Posted by on Aug 27, 2016 in Marketing | 0 comments

Instructions for Handling “STORKS” Promotional Materials – IMPORTANT

Many of you may be opening your mail today only to discover that you’ve been sent some apparent promotional materials, only lacking the usual letter of directives from MGE.  The materials correlate to a new children’s movie produced by Warner Brothers, “Storks.”  This is a partnership between Warner Brothers and MGE that has not yet been 100% finalized. While we’re working on the final deal within our respective legal divisions (and we expect to come to an agreement very soon), Warner Brothers jumped the gun and sent out the promotional materials ahead of schedule, and without first passing them through MGE Marketing – per our usual procedure. If you have received “Storks” posters, puzzles, stickers, etc., we ask that you please hang on to them for the time being and refrain from posting or distributing the materials until further notice. We will post a follow-up update containing full directives early next week, whereupon we expect to “greenlight” the sponsorship.  Stay tuned for further information, and in the meantime, please...

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Posted by on Aug 26, 2016 in Products | 0 comments

Save by ordering your vinyl spike balls for programming now.

Those who attended the recent My Gym International Conference probably came home with our new 5” vinyl spike ball, considering how many “free” balls Alex Herrera threw into the crowd.  If you’ve played with the new spike ball, you surely discovered that it’s a fun, versatile ball that is perfect for the gym because of its size, texture, flexibility, bounce, and other characteristics.  Thus, it should be no surprise that this ball is being added to curriculum. The spike balls come in six bright colors: blue, red, yellow, green, purple, and orange.  There are twelve balls per pack, two of each color.  Half of the ball surface is smooth, and the other half has flexible spikes.  A large white My Gym logo is printed on the smooth surface.  The spike balls are shipped deflated to save on the freight cost, but they inflate easily and quickly with a standard ball needle and hand or foot air pump. Because of the nature of this product and its relatively low cost,...

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Posted by on Aug 26, 2016 in Marketing | 0 comments

Zumba Programming now available for the September 10th Family Fit & Fun Party!

We are thrilled to share with you our latest update on the Family Fit & Fun Party coming up on September 10th. Below, we have a few pieces of important information you won’t want to miss, so please read carefully.  Of course, if you have any additional questions, feel free to reach out to marketing@mygym.com. Instructors: Virtually all instructors should have been assigned at this point.  We thank you so much for your patience with this task, as it has taken longer than expected to personally connect each instructor to each My Gym.  By this coming Monday afternoon, if you still are not in contact with an instructor in your area and you need one for the event, please contact Anna Colosimo.  (anna.colosimo@zumba.com) Programming: Programming is attached to this update and available for your review.  Please review the Family Fit & Fun Party Details document (also attached) for additional details on when/how to run these demos.  Please note that the structure of the programming is customizable to each gym.  If...

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Posted by on Aug 25, 2016 in Marketing | 0 comments

2016 Marketing Plan – Fall Campaign Materials Are Ready!

Fall marketing materials are ready!  Now that all gyms are running the Back to School Marketing Campaign through September, it is time to start planning for autumn.  During October, all gyms should implement the Fall Marketing Campaign, Millions of kids agree… Fun & Fitness in Autumn?  My Gym’s Got ‘Em! We also offer the supplemental Halloween Campaign, Hi, hi, how do you . . . BOO!, which can be used in addition to the Autumn Campaign. Note that, for a supplemental campaign, we provide print materials, global emails, and digital artwork.  For a regular corporate campaign such as the Fall Campaign, the offerings also include the press release, website article copy, social media copy, and more. To help you execute the themed campaign(s) in your own gym(s), the following are ready for you to access: Marketing Materials Package (Operations Manual > Operations > Marketing Manual > 2016 Marketing > 10-October Marketing Materials Package.zip) The October 2016 Marketing Materials package is available as a zip file on the Operations Manual. ...

