2017 MVP AWARDS Pro Athlete Influencer Award
2017 MVP AWARDS
MANAGEMENT
Management method or style : The team , the team , the team ! I boldly lead by example . I like to lead from the front . We all have to continue to move up or out .
Greatest challenge : Complacency . There is no time for it . Good is the enemy of great . Good is not good enough .
How do others describe you ? That ’ s a great question . I honestly do not know . Hopefully they say I am well-rounded , intelligent , and that I genuinely care .
How do you hire and fire , train , and retain ? Human capital is the most important asset to any non-IP based business . I let my managers and regional managers hire their staff . They are the ones who have to work with them on a daily basis . They are also responsible for training their staff . KPIs are attached to the performance of our locations . Managers are graded and earn bonuses based on their monthly KPIs . As mentioned earlier , I do get to train some of the staff . They go through a very intense 40-hour training , which I lead . It is an audition process . Even though they complete the certification training , there has to be a personality fit with their working team . When prospects see the value and commitment put into the integrity of the brand , as well as the high level of proficiency from the team , they are immediately excited to be a part of it — or intimidated and decide it ’ s not their true passion . As far as firing goes , we always give the employee an opportunity to up their game and meet our standards . Action plans are typically 2 weeks to 30 days in duration to meet the minimum criteria in our evaluation process . It ’ s pretty blackand-white . Evaluation scores , along with completion of the action plan , will dictate employment status . Behavioral infractions are a different beast . While written warnings do get issued , some infractions call for immediate termination .
2017 MVP AWARDS Pro Athlete Influencer Award
Why do you think you were recognized with this award ? I believe I was selected because of precise execution of my post-NFL goals . In 2010 , I started my MBA . I completed it in 2013 and retired from the Baltimore Ravens after winning the Super Bowl . I also signed my Orangetheory Fitness contract that year . In 2017 , we have 18 open stores and are just about halfway through our projected business model . I suppose the bar is not too high for former professional athletes in business . I have looked up to guys like Ronnie Lott and Joe Montana for years . There are a bunch of former and current younger athletes out there disrupting the business norm as well . Israel Idonije , Gary Brackett , Drew Brees , and Ryan Nece , to name a few , are doing just that .
How have you raised the bar in your own company ? Just as in the NFL , my job was to be an excellent football player , and to also protect the shield . My job now is exactly the same . Be an amazing operator and disrupt my corporate big brother . There is a reason why we have the highest-grossing studio of all time , and 6 of the top 30 performers in the company from my regions . We have a commitment to excellence and continue to set the excellence bar higher and higher .
What innovations have you created and used to build your company ? I would have to say the blueprint is there for us within the FDD . We have done a particularly good job of not watering down the product . In my experience , I have learned that revenue is tied in to studio usage . The more people work out , the more revenue is going to hit . We have come up with fun ways to pack the studio . With the additional utilization , we have had to be strategic in how we usher members in and out of the studio . We came up with some unique solutions that are now implemented not only in all of our 18 studios , but also around the nation as well .
What core values do you think helped you win this award ? Whether it is known or not , I firmly believe in conscious business practices . It ’ s important to positively affect one person . Maybe that ’ s your first hire . From there we want to positively impact the neighborhood . Perhaps that ’ s your first member . Eventually we want to impact our community , city , and nation . Ultimately , sustainability and conscious business trump the bottom line . I ’ m not here to get rich . I am here to impact as many lives with health and fitness as I possibly can . With this mindset , there are a lot of businesses that I wouldn ’ t be a part of because I wouldn ’ t be able to sleep at night . On the other hand , there are also a lot of companies that are right in line with my core values that I would be happy to have an association with .
How important is community involvement to you and your company ? We are always doing something in the community . We have partnered with Angel City Sports so adaptive sports athletes have a place to play and complete . As a company , Orangetheory Fitness raised almost $ 2 million for Augie ’ s Quest benefiting ALS research . We recently did a charity with Project Angel Food , a charity that delivers meals to the needy . We also do an annual cancer-based charity in October . The list goes on and on . We even donate old equipment to local high schools . Without the community we are just four walls with fitness equipment inside of them .
What leadership qualities are most important to you and your team ? Say what you mean and mean what you say . It ’ s all about 3 C ’ s : communicate , critique , and congratulate . I like to build our staff up even when we need them to make some changes . I will typically find out what they do really well and will sandwich it with a critique in the middle . We also have our leadership team do this as well . Along with communication and leadership you have to be able to forecast and have these conversations ahead of the curve . We always try to add a measurable metric to our staff ’ s performance so the information comes from an objective view .
12 MULTI-UNIT FRANCHISEE ISSUE III , 2017