Dear #workoutclubgym and the #strongertogether Community, 

The groundhog may have predicted more winter weather and the snow may be falling, but Spring is in the air. I have already started planning my garden, I am daydreaming about the beach, I’m counting down the days when we can have fun outside again, and I am crossing my fingers the vaccine rollout continues smoothly and allows some semblance of relief to return to our lives. 

The last 11 months have been challenging. Our front line and essential workers have endured the worst of it. Those of us who have lost loved ones to COVID, disease, and more have had to manage loss without proper goodbyes or familial support during the grieving process. Our kiddos are struggling. Parents and teachers are exhausted. The socioeconomic and racial impact of this disease is staggering. Some of us continue to feel isolated from the people and routines that make us feel whole…the list goes on. And when I think of all this, my heart is heavy and sad and my arms ache from not hugging you tightly. 

What I have not talked about openly for fear of loading more onto already full plates is how hard it is as a small business owner right now. Especially in the fitness industry. However, it is time for Conor and me to be fully transparent with each and every one of you. Our intention is not only for you to understand how committed we are to this community, but also to unveil the challenges we are facing as new small business owners in the fitness industry during COVID. Your support throughout the pandemic has been cherished – and we hope we can continue to count on you as we head into month 12 of this unprecedented time in history.

When COVID first hit, we had owned the Workout Club for just 5 months. It was remarkable the trust so many of you placed in all of us after less than half a year. That certainly does not go unnoticed or unappreciated. However, as new business owners, we had just expended the initial start-up costs of owning a business in Massachusetts, we had invested in some required improvements and repairs to the gym, and at the end of the day, we understood that we really didn’t have the buy-in of everyone who had just met us. As though the hill wasn’t big enough to climb, we also didn’t qualify for a lot of the COVID-relief funding that was first offered because we lacked the years of business-specific financials to back up our applications and were oddly considered a “new business,” in spite of the Club existing for 27 years. As you may already know: our landlord had not (and still has not) offered or considered rent relief; we initially designed the virtual studio as a way to solely continue paying instructors who weren’t allowed to collect at the time; and we froze all of your memberships out of consideration for our contracts with you all. For four months, there was absolutely zero revenue going to the Club. Conor and I didn’t panic, we plead our case to the government, we personally funded the business, we remained committed to building our relationship with you, and we continued on – confident there would be an end in sight. 

After much arguing and explaining about our “new old business” that barely had less than two quarters of financials under its belt, we finally received a small PPP loan, but at the time it was not forgivable for use on overhead expenses – including rent – and we were still closed per the state. We continued on, launched the outdoor studio, patiently navigated the concerns and challenges associated with opening, “pivoted” (if I hear that word one more time…!) our business model as best we could, ultimately used the small amount of PPP for some payroll and rent, and welcomed you back with open arms from a safe distance…in spite of the state-mandated protocols preventing us from breaking even. Nonetheless, we moved forward believing that there would be that end in sight. 

Meanwhile, Conor and I made the decision to continue to personally fund the gym.  As the leaves turned colors and the air temperature dropped, already stringent capacity limits, restrictions, social distancing protocols, employee requirements, rising costs for cleaning supplies, frustration with the new “normal” on all of our parts, and the overall concern for COVID only heightened. The reality is that gyms are not able to legally be open and simultaneously break even. The truth is: not a lot of fitness facilities are… we were set up to lose money by the state before we even had a chance to safely and responsibly earn it. 

We can debate the politics, the rules/regulations, etc., but at the end of the day: they are what they are and out of our control. Amidst the madness of nonsensical reasoning and arbitrary regulations, our unwavering commitment to you still did not deter us from continuing to personally invest not only financially, but emotionally, month after month. Because we still believe in that end in sight. 

In spite of the state shutting us down and forcing us to stay closed or allowing us to be open with severe restrictions, we still have yet to be reimbursed for our enormous losses or granted additional government funding. Over the last three months, many of you have seen less of me. It is because I spend my days fighting for our gym whether it is pleading our unique case to various representatives of the State, applying for many, many grants and for a second round of PPP, sitting on Zooms related to Small Businesses, spending hours on the phone with banks defending our applications, brainstorming with professionals and other business owners about how to change our collective situation, and collaborating with gyms across Massachusetts to fight for our universal survival. Our second round of PPP has to be based on the average of 2020 payroll, which includes the time when our business was completely shut down by the state…meaning we won’t receive adequate funding because the system is grotesquely flawed. Conor and I have proposed legislation for gyms to assist in leading COVID recovery efforts (#recoverystartshere!) I have even joined the Marshfield Chamber of Commerce as a Board member to actively fight for small businesses essential to the health of our community – like ours. Our commitment to the health of this club literally knows no bounds.