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Posted by on Aug 24, 2016 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

New Surveys for Client Feedback

We hear it on calls.  We see it on the boards: “I’m afraid to rock the boat.” “…How can I measure interest?” “…I don’t want to change things without my parents’ feedback.” “…Please send me that survey!!!!” You guys talked… And we listened!  If you’ve ever wanted to poll your parents and ask them about class quality, schedule changes, birthday parties, guest classes, reasons for cancellation, or more, we invite you to access our My Gym Library of Surveys on the Operations Manual, in the Administrative Folder.  There you’ll find suggested survey questions, the answers to which will help you gain insight into your client’s needs and thereby better run your business. The file itself is currently one long document consisting of seven surveys; this was by design.  While we considered formulating each survey individually in Formstack, we took into account a few factors: The ease (or lack thereof) in sharing forms on a macro level on the Formstack platform Options for customization Not all franchisees use Formstack. Your...

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Posted by on Aug 23, 2016 in General | 0 comments

Grand Opening in Fairbanks, Alaska

We are extremely excited to announce our latest Grand Opening in Fairbanks, Alaska.  The mother/daughter-in-law team of Vicki and Meekala Stutzke did a fantastic job preparing for their opening and have just completed their first week of classes.  Warm wishes and congratulations can be sent to...

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Posted by on Aug 23, 2016 in General | 0 comments

Accounting Department Personnel Update

CORRECTION: With apologies for the multiple updates, I need to correct the email address I gave you for Yesenia Ellis (née Martinez).  Yesenia started with us this past Monday, and she is doing great.  You already have her correct telephone extension here in the office (x 113), but there’s been a change in her email address.  Please reach Yesenia at yellis@mygym.com. Thank you, Jamie Bertisch +++ We want to give you just a quick update on the personnel changes in the Accounting Division at MGE Corporate. Jeff Hirsh is no longer with our company. Yesenia Martinez, Jeff’s replacement, started yesterday. Yesenia is a seasoned accountant, and we are excited to have her on our team. Kirstine Kalaw is now performing some of our bookkeeping duties. Among other things, Kirstine is responsible for processing royalty payments. If you send any electronic information to us regarding royalties, please email to kkalaw@mygym.com. If any franchisee ever needs anything, I am always available. Yesenia will also be able to help with questions once...

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Posted by on Aug 19, 2016 in Marketing | 0 comments

A few quick details on upcoming Family Fit & Fun Party!

Coming soon to a My Gym near you… The Family Fit & Fun Party!  We want to reach out to everyone and remind you of some important details about this upcoming event to be held on September 10th. Programming:  A list of suggested ingredients is available online in the Resources section of MGM in the Marketing Manual.  There is a document titled “Family Fit & Fun Party Details,” which includes all of the recommendations to make your open house a great success. Zumba Programming:  Zumba instructors should provide their own music and choreography.  They will be receiving this update from Zumba through the ZES network. Zumba Demos:  There will be a minimum of two 20-30 minute Zumba demonstrations and 2 additional optional 10 minute Zumba demonstrations.  The main MUST DO Zumba demonstration will take place during the period from 9:30am-10:30am PT (ideally 10:00am), 10:30am-11:30am MT (ideally 11:00am), 11:30am-12:30pm CT (ideally 12:00pm), and 12:30pm-1:30pm ET (ideally 1:00pm). *We strongly suggest that your Zumba instructor perform those additional/optional ten minute Zumba...

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Posted by on Aug 18, 2016 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

My Gym’s Exciting Future – Clubmygym Conference Recap

We are so excited about what the future holds for My Gym!  A third part of our My Gym Curriculum is finally here!  In addition to our amazing classes and our “Practice and Plays,” now children get to have a third element of My Gym in their own homes through our new App – Clubmygym!!   To see what we unveiled at Conference and learn details of the creation and development of our new Clubmygym App, click here! Early this year, we had a successful testing period in 9 different gyms where we sold Clubmygym (CMG) to customers in 3 different ways: 1) as an overall price increase built into the new cost of tuition, 2) as an upsell done in the gym, and 3) as an upsell for the customer to purchase online at home. Over a ten-week period, the staffs in the test gyms implemented the test protocols wonderfully.  They followed our detailed integration plan and incorporated Clubmygym into the curriculum, enabling them to perform fun in-class...

