February 2023 Club of the Month, presented by ABC Fitness Solutions:
Emerald City Athletics, est. 2010
Located in Seattle, Washington, Emerald City Athletics (ECA) is a club with a burning desire to help members achieve their desired fitness results within their first year as a member. Once that goal is met, ECA continues to educate members how to maintain those results for life.
Below, MJ Reavley, the president of ECA, shares more on what makes the club unique, trends in the fitness industry and how other gym owners can experience similar success.
How did Emerald City Athletics come about?
Neil Schober founded Emerald City Athletics in 2010. Schober has been in the fitness industry for 50-plus years, starting out as a personal trainer and steadily advancing until he started his first club, Hart’s Athletics, in Seattle in 1987. At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Schober and I partnered. Together, we have grown Emerald City Athletics from two to four clubs in the Greater Seattle Area, with expansion plans to have over 20 clubs by 2030.
What is the mission of Emerald City Athletics?
We exist to lead our members to holistic health through achieving their desired fitness results.
What makes Emerald City Athletics unique?
Our relentless dedication to helping our members achieve their desired fitness results is at the top of the list. Everybody wants to be more physically fit, but most don’t know where to start. We connect them with a proven process inside our gym that helps them maximize their life outside our gym.
Our membership sales team, called fitness facilitators, as well as our top-tier coaching department play a tremendous role in helping our members set and accomplish their goals while continually providing them with accountability, motivation and guidance. Our members complete monthly reprograms for the lifetime of their membership where they check-in with our team to monitor progress and adjust their strategy where necessary.
We are so committed to our ongoing accountability check-ins that we engage both our members and our fitness facilitators in creating a detailed game plan using our VOPA system to ensure success. Additionally, we financially incentivize both our members and fitness facilitators to adhere to their commitment to their game plan to show up, use the club and achieve their results.
For those who need maximum accountability, guidance and ongoing coaching, we offer our specialized Champions Training program. It consists of classes, specialty seminars, and community events. Each 60-minute Champions Training class is designed to work both the cardiovascular system and the muscular system at the same time. Under the watchful eye of one of our most experienced certified coaches, members utilize progressive resistance training, strength training and cardio in high-intensity intervals. Each class will offer two different workout options: “Fitness” for beginners and “Performance” for advanced exercisers. We offer about 50 Champions classes weekly at all club locations.
What role do you believe technology plays in adapting to changes in the industry and driving growth?
Technology plays a massive role in adapting to change and driving growth. We use it to streamline specific processes inside the club, such as member communications. Tools like automated messaging in IGNITE Sales and our club branded app, powered by IGNITE Engagement, help keep us more connected to our members so we can monitor their progress, ensuring they achieve their desired fitness results. Consistent communication with members helps increase member retention, decreases attrition and supports the growth of a strong community inside clubs. We utilize technology to leverage our time and efforts to accelerate accomplishing our mission.
What is your favorite thing about partnering with ABC Fitness Solutions?
Working with ABC Fitness Solutions truly feels like a partnership. They take the time to get to know our business. They don’t make us feel like we’re just one of many clients — their service is personalized. They’re an extension of our team. They’re always quick to offer innovative solutions to help improve our processes and go the extra mile to help us adapt to using new systems and technology. Everyone we work with at ABC has worked in the fitness industry for years. Their shared knowledge and understanding are a huge benefit.
What’s a trend you’re seeing in the fitness industry that other operators should keep on their radar?
Exercise as a “dose of medicine” for mental health — mind training along with body training. Coming out of the pandemic, the role exercise plays in mental health is more apparent than ever before. People are seeking out the mental benefits that come with exercise. Creating a community inside the walls of your gym after many felt disconnected during the pandemic should be a priority.
Clubs that are focusing on community events will benefit greatly. People are willing to pay more for real results and a real relationship. People are seeing the importance of guidance and accountability and willing to make that investment in their health.
If you could give one piece of advice to other gym operators, what would it be?
As an operator, you have a system(s) to ensure you accomplish your desired objectives.
Gym owners, operators, employees and members never rise to the level of their goals. They fall to the level of their systems. At ECA, we prioritize systems that are time tested. We accompany them with a healthy dose of accountability to ensure we are always progressing in the right direction to win. Operators that approach their people, process and product with the same mindset and action plan being system-centered will certainly be rewarded for their efforts.
Created in partnership with ABC Fitness Solutions. Visit abcfitness.com for more information on how they can help your fitness business.