However, again, because we are considered a “new business,” we tend not to qualify for much, and our applications get moved to the back or completely disregarded. Because we are a health & fitness center in Massachusetts, we have not been prioritized and we are working hard to overcome a misinformed stigma regarding our safety. We are considered a Phase 3 Recreational business – lumped in with Casinos and Movie Theatres. Restaurants have gained a lot of support (though not enough!) due to their unique economic co-dependency with the state. We understand there are limited funds. so Conor and I have asked our state representation to stop focusing on small loans that truly won’t make a difference for us, to cease villainizing independently-owned fitness facilities as a problem, and instead begin positioning us as part of the solution. Senator O’Connor’s team is currently working on helping us find some solutions and avenues, but as committed as he is to health and fitness, I am just not confident in the larger system. Yet, we choose to believe in an end in sight. 

The truth is that we were predestined for a financial struggle and PR nightmare by the Governor’s arbitrary assignment of Gyms in the Phase 3 reopening plan, and then further doomed by the Mayor’s flippant closure of gyms in Boston. The stigma associated with your independently owned health club being lumped in with the recreation category (ie: casinos) is hard to shake. We have provided research regarding the safety of fitness centers across our state to officials, constituents, and representatives. This information can be found on the State’s website week after week clearly showing the great success fitness facilities have had statewide. And honestly, our own Club is a stellar example of what happens when everyone commits to being together with genuine concern and sincere responsibility. With tens of thousands of check-ins since July 11th, the Workout Club has had zero transmission within our gym. ZERO! When the research, the facts, and the real-life stories are combined with what we know now about COVID, it is hard not to believe that we are in a different place than we were a year ago. And it is only with your help that we can prove our value to the powers that be (please call your representation!) How is that we are still confident in that end in sight? 

 Conor and I will never recover the money we have “lost” over the course of the last year, but when I sit down with that statement and say it out loud, I have to be honest: I truly can’t consider it “lost.” I consider it all a worthwhile investment in the longevity of our community. And perhaps, our small gym can be the impetus for change across the state of Massachusetts and help save some of our colleagues and friends...while also supporting your physical, emotional, and mental health.  

Why do I share this with you now? Well, I believe it is important for all of us to be transparent with one another. And I think it is time. Yes, we are about to ask for your feedback with a survey in our February newsletter because we want to continue to serve and best represent our members. Of course we want to know how we can make you feel safe, happy, and fulfilled at your gym. We want to know where you want us to put our energy and what you would like to see. I am quite literally personally invested in your health and happiness. I believe I should know what makes you tick. But I also need something from you: your patience and support. 

 I also want you to know that we can’t make all the wishes come true - right now. I wish we could be open more often during the week: but we can’t make that happen right now due to staff schedules and unusually high overhead costs (imagine trying to find that toilet paper and Lysol and gloves for an entire gym: not just for home!) I wish we could offer more classes at different times: but we are truthfully unable to due to similar reasons. We also have families at home: some of whom are high-risk and we haven’t seen for a year and some of whom are young and navigating school in a pandemic. And remember, just like some members aren’t ready to come back, some instructors aren’t either. While I can’t make everyone happy: please know that we are trying. We are listening and hearing, but we can only control what we can control. And while the short term may be imperfect and our hands are tied in some respects, our long-term goal remains the same: you.

We have stood on our heads to keep a rigorous class schedule, an impeccably clean gym, a safe environment for anyone, and hours most requested by you. But each month, we lose substantial amounts of money hoping for that end in sight. Yes. We need more people to feel comfortable coming back. More members back mean more classes and diverse programming. It means more hours. It means new bikes or replaced treadmills. More people mean a reason to expand. More people mean more smiles and happiness and fun. It means more kindness and love. It means more Lysol, but that is an overhead cost I will happily embrace. Tell your friends. Bring your family. Renew your memberships. Buy a gift card for a friend. Try a new class or support a new instructor. Leave a review on social media. Brag to your coworkers about the virtual studio. Place your trust in us and know that we have your back each and every day. Research the numbers and know that your community gym is a safe place to maintain or improve your health and responsibly convene. Know that just like we committed to a safe and responsible environment, we are dedicated to ensuring that post-COVID recovery will start and end in your Club. Expect that we are here to support your mental, emotional, and physical health. Help us continue to build this community into the place where all of our hearts are happy and healthy and fulfilled. 

I am a half-Italian, half-Irish Sagittarius woman who enjoys riding wild horses, running long distances, and lifting heavy weights for fun. I’ve been underestimated by many my entire life only to prove naysayers wrong. And I am a mother. This all makes me arguably one of the fiercest, most dangerous animals out there…which bodes well for the longevity of this club. But since I am so willfully and intimately invested: I do need to know and want  to know where you would like us to invest our energy, and more importantly: if you are also committed to the longevity of this club. In the spirit of full transparency, I need that right now. I wouldn’t just appreciate your commitment to our long-term plan that truly is in sight, I think it would help me to fight a little harder for all of us these next few months.  

After all, we will only get through with the collective support of our tribe – and as we have all proven over the last year, we are #strongertogether. 

With love and gratitude and hope, 

Colleen
Owner, The Workout Club
Marshfield, Massachusetts
colleen@workoutclubgym.com