Every month, Club Solutions sits down with an industry expert to share in their wealth of knowledge. In the April issue, we sat down with Jeff Linn, the executive director at Weymouth Club.
1. How did you get started in the fitness industry?
My father was the deputy director of the World Trade Center in New York City. On the top floor of the Vista Hotel located in between the Trade Center was one of the top health clubs in the country called “Executive Fitness Center.” My father connected me with someone who was able to get me an internship. Some fantastic leaders in our industry started with the company that owned this club and taught me a lot.
2. What’s been a key to your organization’s success? What are you most proud of?
Everyone from ownership to our front-line service providers are totally committed to excellence, hard work and constant drive for improvement. I’m most proud, as hard as it was, of everyone truly working together through the pandemic to bring back the business to where we are today.
3. What has been one of the biggest accomplishments of your career?
Developing great relationships that include caring, support and trust. These relationships go throughout the industry, within the four walls of Weymouth Club and throughout the South Shore of the Boston community.
4. What has been one of the biggest challenges you have faced in your career? And how did you overcome it?
Besides the pandemic, I opened a facility called “HealthPoint” in 1999. It was a $40 million greenfield project. Along with a 100,000-square-foot sportsplex, it included various medical services and the Boston Celtics Training Center. I learned a lot and didn’t sleep much for a year. I remained very humble and worked hard to get through my various learning curves.
5. What is one lesson you have learned that other fitness professionals can learn from?
In order to be successful, you — along with your team — need to be results driven and willing to be held accountable. Additionally, we are in the people and service business, which is demanding. When you’re hiring, understand this cultural alignment must be present or you will struggle working with them.
6. Tell us one fact about yourself others may not know.
My father operating the World Trade Center meant I basically grew up there. He had me participate in emergency drills at the World Trade Center 15 years before 9/11. I was on the 60th floor with a room full of smoke and emergency personnel arrived to help us. As you can imagine, I reflect on that drill all the time and I think about all of those who were there that day. It’s beyond heartbreaking.
Connect with Jeff Linn on LinkedIn.
