About Active Management

No matter where you are reading this in the world, if you are;

• An independent gym owner, check out how I can help you (and it’s not building sales funnels or spending buckets of money on digital marketing);
• A franchisee, then I have ways to work with you that will not breach any franchise guidelines, so have a look here.
• A new business owner who needs initial strategy development, then we can do a few things together before I will probably make myself redundant, let me explain here.
• A PT business or studio owner, I have a mastermind group that may be your answer.
• An online trainer who works remotely (probably on a beach), I cannot help you other than saying "Don’t get sand in your keyboard it will F*** up your laptop and then you cannot work!" LOL

My Boring History From 1989 Could Be Summed Up By Saying: “I did everything!”

My first job in gyms was sweat boy! I worked at Howzat Newcastle and wiped the sweat off equipment as people did a circuit class – something almost identical to F45, just 30 years earlier! I tried teaching group fitness and failed as I cannot find the beat in music! I ran a personal training business for 173 days and worked out waiting in the rain for clients was not what I wanted to for the rest of my life!

I found my niche in sales at Body Express in Sydney, thanks to Jamie Hayes. With some awesome sales training from Steve Jensen, I got the warm fuzzies every day as I helped people buy a membership and take the all important first step in changing their lives.

I opened my first big box club just after my 25^th birthday.  It was called Active Fitness Centre and as biased as I am, it was an awesome gym!  Not the equipment or the facility but the community.  We had the best social events, class environment and atmosphere as people came for the workout but stayed for the community!

Back then, I thought you had to be BIG to be the best – wish I read the book Small Giants back then! So I opened another gym called Active Health Club and for the first couple of years, I rightly stuffed both clubs up as I marketed them together and they were SO different!

Note – Most business coaches only tell how you how good they are, I am more than happy to tell you my mistakes so you do not do the same thing!

In 2007, I sold both clubs.  The stress of running a business lead me to contract an autoimmune disease and it was time for me to take stock of my health and my life! I had not been healthy and kept my head in the sand.  Things had to change and I became an unemployed gym owner in 2008!

 

When You’re Unemployed You Become A Business Coach

I’m not sure if that was really the case but as I had no idea what to do next in my life I started coaching while I figured out what to do next.  Using a gym metaphor, I thought I was hoping on atreadmill and just running on the spot at a pace I set. On the contrary, that wasn’t the case, I was running outside at a pace far greater than I ever imagined I could run!  So Active Management 1.0 was born.

I was on the global speaking circuit! I spoke in 22 countries between 2008 and 2019.  I spoke at IHRSA for 14 consecutive years and FILEX for 21 years straight!  I spoke at the Anytime Fitness Global Conference in Lake Placid; the Retention Conference in Birmingham with Dr Paul Bedford; Sportec in Japan; and even in Lebanon for Inspire Summit.

 

Back in Australia, I ran FitnessBiz a road show where we visited capital cities.  These awesome events still happen today! Check out the latest FitnessBiz event here.

 

Global Fitness Businesses Coached by Active Management

Active Management is alive and well in 2023! I am still speaking on panels around the world and within Australia the only public presentations I deliver are at FitnessBiz events. Nevertheless, you can still work with me:

• Coffee with JT – virtual or face to face, you can have a 30min chat about ideas and strategies for your business. Just click here to book a time now
• REX Roundtables to use the power of peer support and learning to transform your life and business – this is the coolest of the things I do! Have a sneak peak here

If you're still with me and are wondering "Hmmm, can JT help me?" click here and organise a free 20 minute Discovery Call

Innovator – Maybe I Am?

I’m not sure about being called an Innovator but certainly I try things! I believe if you throw enough s*** against the wall, sooner or later something will stick!  And we certainly had our failures including an online membership platform for gym owners – that was a waste of over $50K!

What did work for a couple of years, was Australia’s first and only Fitness Industry Tech Summit.  We ran a live event in 2019 and planned more.  Covid meant we had to go to a virtual event in 2021. Then I realised I was not into running big industry events.

