- Words by tessVan Straaten Photography by Don Denton

As an athlete who played college football and some professional football and who has coached lots of kids91裸聊视频� sports, president and CEO Chris Smith is used to taking hits and overcoming setbacks. But the COVID-19 pandemic definitely put him to the test.

91裸聊视频淭his has been the most challenging business environment I think any of us have ever seen,91裸聊视频� says the 47-year-old father of five.

Chris had a pretty good sense of what he was getting into when he decided to buy the company, after Steve Nash Fitness World91裸聊视频攐f which he was also president and CEO91裸聊视频攆iled for creditor protection in the early days of the pandemic.

91裸聊视频淚 had the unfortunate task of terminating thousands of employees in a matter of seven days, which is terrible and one of the worst things I91裸聊视频檝e ever had to do,91裸聊视频� Chris says. 91裸聊视频淚 don91裸聊视频檛 know if I needed redemption, but I really felt I needed to get this business back up on its feet, and I just had a strong feeling that if I didn91裸聊视频檛 find a way to open the business with a new partner, nobody else would take on that risk. That would have just left me with unfinished business and a sick feeling in my stomach.91裸聊视频�

But as the public head of the company, Chris faced a lot of backlash from people who didn91裸聊视频檛 understand what had happened.

91裸聊视频淲e were one of the first businesses in the pandemic to publicly face challenges and people were looking for someone to blame,91裸聊视频� Chris says. 91裸聊视频淚 didn91裸聊视频檛 own the business, I wasn91裸聊视频檛 an owner, but what do you do during the pandemic if someone gives you lemons? You make lemonade and in this case, I got dump trucks full of lemons.91裸聊视频�

Chris was convinced the company could re-emerge stronger, bigger and better than before. After talking to thousands of Fitness World members, he and others worked to change everything about the business, from the pricing model to the membership agreement.

91裸聊视频淚t was a consumer-driven strategy,91裸聊视频� Chris explains. 91裸聊视频淲e went and changed everything91裸聊视频攍iterally everything91裸聊视频攁nd I91裸聊视频檓 really proud of that. We91裸聊视频檝e gotten better and we91裸聊视频檝e grown the business every single month.91裸聊视频�

Chris91裸聊视频檚 passion for exercise and its benefits began in his youth. His divorced parents didn91裸聊视频檛 have much money, and playing sports was his salvation.

91裸聊视频淟ifting weights, exercise and wellness changed my life,91裸聊视频� Chris says. 91裸聊视频淭hey provided for me like nothing else could.91裸聊视频�

He91裸聊视频檚 now spent his entire career91裸聊视频攃lose to 27 years91裸聊视频攊n the fitness industry, after getting into the business as a personal trainer.

91裸聊视频淚 stayed in it because I found something that I love that can truly make people better and something that makes a difference,91裸聊视频� says Chris. 91裸聊视频淭hat91裸聊视频檚 what I love91裸聊视频攎aking a difference for others. There91裸聊视频檚 nothing else I91裸聊视频檇 want to do with my life.91裸聊视频�

In mid-December, the BC government once again announced that all gyms would have to close down the next day, for at least a month, due to rising COVID case counts fuelled by the highly-transmissible Omicron variant.

91裸聊视频淲e were shocked, along with the rest of the health and wellness industry,91裸聊视频� Chris says. 91裸聊视频淭he information that91裸聊视频檚 available is overwhelmingly supportive of the fact that gyms, fitness centres, and health and wellness facilities should be open. Frankly, you91裸聊视频檙e in a lot more danger going to a grocery store than a gym.91裸聊视频�

Chris was once again faced with laying off staff91裸聊视频攖his time, more than 500 of Fitness World91裸聊视频檚 650 employees. And he struggled with how to explain the government mandate to their 75,000 members across 15 locations when he says there91裸聊视频檚 been no data to support gym closures.

91裸聊视频淚 think there91裸聊视频檚 definitely a lack of understanding around health and wellness, and the role exercise plays in not just physical health, but mental health,91裸聊视频� Chris says. 91裸聊视频淥f all the things that are essential, health and wellness are as essential as it gets. The number one thing you can do to keep yourself healthy overall is to exercise three times a week.91裸聊视频�

But despite the setback of a second COVID-19 closure, Chris says he91裸聊视频檚 still feeling pretty bullish.

91裸聊视频淚91裸聊视频檝e been operating as a frugal chef for a long time now, and making sound decisions for the business from day one, expecting the unexpected, and always kind of preparing for those worst-case scenarios,91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淎fter the first shutdown, we made strategic decisions to operate the business in a different way and while it91裸聊视频檚 been very challenging, there have been lots of curve balls thrown at different periods of time, so I91裸聊视频檓 fortunate to be surrounded by great people. My team is able to react to these situations and find ways to turn negatives into positives.91裸聊视频�

Chris says the biggest lesson he91裸聊视频檚 learned over the years is around attitude and the kind of mindset you choose to have.

91裸聊视频淥ne of the phrases I live by is, 91裸聊视频榶our attitude determines your altitude,91裸聊视频�91裸聊视频� he says. 91裸聊视频淭here have been a lot of times I could have personally given up, and a lot of times where people on my team could have given up, and the consequences of that giving up would have been bad for a lot of people. What I91裸聊视频檝e learned through all of this is you have to keep yourself centred, and centred in a place of positivity, because if you don91裸聊视频檛91裸聊视频攅specially as a leader of a business91裸聊视频攊t91裸聊视频檚 a slippery slope you don91裸聊视频檛 want to find yourself on.91裸聊视频�

As for whether he91裸聊视频檚 regretted buying a business during a pandemic, it should come as no surprise Chris has another sports saying for that.

91裸聊视频淣o risk it, no biscuit.91裸聊视频�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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