Today we’d like to introduce you to Joella Hopkins.
Joella, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
I was always an athlete growing up cheerleading for football, playing basketball, and running track were my favorite activities and where I hold my best memories from school! I loved being strong and fit! It was during college that I also discovered I could get a job teaching “aerobics” at the local gym. It was awesome – I was able to stay in shape and have a little extra spending money. I soon realized that the gym was not just a job – it was a way of life! It became my social life where all my friends were, and it was my favorite place to be.
A couple of weeks after I graduated from college, I was teaching my regular step class at the gym (this was 1989 and I was wearing a thong, scrunchy socks and high ponytail lol) and the owner of the gym came in. He ended up firing the guy who ran the gym and came up to me after my class and told me I was now the “General Manager”. I had never managed anyone, sold a gym membership or trained a client, yet at 21 years of age I was now running a million-dollar business (overseeing sales, operations, personal training, group fitness, facilities, finance, etc.) and I guess you could say – I’ve never looked back!
I think what made me unique early on at such a young age in the fitness industry was that my forte was the combination of selling memberships and teaching group fitness classes. Rarely did a General Manager do both, and I now realize just how much that helped me get to where I am today. I had a natural talent for getting people to take that first step – particularly when they were nervous or felt intimidated. I didn’t consider it “sales”. I genuinely couldn’t wait to get people involved and show them just what they were capable of! I realized the value of getting somebody involved in a group right away. We now know that the sooner you get someone in a group activity after they join, the longer they will stay a member. I guess I just knew that before the studies proved it!
I would schedule all my appointments to come and take my class. After introducing them to the “regulars” and giving them a fun results-driven workout, they would all leave the class and end up signing up for a membership! There were days I would sign up 20 people in one night after a class! I still am so grateful looking back knowing that I did help so many people get started on their fitness journey. I wasn’t somebody who just sold a membership and considered you a number – you were now my friend, and I took an active role to make sure you got the results you desired. Yes, I do think that set me apart from just “selling gym memberships”.
Fast forward – over the past 30 years, I’ve presented at many prestigious fitness organizations on numerous fitness related topics. Some of these topics included group fitness management, small group training, emotional intelligence in the workplace, leadership, as well as hands on a master class and educational presentations for different types of workouts like step aerobics, sports conditioning and performance training. I’ve certified hundreds of instructors and personal trainers to teach classes, and I have presented internationally on fitness workout DVD’s.
Overall, has it been relatively smooth? If not, what were some of the struggles along the way?
Group Fitness Management is not an easy road. Since group fitness is not looked at as a “revenue driver” in gyms to most owners and managers, it is sometimes overlooked in terms of importance in the industry. By revenue driver, I am speaking about tangible dollars brought in on a daily/weekly/monthly basis. With memberships and personal training, it is easy to track. People pay for those services and the revenue is tracked and accounted for. Group Fitness is different – it is usually included in your membership so it’s hard to show tangibly how it drives the business.
We as group fitness professionals know that group fitness is a huge reason many people decide to join a gym. Members also stay members longer because they take classes. The group setting becomes social, and members look forward to seeing their friends and favorite instructors. The music and “group” environment becomes their entertainment as well as their workout. They end up coming to the gym more often, and then when a new gym opens up down the street they don’t jump ship because they’ve established relationships. This is different than someone who is just a “machine member”. Machine members do not have the same loyalty to the gym as a group fitness member. Instead of being looked at as a payroll expense, group fitness should be looked at as a profit center.
This is a battle I’ve had to fight over the years to show how valuable group fitness is to the business, and how we are revenue drivers just as much as membership sales and personal training. Group Fitness Managers at times throughout my career haven’t been taken seriously or respected, and other management positions are looked at as being more valuable like Sales and Operations. Luckily, at EōS Fitness this is not the case. We are treated as professionals, and our knowledge is valued. We are respected as experts at what we do, and our opinions and ideas are welcomed and listened to.
