Six women in fitness reflect on their careers, share leadership advice and show how their work is impacting lives.
“There are two powers in the world. One is the sword the other is a pen. There is a third power stronger than both, that of women,” said Malala Yousafzai.
Women across the industry are exhibiting that power by uplifting their communities and teams through health and wellness. Here, six industry leaders pay it forward by sharing their story and leadership lessons for other professionals.
Kristi Barnes, Marketing Manager, Wellbridge
What led you to the fitness industry?
I grew up playing everything from softball and lacrosse to competing in gymnastics and diving. I also love watching sports. When the Denver Broncos are on TV, don’t interrupt me. Wellbridge was a way to stay close to the sports industry and to remain active and in shape. I wish more people chose to be fit. As a whole, the U.S. is not very healthy. We like to say we change lives when someone joins one of our clubs and they become a member of our fitness family. I really do feel good knowing we’re making an impact.
What’s one characteristic you believe every leader should possess?
Self-awareness. I’m sure we’re all guilty of lacking this at one point or another, but a leader should know their own strengths and weaknesses and be aware of how those affect others. We should also value the participation and difference our team can make when we incorporate their strengths into projects — big or small — all while continuing to take the business forward.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
“The pessimist complains about the wind. The optimist expects it to change. The leader adjusts the sails.” — John Maxwell
What is your biggest accomplishment?
I think I have a bunch of small accomplishments, rather than one big one. I started in a different department at Wellbridge and then moved over to marketing after eight years. I interact a lot with the clubs but also handle many responsibilities in our home office that have me working with our COO, CEO and CFO. With this background and knowledge, I’m able to help in many different areas across the company. My supervisor once said I wear more hats than what you see at an English wedding.
What advice would you give to other leaders in the industry?
It seems so basic, but it’s called the golden rule for a reason — treat others as you would want to be treated.
Gretchen Collins, Director of Fitness, East Bank Club
What led you to the fitness industry?
I developed a passion for sports at an early age and quickly recognized my competitive nature. Engaging in various sports throughout my childhood provided a valuable outlet for me and allowed me to maintain my physical, mental and emotional well-being. As I prepared for college, I explored different exercise-related degrees and discovered exercise physiology aligned perfectly with my interests. I was eager to deepen my understanding of fitness and the underlying science, making this choice a natural progression in my journey.
What is one characteristic you believe every leader should possess?
Every leader should embody the principle of leading by example. Merely stating rules, policies or initiatives without genuine commitment will not foster trust. It’s essential to practice what you advocate, allowing others to observe you as a model of the behaviors and values you promote.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
The best advice I have received comes from my mother, “Think before you speak.” This has been a significant challenge for me, as I tend to be honest and direct in my communication. However, I strive to embody my mother’s wisdom by taking a moment to pause before responding, particularly in challenging situations.
What is your biggest accomplishment?
My greatest accomplishment has been serving as a supportive anchor for my family and friends, particularly in maintaining strong long-distance relationships. After moving to Chicago — where I had no prior connections — right after college, I underwent a significant personal transformation. This experience underscored the importance of friends and family for my overall happiness. I take pride in staying connected with loved ones, regardless of distance, by remembering important dates and events in their lives and being there for them. My goal is to ensure everyone important to me knows how much they matter.
What advice would you give to other leaders in the industry?
The best advice I would offer to other leaders in the fitness industry is to cultivate resilience. Embrace the possibility of failure and remain open to trying new approaches. I have often hesitated to let go of initiatives for fear of failing, which has sometimes led to prolonged challenges. I’m actively working on the importance of failing quickly, pivoting and exploring new strategies. Additionally, I emphasize the value of authenticity. When individuals recognize you’re presenting your true self, they’re more likely to support you and foster strong connections. This environment of trust is essential for achieving meaningful results.
Stefanny Gonzalez, Regional Vice President, 24 Hour Fitness
What led you to the fitness industry?
Growing up in an environment where health and wellness was not prioritized and healthy foods were not always in the budget, health ailments unfortunately impacted my family. I grew up to understand the critical role a healthy lifestyle plays in quality of life. I told myself I wanted to be in health care to try to help people not go through what I saw my family go through. The reality is, in many instances, “health care” is unfortunately just sick care. I realized through my time connecting with members and guests while working frontline at 24 Hour Fitness what we get to do every day in the fitness industry is actually real health care. It’s preventative health care and gives us the opportunity to impact someone positively toward longevity and improved quality of life. The fitness industry is a rare platform where you get to do well for yourself while you do well for others. That motivates me every day.
What is one characteristic you believe every leader should possess?
There are many powerful characteristics that make incredible leaders who they are. One that resonates for me is servant leadership and embodying what that means. Swim upstream for your people, and they will build a boat for all to enjoy. In other words, take care of your greatest asset — your people — and work hard for them. A leader who serves their people and the culture it creates can move mountains.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
I’ve been very fortunate to have wonderful mentors in my career who have guided me and helped me grow. It’s tough to narrow down to one piece of advice so I’ll share two points that were critical to my success.
The first is, “go slow to go fast.” Think about short term gains, implications and long-term gains, and implications with every decision you make to ensure it’s the right decision for the business.
The second is, “hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” Effort and skill together are a dynamic combo. Find ways to constantly elevate the skill of the team while also elevating their engagement which shows up in their efforts.
