I know in our community today is a big day.
The school year starts with so much uncertainty, so much chaos, and speaking from experience…
plans that took weeks or months to put together won’t go as planned…
and that’s okay.
We’re all doing our best right now.
Gratitude goes such a long way, especially right now.
Last week I was caught off guard with a surprise “speech.”
I’m usually not one to stumble on my words, but I did, and all I could come up with was gratitude for our team.
They’ve pivoted so much, they’ve dealt with so much change, they listened to so much client feedback, and in doing so they are more bought into our mission than ever before.
I have such an enormous amount of gratitude for all of them, especially right now.
And our clients…
Oh, where do I start?
I always remind myself and my team, none of what you see would be possible without all of our clients.
Like a lot of you, I get a lot of e-mails.
I’m fortunate that typically 1-2 each day are client feedback e-mails, and recently, it’s been a lot of praise for our adaptation and innovation in the current times.
My response is always something to the tone of…
“None of it would be possible without your support and the hard work of our great team.”
Our clients have supported us so much over the last six months…
Not only have most of them stayed engaged in some type of activity, more importantly, they’ve also remained a part of our community, supporting our team, donating time and money to our community efforts, leaning on each other for support during these crazy times, and seeing first-hand that our community exists to change lives, not just in the gym.
I have so much gratitude for them.
I bumped into a colleague (not affiliated with Spurling) at the grocery store and he was talking about how other gyms in the industry are down 65%, and it’s those that both didn’t pivot and adapt to the “new normal” and have a really strong community before the pandemic.
As a consultant for the industry, I wish that number wasn’t true, but it is.
Although we’ve certainly taken a hit, we’re down about 15%-20% and climbing back, the gratitude we have for our clients, especially over these last six months, has never been higher.
I say all of this just to put gratitude at the forefront of your mind.
Show gratitude for those in your life right now.
Gratitude for their hard work, for adjusting to the new normal, and for being a part of your life.
This week is especially hard for a lot of people.
Teachers, parents, students, they’re all navigating challenges and struggling in their own way.
And as our friend, client, and Chamber Director Laura Dolce said this morning…
“And things - hopefully, little things - will go wrong at every level, on every day, despite months of planning and pivoting from the superintendent’s office on down. There isn’t a lot any of us can do to stop that, but we can control how we respond to it. After everything we’ve learned these past months, I hope that’s with kindness.”
Kindness and gratitude.
We all need more of it in our lives.
It’s been a wild six months, but together, I know we will be stronger, and as we enter a new school year, fall is upon us, “routine” is upon us, and with that, I hope we can all show gratitude to those around us as that will help us get past this.
1% Better.
Dedicated To Your Success,
Doug Spurling