Posted by on May 21, 2014 in Marketing | 0 comments

Hyland’s Homeopathic Kids Sampling Program, Spring 2014

The Hyland’s Allergy Samples Program has now concluded.  You may donate or completely discard all of the remaining allergy samples as you wish. In June, the final component of this partnership with Hyland’s will commence and feature free “Teething Tablet” samples for your members.  This program, which will run from June 2 – July 1, will be a much smaller one with just two total boxes delivered to the gyms. Please encourage parents who are interested in doing so to take multiple teething tablet samples along with the literature. Upon commencement of the program, please snap a quick picture of the samples and literature and send it to erapada@playnetwork.com or text to 323-712-5500. As a thank you for participation in the Hyland’s program, when submitting a picture, your gym will be entered into a raffle to win one of five $100 Amex Gift Cards.  Please include your gym location/name when submitting the pictures.  Each picture submitted will receive one entry, so please feel free to enter multiple times to...

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Posted by on May 19, 2014 in General | 0 comments

Reminder to register for the 2014 Convention!

It’s not too late to register for the My Gym Convention coming in July. Please do it TODAY! This convention is just too valuable to miss! As a small business owner working hard to stay Number One in our industry, you must attend this important event. You will gain valuable information, learn new skills, find out about exciting new developments for My Gyms, and build camaraderie with the greatest people in the world – your fellow franchisees! CLICK HERE FOR THE REGISTRATION FORM Any questions regarding the convention?  Email Nancy Scott at nscott@mygym.com We still need your photos!  My Gym is ranked the #1 Children’s Fitness Program, and we want to show it!  Please send in a digital photograph showing a clever, unique, or innovative way to depict “#1” with your staff in your gym.  Send to Monique Vranesh by June 1stat mvranesh@mygym.com.  Please include your gym’s location in the body of your email or in the picture label so I know which gym submitted the photo. Convention (formerly known...

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Posted by on May 19, 2014 in Products | 0 comments

Frozen Theme Party Pack Now Available!

Let it go, let it go Get your Frozen party pack Let it go, let it go Order now and don’t look back I sure know What they’re going to say Let the fun begin It’s the best party that you’ll ever throw The Frozen theme party pack is now available on ShopMyGym.com.  This pack includes your party goods conveniently packed in one box, including plates, napkins, balloons, and stickers.  The colorful Frozen plates feature Anna and the Snow Queen, Elsa, as well as a pretty floral design.  The Frozen napkins are really cool and feature Anna in front of the Castle of Arendelle.  We don’t currently have a Frozen centerpiece kit, so we got creative . . . For the centerpiece, you’ll make a bouquet using four pink or purple balloons (not included) tied together, and then you’ll attach the included Frozen foil balloon, which can be inflated by simply blowing air into it; no helium required.  Sprinkle the table with the Frozen stickers (featuring Elsa, Anna, Sven,...

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Posted by on May 19, 2014 in Marketing | 0 comments

MGE Facebook Posts for Franchisees to Use

  MGE Marketing is excited to take another step forward toward harnessing and maximizing our social media efforts! Our research and meetings with Search Commander, Inc., our Google AdWords and Web marketing consultant, have confirmed that more organic, more relevant Facebook (“FB”) posts are the way to go.  Our goal is to keep My Gym at “top of mind” for our customers – to engage them, to grow our MGE FB page, and to help you grow all of your FB pages!  We want all of our customers sharing, liking, and commenting on our material and yours.  To this end, MGE is committed to providing timely and relevant FB posts for all of our franchises.  Effective immediately, MGE will be using our FB page, “My Gym Children’s Fitness Center – Official Fan Page” – https://www.facebook.com/mygymfun, as the conduit for these posts.  We will be posting 3-5 times a week with appropriate posts for all gyms.  These posts will include a mix of weekly programming, holidays, parenting/fitness articles, funny/fun/contests, MGCA...

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Posted by on May 12, 2014 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Upselling Webinar: Register Now!

