Every month, Club Solutions sits down with an industry expert to share in their wealth of knowledge. In the September issue, we sat down with Staci Alden, the group fitness director and educator at PRO Club.
1. How did you get started in the fitness industry?
I worked in the recreation center at the University of Idaho, my alma mater, as a group fitness instructor and personal trainer. During the summer, I would work at a health club in my small hometown as a lifeguard, and an aqua aerobics and swimming instructor. I was also a competitive swimmer and as the team captain, I would lead our off-season workouts.
2. What’s been a key to your organization’s success? What are you most proud of?
The key to the success of our group fitness and private Pilates team has been the emphasis on the fact we are a team of leaders. No one instructor is more important than the other. We are a team. I regularly encourage them to educate, motivate and support each other. I am most proud of how we have been able to work together through the pandemic. We sustained a very low turnover rate and were able to provide live, on-demand and outdoor programs quickly and strategically for our members.
3. What has been one of the biggest accomplishments of your career?
The biggest accomplish of my career was in 2019 when myself and two of our instructors presented a workshop of one of our signature classes at the IDEA World Fitness Convention. I am also so proud of the many instructors on our team who I’ve had the pleasure to support as they’ve developed their career to become master instructors for various fitness companies and formats.
4. What has been one of the biggest challenges you have faced in your career? And how did you overcome it?
2020 came with so many wonderful challenges, which have also become incredible lessons and opportunities. The biggest challenge of all was to keep the team informed and positive through the unknown. I overcame this by getting creative with how I connected with the team myself. I strove to keep them connected with members and was willing to try new things with them when I knew they weren’t going to be perfect.
5. What is one lesson you have learned that other fitness professionals can learn from?
Trust is the foundation of a great team. No matter what kind of following an instructor/employee may have, if they put themselves above the expectations and jeopardize the reputation and mission of the team, they should no longer be part of it. It can be very difficult to follow through with their removal, but I can assure you it will be better for both of you and eventually work out better in the end.
6. Tell us one fact about yourself others may not know.
I have African American sisters who are twins. My parents adopted them as newborns when I was two years old. I can’t imagine life without them.
To learn more about Staci Alden, connect with her on LinkedIn.
