Fit to Print Volume 23 Issue 2: June 2014 | Page 5

S t a f f Pe r s p e c t i v e by Laurie Gilfedder What’s The Difference? It’s the People! instance or point of unlikeness or dissimilarity' a distinguishing characteristic; distinctive quality, feature, etc. A ll you have to do is watch television in any given week and you will hear dozens of commercials representing dozens of fitness facilities to realize that there are so many choices when it comes to gym memberships. Or just drive within a five mile radius and you will pass at least a half dozen or so gyms in your home town. And if you widen your scope to include weight loss programs, such as “Diet Plan XYZ to lose 10 pounds in a week or Diet ABC for convenient home food delivery, your health, weight loss and fitness choices become even more mindboggling and complicated. So what's a person to do, how do you decide which one is best for you, how do you determine which gym, which weight loss program will help you achieve your immediate and your long term goals? What's the right fit? What's the difference?? It's not so easy as it first appears. Impulse may influence you to join the newest gym. And so you think, if it's new, it must be good, right? New is better than old, right?? Or perhaps you may be persuaded to believe that the gym with the most treadmills is best. A gym with 40 treadmills must be twice as good as a gym with 20 treadmills, right? More is better, right?? Or perhaps you should follow the diet program that promises you will lose 20 lbs. What does it all mean and how do you make heads or tails of these choices? How do you make a decision? What's the Difference?? Webster's dictionary defines difference as: the element or factor that separates or distinguishes contrasting situations; an So first things first, let's define the differences. I can sum it up in one word: People! To name a few, Ken and Corinne Brown, Cathy Peacock, Kelly Wallace, Dina Voigt, Carmella Milano, Rachel Ezelius, Linda Bornholdt, Diane Tinerello, our PT staff, Spa staff (I could go on and on) and, most importantly and irreplaceably, our member community! You may be surprised that I didn't mention the name of even one piece of equipment. But when it comes to differences, is any one piece of equipment the defining factor for joining a gym? Of course not! It's all about people, relationships and how they affect you and your fitness success. Let me start with Ken and Corinne Brown, owners of Fitness Incentive for the last thirty years. As a staff member, I have met many people and said the following to them: “One of the distinguishing qualities that sets Fitness Incentive apart from the rest is that it is owner managed.” This gym is their baby, and they love it no less than if it really was their now 30 year old child! It is that important and it defines them! So what does this mean to you? It means that they have outlined a mission for Fitness Incentive; to provide you with the best possible facility, equipment, classes, services, and staff that is possible. A facility that tries to be one step above, a gym that tries to provide not just good, but exceptional customer service. In the beginning it was possible to do it more or less by themselves, but as the gym grew, it became necessary to choose the right people to help the gym reach its potential. And that is why I have listed people as the defining difference of Fitness Incentive. Ken and Cor have chosen an incredible staff along the way that has helped to define the uniqueness of FI. Consider, for example, Cathy Peacock, who has basically been at FI since its infancy. Of course, it's nice for our members to be able to see Cathy's smiling face when you come to the gym. And it's even nicer, if you haven't Summer 2014 FIT to Print been to the gym in a few days, months or even years, to come back and see that the same old staff is still here! And although most of you know her through the front desk and her classes, her influence goes much deeper. Through the years Cathy has taken on many )ɕ