When COVID shut her gym’s doors, 85% of members kept paying anyway. That doesn’t happen by accident…
In this Marketing 4 Business episode, Scott chats with Sally Lovell, owner of Anytime Fitness Cashmere, about building a business people genuinely want to belong to. Sally bought the gym while sitting at an ice hockey game in New York, with no business experience, and has since grown it into a multi-award-winning club, now a 2026 Exercise New Zealand Awards finalist after being nominated by her own members. Sally shares insights and lessons you can put to work straight away, including:
- The pay-it-forward ask that kept 85% of members paying through lockdown, and why many refused the credit afterwards
- Why she waited four months to fill a sales role instead of hiring the first available person
- How bringing your manager into interviews leads to better hires
- The life plans she builds with every team member, reviewed every three months
- The “navigational check” anyone can do today to map where they are and where they want to be
- The 1,000 little things that build community, from walking the floor to using names in the first 20 seconds
- How charity events (including $30,000+ for Movember and a 24-hour marathon for Cholmondeley Children’s Centre) drive retention and trust
- Why word of mouth still beats every other marketing channel for a local business
If you’re a business owner trying to build customer loyalty, grow a team that steps up, or create something people talk about, this episode is well worth your time.
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