How jaded I have become in 3 years time. Now, just this second as I write this, I realized it. I’ve got so wrapped up in the politics of working in a gym and worry about how I am going to get mine and who’s going to help me get it. I think it goes far enough back, because I’m not sure if I can trace where it started.
Honestly, I’m fucking embarrassed to admit to it. It’s seriously pathetic as a “fitness professional.” It’s not professional at all. It’s also the simplest and easiest way to get into conversation with gym members and strike up decent contacts for business…………..drum roll………..
It’s CLEANING THE FUCKING FLOOR.
And I haven’t been doing it. You can rest assured though, I was certainly worried about who wasn’t doing it. But of course, I was playing my part perfectly…cleaning up my mess and acting like a total dick about it so people knew I was doing it. Offering to clean the floor for my management team but requested to be paid for floor time. When realistically, I should be doing it without complaint. It shouldn’t just be when a cute girl is doing RDLs near the power rack. Just kidding Cali 
Since stepping down from the Fitness Management role back to training, I have been working on expanding my business and also trying to I work on myself a bit aswell. This really kind help bring somethings full circle about selfish and jaded I have become recently. It’s so simple too. Clean the floor, perfect opportunity to get in front of people. Also, not offering any negative commentary either….
…like “Well someone’s gotta do it”
”The floor trainers don’t do anything”
More negativity never helps, especially in a gym environment. It spreads like cancer. In an environment of high hormones and blood pressure levels, gym members on negativity like blood thirsty Wolverines . There’s no reason to point out what other people aren’t doing. One of my clients said to me recently…”No one thanks the whistler blower.” And it’s the truth. I mean if your manager is letting them get away with it, then their manager is letting them get away with it, and up and up. Shit rolls down hill, especially with poor organizational practices. Don’t get me wrong it’s not the people I work with (my management team) that are the problem, it’s the people who don’t give them the tools necessary to manage effectively. But that’s another topic for another day……corporate real estat….erhhh I mean corporate fitness clubs.
Actually….I will complain for a second. Corporate Fitness Clubs are hiring and sending out managers into the field with just the idea of SELL SELL SELL. Which is fine. But there are subtle nuances of things that happen and relationships that exist on the gym floor. There’s a vibe. Every hour and every crowd, the flow changes. There are a lot of emotions and things happening out there that the sales teams and managers miss. And it’s not just about referrals. Trust me….I love money, I love swiping people’s credit cards!!!! But I love when people “get it” more. The fitness floor can be a living breeding thing…it can be a stand up comedy routine one minute and a learning environment the next. Im not trying to be philosophical here, but newcomers into this industry are coming in with cloudy vision, and it’s not their fault.
So, when people now ask you why are cleaning up or comment on someone else leaving their weights behind, be honest. They know you are trying to build a business, so tell them. Tell them you clean the gym because you respect your house and you wanted the opportunity to open a dialog with them. If you believe in what you do, then tell them about it.
Above reference to Wolverine is for Danny T.