Upselling Techniques We will be holding a 30 to 45-minute webinar on Upselling Techniques.  We will review ways to upsell Birthday Parties, Camps, and Parents’ Night Outs.  This webinar is geared toward all My Gym teachers; therefore, we have scheduled this webinar during the most common weekly meeting times. IMPORTANT NOTES: We make every effort to place these webinars during times we feel will work for most of the My Gym family.  Of course, this is not always possible, so a recorded version of the webinar will be posted in the Tutorials section of the extranet.  This recording is not intended as a replacement for attending the live event.  The recorded webinar should be used only as a reference. We have disabled the mic and speakers function for this webinar; the only way to participate is to call in.  We anticipate that this will make for a smoother webinar experience. Your attendance is appreciated at one of these webinars: Monday, June 2, from 11:00 AM PDT to 12:00 PM PDT...

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Posted by on May 8, 2014 in Marketing | 0 comments

See you this Friday on Fox and Friends with Huggies!

We are excited to make two big announcements!  This coming Friday (5/9), My Gym will be on FOX News’ Fox and Friends morning show along with Huggies and their fitness expert, NikkiFitness (Nikki Glor).  This National TV appearance will be the kickoff to a great partnership that has Huggies “taking over” five My Gyms across the country during the next several months.  They will be working with our staff to run modified Waddlers classes and a kickoff promotion of their new diaper, Little Movers.  NikkiFitness is a personal trainer who specializes in having Mom work with the baby, and we have jointly built a program around our core Waddlers program!  For more information about NikkiFitness, check out www.nikkifitness.com. We’re excited to announce the five gyms that will be participating:  NYC 83rd Street; Frisco, TX; Eden Prairie, MN; Chicago, IL; and Pasadena, CA! Huggies is going to be rolling out a HUGE national campaign to market their new product, and we’re excited that they have decided to partner with us in doing...

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Posted by on May 7, 2014 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Urgent Safety Notice

We have experienced a serious accident in a gym and felt it important to remind everyone of a few very important procedures: The Big Deal is always run with one teacher.  This leaves the other teacher to spot the swings for safety.  This includes the Space Flight Big Deal. Swings must never be unattended. The Big Swing is intended for children 3.25 years and younger. The “Ants on a Log” swing is not intended to be swung side by side.  It must be swung forward and back, meaning that, when a child is straddling the bolster and swinging on the swing, the child’s body must be moving forward and back, as if on a normal strap swing or backless swing. Parents must spot their children while they are on the swings, including the Big...

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Posted by on May 6, 2014 in Marketing | 0 comments

Email Deliverability Issues & Policies Follow-Up

We would like to clarify a few things regarding yesterday’s Exact Target/My Gym email address update. One @mygym.com email address is assigned to each gym and paid for by the marketing fund.  If you were never assigned one or do not remember your email details, please contact Mae Perez at mperez@mygym.com.  Contact SADA Systems ONLY if you need help configuring Outlook after you have already obtained your email information from Mae. If you use your own domain (e.g., info@mygym.com), you may continue using that email address in Exact Target.  The new policy affects only free email accounts. The new policy also affects the Exact Target login process.  If your email address in Exact Target is from a free provider, and you request the Authentication Code in order to log in, it will be rejected the same way and you won’t receive the code. If this happens, please send your IP address to Mae Perez at mperez@mygym.com, and she will add it to the white list, which bypasses the Authentication...

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Posted by on May 5, 2014 in Marketing | 0 comments

IMPORTANT: Email Deliverability Issues & New Policies

It has been brought to our attention that the major email providers (Google/Gmail, Yahoo!, and AOL) have recently enforced a much stricter authentication system.  This is NOT a problem with Exact Target, but rather something that affects other companies as well, including Constant Contact, MailChimp, Get Response, etc. Under the new policies, they will no longer accept mail when it comes from an account on aol.com, gmail.com, yahoo.com, comcast.com…basically any account on a domain that we do not control.  If you are using one of these providers as your “Send From” address, the intended recipients will not receive it because of lack of authentication.  Exact Target explains this new policy here, if you are interested in reading the full technical details.  SpamResource.com also has good information here and here. In order to resolve this issue, everyone must use their @mygym.com email address in Exact Target effective immediately.  If you do not have an @mygym.com email, or have forgotten your password, please contact Mae Perez at mperez@mygym.com. You must switch...

