My Most 'Controversial' Wednesday Email Yet
"If you are not in the arena getting your ass kicked on occasion, I am not interested in or open to your feedback." - Brené Brown
Welp.
“If you are polling boutique fitness studio owners regarding their analytics & 'leads' & not discussing instructor compensation, I am not interested in your data.” - Noël Nocciolo
Do you believe that if you create the best work environment and fair, livable compensation possible for your instructors delivering the product you sell, they will stay and continue to grow your brand?
I've watched the CBS Sunday Morning show since I was a child & have a DVR filled with episodes to devour whenever I visit my mother.
On May 4th, the show spotlighted Wegman's; a family-owned business which has consistently been one of Fortune's 100 Best Companies To Work For for the past 28 years, usually in the top 5.
“We are a people company who is very passionate about food”
(sounds like virtually every boutique studio client I've had since 2014 & how they don't identify as being in the fitness industry; “we are a lifestyle brand who is very passionate about fill in the blank movement format”)
Wegman's core values: “caring, high standards, make a difference, respect, empower.”
350,000 applicants in 2024 for around 10,000 jobs.
Noel Nocciolo…this is an East Coast USA-based family-owned grocery store. With very low turnover.
Click here for the piece; it is 5 minutes long & I highly recommend watching.
My biggest takeaways: (and please absolutely reply with yours once you've watched)
Q: You have 100 something stores but they're all on the East Coast! Why aren't you nationwide?
A: It's our goal to go to every store at least once a year because we want a personal relationship with our store management.
Q: Isn't the objective of a business in America to make as much money as you can?
A: Our goal is to take care of our people. And we don't care what it costs to do it.
If most mainstream commercial gym ownership had the ethos of Wegman's, we might not have seen the 'rebellion' we have over the past 15-20ish years of entrepreneurs from outside of the fitness industry starting boutique fitness studios.
I look forward to hearing what you'll take from this piece into the studio & your team.
Have a great rest of your week!
Noël
P.S. Purchase our customizable Employee Handbook Template HERE. Remote ways to work together are here.