One of the best marketing tools doesn't cost a thing. Well, maybe it costs a little. But it's worth the investment in a tank of gas. So, what is it? Leave the office. Go visit your stores. Walk your clubs. Spend time where your customers actually experience your brand. Watch what they do. What do they notice first? Where do they hesitate? Which team members create great interactions without anyone asking them to? What questions are customers asking? What are they taking photos of? Ignoring? Talking about? Dashboards tell you what happened. Your customers will show you why. Some of the best ideas I've implemented over the years didn't come from a conference room. They came from walking a club floor, talking with members, listening to team members, or simply noticing something that didn't feel quite right. Those visits have influenced everything from marketing campaigns and sales tools to club layouts, member communications, and training. It's easy to get buried i...
Making friends as an adult feels hard. It doesn't have to be. Here's the whole system. Get a dog Go outside and walk. You will meet so many people. Dog people talk to dog people. It's basically a cheat code. A dog gives you an instant, low-stakes reason to stop and chat with a total stranger. Don't want a dog? Doesn't matter Go outside and walk anyway. Talk to the dog people. They're friendly, I promise. Most people with dogs are happy to stop for thirty seconds and let you say hi. I'm telling you, in a week you'll meet 5 new people. Next time you see them they are already an acquaintance. Double down and go to a local neighborhood coffee shop. Sit by the dog people. You'll have the best neighborly conversation ever. Here in Sac, if you go to Temple, Peet's or Chez Luc you will find your people. One catch: take notes You're going to meet a lot of people fast, and you will forget names. So take notes. Like today. Don and I were walking, and we...