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Posted by on May 1, 2014 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

New Themed Party Programming: Frozen

We are chilled and thrilled to announce that the Frozen Programming is available in the Themed Birthday Party folder in the Operations Manual!  We wanted to provide you with the programming as quickly as possible.  We apologize for the delay but wanted to move forward with getting you the programming.  We are currently experiencing a delay with product because our provider is “Out of Stock.”  We will update you as soon as the product package is available! As always, we are accepting programming submissions for all of our upcoming themed parties (Minnie Mouse, Star Wars, and Elmo and Friends) as well as our currently offered parties!  We love the ideas that you and your staff generate and would love to incorporate them into the programming for use across the globe.  Please submit any themed programming to...

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Posted by on Apr 30, 2014 in General | 0 comments

A Jumpstart on KICKSTARTER!

We at My Gym are always proud when one of our own celebrates a great achievement.  This has never been more so than of Talia Sherman, the talented daughter of My Gym founders, Yacov and Susi Sherman.  Talia, an active My Gymer since birth, has completed production on a powerful motion picture project, “Buttercups,” which will premiere Tuesday, May 6, at 8 PM in Cinespace’s Room 86 in Hollywood, CA. “Buttercups,” both written and directed by Talia, is the story of a young woman and how she copes with the ups and downs of life after a traumatic event. If you’re going to be in L.A. on the 6th, you can show your support by attending this world premiere.  facebook.com/Buttercups.short.film Another way you can lend a hand to this valued My Gym family member is by making a donation to her amazing Kickstarter fundraising program at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/914887442/buttercups-a-short-film, where Talia hopes to raise the necessary funds to take “Buttercups” to many notable film festivals throughout 2014. Congratulations, Talia, on this...

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Posted by on Apr 28, 2014 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Class Quality Webinar

We held a webinar this past week on Class Quality.  Thank you to everyone who participated.  Your discussion, roleplays, and ideas were great and extremely helpful for many other gyms.  We encourage all owners and staff to listen to the recorded webinar found on the extranet under the Webinars and Tutorials section, or by clicking...

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Posted by on Apr 14, 2014 in Products | 0 comments

NEW Bright Pink Table Cover Rolls Now Available – Save 15% on My Gym Birthday Party Favors!

Bright pink table cover rolls are here.  My Gym is associated with bright, cheerful colors, so we thought that bright pink table cover rolls would be more fitting than the soft pink rolls previously offered on ShopMyGym.  Accordingly, we had bright pink table covers manufactured in the economical 250 ft. rolls available from ShopMyGym.  These table cover rolls, which are now available in bright pink, royal blue, and red, are convenient and economical, and they coordinate perfectly with the My Gym party goods and theme birthday party packs.  At a price of just $15.95 delivered for a 250 foot roll, these table covers are a great value.  Click here to order now. Save 15% on Birthday Party Favors.  For one week only, save 15% on My Gym birthday party favors.  The My Gym birthday party favor bag is convenient for gyms and parents, a great profit and marketing opportunity for gyms, and a strong value for parents.  The bag is filled with fun products, including several My Gym branded...

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Posted by on Apr 14, 2014 in My Gym Foundation | 0 comments

Thanksgiving in April!

The My Gym Challenged America team is just so grateful; we have to count our blessings for the many incredible acts of generosity and compassion we’ve seen from My Gym locations around the world. There are too many people to thank in one update, but we have to start somewhere: Thank you, My Gym The Woodlands for organizing a special fundraiser that will purchase an adaptive tricycle for a child in need. Thank you, My Gym La Verne and My Gym Markham/Richmond Hill for donating My Gym classes to youngsters suffering from cerebral palsy and diabetes. Thank you, My Gym Brentwood for donating all proceeds from the Olive Garden PNO to purchase an adaptive chair allowing an MGCA child with spina bifida to sit up for the first time. And… Thank you FAB member, Lindley Wisnewski, for volunteering to serve as March Member-at-Large, helping our appropriations committee make the toughest of decisions as to who should receive our limited but life-changing resources. There are so many more to thank,...

