a message from
2020 Issue 4 | GearedUp the president
I am writing this letter over Thanksgiving — a holiday we all likely celebrated in unusual ways , marking yet another way 2020 has turned our lives upside down . However , in the spirit of the day I think it is appropriate to express our gratitude and look for the silver linings in our continued battle against this pandemic .
We very correctly have thanked first responders , doctors , nurses and other health care providers for their work on the front lines of COVID . We have also acknowledged the importance of grocery staff and other workers in the businesses that remained open throughout this pandemic . I think we need to add our team members , who are in the unheralded position of keeping our gyms clean and sanitized while enforcing social distancing , managing capacity restraints and navigating customer complaints , to this list of “ front line ” workers . Our team members are unsung heroes and I urge you all to continue to thank them for the jobs they are doing on behalf of our members . Without their dedication , patience and caring , we could not make fitness essential for the communities we serve .
I want to also thank my fellow board members and the franchisees serving on our brand operating committees for their time and attention during this tumultuous year . We held an unprecedented number of meetings , many called at the last minute , to address the crisis and find solutions to protect our brand and our businesses . The willingness of franchisees and their team members to serve and give back to the brand is one of the amazing differentiators of Planet Fitness ®. Our unity helps us better define issues , discuss potential solutions and execute on our plans . Organized and aligned , our operating structure is built on a solid foundation , one upon which we hope to continue to build and improve as we seek to execute our goals .
Keeping our brand operating committees and board of directors on focus , Kristi Hoffman , Lindsay Schnaak and our newest staff member Kate Betts , spend countless hours behind the scenes managing our brand committees and holding us accountable to our commitments . Kristi and the PFIFC staff are the glue that binds us , they help us better communicate with our members and our franchisor and drive us to execute on our purpose . If one were to measure us by the professionalism of our organization , it is hard to imagine that the PFIFC is only 6 years old . For that , we owe Kristi and her team a debt of gratitude and we should all be grateful for their contributions through this crisis .
I would be remiss if I did not express gratitude for Chris Rondeau , Dorvin Lively , the executive leadership team at PFHQ , and the PLNT board of directors for the partnership formed with the PFIFC board and its officers . The challenges presented by our initial closures , restrictions on our opening , and the growing threat of more closures brought PFHQ and the PFIFC closer together . Working together over this past year has demonstrated that Chris sincerely values the input of franchisees , which I am convinced strengthens our brand and sets us apart from our competitors .
As we close out 2020 , we are unambiguously focused on survival . We worked closely with PFHQ to negotiate additional relief on reequips and remodels , recognizing that our cash-flow generation will be hampered for the foreseeable future . Advocating for cash preservation will continue to be our top priority in 2021 . PFHQ acknowledges that we may still need to evaluate additional relief depending on the results of the next few months .
At the beginning of November , the PFIFC board of directors met in Florida for a strategic planning session , which we look forward to presenting to you in an
upcoming town hall . For now , I will share that we seek to participate in PFHQ ’ s evaluation of our next generation billing and member management platform ; to define a lobbying and PR strategy for franchisees to execute on the state and local level in a complementary manner with PFHQ ’ s efforts at the federal level ; to evaluate the new NAF / LAF flex structure and the implementation of the “ new ways of working ” that Jeremy Tucker has pioneered in cooperation with the PFIFC ’ s Marketing Committee ; to frame our data needs and work with HQ on franchisee access ; and to work with PFHQ to enhance the member experience through increased multi-channel engagement . Lastly , we will strive to improve our communications with our members to keep you better informed on our advocacy efforts .
Here ’ s to a better 2021 !
Sincerely ,
Pete Hopkins PFIFC President
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