#1 Secret to Your Wellness Business Success in 2025

Grant Ian Gamble is a Founder of AFFINITY OS™, the #1 AI and Human-Driven Customer Experience, Team Member Engagement and Psychosocial Risk Business Intelligence Platform. He is also a best-selling mindful leadership author and speaker. Grant has four decades of experience in building and growing global fitness and wellness brands and communities, leading teams to create innovative customer experiences, building engaged workforces, and developing leaders who prioritize mindfulness in their approach in the health, fitness and wellness sector.

In the often over-saturated and highly competitive fitness and wellness market, the success of clubs hinges on their ability to continuously evolve and adapt to meet the ever-changing needs of both Members and Team Members. For example, I’m sure you know that the number one reason people join a health and wellness club today is their mental health. And I’m also sure you know that Team Member turnover rates in the fitness and wellness industry are at an all time high. It’s also no secret that a true sense of community, or belonging, is the best antidote to stress, anxiety and mental health challenges and your frontline Team Members’ engagement and wellbeing are directly tied to the overall sense of community and kinship within your facilities. Wouldn’t you agree, then, that the fitness and wellness industry has a major problem?   To date, we haven’t been able to solve our Team Member turnover problems. But due to the lack of true communities within our walls and the subsequent commoditization of our industry, our Member turnover rates are also high so instead of Team Member and Member retention, we mainly focus on new sales. What we’ve created is a self-fulfilling prophecy and in turn, most of us are in a race to the bottom.

After more than four decades in the fitness and wellness industry creating fitness and wellness communities and achieving some of the highest penetration and retention rates in the U.S. and Australia, I can tell you that the antidote is very simple: LISTEN.

Start by listening to your Team Members, to their struggles, to their needs, and to their suggestions. Then, listen to your Members, their struggles, their needs and their suggestions. If you start by taking great care of your Team Members and they are well trained, engaged, happy, and given opportunities for growth, they will in turn take great care of your Members. What follows is a great sense of community within your clubs because you are LISTENING and you are making informed decisions about people first, not your bottom line. I have applied this formula to countless businesses over four decades, with strong financial results following.

But there is one more key ingredient to achieving this kind of long-term success: each of these endeavors is driven by my belief in changing lives through wellness. Starting in the 80’s in Australia, before “wellness” was a trend, I began building wellness clubs with the desire to change the lives of not only our Members, but also the Team Members, who were often young and hungry for growth, whether they realized it or not. 

If you have an underlying motivation to do good, it sets you on a path that is authentic and heart-centered (aka people-centered). My mantra is PEOPLE FIRST, ALWAYS and I never compromise on this principle. We used to get away with a profit over people mentality, but I’m here to tell you that those days are coming to an end. Unless you’re entering the business world with a genuine passion and desire to help, to be of service, or to make something better, your chances of success in the long term are not so great. 

I’ve written about my “AFFINITY Formula” in my book, “The Affinity Principle. People First, Always: A Formula for Business Success Through Mindful Leadership.” The AFFINITY Formula is this: Mindful Leadership leads to a great Team Member Experience, which leads to a great Customer/Member Experience, which leads to long-term sustainable financial results. Over the years, I have turned countless struggling businesses around simply by applying this formula. 

Over the last few years, my team and I have developed an AI and Human-driven tool we’ve named “AFFINITY OS™” (AOS) to scale the AFFINITY Formula and truly listen to our Teams and Members. You can learn more about AOS at affinityos.ai.

At the heart of this powerful tool are robust intelligent feedback mechanisms, facilitated by a sophisticated AI engine and supported by the irreplaceable human touch. These systems not only enable the collection and analysis of valuable feedback but also ensure that clubs remain at the forefront of service excellence and innovation, all in real time.