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Posted by on Apr 10, 2014 in Products | 0 comments

Make Your Mark with My Gym BIC Pens!

My Gym pens are here!  Branded pens are great vehicles for promoting your gym.  They’re cost effective; your customers will use them frequently; and your customers will be reminded of your My Gym every time they use their pens.  These pens are manufactured by BIC, so you can rest assured, knowing that your gym is associated with a quality product. Blue ink My Gym branded BIC(R) Clic Stic(R) pen Retractable (no cap) – Greater safety and convenience Medium point for smooth and precise writing with a precise angle Comfortable round barrel 12 per pack Regularly $7.20/dozen; special introductory price of $5.99/dozen Click here to order...

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Posted by on Apr 10, 2014 in Marketing | 0 comments

My Gym YouTube Video Contest

What: Break out your iPhone, iPad, video camera, etc. and enter MGE’s inaugural My Gym YouTube Video Contest, exclusively for our franchisees! All gyms may enter by producing and promoting a My Gym music video “commercial,” which MGE will post on the Official My Gym YouTube channel. Why: It will be fun, good natured competition and positive teambuilding for gyms and staffs. It’s also a great way to market and brand My Gym in the digital space, create a viral/social media effect, and land us thousands of impressions, both old and new! Oh, and there are some great prizes your gym can win! When: Contest: May 15 to June 15 Deadline for Submission: Videos must be submitted to marketing@mygym.com no later than May 5, 2014 (11:59:59 PM PST). If your video is approved (as we are sure almost all will be), we will inform you and load it onto MGE’s official YouTube page on May 15. Announcement of Winners: My Gym Convention in California, July, 2014 How: To enter,...

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Posted by on Apr 10, 2014 in Marketing | 0 comments

Hyland’s Homeopathic Kids – Free Allergy Relief Sampling – Extended

As you know, My Gym has partnered with Hyland’s Homeopathic Kids for free product sampling campaigns this year. Our first program in February, which featured Hyland’s Homeopathic Cough Syrup, is now complete. If you have any remaining samples in your gym, you may continue to hand them out or discard them. Our current program with Hyland’s for March/April is now going to extend and continue in April/May. The program will once again feature Homeopathic Allergy Relief samples, which, like all Hyland’s products, are all natural and safe for children. After consulting with and receiving approval from the FAB, it has been agreed that, as a “thank you” to you for dealing with these additional samples, MGE will be allocating $8,000 in a couple of ways that will offset some costs for franchisees. To begin with, MGE will contribute a sum toward the 2014 Convention by way of making breakfast available each day of the Convention to all attendees at no cost to franchisees. Then, any remaining funds will be...

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Posted by on Apr 9, 2014 in Technology | 0 comments

Important MGM Update

Attention All MGM Users We have identified a sporadic glitch in MGM’s Transaction area that resulted from an update made on March 18th.  In some random occasions, manual credit card payments were mislabeled as cash payments, and funds did not process.  Note: Batch Recurring Payments were not affected by this glitch. The issue has been resolved; however, we recommend that you take the following steps to ensure all credit card payments have been processed. Click Transactions Change the date range to Start: 3/18/2014 and End: 4/9/2014 Look for any cash payments in the “Payment Using” column Confirm that each cash payment is legitimate If any mislabeled transactions are identified, run a separate Miscellaneous Credit Card payment for the amount. If you have any questions or issues, please contact Jenmark via the Help Desk. We apologize for this...