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Posted by on Aug 17, 2016 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

My Gym is an official service partner for Kidpower’s Child Protection Month

During the month of September, an announcement to inform your members of My Gym’s partnership with Kidpower will be written into your curriculum each week.  Also, there is a flyer located on the Print System for you to print and distribute to all of your members.  Our participation in this initiative is not only impactful and meaningful but necessary.  Let’s contribute together as a team to Kidpower’s One Million Safer Kids goal this month! If you have any questions regarding Kidpower, please feel free to email us at...

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Posted by on Aug 15, 2016 in Products | 0 comments

Get your “Go for the Gold” and Back to School Marketing Tools at ShopMyGym

Gyms have been enjoying their “Go for the Gold” ribbons and stickers from ShopMyGym for the past few weeks, using them for Building Blocks ceremonies and as giveaways that tie in with the summer Olympics.  If you need to replenish your supply or get your first round, we still have them available.  Although the summer Olympics end on 8/21, the thrill of the Olympics will continue long after, and kids will always love receiving a ribbon or sticker with this motivating message.  So keep them on hand for spontaneous rewards, giveaways, and promotions.   Everyone’s also in “Back to School Mode” now, so it’s the perfect time to give your members and any prospects the Mymo 3D Lenticular Bookmark/Ruler.  This cost-effective marketing tool will get you a ton of mileage, as people will use it all year round.  Get creative and distribute this fun product in your local community to reach prospects – e.g., preschools, libraries, local businesses, fairs, and more. Visit ShopMyGym.com now and go to the Building...

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Posted by on Aug 12, 2016 in Uncategorized | 0 comments

MGCA Back to School Fun!

Now your members can show their support of My Gym Challenged America (MGCA) in the gym! We have created apple shapes for every gym to utilize in support of MGCA. Each family who donates $2 cash to MGCA will receive an apple on which they will write their name before hanging on the wall. This is an easy way to continue raising money for the 100% Program. It is offering your members an opportunity to “give back” in a way that benefits children in need. This fundraiser will take place through the end of September. Apple printouts and a promotional flyer can be found in the MGCA folder on the Operations Manual or by clicking here: Download Apple Fundraiser Flyer | Apple Fundraiser Cutouts For any questions relating to MGCA, please reach out to our Director of Development, Aleah Whaley: awhaley@mygym.com -or-...

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Posted by on Aug 12, 2016 in My Gym Foundation | 0 comments

MGCA at International My Gym Conference – A Huge Success!

THANK YOU for the incredible support from everyone who attended My Gym’s International Conference this year. My Gym Challenged America’s “Minute for Kids to Win It!” night was a huge success, and we are incredibly thankful to everyone who came out to play. We are also moved by the overwhelming generosity of those who contributed to help MGCA purchase gifts for all three children presented in our Appropriations Meeting. We held this meeting for you to experience firsthand the difficult decisions we make month after month and are honored you were moved to help these children. For the entirety of the conference, we raised close to $15,000, all of which will go directly to helping children in need. THANK YOU! Book of Hope We designed the Book of Hope as a resource for you to show your members what MGCA is all about. It can live on your countertops for parents to flip through and see the children for whom you have helped purchase gifts. Didn’t receive your book?...

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Posted by on Aug 11, 2016 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Remote Music Control is Here!

From tapes to CDs to iTunes, My Gyms are always looking to innovate when it comes to playing music in the gym. We see lots of creative ways to run music systems and have put together these directives to help formalize the process of running music remotely from on the gym floor. Imagine tapping a screen next to the circle to pause music for an announcement or having full control during a birthday party without ever leaving the group! Now you can! Download Music Control...

