BRAD NITINTHORN
Brad is a Californian who luckily for us came through the strong referral channels to work on the road for CFM Australia and New Zealand.
Immediately he had a thirst to learn and fit into the CFM on-road culture perfectly. Fun loving, but first and foremost hard working with the shared passion of helping people.
Brad won ‘Best Marketing Campaign’ along with his Marketing Manager – Rachel Saunders at last years CFM awards ceremony and has carried this form over into 2018 where he has continued to produce brilliant results.
Shortly Brad will be heading back to the States to continue his studies and we are sad to see him go. Before leaving us however he shared with us his take on CFM in a blog post. Thanks and Good luck Brad.
After reading several of the journal entries on the CFM website, I knew that I wanted to write one myself before I had even begun my time on the road.
Why should every club use CFM?
Well aside from the testimonies provided on the website, it really is too good to be true. Except in fact it is true and will exceed the club owners’ wildest expectations. What if I said that in a span of four to six weeks a gym could be granted guerilla marketing, two dedicated fitness consultants, social media, foot traffic, brand awareness, and 100+ new members - all for free, would you take it? That is CFM in a nutshell.
What separates CFM apart from other marketing companies. Where do I begin… Sure, CFM is cutting edge, ahead of the game, successful, creative, professional. These are things that so many marketing companies can take credit for. What CFM has to offer is so much more than all of that. It all starts in head office. You have Ben Revitt. Does anyone work harder than Ben Revitt? If you can find me someone who does, well don’t bother because you won’t. Unanimously known as ‘Rev’, the man is like a revved-up engine! Constantly on the phone or out on the road searching with great fervor for ANZAC communities that have yet to be shown the benefits of health and fitness and how we can help. Time after time he may be confronted with rejection and disappointment, as it can be shattering to know people are missing out on our services. But he goes on to the next, never letting anything deter him. I remember him once saying something along the lines of “It does not matter if you are tired for your meeting, it is not that person’s fault you’re tired, and they deserve your full attention.” In no way was this said with malice, but with a tone of inspiration. That really stuck with me and has helped me get through some of those days that just never seem to end.
Then you have Liam, big dog Liam. You would think that being the director he would be too important for day to day operations and the lives of the on the roaders. That could not be further from the truth. Liam, as busy and hectic as things may be in head office, is always up for a chat, he is beyond what I ever expected a boss would be in terms of communication. Whether it is to talk about work and how we can improve what we are doing, or just a morale boost, you will always get off of the phone with Liam in a better mood. I’ve had the man reply to my end of the day notes at half past eleven. For Liam, much like Rev, the grind is never ending!
Next up is integrity. CFM would not be the same without it. Sincerity and integrity have to be the cornerstone of CFM. As it all starts at the top, from director to the on the roaders, these two qualities radiate throughout. From the time we walk through your door for the first time, all the way to close out and the final goodbyes, our passion for helping others never wavers. Having fitness consultants in your gym is in theory like having an extra helping hand or two. We will run the entire six-week campaign, giving the club owner and their staff a chance to continue their day to day operations as per usual. The consultants will be signing new members up, generating foot traffic, as well as interacting with current members and the local community. Every person that walks through your door will be glad they did so. While joining up new members is a high priority, our integrity will never be compromised in doing so. Not to toot my own horn but I have had club owners on several occasions remark that the six weeks we were with them had been the quickest six weeks they have ever had go by. I have had several club owners whom I still keep in contact with and would absolutely go out of my way to catch up with if I am in the area. I even went to see the club owner’s newborn at the most recent gym I was at!
Being from California I am quite a way away from home, but there is not a second where I feel that way. The other on the roaders are some of the greatest people I have met. Whether it be from Beeac in country Victoria, to the Auckland city business district, it is a great feeling to know I will always have a place to stay the next time I’m on this side of the world. Culture is emphasized so much throughout our lifestyle and we are not exaggerating. There is not a single person on the road at the moment who I would not want to work with, and believe me, the amount of facetime you have with that person is intense. The fact that everyone lives and breathes CFM’s mission statement makes getting along with the crew such a breeze. Like I said before, it all starts at the top. I dread the day I leave because I am confident that my boss is the best boss I will have ever worked for, and I sure as hell hope people say the same thing about me one day. What I am trying to say is that, I took a chance with CFM, as they did with me, and it was hands down the best decision I have ever made. To any independent health clubs reading this, I might be biased, but I know it would be yours too.
Have you ever heard of Yeppoon, a quiet little town in central coastal Queensland? It’s okay if you haven’t, neither had I. But I’ll tell you right now that it is a sight to see, with it’s stunning beaches and lovely people. The couple who own Yeppoon Health and Fitness are absolute legends. So much so that I had a (pretend) pact to marry their daughter just so I could become a part of their family. And that is just one example of a fantastic relationship between CFM and a gym. There are so many others that us on the roaders would be here all day laughing and exchanging stories about the amazing times and relationships we have made with people who have the same goal as we do, that being - to encourage the non-active segment of the communities we work in to make exercise a regular part of their lifestyle.