Club Solutions Magazine

Club Solutions Magazine is celebrating its 20th anniversary this month after two decades of serving the fitness industry.

Shawn McDonald and Rico Francis, the co-founders of Club Solutions, recently sat down with Club Solutions Magazine Podcast host Rachel Zabonick-Chonko to discuss the brand’s history, culture and what lies ahead for the company in the near future. The duo provides a genuine look into the brand they first started in 2003.

Listen to the conversation here.

Recovery is still a growing trend in the industry and clubs are finding new ways to capitalize on interest from members. In fact, the modality was the focus of the recovery and wellness panel at the 2023 Club Solutions Leadership Retreat.

Ani Oksayan, the vice president of fitness for Chuze Fitness, recently sat down with Club Solutions Magazine Podcast host Rachel Zabonick-Chonko to discuss Oksayan’s time as one of the featured panelists. Oksayan recaps what was discussed during the panel, key takeaways and learnings, and best practices for incorporating recovery into a fitness environment.

Listen to the conversation below.

The fitness industry is currently ripe with franchise opportunities, ranging from big-box clubs to boutique concepts. One such company seeing sizable success across a variety of verticals in the boutique space is Xponential Fitness.

Taylor Brown, the editor of Club Solutions Magazine, recently sat down with Lance Freeman, the president of franchise development of Xponential brands. They discuss Freeman’s 25 years in the industry, how he ended up with Xponential and what sets the company apart from other franchisee options.

Listen to the conversation here.

You will learn:

– How gyms can effectively leverage technology, such as fitness apps and wearables, to enhance the overall member experience and encourage long-term engagement.

-How to balance offering of incentives without compromising the financial sustainability of the business.

-Additional services or amenities can gyms offer to add value and encourage long-term commitment from members.

- And more.

Once the COVID-19 pandemic struck in 2020, clubs across the U.S. were put in a perilous position. Many were shut down for extended periods of time. The situation created a need for club leaders to have their voices heard through political advocacy.

Liz Clark, the CEO and president of IHRSA, recently sat down with Club Solutions Magazine Podcast host Rachel Zabonick-Chonko to talk about the work Clark and her organization are doing to boost the industry’s voice in Washington D.C. and at the state and local levels.

Listen to the conversation here.

As technology continues to take center stage in everyday life, more clubs are investing in software offerings to improve operations and member relations. One tech option built specifically to assist clubs in these endeavors is GymStudio.

Taylor Brown, the editor of Club Solutions Magazine, sat down with Hewitt Tomlin, the CEO and founder of GymStudio, to discuss what sets GymStudio apart from other software options in the industry and why club operators should consider working with Tomlin’s company.

Listen to the conversation here.

Marketing has perhaps never been more important in the industry as it is now. Simply put, failure to accurately showcase your club to the public could result in a failure of member sales.

Alex Schwartz, the director of marketing at Midtown Athletic Clubs, recently sat down with Club Solutions Magazine Podcast host Rachel Zabonick-Chonko to discuss a unique case study his club experienced surrounding a sales and marketing challenge.

The conversation centers on why Schwartz’s club switched from a fitness-industry CRM system to HubSpot to connect the customer’s online journey with their first in-person sales experience at the club. Their discussion is full of sales, marketing and even customer experience insights many operators can benefit from.

Listen to the conversation here.

One of the more popular trends occurring in the industry right now is a focus on medical body composition analysis. Success in fitness is now being measured by members not only through results on the gym floor, but by their health outcomes showcased on body scans.

Taylor Brown, the editor of Club Solutions Magazine, sat down with Christian Dietrich, the global division manager of body composition at seca TRU, to discuss the background of the company, what sets seca TRU apart from other medical body composition analysis tools and why it’s essential to have in the industry’s current landscape.

Listen to the conversation here.

Thought Leaders Roundtable: The Fitness Industry's Role in Mental Health.

You will learn:

- Best practices for providing mental health support for members and employees.

- How to better promote programming and services to aid in mental health.

- Specific programs clubs are implementing that focus more on mental health.

- And more.

Panelists include:

- Mary Frank, VP Sales & Marketing, Cincinnati Sports Club

- Jacqueline Buchanan, Director of Communications & Wellness Experience, In-Shape Health Clubs

- Erin Lotta, Certified Personal Trainer and Wellness Coach

- Laura Newman, Mental Health Coach, Wisconsin Athletic Club - Wauwatosa

- Elise Stolzle, Fitness Director, Stone Creek Club and Spa

After 30 years as a member of 24 Hour Fitness, CEO Karl Sanft has seen the club grow and change a lot over time. Fast forward to 2023, and Sanft is now looking back at all the lessons learned during his first full year as CEO of the company.

Sanft recently sat down with Club Solutions Magazine Podcast host Rachel Zabonick-Chonko for a conversation on his brand’s 40-year anniversary and what’s been key to the longevity of the company. They also discuss industry trends and topics such as mental health, recovery and much more.

Listen to the full conversation here.