As I sit down to write this, I am still working remotely — as I have been since clubs in my area were closed in early March due to the pandemic— and am eagerly awaiting an opening date for my region. I’m hopeful by the time you are reading this, your facility is either open or very close to opening.
Let’s face it: All of the unknowns of this pandemic have made it especially trying. It has turned everything upside down and left all of us looking to one another for help, information and support. Thankfully, our years of networking have paid off.
In my research on various new sanitation products with vendors outside our industry, I have received feedback on how unique our industry is. When I am working in it every day, it’s easy to take for granted how special this industry is and the relationships we have formed. There is a common thread that runs through us — a passion for health, fun and helping people succeed in their fitness journey.
To build on that foundation, here’s what I predict we’ll be able to do in the coming months:
- Continue to develop the relationships and build on the networks started or expanded since the pandemic began.
- Commit to staying engaged with our local politicians to be agents for positive change in our communities, even when we get back to regular workdays.
- Look for ways to create win-win relationships with other businesses that hopefully gives everyone a hand up.
We are going to get busy and we will head back into the forest of our work lives. Let’s not lose the momentum we have gained during this time so we will be better prepared for the next one. And if we learned anything, we know there will be a next one.
I want to thank all of you in the industry, both operators and vendor partners, who have helped me so much over the years. I have always been grateful for our partnerships, but the collaboration and information sharing during the past few months of this pandemic have deepened my gratitude.
We are stronger when we work together. Let’s keep pulling each other up and we will be even better prepared for the next crisis that comes our way.
