M I C H A E L : Yes , we do several fundraising events and support many causes throughout the year . We have partnered with the local chapter of the American Lung Association , The Hope House which is a local homeless shelter , and The Good Shepard Food Bank . We also do fundraisers for charities that are closer to home . Every Spring we hold a “ Fight Like A Man ” fundraiser for prostate cancer in honor of one of our instructors who battles with the disease .
In October , we have something we call “ Socktober ” where members can bring in socks for a collection that we donate locally .
We also do a food drive and host a workout called “ Bust Your Butterball !” around the holidays .
We work with the American Red Cross to hold blood drives at the gym .
Bangor has a beautiful waterfront area and we are planning to host a Wellness Weekend there , where we will get other businesses involved . We plan to host classes and allow other businesses and fitness industries to set up information booths . We would like it to be less about business and more about the overall health and wellness of our local community at large .
What are your biggest challenges that you did not expect ? rewards in pleasing others . We ’ ve both been working with people since we were teenagers , and it ’ s rewarding to be in the role of decision makers and contributing to the beauty and uniqueness of our community .
And we are glad that we enjoy it so much because we have no social life ! Our businesses are our social life and it ’ s as though we invite friends over daily and nightly !
What would you like to see for the future for your club ?
We are investing in capital improvements in the club to provide our members with the best possible experience . We have a 3-5-year plan to bring every part of the club up to a higher standard with a classy , modern look . In our current and future projects , we will be upgrading many areas of the gym and looking for ways to offer new amenities . While we do not have the ability to expand beyond our walls , we are making changes in the spaces that we have and redesigning the use for some of them . We know that much of the frustration from members comes from the outdated and run-down aspects of the gym and we don ’ t disagree . We are working on prioritizing the phases of renovations so that the members see the constant change and progress as our commitment to the betterment of the facility . Ever since I moved here from New York I wanted to bring this area a club that has a big city look with a small town feel , and I believe that is what we are doing at Gold ’ s Gym Bangor , one step at a time .
M E L I S S A : I think the most challenging thing for me with owning the businesses is being able to release some responsibility to other people . I often want to do everything myself so I know it gets done correctly . It ’ s been hard for me to step back and let other people help when needed and even more difficult to ask for help . I ’ m slowly learning I can ’ t do it all , even though I want to try , and finding the right people to put in my place has not been easy to do .
What do you find particularly rewarding in your business ? Could it have to do with your members , your staff , your community , or something else ?
M E L I S S A : It ’ s really the people . Michael and I share a love of serving others and each of the businesses offers