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:59.039 and also their families as well. It's totally a different responsibility. 351 00:19:59.160 --> 00:20:02.119 And in saying that neither is better, not one is 352 00:20:02.119 --> 00:20:04.440 better than the other, it's just different. The same way 353 00:20:04.480 --> 00:20:06.480 I show like mountain climbers from the ground or mounting 354 00:20:06.519 --> 00:20:09.640 climber's standing that look like a melon pressure. It's not 355 00:20:09.839 --> 00:20:13.240 made to be easier, it's made to be different. And 356 00:20:12.759 --> 00:20:15.599 that's where this stands as well. It's different and one 357 00:20:15.640 --> 00:20:18.279 thing that I always hope that we protect here as well, 358 00:20:19.279 --> 00:20:22.160 speaking of commercial versus home and all those things, but 359 00:20:22.480 --> 00:20:26.200 our culture, it's okay to disagree with the decision. It's 360 00:20:26.240 --> 00:20:29.680 okay to not love it. It's okay to wish we 361 00:20:29.720 --> 00:20:33.200 did something differently. That doesn't bother me, That doesn't bother 362 00:20:33.279 --> 00:20:35.480 me actually at all, Because sometimes I wish things were 363 00:20:35.480 --> 00:20:38.400 different and here we are. But I also believe that 364 00:20:38.400 --> 00:20:41.759 there is a respectful way to have those conversations. At 365 00:20:41.759 --> 00:20:43.720 the end of the day, I'm still a person. I 366 00:20:43.799 --> 00:20:47.200 have some feelings. Mostly I want to be fun and exciting, 367 00:20:47.279 --> 00:20:50.759 but I still have feelings. Yeah, But if someone expects 368 00:20:50.880 --> 00:20:54.440 kindness and respect from me, and I truly give that 369 00:20:54.599 --> 00:20:56.960 every single day, and I do believe that I give that, 370 00:20:57.000 --> 00:20:59.519 and I try my best to give that, it's not 371 00:21:01.519 --> 00:21:05.160 I think, well, I think it's fair to expect kindness 372 00:21:05.160 --> 00:21:08.799 and respect in return. So if you have a concern, 373 00:21:09.559 --> 00:21:12.920 this goes for everything and everybody, I would genuinely rather 374 00:21:13.039 --> 00:21:17.160 that you bring the concern to me. I will ninety 375 00:21:17.240 --> 00:21:19.440 nine point nine percent of the time get back to 376 00:21:19.480 --> 00:21:23.640 you speak with you. I prefer having conversations in person. 377 00:21:24.039 --> 00:21:28.039 I also prefer email because then there's context there, especially 378 00:21:28.119 --> 00:21:31.680 if it's needs to be marked down and to keep 379 00:21:31.720 --> 00:21:34.319 a history of that as well. If by chance, I 380 00:21:34.359 --> 00:21:37.440 get over literally one hundred emails a day, If you 381 00:21:37.559 --> 00:21:39.920 email me and you don't hear back from me within 382 00:21:40.000 --> 00:21:42.640 twenty four to forty eight hours, I can tell you 383 00:21:42.680 --> 00:21:44.839 I didn't get the email. If you don't hear back 384 00:21:44.839 --> 00:21:47.240 from me, from a text message. If you send me 385 00:21:47.480 --> 00:21:52.480 a whole whole lot of paragraphs, the way my system 386 00:21:52.519 --> 00:21:54.440 is set up, it flags it and I don't even 387 00:21:54.480 --> 00:21:58.640 get it. Please don't write me a six chapter text 388 00:21:58.640 --> 00:22:03.359 message in full detail. Please call me. I'm always at 389 00:22:03.359 --> 00:22:05.759 the end of the phone when you call, when you 390 00:22:05.839 --> 00:22:09.640 email anyway, So I would rather you bring that to me. 391 00:22:10.599 --> 00:22:13.559 Maybe I can explain something that you didn't know. Maybe 392 00:22:13.599 --> 00:22:16.440 you'll point out something that I missed because I'm not perfect. 393 00:22:17.079 --> 00:22:19.480 Maybe together we can come up with an even better solution. 394 00:22:19.960 --> 00:22:26.519 That's how great communities grow. Conversations create solutions. Side conversations 395 00:22:26.680 --> 00:22:30.119 usually create assumptions. And one thing that I've also learned 396 00:22:30.160 --> 00:22:33.680 over the years is if someone talks to everyone except 397 00:22:33.720 --> 00:22:37.599 the person who can actually solve the problem, the problem 398 00:22:37.880 --> 00:22:41.519 usually doesn't get solved. And I promise you I don't bite. 399 00:22:41.559 --> 00:22:45.240 I'm not mean. And if I don't agree with an idea, 400 00:22:45.319 --> 00:22:47.640 it's not because I don't like you. It's because I 401 00:22:47.680 --> 00:22:51.400