About Dr. Art Curtis
Dr. Art Curtis
Dr. Art Curtis earned his B.S. in Business and M.S. in Exercise Physiology from Bowling Green State University and his PhD in Exercise Physiology from the University of Maryland. He has taught courses in the graduate schools of the University of Maryland and the American University in Washington, DC. In addition to his consulting work, Art has been serving as a mentor to students at the Dallas Hamilton Center for Entrepreneurial Leadership in the College of Business Administration at Bowling Green State University. Curtis Club Advisors LLC was formed in 2011 to serve the Global Fitness and Wellness Industry. Currently, Art serves on the Board of Advisors of CYBEX, one of the world's largest fitness equipment manufacturers. He is also a member of the Board of Managers of Taymax Holdings, an investment by ClearLight Partners in one of Planet Fitness' largest area development companies. From 2008 to 2013 he was a member of the IHRSA Board of Directors, serving two terms as Chairman from 2010 to 2012.
Phone: N/A
Email: art@curtisclubadvisors.com
Previous Articles
Showing 1 - 7 of 7 Articles
Behaviors That Lead Teams Down the Road to Dysfunction
Part II
October 2014 - Last month, in Part I of our series on Teamwork, we looked at the Power of Teamwork and its importance to the long-term success of an organization. We identified several characteristics and behaviors of high performing teams: Shared Vision and Values; Mutual Respect; Complimentary Skills & Work Styles (Diversity); Ability to Engage in Constructive Conflict; Non-Insular Thinkers; Commitment to Group Decisions; Accountability for Behavior and Results; Celebrate Team Wins. Read Article...
Building Great Teams
Part III
November 2014 - In Part I of this 3-part series on teamwork, I discussed some of the characteristics and behaviors that are common to high performing teams. In Part II, some of the triggers that can lead a team down the road to dysfunction were covered. In this final installment, I will share some thoughts on an approach you may find useful when assembling your senior management team or when you need to replace a team member. Read Article...
Growing Your Club Business By Acquisitions
Some Things to Consider
November 2016 - You have built a successful club business, a solid business model and a strong management team, and you have access to capital. You are considering ways to grow your business. Your choices include expanding your existing clubs to serve a larger membership base, adding additional services to grow your revenue per member, expanding your market area by building new clubs, buying existing clubs or some combination of the four. In this article, I will focus on some things you should consider when acquisitions are part of your growth strategy. Read Article...
How Does Your Leadership Team Stack Up?
September 2017 - Why do some club companies continuously prosper while others underperform? This is a question that I have frequently looked at during my years in the club industry. I have been fortunate to have had the opportunity to be involved in many due diligence processes and the ultimate acquisition of dozens of clubs. The diligence processes gave me the opportunity to take a deep dive into the performance of a wide variety of clubs and business models, from the highest of the high end to the high-value/low-price (HV/LP) gyms that have been growing so rapidly for the past decade. Read Article...
The Power of Teamwork
Part I
September 2014 - Have you ever wondered why a team with clearly superior talent could lose to teams with lesser skilled players? Well, just ask the 2004 U.S. Men's Olympic Basketball Team. The heavy favorite to win the gold medal with a team full of NBA All Stars lost 3 of 8 games to lesser skilled teams from Puerto Rico, Lithuania and Argentina. How could this happen? If you watched the U.S. team play in 2004, this group of "all-stars" played as a collection of very talented individuals, not as unselfish collaborative members of a team. I am sure you can all think of many examples of talented teams in various sports that have underperformed as a team. It is certainly easy to see as you watch a game unfold on the field of play. But, what about in your business, how do you know if a team has what it takes to be a high achieving team? Read Article...
Things to Consider When Selling Your Club Business
September 2016 - You have spent many years, perhaps a couple of decades, building your club business. Now, you are facing one of the most difficult and emotional set of decisions you will ever have to make. Do I sell my business, and if so, how and when do I go about selling? There is no advice that I can give you that will make selling your club(s) easy. But, there are some things that you should consider doing that will help you prepare, making the process go more smoothly and achieve the outcome you have worked so hard for. While the specifics of every sale are unique, there are some common elements you might want to contemplate before selling that will help you to prepare yourself personally to sell your business, understand who your potential buyer might be, and finally, to make certain that your business is ready to undergo the scrutiny of a due diligence process. Read Article...
You Only Get One Chance to Make a First Impression
Better Make it Count!
July 2015 - In my 35+ years in the fitness industry, I do not believe that I have seen a time when the industry has been more competitive than it is today. The consumer has so many good alternatives in most markets to satisfy his fitness needs. From low-priced/high-volume franchise models that have made gym membership accessible and affordable throughout most of the United States to the variety of studio models that have literally created a new category for group exercise and small group training. Several of the national and regional chains have become stronger allowing them to dominate in their markets while some of the weaker groups have been acquired. If you are going to successfully compete in the fitness industry today, you better bring your "A Game." Anything less will result in failure. Read Article...
Showing 1 - 7 of 7 Articles