Our greatest innovation, that I am super proud of is The Fitness Business Podcast.  We launched this in 2015 and have produced a weekly show every week! We had Chantal Brodrick as a host for 5 years and now Dori Nugent is the host.  We added Sarah Pellegrino as an extra host.  With over 1.5million downloads, we like to think we are the most popular and recognised podcast in the global industry!

If you love free education on enhancing your business, then don't just listen to The Fitness Business Podcast, subscribe to the show notes and you’ll never miss a show.

Our latest innovation is much needed by the fitness industry: mystery shopping of the sales processes in gyms, health clubs, fitness facilities and studios.  This has proven the greatest resource for so many businesses as we find out what really happens when a prospects comes in to find out about membership.  We will call gyms, email an enquiry or just walk in.  Our mystery shopper then completes a report that covers every aspect from body language to voice tone to what is actually said.  The report is the missing piece for so many businesses to reward staff or set training and development plans.  Check out MysteryShoppingForFitnessBusinesses.com.au.

Giving Back Has Always Been Important (And Still Is)

Way, way, way back I was the President of NSW Fitness Centres Association for several years.  The big task of this role was to work with the NSW Government and establish a Code of Conduct and launch FitnessNSW – which we successfully did!

I sat on the Fitness Australia Board for several years before focusing on my health.

During the 2020 Pandemic I was on:

• The Global Health & Fitness Alliance; and
• The IHRSA Headlight Group for Marketing.
• Plus a webinar presenter to keep a breath in the bodies of so many industry people at the time.

I have been a Head Judge for awards in Australia for My First Gym, AUSActive; Parks & Leisure Australia and Aquatics & Recreation Victoria; in New Zealand for Exercise NZ and the UAE for REPS UAE and continue to volunteer wherever and whenever I can.

A Couple Of Awards Along The Way

While I have never done anything for awards, it is wonderful to be recognised for your contribution to the industry and the people you love:

• 2005 Presidential Award from Fitness Australia
• 2008 Outstanding Contribution from Fitness Australia
• 2008 Presenter of the Year for Network Australia
• 2011 Inductee into Fitness Australia Roll of Honour
• 2021 Finalist in Educator of the Year from AUSActive
• 2022 Finalist in Educator of the Year from AUSActive

I Am Now All In On REX Roundtables

When I was an independent gym owner throughout the 90’s and into 00’s, REX Roundtables was the best business program I joined.  The education was profound, the knowledge shared on industry trends aided in staying ahead of my competition and the connection with others who were empathetic with my needs was the game changer! Running a business is lonely – PERIOD! And REX Roundtables made it 100 times less lonely!

Anyway, I’ll stop the sale pitch now!

I loved REX so much that I became a REX Roundtable Chair in 2006! Now I chair the following REX Roundtables:

• Two US gym owners;
• An Xponential Fitness franchisee;
• An Anytime Fitness franchises;
• Australian gym owners;
• US fitness industry suppliers;
• Australian fitness industry suppliers
• NSW PT and studio.

Want to know more about REX in the US or Australia, email me [email protected]

I Do Have A Life Too!

For 25 years I have been a coach!  I was a rugby coach for 15 years, peaking as an Assistant First Grade Coach with Sydney’s Northern Suburbs Rugby Club.  Then I started coaching my daughter’s netball team in 2015 and I’ve been doing that right up until today – including some other junior teams along the way.

To give you an idea of commitment to coaching. I am a Level 2 rugby coach and an Intermediate netball coach, both the highest accreditations before becoming a rep coach.

When I’m in … I am all in!

So Are We Gonna Talk?

There is no question I love what I do.  When we chat you’ll hear my passion for what I do; you’ll leave our call or chat knowing there was at least one idea you can use; and you’ll realise you’re with just the right person to help you develop your business and keep balance in life.

Remember My “Why”

I want to get people healthier through activity so we can reduce the world’s health care costs! If we do that then the world can spend their money on resources that will make it a better place for your children and my daughter Zoe and one day her grandchildren.

And I reckon if I can help you get more members and keep them longer, then I am helping you achieve your goals too.

If you’ve read this far, then click here and organise a free 20 minute Discovery Call and I’ll have delivered to you a medal! Seriously if you got this far you deserve a medal, so it's coming your way!