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Fit But You Know It

At long last, the fitness industry has a universal benchmark of excellence to aspire to. Launched in April, The Fit Guide (TFG) has quickly become the global authority for fitness clubs, gyms and studios.

The latest city to receive TFG’s exhaustive evaluation process is New York, which features five clubs that have received The Fit Guide 5-Star Award.

“I’m excited to bring quality assurance concepts that have proven so successful in the world of hospitality to the premium fitness industry,” said Matt Lavender, TFG Co-Founder and CEO of hospitality consultancy Enlites.

“One of our primary goals was to create a professional, thorough and objective evaluation process, and we’re proud to say we’ve achieved just that.”

One of the first clubs in New York to receive TFG’s top marks is Physique 57, home of the signature 57-minute workout.

“The Fit Guide set extremely high standards for the industry, and we achieved excellence for nearly every metric,” said Physique 57 Co-Founder Jennifer Maanavi.

“The Fit Guide will be a vital resource for fitness consumers and studio owners alike.”



Join the Club

While joining the top one percent may be a lofty aspiration for even the most driven among us, author, business strategist and former CEO Jenny Stilwell has discovered a slightly more attainable status.

In her new book The 7% Club, Stilwell highlights the seven percent of all business that are able generate upward of US$2 million in turnover.

“The book examines the breakthroughs they have and the challenges they overcome that enable them to grow beyond that ceiling,” she explains. “I also look at what happens to the 93 percent that don’t make it.”

Through interviews with those on both sides of the line, The 7% Club builds a strong case for structure within a business.

“You can bootstrap your way to a million-dollar company without many resources, but if you’re going beyond that, you need processes and resources,” she says. “It’s about structuring and simplifying.”

Although the strategies outlined in the book aren’t an overnight solution, Stilwell says breaking into the seven percent club is possible.

“If you’re prepared to shift your mindset and do things differently, it can be done,” she says.


Walking the Talk

When Uber CEO Dara Khosrowshahi undertook an undercover boss mission in one of his company’s cars, it opened his eyes to the challenges and issues his drivers deal with every day.

The insights Khosrowshahi gained have led to an extensive company-wide makeover aimed at improving the Uber experience for drivers and passengers alike.

It’s the latest high-profile example of the ‘gemba walk’, which business leaders are using to expand their horizons. It’s a walk empathy and leadership coach Nicole Price encourages every manager to take at some point in their career.

“I’ve worked in some places where leadership simply didn’t listen to the people closest to the work,” she reveals.

“They rarely engage in gemba walks, which I call empathy walks, designed to understand how the business operates and to improve the internal and external customer experience.”



They’re Back

A new poll by recruiter Robert Walters has found that in the wake of the Great Resignation, 71 percent of professionals are open to returning to their pre-COVID employers.

Stability amid rising cost of living and inflation is among the top reasons for the change, with 48 percent of those surveyed admitting their current employers no longer meet their needs.

“New starters who were offered inflated salaries are much less likely to have received a pay increase this year,” sais Toby Fowlston, Robert Walters CEO. “It appears that workers are realizing the grass may not have been greener after all.”

However, 44 percent of managers admitted being hesitant to allow old workers to return to the fold. Fowlston said these bosses need to swallow their pride.

“While the global recruitment market has slowed slightly in 2023, candidate shortages continue – and so the fact there is a pool of talent open to rejoining business should excite leaders.”


Change at the Top

The number of billionaires around the world is down for a second consecutive year, according to the Forbes 37th annual World’s Billionaires list. Aspiring moguls take note: the price of admission to the list is down from a year ago, with billionaires also worth less than they were in 2022. Former leader Elon Musk has lost his seat to French luxury goods giant Bernard Arnault, who broke free from the pack with an estimated net worth of US$211 billion.

  1. Bernard Arnault, LVMH – US$211 billion


  2. Elon Musk, Tesla and SpaceX – US$180 billion


  3. Jeff Bezos, Amazon – US$114 billion


  4. Larry Ellison, Oracle – US$107 billion


  5. Warren Buffett, Berkshire Hathaway – US$106 billion


  6. Bill Gates, Microsoft – US$104 billion


  7. Michael Bloomberg, Bloomberg LP – US$94.5 billion


  8. Carlos Slim Helú, Telecom – US$93 billion


  9. Mukesh Ambani, Reliance Industries – US$83.4 billion


  10. Steve Ballmer, Microsoft – US$80.7 billion
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