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Posted by on Aug 11, 2016 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Training Division: Conference Recap

New Training Tools Available Online Training Courses It has been so great to hear the feedback on our first Online Training Course (OTC) New Teacher Training. At conference we were happy to announce we have the second online training course called Sales available now. The Sales Course is ideal for both new employees learning how to handle enrollment conversations and seasoned staff members. This goes hand in hand with the 5-Step Enrollment Protocol. We are currently working on another online training course called Class Philosophies as well. The Mighty Mites Class Philosophies are complete and ready for you to view. Over the coming months, we will continue to add other class philosophies to this course as they are completed. Note: Please remember that each staff member must have his/her own MGM login in order to take courses and have the results recorded. Developing Trainers We have heard the struggles of nonstop training in the gym and at conference this year. We released this plan to develop trainers in your...

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Posted by on Aug 11, 2016 in Marketing | 0 comments

2016 Conference Follow-Up: Search Commander, Inc. Online Marketing Presentation Videos

Scott Hendison of Search Commander, Inc. was on hand at the 2016 My Gym Conference to give a presentation covering several online marketing topics, including: Local Business Information Listings Google “My Business” Yelp Google AdWords Scott has made videos from the slides he showed at Conference that you can now access on the My Gym page of his website here. Each one can be opened in a new tab and enlarged to full...

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Posted by on Aug 10, 2016 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Targeted Hiring: Conference Recap

Do you ever feel like you’re stuck in an endless hiring cycle? Are you fed up with the “millennial work ethic” (or lack thereof)? Do you fantasize about having the perfect employee walk through the door and become your My Gym Messiah? If you answered “yes” to any of the above questions, you may want to look at your hiring practices. Times are a-changin’, and so it goes that we too must change, or risk getting left behind. In an effort to cut down on our gyms’ high rates of turnover, we recommend making a concerted effort to hire the right person for the job from square one. To that end, we’ve created four new hiring ads that are expressly designed to attract specific applicants. The ads, which are based on the “DiSC” personality categories, are written in such a way that a person with a “D,” “I,” “S,” or “C” personality will naturally be drawn to the respective ad that we put out. You can find all four...

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Posted by on Aug 9, 2016 in Products, Support & Programming | 0 comments

Exciting new items for programming!

We introduced 2 new items at conference that will be in the curriculum during the 4th quarter this year. Many of you purchased your new Sea Otter puppets at conference; but, if you still need to buy this product, please do so soon. The Sea Otter puppets will be in the curriculum in September. They can be ordered from Shopmygym.com for $25.49 per set, which includes one momma hand puppet and one baby finger puppet. We also introduced the new Dome Cones! They are also available now, and you would order these through S&S Worldwide. Enter your MG email address at checkout to receive MGE pricing. Alternatively, you can also call to place your order by phone, 1-800-288-9941. The item number is #W7487, http://www.ssww.com/item/spectrum-dome-cones-W7487/. The price is $29.96, and we will be using these for parent shares, manips, relays, games, and much more! The Dome Cones will be in the curriculum very soon. There are 36 in a set, and storage is really easy. Please plan on purchasing both...

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Posted by on Aug 8, 2016 in Technology | 0 comments

Conference Technology Recap

Thank you to all who joined us at Conference and attended the Technology Overview meeting and/or Exact Target workshops. To recap, and for those who were unable to attend, we have several new technology items in the testing or development phase: Lead Collection Forms: These are customizable forms that can be embedded into website articles, taking the place of Formstack and Google Forms. The forms are integrated in MGM in a similar fashion to birthday party sign-ins, where you have the option of creating a family account from each entry with one click. Lead Collection Forms also have built-in functionality to hold online sweepstakes or raffles. Estimated launch date: September 2016 Multiple Credit Cards: Parents will have the ability to store additional credit cards in their accounts. They will have the option to use a different card for parties, camps, products, etc. without disrupting the recurring payment card. Estimated launch date: September 2016 Web-Based Curriculum: Introduced during the Programs & Curriculum meeting, this is a new web-based version of...

