The Club Insider Archives: September 2023

Chez Misko and Wisconsin Athletic Club
Making a Difference in People's Lives
By: Justin Cates

Justin CatesIn a previous age, one's career spanned its length with one employer. Among younger generations, that idea has fallen by the wayside in favor of moving and upgrading as the needs of one's life dictates. Further, the idea of having multiple careers in different fields has become prevalent. So, it is becoming rare to find one who has dedicated an entire career to one field, and further, it is even more rare to find one who has dedicated all that time to one company. I introduce one of those people, and his name is Chez Misko, COO of Wisconsin Athletic Club (WAC), our September 2023 Cover Story Subject. Read More

Exercise IS Medicine
By: Mike Alpert

Mike AlpertExercise! It is the word that defines our industry. Our clubs exist in order to encourage people to sign up for and to take the powerful drug called Exercise. We know how important it is in preventing and treating so many chronic health problems. Yet, many people are not made aware of the medical benefits. Many physicians don't prescribe it, and health insurance does not reimburse for it. Exercise is the best medicine we have to build a healthy immune system. Yet, throughout the most devastating pandemic and country closures of our time, when it became crystal clear that the best defense against COVID was a strong and healthy immune system, the best places to take that medicine were shut down for almost two years. People were not even allowed to play golf or use the beach, all outdoor activities. Read More

The Lost Art of One-On-One Coaching and Mentoring
By: Herb Lipsman

Herb LipsmanWe can all recall a private conversation with a teacher, coach, parent, relative, boss or other important figure in our lives that literally changed our lives. It may have been a conversation about where to go to college, a major career choice, whether to get married, how to deal with the loss of a loved one or some other piece of invaluable advice that helped us make a life-changing decision. Read More

Four Keys to Effective Leadership
By: Chris Stevenson

Chris StevensonEffective leadership is essential for the success of any organization. Leadership is a skill that can be challenging to learn. However, once mastered, it makes a massive difference in the success and growth of an organization. While many skills, traits and strategies are necessary for effective leadership, four fundamental building blocks have emerged throughout my career as the most essential. Influential leaders inspire and motivate their team members, communicate effectively, create an environment of collaboration and participation, and ensure that all team members always feel appreciated. A foundation for success has been laid when these building blocks are solidly in place. In this article, we will explore these four critical attributes of effective leadership and how they can be used to create a successful and productive work environment... Read More

The Six Key Areas to Prepare for Underwriting an SBA Loan and Equipment Lease
By: Paul Bosley

Paul BosleyThe process of underwriting SBA loans, equipment leases and equipment financing agreements has evolved significantly since the pandemic began a few years ago. The purpose of this article is to share our observations of the six key factors considered by analysts in the underwriting process. It is a rare occurrence that applicants are strong in all areas, so the process is subjective in many respects weighing the following key considerations... Read More

It's Booty Time!
By: Gary Polic

Gary PolicBack by popular demand, here we go again with another Q&A with Victor "VMan" Verhage! This time, we are highlighting what will be the #1 focus and on the "main stage space" for members in your clubs in 2024! I am privileged and honored again to highlight Polic Consultants Group specialist, Victor "VMan" Verhage. It is Booty Time! Are you ready to light up your members' Gluts? Well, you better be, because their Booty has everything to do with lower back pain and so much more than looks! So, buckle up Club Insider Subscribers... Let us get you ready to Rumble! It's Booty Time! Read More

Biohacking: What's the Opportunity?
By: Frank Guengerich

Frank GuengerichBiohacking has been around the fitness industry for years, but only recently have owners and operators come to realize the opportunities. The definition of biohacking is when you change your body chemistry and physiology through science to increase energy and vitality. So, why should a club owner and operator get heavily engaged with biohacking? There are three primary reasons. Read More

The Sport of the Summer
How to Train to Be a Pickleball Pro
By: Sara Kooperman, JD

Sara Kooperman, JDFive years ago, I didn't even know what Pickleball was; now I play regularly. Over the past few years, Pickleball has become one of the fastest growing sports in the United States. According to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA), over 8.9 million people played pickleball across the country in 2022, which was nearly double the 4.8 million players reported previously. While the game had been on the rise prior to COVID-19, the pandemic definitely helped further spread its popularity as seen in a report by the Association of Pickleball Professionals, which found that more than 36.5 million people played pickleball from August 2021 to August 2022. Pickleball is a fast-paced and highly addictive sport that has taken the world by storm. The game combines elements of tennis, badminton and Ping-Pong, making it an accessible sport for players of all ages and skill sets. Read More

The Perfect Pickleball Workout
By: Jeffrey Pinkerton

Jeffrey PinkertonYes, I consider myself a Pickleball fanatic. I'll spare you my opinion on the playability of one ball type over the other or my indifferences on the current updates to our rating system. Instead, I want to talk about what it takes to play Pickleball, my experience getting "Pickleball Fit," where I see people's mobility and agility lacking, and how hours spent in your facility can help people spend more --and better-- hours on the court. Because, yes, your programming can prepare members to be more active in life and in sport... including, and for the purposes of this article, Pickleball. Read More

Crunch Fitness Becomes First Gym to Enable Amazon One Palm-Based Entry
NEW YORK, N.Y. - Crunch Fitness announces it is the first fitness brand to introduce the Amazon One palm recognition service as an entry option for its members at select Crunch locations nationwide. Members who choose to use the convenience of Amazon One no longer need their Crunch membership tags or mobile app to enter; they can simply hover their palm over an Amazon One device to enter the fitness facility. Amazon One is currently being piloted at nine Crunch clubs across the U.S., including five in San Francisco, three in the New York City and one in the Los Angeles area, with more locations rolling out the technology in the coming months. Read More

JLR Associates Announces Exciting Changes
A Game-Changing Recruitment Approach to Elevate Your Talent Acquisition Strategy
NEW JERSEY - In today's rapidly changing business landscape, the fitness industry is just like any other industry and must be able to adapt and evolve to stay competitive. One crucial aspect of this adaptability is the ability to successfully reposition a company for success, and JLR Associates is doing just that. As part of our ongoing commitment to delivering the best possible solutions to meet your recruitment needs, we are excited to share some significant developments within our company. Read More

Norm's Notes for September 2023
By: Norm Cates

Norm CatesHello Everybody! This is your Club Insider Founder and Tribal Leader Since 1993 checking in with our 357th monthly edition of this 30+ year running club business newspaper I refer to as: A Labor of LOVE! And, let me just say this here and now... YAHOO!!! I'm saying YAHOO!!! to y'all because, with this issue of Club Insider, we've launched the first edition of our brand-new Digital Era of production! Yep, no more trees will have to die to make paper for Club Insider's printed editions! And, we are not alone! The publishing industry worldwide has been making this change, too! So, JUSTIN CATES, my son, and partner in Club Insider, our highly esteemed Publisher, and I are very excited to send you our first-ever ALL DIGITAL EDITION! Read on. Read More

Back to 2023