The VoicE Q3
LaGrange were under construction.
They were busy with construction on
all the clubs, and that gave him a totally
different perspective on running a
business. It was exciting and
exhausting all at the same time.
The next couple of years were crazy,
with construction and renovation
projects in multiple clubs, there was so
much going on. Bill and Mary asked
Dave to put together a design for the
fitness floors in the LaGrange and
Fishkill clubs. At this time, he was
overseeing PT Operations for all three
gyms. With so much of their focus
on personal training, Dave created a
colosseum feel for the layout, where
members could look down on the PT
floor from the cardio deck and fitness
areas above. It was great for him to
see the idea come to fruition.
Dave and Kim had moved into their
new house, and she was pregnant with
baby number 2. When their son Austin
was born in 2006, Dave adjusted his
schedule to have more time to help
and be with the children. He shared
that he kept up with the demands of
balancing work and family life well and
managed to only miss picking up his
daughter once from dance class! Dave
said when he showed up late to pick
her up, he apologized. She was okay
and quickly forgot about it.
Like in any family business you wear
many hats. Dave took over as club
manager of the 120,000 sq. ft. club.
He quickly found that club management
was totally different and wanted
to gain more knowledge, so he took
some time to go through the IHRSA
Management School. He shared that
it was the best thing in the world, an
amazing experience, in fact. He came
away feeling much better equipped to
manage the larger club. Since then,
Dave continues to educate and enrich
himself with books on leadership and
self-improvement and psychology.
He shared that if he had the time and
opportunity to go back to school, he
would consider earning a degree in
psychology. He is very fascinated with
human behavior. That would probably
not come as a surprise to anyone who
knows Dave very well because he
shows genuine interest in people and
is an incredibly good listener.
In 2013, Bill and Mary separated their
partnership. She kept the Newburgh
club and Bill retained the LaGrange
and Fishkill gyms. Mary has continued
to operate the Newburgh club and her
son, Don, and his wife, Tammy, have
recently opened Gold’s Gym Middletown,
NY.
Dave still oversees operations at both
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