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Posted by on Apr 8, 2014 in Marketing | 0 comments

Marketing Update – From the Desk of the CMO

Wow, how time flies!  The first quarter of 2014 is now behind us, and all of us in the MGE Marketing Department want to thank all of you for jumping on board and working so well with us these first few months. In just the first three months, we have introduced or modified several new marketing initiatives, partnerships, and services, and we’re excited to see so many of you taking advantage of these!  Specifically, we are telling the world about our #1 Children’s Fitness Program ranking by Entrepreneur anywhere and everywhere, from PR and our website to our ads, fliers, emails, and TVs in the gyms!  We have launched the expanded approach to National Marketing Campaigns to cover all of the major times of the year.  These have included the New Years, Olympic/Champions, Summer Fun, and Sports and Fitness campaigns.  The feedback and use of the customizable materials has been great, as each gym is able to really make the campaign their own.  With these campaigns, we have taken...

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Posted by on Apr 7, 2014 in General | 0 comments

Send in your photos!

My Gym is ranked the #1 Children’s Fitness Program, and we want to show it!  Please send in a digital photograph showing a clever, unique, or innovative way to depict “#1” with your staff in your gym.   Send to Monique Vranesh by June 1st at mvranesh@mygym.com.  Please include your gym’s location in the body of your email or in the picture label so I know which gym submitted the photo....

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Posted by on Apr 4, 2014 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Manips and Programming – National Fitness Month

We’re excited to announce that the My Gym Manips on ShopMyGym.com will be tied into the curriculum throughout the month of May!  Each week the curriculum will utilize one of the four Manips, and you are encouraged to offer the featured Manips for sale to your members.  This enables families to continue My Gym fun and learning at home and gives gyms the opportunity to highlight that May is National Fitness Month.  The featured Manips are: foam rings, juggling scarves, beanbags, and Gatorskin® balls! The Manips are nicely packaged for sale to our parents and come with an exclusive My Gym activity card that contains elements of our curriculum for them to do at home.  You can view the product activity cards on the ShopMyGym product pages.  As an example, click here to see the juggling scarves activity card.  The retail packaging has just been redesigned and now features a colorful, eye-catching header card. A different Manip will be featured in the curriculum for each week of May.  Gyms...

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Posted by on Mar 31, 2014 in Support & Programming | 0 comments

Increasing Class Quality Webinar

We will be holding a 30 to 45-minute webinar on Class Quality. We will review what makes a great My Gym class and how to become an expert teacher. This webinar is geared toward all My Gym teachers; therefore, we have scheduled this webinar during the most common weekly meeting times. IMPORTANT NOTES: We make every effort to place these webinars during times we feel will work for most of the My Gym Family.  Of course, this is not always possible, so a recorded version of the webinar will be posted in the Tutorials section of the extranet.  This recording is not intended as a replacement for attending the live event.  The recorded webinar should be used only as a reference. We have disabled the mic and speakers function for this webinar; the only way to participate is to call in.  We anticipate that this change will make for a smoother webinar experience. Your attendance is appreciated at one of these webinars: Monday, April 21, from 11:00 AM to 12:00...

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Posted by on Mar 28, 2014 in My Gym Foundation | 0 comments

Lives you have helped change in 2014

You have made a difference. Every dollar, every dime has helped to bring a smile to the face of one more child suffering challenges. We can’t cure these children of Autism, Down Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Muscular Dystrophy, cognitive delays, and thousands of other debilitating challenges, but we can provide a small amount of relief with the gifts we give from our hearts. Again, thank you to everyone who stood up for these kids by raising funds, awareness, and hope.  With your help, we will find a way to assist far more each month than our current budgets allow. Take a look at our recipients so far in 2014: MGCA Grants and Scholarships 2014 January Michael Welch 8 years old – Duplication Syndrome and Autism Resides in Longmont, CO Requested/Granted: Rody Max Impact: Helps him play and work on his muscle tone in a safe and engaging manner Kendrick Counts 11 years old – Autism and nonverbal Resides in Gilbert, AZ Requested/Granted: 20” Trifecta 3-speed folding tricycle Impact: Transportation and...

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