Danny Williams, the manager on duty at Fitness Formula Clubs (FFC) in Chicago, exemplifies the club’s core values of friendliness and detailed cleaning. He’s even earned the nickname “Mayor of Union Station” around the club.
“I have never come across an individual who, day in and day out, wakes up with an outlook on life quite like Danny does — he truly exemplifies the mantra ‘choose your attitude every day,’” said Robert Chavez, the operations manager at FFC. “Danny has been working for FFC for almost three years and in that short amount of time has become a valuable member of the operations team.”
According to Chavez, Danny’s positive outlook on life is infectious in the club’s staff and its members.
“Danny is a true team player who thrives on positive energy and gives nothing less than 100 percent every day,” said Chavez. “To anybody who is lucky enough to know him, the secret to Danny’s success is no mystery, but it can be simply stated as love, courage and a positive, can-do attitude every single day.”
Learn more about Danny and his constant positive attitude here:
Danny Williams
Title: Manager on Duty
Club: Fitness Formula Clubs
Years of Service: 3
CS: What is the favorite aspect of your job? What do you love most?
DW: The favorite aspect of my job is meeting new members and helping them find the right trainer — that’s what I love the most.
CS: What’s kept you at Fitness Formula Clubs all this time?
DW: I don’t think of my job as work; I think of it as having fun. The members and the staff are the reasons that I stay. I really love coming to my job.
CS: What was your “aha” moment that made you realize you loved this job?
DW: My “aha” moment was when I was able to connect two members who were strangers at first, but eventually became business partners. The positive working environment fostered by FFC allows me to get to know members deeper than just a name and a face. Connecting people has always been rewarding to me and when I was able to connect these two gentlemen, I said to myself, “Aha, I love this place!”
CS: How does Fitness Formula Clubs make you feel valued as an employee?
DW: I feel valued as an employee because of the freedom I am given to let my personality shine. I am a people person and the ability to talk to members really makes my day, every day.
CS: Where do you get your work ethic? How do you keep a positive attitude?
DW: My work ethic comes from my time in the U.S. Army and from practicing Martial Arts for over two decades.
CS: What practices or techniques do you use to make strong connections with members? Do you have any tricks you use for remembering members’ names, or significant aspects of their lives?
DW: I introduce myself to all members as soon as I see them at the club for the first time. I share what I do and always try to learn something about their lives. This helps cement their name in my head.
CS: What best practice tips can you share that would be beneficial to professionals in a similar role at other clubs?
DW: Love what you do and have a motivator like family or friends. Every day I live is lived for my kids and my family. It’s because of them that I do what I do.
CS: What’s the biggest mistake you’ve ever made, and what did you learn from it?
DW: Running out of towels in the locker room my first week at the job ranks high on the list of biggest mistakes. I took a big lesson on organization from that experience and like to laugh at how frazzled I must have looked that day.
CS: What’s your funniest member story?
DW: My favorite member story was running into a member who I served with in the Army while deployed to Germany. It was so good to see an old friend and even better to see him still keeping an active lifestyle, just like we used to back in the day.
CS: What’s the best gift from a member you’ve ever received?
DW: The best gift I received from a member was four tickets to the Willis Tower’s observation deck. It was so much fun to take my kids to see Chicago from such heights.
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Bobby is the former assistant editor of Club Solutions Magazine.