What is your biggest accomplishment?
Starting with 24 Hour Fitness in 2011 in a frontline role and growing my career into the role I’m in now, while helping many others grow their career along the way. I’m most proud of the impact I’ve had on others through development and mentorship.
Aubrey Davis, General Manager, Healthworks Fitness Back Bay
What led you to the fitness industry? I’ve always been active, but when I became a yoga instructor in 2016, it was like a lightbulb moment. I never viewed exercise as a way to be kind to myself or love my body. I worked as an instructor for several years teaching Barre, yoga and leading yoga teacher trainings. When my life took me across the country, I decided to put more focus on my career in restaurant management, but it wasn’t something I was passionate or excited about. It was the team I really loved. Healthworks was a way to merge my passion for fitness and my management skill set. I fell in love with the industry and its potential and never looked back.
What is one characteristic you believe every leader should possess? Mindfulness and the ability to look critically at the way you operate. For example, I love to solve problems, but the way I often go about it is to find weak spots in possible solutions until I find one that works. For some, this can be a little demoralizing, to have their coworker or manager consistently try to poke holes in their ideas. That’s where my mindfulness practice comes in and trying to keep the collaboration alive and honor everyone’s contributions. It’s a work in progress but it makes for a stronger team and better problem-solving from everyone.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given? My dad always told me to never be too good for any job. As I grew into my career, I found more and more value in that advice. No matter the task, do it in a way you can take pride in. It’s a characteristic I look for in my team as well — the ability to step up and do the needed job.
What is your biggest accomplishment? I think my biggest accomplishment is getting to where I am today. I’m in a place where I’m challenged daily. I have a strong team I love working with and a company I truly believe in.
What advice would you give to other leaders in the industry? Take every opportunity you can to learn something new. If someone is willing to teach you something, try your best to say yes. You never know what doors it could open. Continuous learning and curiosity are ways to keep your mind open and find new ways to solve problems.
Tracey Perino, Vice President of Operations and Sales, 425 Fitness
What led you to the fitness industry?
I’ve always been a fitness enthusiast. My last role was in the education industry, and I traveled extensively so gyms were a way for me to stay fit and release stress. When John Hamilton opened a Gold’s Gym near my house 17 years ago, my husband and I joined. I was approached in a Group X class to be an instructor. I became certified in Les Mills and have been an instructor for 16 years. I still teach weekly. A few years ago, I left the education sector when John was looking for marketing/sales help, and it seemed a natural fit given I knew the clubs so well. That has since morphed into the role I have today. Fitness is a major part of my family’s life. We’ve always belonged to gyms and CrossFit boxes, participated in sports, and generally been active.
What is one characteristic you believe every leader should possess?
Flexibility. Not everything will go the way you want or plan for. If you leave yourself open to change, what comes about could be even better than you thought. You need to have the vision to know where you’re going but be open to the road taking some curves and even some hills. Being flexible also makes you more open to taking chances. I’m one of the first to beta test anything if I feel it fits with the vision of the club. Sometimes it doesn’t pan out but if we didn’t try, we would never evolve.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Hire others who don’t think like you. If you hire yourself time and time again, you never hear other ideas, brainstorm different concepts or look at issues in a new light. You and your role become stagnant and never grow.
What is your biggest accomplishment?
My family. My daughter is a senior this year and takes off for college next year. As she’s our only child, it will be a different feeling in the house and one my husband and I aren’t sure how to deal with yet.
What advice would you give to other leaders in the industry?
Share information and network. Networking within the industry is vital, but we also need to be looking outside. Hotels have amazing service — how can we bring that into the club? Every time I’m in a new city I visit a club. There’s always something that I take away. It could be something little like wording on signage to something big like equipment or supplies.
Amy Williams, General Manager, Little Rock Racquet Club
What led you to the fitness industry?
After being referred by a friend, I started working at our Little Rock Athletic Club (LRAC) location as a locker room attendant when I was 16. At the time I had no idea it would become my future career. While working through high school and college, I worked in several departments from front desk to membership at LRAC. In 2010, I moved to our racquet club location to run the membership office then became assistant manager and eventually general manager in 2022.
What is one characteristic you believe every leader should possess?
Passion. It’s important to love what you do and know you’re a part of something special. If you have a passion for making your staff, members, club and environment the best it can be, you’re one step closer to making that happen.
What is the best piece of advice you’ve been given?
Don’t take it personally. While most days are great, managing a club is not always rainbows and butterflies. It’s easy to hold on to the negatives. Instead of taking it personally, I step back and remember it’s all about the member experience and what we can do to improve the process or experience moving forward. I may not have mastered it yet, but it’s a work in progress.
What is your biggest accomplishment?
It’s easy to think about a big accomplishment being a degree or a promotion you’ve been working toward, but my first thought is my family. My husband and our amazing kids are the biggest and best accomplishments I can ever imagine. Family is a core value at our clubs, and I’m so lucky to be able to watch my kids grow up as part of our club family.
What advice would you give to other leaders in the industry?
Build community within your organization and get to know your members. As I mentioned, family is a core value and our members all become part of our club family. Attrition is a big deal in the fitness industry. When you create a community, you’re giving members a reason to keep coming back. It’s important to build and grow with your community through improvements and feedback from your members.
Want to nominate a leader at your facility for next year’s issue? Email taylor@peakemedia.com.
