2020 has been quite the year . The last 9 months were something none of us saw coming . We all found ourselves closed for 30 to 180 days , depending on where you were , and the fitness industry getting hammered with bad press . In addition to that , the Gold ’ s Gym franchisee family has been through , with 32 corporate clubs closing their doors with no warning , Gold ’ s Gym went bankrupt and was purchased by RSG North America . We took all these massive changes in stride . While all this was happening in our world , I could not help but notice that the GGFA pulled us all together .
There was an unbelievable amount of sharing and caring among the brand and even fellow friends outside the brand The GGFA held strong , worked hard and pushed us through this unbelievable time producing webinars , the Owners ’ Conference with a streaming component , Town Hall emails and calls on a variety of topics . Behind the scenes they connected owners and vendors trying to help solve issues .
We are family and when things got tough , we stuck together .
Covid-19 has been a curse in some ways and a wakeup call in others . Having to get back to basics upon reopening was a good thing , as we were all forced to focus on customer service , member and employee engagement , as well as cost cutting . Things we did , but sometimes weren ’ t laser focused on .
The fitness industry came together . The industry will thrive again , we just need to get on the other side of this monster .
I would like to take a moment to point out a few people who worked tirelessly for the brand : Mike Epstein , Joe Harrison , Ginger Collins , Mike Williams , The GGFA Board of Directors , and our unbelievable GGFA Staff . They each gave hours of extra time to the brand as a whole . Please buy them a drink the next time you see them out !
Stay healthy and safe during this holiday season !