GFMs (Group Fitness Managers) have notoriously been underpaid in the industry and unless you had another job was (and still is in many cases) extremely difficult to make a living. Just because something is someone’s passion doesn’t mean they shouldn’t be able to make a decent paycheck at work. EōS Fitness does things differently.
We can offer our managers full time jobs, with full benefits and a great salary – doing what they love and building a very rewarding career as a business professional. This is one reason I am very proud to be the VP of Group Fitness at EōS Fitness– I can offer people a way to have a comfortable future doing what they love.
Over the years, the fitness industry has been run by men as the majority. Almost all the top positions were reserved for men. When you did get a top position as a woman, it was difficult to find your voice at times.
Being a woman made it difficult over the years and luckily I had strong female role models to look up to and be mentored by – one, in particular, being Lori Lowell with Gold’s Gym. EōS Fitness values women who all love and support each other fully.
Please tell us about your business.
Over the years, because I had experience on both the “business” and “fitness” side, I was offered highly respected (hard to come by) roles on national levels for numerous health club chains. Two years ago, I accepted the role of VP of Group Fitness at Over the years, because I had experience on both the “business” and “fitness” side, I was offered highly respected (hard to come by) roles on national levels for numerous health club chains. Two years ago, I accepted the role of VP of Group Fitness at EōS Fitness. I moved across the country to California from Chicago in an SUV with three dogs and a cat for this “once in a lifetime opportunity”. Best decision I’ve ever made!
EōS Fitness is different than anywhere I’ve ever worked – we truly walk the talk! If you don’t, you certainly won’t fit in with our culture! I was drawn to the company after meeting the CEO Rich Drengberg – a man that doesn’t need to be in the spotlight. He allows others to shine – servant leadership at its best. He always says, he hopes we all stay at EōS forever, but if we don’t and we decide to move on, he wants our life to have been enhanced by working at EōS Fitness. That speaks volumes to the type of leader he is.
What sets us apart from other gym chains is that we care deeply about our team members. We believe in the word “play”. We work hard, we play hard! Our goal is that our employees have fun and get out of bed every day excited to come to work. Ultimately, we know happy employees result in happy members!
EōS Fitness is an HVLP® (high value low price) gym – a term we trademarked to describe exactly what we represent. I was hired so we could bring the best group fitness programming to people at a price that everyone can afford. With the opening of expensive boutique studios in all markets, I realized people were spending hundreds of dollars just to get the “elite classes and instructors” they desired. My goal coming to EōS Fitness was to work with the team to offer every option for people (BODYPUMP, Zumba, group cycling, yoga, dance fitness, barre, Pilates, etc.) all under one roof! This is what separates us from other low-cost gyms.
As a fitness family, we embrace EōS, the Greek Goddess of Dawn, as a new beginning for our members. Every day is a new day. You ultimately get to decide what your new day will hold for you. Today could be the day that you decide will be a new beginning for something that you have been wanting to do. If today is the day that you will find your fit at EōS, you will be greeted with:
E: Energy
O: Optimal Value
S: Serious Fitness
This is what EōS means to us.
What is “success” or “successful” for you?
That’s easy for me – to feel like I’m making a difference quite simply. I know we are changing lives. I know what I do day in and day out matters at work. There is a purpose in my career. I love the people I work with and I finally feel like I am part of an unstoppable team.
If I won the lottery tomorrow, I would continue working for EōS Fitness. When I wake up in the morning and look forward to going to work I know I’ve reached the point of success. That’s where I am right now – I am utilizing my talents and gifts and all the hard work has paid off!
Success is when you feel motivated, happy, valued, and respected right where you are. I hope everybody gets to experience this at some point in their career – it’s life changing.
Pricing:
- Memberships start at $9.99 a month (prices vary per location)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.eosfitness.com
- Instagram: @GoEOSfit
- Facebook: @GoEOSfit
- Twitter: @GoEOSfit
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