Nutrition programming is critical to helping members reach their fitness goals and keeping them engaged. Sustainable, research-based nutrition programming from Balanced Habits® can benefit any club.
Noam Tamir, the founder and CEO of TS Fitness in New York City, is a customer of Balanced Habits and an expert on member engagement and the role nutrition plays in it.
Here, he shares how he got his start in the industry, as well as his club’s strategies for nutrition programming, member engagement, and overcoming challenges on the way to success:
How did you get your start in the health and fitness industry?
I was always active and involved in organized sports. I was a skinny kid and a target for bullying, so I started lifting weights. As I got stronger and built my body up, I got a new type of confidence from fitness.
I am a born and bred New Yorker who attended New York University, graduating with a Master’s in Hospitality. During my years as a graduate student, I worked at a major gym chain. Eventually, I went out on my own. Over two years, I began to build a training team, eventually making the jump to my own fitness studio in 2011. My background in hospitality has embedded TS Fitness with a strong culture based on excellent customer service. I didn’t set out to own a boutique fitness studio — I set out to create a fitness community.
What’s the biggest problem that you have had to overcome and how did you overcome it?
One of the biggest challenges I have faced, and continue to face, is managing employees. Making sure they are onboard with my vision, core values and mission is essential. Getting people on the bus is one thing — getting them in the right seat is another. It’s about making sure you set expectations with your team, revising them as the business changes, and re-emphasizing them.
Additionally, because the majority of our clients come in for weight loss and overall toning, we needed a solution for nutrition. While exercise is an important component in reaching those goals, we believe nutrition is the biggest part of reaching them. We have seen our clients transformations occur three times faster when they are on a Balanced Habits program. Our partnership with Balanced Habits provided us the ability to offer a sustainable, easy-to-follow, habit-based program that teaches our clients proper nutrition.
Having a fitness studio in the heart of New York City, many people experience high stress, an extremely fast paced lifestyle, and access to all types of unhealthy food at any time. This can lead to individuals not scheduling time for meals and overeating.
The implementation of this program has helped so many of our clients manage their portion size, learn more about what a meal should be composed of, and be consistent with meal times. I have been looking for a program like this since opening my studio in 2011.
What are the keys to your company’s success?
- Brand consistency. This includes our philosophy, mission and core values, which are big keys for our success.
- Communication. We ensure we have open, consistent and constant communication. One of our must-reads when onboarding is “Crucial Conversations” by Kerry Patterson, Joseph Grenny, Ron McMillan and Al Switzler.
- Systems. We have created systems and checklists, from opening to how to track our leads and onboarding new clients.
How does your company differentiate from competitors in the industry?
It’s all about our ability to combine:
- Great customer service.
- Systems for communication.
- Quality exercise programming.
- The ability to offer nutrition coaching with Balanced Habits programming.
- Our continual pursuit of education with book clubs, guest presenters and continuing education.
What is the vision for your company’s future?
Our vision is expanding our fitness method and nutrition program with Balanced Habits to another location in Westchester, New York. We’ll continue to grow our client base and double up our personal training sessions to work with more people. And we hope to move in toward more corporate fitness and nutrition businesses in the area.
For more information, check out Balanced Habits online.