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Posted by on Aug 5, 2016 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

2016 Award Winners

The stars were bright the night of our gala at last month’s 2016 International My Gym Conference.  The brightest stars of all, however, were our celebrated award winners!  Please join us in publicly congratulating all of the franchisees and directors who rose to the top in 2016! WORLDWIDE FRANCHISEE OF THE YEAR  It is with the greatest of pleasure that My Gym Enterprises Presents this award to Mindy Reeth In recognition of your outstanding principles, your superior accomplishments in all areas of operations, and your unique contributions to the My Gym organization  You have distinguished yourself as an ideal My Gym franchisee and have built exceptional relationships with your fellow franchisees, your clients, your community, and MGE  International Franchisee of the Year  The owners who best exemplify the ideals for which My Gym stands by achieving excellence in the areas of business operations, leadership, customer service, program quality, and enrollment  Eric Lim and Grace Low Singapore Franchisees of the Year The owners who best exemplify the ideals for which...

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Posted by on Aug 5, 2016 in Marketing | 0 comments

Gazillion Bubbles

We are very excited to announce that My Gym and Gazillion Bubbles will be partnering up for a great marketing/sponsorship program in the Spring of 2017 featuring free products for gyms, free samples for customers, marketing materials, social media contests, and more! BUT WAIT!  THERE’S EVEN MORE GOOD NEWS!!!!  As a first step to next year’s program, effective immediately, we have created an exclusive wholesale program for My Gym franchise owners to purchase 2 Liter and 4 Liter Gazillion Bubbles Solution at greatly reduced rates, SHIPPING INCLUDED AND AVAILABLE FOR ORDER ALL YEAR LONG!  NO MORE HUNTING FOR BUBBLES OR STOCKPILING! 2 Liter Solution: $4.85 per bottle delivered (minimum order quantity of 6) 4 Liter Solution: $9.35 per bottle delivered (minimum order quantity of 2) Gazillion Bubbles produces the biggest, brightest, most colorful bubbles of any brand on the market!  We could not be happier about our new partnership, and we know you will be too! If you would like to take part in this program, Please follow these steps:...

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Posted by on Aug 2, 2016 in Marketing | 0 comments

Social Media Guide Now Available!

We are always looking to expand the social media and online marketing resources available to you as a small business owner. If you are new to social media and are trying to improve your current following or are looking to dive into Facebook/Instagram advertising, this guide will get you started. As always, for additional marketing guidance, please feel free to reach out to marketing@mygym.com at any time. We are always here to help. Download Social Media...

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Posted by on Aug 1, 2016 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Kidpower Safety Minute

We’re excited to see our gyms contributing to child safety and protection by educating our members with the Kidpower Safety Minute each week.  We believe that the mission and message of Kidpower is very important and that we, as the leading experts in child development, have a crucial role to play in teaching our members, both children and parents, how to be safe.  With bullying and child abuse on the rise, My Gym can and should address these issues with our members, as we make our contribution to Kidpower’s efforts to fulfill the “One Million Safer Kids” mission.  With that said, we want to ensure that the message is presented by our staff in an authentic and meaningful way.  Please click here to see the video we released at conference this year. One thing to remember is that an important element in delivering a child safety lesson is to have an understanding and acceptance of the lesson by the teacher presenting the material.  It is recommended that each teacher...

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Posted by on Aug 1, 2016 in Marketing | 0 comments

SOCIAL MEDIA Check-In Week at My Gym (Your City)!

If you’re looking for a quick way to drive additional impressions and authentic traffic to your Facebook page, here is an idea for you!  Read on for an easy-to-implement marketing tactic involving Check-Ins to your Facebook page. What is it? For one week, you’ll promote the Check-In Week to your members through various announcements on social media, announcements during classes, and even in emails. You will then give away a prize at the end of the week to one randomly-selected entry. Why is it amazing?  Check-In Week is a way to utilize your social media following other than running a contest on your channels. Your current members will be sharing photos on social media of what My Gym does best, kids playing and enjoying our facilities! They are marketing FOR you! Your gym will gain traffic and organic reach on Facebook through your members. It’s free and takes very little planning or prep to execute. So how do we get started? Step 1 – Pick dates.  A week where...

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