Gym Girl Dana

I’d lost myself. Well, that’s not entirely true. I’d lost my inner athlete and had become instead, Studio Manager of the Year Nominee. My first year with Orangetheory Fitness and I was nominated. Our metrics weren’t there…but I wasn’t sure of that until the day of the announcement and naming of Studio Manager of the Year. Sharing a stage with two other very successful and super talented OTF Managers, my name wasn’t called as the winner. I’d made a joke about it that they’d mispronounced my name, and with a strong hug and appreciative eyes, I’d been told that my metrics weren’t anywhere what they needed to be to win, but they couldn’t ignore the quantity and the quality of the nominations. My new network of OTFamily franchisees, managers, coaches and friends had gone to great lengths to be sure my efforts didn’t go unnoticed. It was really such an amazing adventure that once again solidified that professionally, I was in the right place.

Personally, however, my pants were tight.

What you eat in private, you wear in public. I’d told my clients that for years when they insisted they were following our plan. Yet, here I was, wearing my same size since opening, albeit not the same fit. At all.

I wasn’t running or training as I was. Hell, I’d run ten miles for FUN on a Saturday morning. I’d bike through towns and counties and hills and state lines just because I could. Because I could…not because I had to. I chose to. And now I’m choosing success, financial security, work, and opportunity over my health and fitness. At the time, it didn’t seem so bad….I mean, sure, I was putting on a few pounds but it was nothing I couldn’t handle. Or so I thought.

Man, was I wrong.

I’d left one job, kept one job and still had a client or two as I’d started with OTF Middletown. I was still working out, racing, and cleansing and on top of my game. I’d had a half Ironman to train for, in Canada, where it’s hilly and colder. And if you know me at all, you know I hate the cold! We were hiring people for the studio, planning a pre sales, creating a calendar of time frames and goals, brain training to learn everything OTF is, was and will be. It was all working and was all so exciting. So many things out of my comfort zone and so much to celebrate! I was determined to prove that you can have it all!

Well, for anyone that has opened a business or worked for someone that has opened a business or has waited for a grand opening of a business, you know it’s full of disappointments. This was no exception. Sales were tougher than we’d planned. After all, we are asking people to sign up for something they can’t see and have never heard of. Of course it’s going to be amazing! You just have to trust me…your sales person…. yeah, it was like that. You get it. The weather was challenging and the majority of my training was done inside and not on road, which is mentally taxing for me…all these miles and staring at the same four walls. Things were getting a bit bleak, but I knew it was temporary. Sales delays, construction delays, permit delays, you name it, we had a delay for it. And suddenly I’m faced with a hard truth. My Ironman trip was about to over lap my Grand Opening.

I’d made the decision to cancel the Ironman. My training wasn’t what I needed, my stress was taking over, my new job opportunity was my priority. It had to be. I needed that job more than I needed to be called an Ironman. (Or so I thought at the time. Missing the Ironman had taken such an emotional toll on me that I’d not recognized til months later.)

With the Ironman off of my plate, I’d immersed myself into work. I was meeting so many people and learning about goals, dreams and plans of so many others. I was signing up members and making friends. I was back in the role of motivator and it felt great. We’d finally opened, months after our target date, and I was spending 12-16 hours there every. damn. day. I don’t regret it at all.

Somewhere during those first few months of opening; I’d missed a few workouts. I’d not been going to my gym as often, but the beauty of working in a fitness facility is that you get a free membership. Three months to the day of our opening Middletown, the owners approached me about opening another facility just eight miles away. Was I ready? Of course! I’d love to do another and of course I can handle it! And the process began again for our Shrewsbury Plaza location. This time it was so much easier on some levels…we had an open and successful studio and people could see and experience it. It was epic.

Those 12-16 hour days didn’t change. Now I was responsible for two studios and having some influence over a third (that was their first license to open) in New Providence, NJ. I’d missed a few more workouts, we had faced many of the same delays, the studio was over budget, the eating choices were not my best, my preparedness had waned somewhere…. We had success, though! Middletown was thriving and Shrewsbury Plaza was having an awesome pre sales. I was surrounded by people that loved working and thrived on the energy that was nearly palatable upon entry. This is where I knew I belonged, once again. Professionally, things had never been better. Personally, well, not so much….

You may not even know what the hell I’m talking about. For those of you that have known me for a while, you know me as a personal trainer and competitor, a nutritionist and an athlete. You couldn’t give me any excuses, I knew you would earn the results you wanted with the work, while under my guidance. And we were good, too! My clients and I. We were a team, a pair, a partnership. We’ve shared successes of all kinds, over and over again. Through pure grit and passion, we made things happen. It wasn’t always fun, but man oh man, it was always worth it. Nothing compares to that confidence that comes with determination. I miss those days.

Although I was successful with my circle and always felt just on the cusp of greater success, I’d found myself limited. Too small to really find some financial stability, but too large to continue in the small rented space shared with so many others…and I’d made a tough decision to go back to working for someone else. And many of my fit and fierce tribe came right along with me; still crushing their goals and staying super focused. After all, so was I! I’d been at my absolute fittest and felt amazing. Confidence I’d never experienced, speed I’d not known and strength I’d created through some pretty hard work. I can still remember how I’d felt on top of the world personally. However, professionally, I was still chasing every dollar and facing stress of demands of two and three bosses at a time. Trying to make them all happy while still staying engaged with my crew and of course ensuring I’d kept time for myself and my goals!

Then an opportunity presented itself in the name of Orangetheory Fitness. Driving (allll the wayyyyy) to the location in Middletown, I was nearly ready to turn around and go home. GPS had me all screwed up, I’d not been commuting for years and I was about to interview! When was the last time I’d even really done that?! My reputation would precede me and people called me! Now I’m about to walk in and talk about a concept I’d done very little research for and speak with people that don’t know me at all about a job I’m not even certain I wanted. By the time I parked my car, I was convinced this was stupid. I wasn’t even sure where to go, no sign to look for, just a strip mall with a bunch of stores that I’d never heard of. Something nagged at me, “you always have the best time at the parties you don’t feel like attending.” I went in.

The place was a construction zone, freezing cold (as it was February) and there was a table with two guys talking with another guy (interviewers to interviewee). One of the men said they’d be right with me and I stood there awkwardly as there’s no where to go and they were making their best attempt to wrap things up. Something happened. The energy shifted. My attitude changed. And all of a sudden I knew this was where I was supposed to be. I knew this was my job. And I freaking wanted it. A few moments later, the interview was dismissed and the guy passed me and smiled with a “Good luck!”, I’d smiled back with a genuine, “Don’t need luck. Sorry, Dude.” And we walked in opposite directions. I’d made my way to the table and began to talk.

I was hired. Months later, after so many conversations together, my boss & now partner, Ned, admitted to me that within two minutes of our initial conversation, he’d kicked the other guy under the table to signal I was his pick for Studio Manager. I’d admitted to him that I’d said, ‘sorry, Dude’ to the gentleman before me when he’d wished me good luck. Ned has shared these stories several times now, and honestly, the whole thing still makes me laugh.

But this was just the beginning….