The Critical Importance of Member and Team Member Feedback

Team Member Feedback: Team members are the heart of your wellness club, as their daily interactions with Members significantly shape the Member Experience. Their feedback can reveal critical insights into operational efficiencies, pinpoint training necessities, and suggest enhancements that elevate Member satisfaction. Engaging Team Members in the feedback process promotes a sense of ownership and commitment, which is instrumental in cultivating a motivated, fulfilling and healthy workplace. Research shows that organizations that actively engage Team Members see a 21% increase in profitability (Source: Gallup).

Member Feedback: Members are the core of any club, and their satisfaction is crucial for sustained business success. Feedback from Members provides essential insights into their experiences, driving clubs to enhance service quality, facility cleanliness, equipment maintenance, and overall customer service. This direct input from Members can significantly impact retention rates, with studies showing that improved Member Experience management can boost retention by up to 55% (Source: Bain & Company). Furthermore, satisfied Members are more likely to recommend the club to others, amplifying new Member acquisition through positive word-of-mouth.

Implementing AOS (or a Similar Tool) for Strategic Advantage

Real-Time Feedback and Actionable Insights: AOS offers a sophisticated, AI-driven platform that integrates seamlessly with a club’s existing digital ecosystem. For your active Members and your Team Members, this means providing feedback through quick, smart rhythmic surveys. For your Team Members, AOS facilitates the easy and anonymous submission of feedback, which is crucial for identifying psychosocial risks and enhancing engagement and workplace wellbeing. This immediate, real-time data collection allows clubs to promptly address concerns and adapt services to better meet the expectations and needs of all stakeholders.

Strategic Planning and Decision Making: Utilizing a platform like AOS enables clubs to transform raw data into strategic insights that drive decision-making processes. These insights help clubs not only to rectify immediate issues but also to strategize long-term developments in services, personalize Member Experiences, and innovate new offerings that distinguish them from competitors. Additionally, feedback-driven insights aid in the personal and professional development of Team Members, aligning their growth with the club’s goals for quality service delivery.

Why AOS (or a Similar Tool) is Essential Now More Than Ever

With the rapid evolution of the wellness industry, driven by changing consumer expectations and technological advancements, the need for a comprehensive solution like AOS has never been more urgent. Clubs that leverage such platforms can expect:

• Enhanced Member retention, referrals and satisfaction through proactive service adjustments and personalization.
• Increased Team Member engagement and reduced turnover by addressing feedback and improving job satisfaction.
• A strong competitive edge through data-driven innovations and service excellence.
• A natural creation of strong communities within fitness and wellness facilities through exceptional Team Member and Member experiences.

It is clear that today, both Member and Team Member experiences are paramount to long-term business success. Platforms like AOS provide the tools necessary to transform feedback into actionable strategies that propel clubs towards unmatched success.

As the fitness and wellness industry continues to navigate a landscape marked by rapid change and growing Member expectations, the role of feedback has never been more critical. Platforms like AOS stand out as essential tools for clubs committed to excellence in service and innovation in Team Member and Member Engagement. By adopting platforms like AOS, clubs not only enhance their operational effectiveness but also secure a pivotal advantage in a competitive market. The call to action is clear: embrace real-time feedback to transform your clubs, foster enduring community connections, and achieve sustainable success. Don’t miss out on redefining the future of your club with tools like AOS — where advanced technology meets people-centric culture and service.

Interested in learning more about how to transform your organization’s approach to team member engagement and customer experience? Reach out to our team at AFFINITY OS, specialists in AI-driven customer experience and team member engagement optimization.

Dive into the heart of exceptional leadership and customer-centric success with AOS Academy. Our certification courses, guided by the “PEOPLE FIRST, ALWAYS” mantra, are designed to support professionals as mindful, effective leaders and service providers. 

By integrating key insights from Grant Ian Gamble’s best-selling mindful leadership book, “The Affinity Principle”, we focus on nurturing people-centric cultures of empathy, effective communication, and customer service excellence.

The AOS Academy is more than just training – it’s a journey towards personal and professional transformation, ensuring every interaction and decision is rooted in understanding and valuing people first.