Summer Stories

Every time I say I'm going to get better at blogging, I take longer and longer to post. My computer didn't even remember my blog address this time (I actually had to type every letter of hobby-family.blogspot.com). I really want to blog more, but sometimes I feel like it would just be the same, same stories or updates.

We work a lot, but you already know that. We did make ourselves take a few days off in a row the week of July 4th. We closed the gym and had a nice stay-cation around Colorado. We hiked Seven Falls in Colorado Springs, went to our first Lacrosse game (just to see the fireworks on July 4th), and used our LivingSocial to enjoy a half day of White Water Rafting. It was a great week of fun and relaxing!

Even though work keeps us beyond busy between the two gyms, we are having fun. We have been blessed with staff (the picture is both Arvada and Colorado Springs together). Even with two of these girls completing their final day with us just yesterday to leave for to college, three more applications have come in and interviews have been going well. It is a never-ending training kind of job, but you get to work with some fun personalities, for sure!

Coming out of summer, enrollment is starting to go up in Arvada, but it is still struggling in Colorado Springs. At times we get burnt out. At times we wonder what in the world are we doing making our life so busy. Then I was reminded last week that 'when great direction is needed, great direction is given'. However... automatic doors don't open when you pull into the parking lot; they open when you walk through them. I feel like we are still walking up to the "door" particularly in Colorado Springs. Hopefully things will change in another month and that 'great direction' will be given.

After a crazy work load each week, we have really been enjoying our Sundays. The 3rd Sundays of each month, we have had the opportunity to have an interactive booth at our local Arvada Farmer's Market. We bring a lot of our big My Gym equipment for the kids to play on in a grassy area right by the library. We have done two already and have three more to go. It's has been great, free advertising (not to mention the free, yummy fruits and veggies they give us for entertaining the kids).

To change the subject off of work, our Sundays are also filled with being active in our church and attending basketball games. Juli has started occasionally playing the keyboard on our church's worship team (in addition to the youth band) and still serves as a youth leader over the high school girls. She just got back from their Summer Camp (youth retreat) last week - 5 days away with no cell service and not much sleep. Thomas has joined a basketball league that plays every Sunday night. It is fun watching him (even though some of his games don't start until nearly 9pm).

Some other random blogging thoughts...

•  Angela (Juli's sister) comes to visit next Wednesday through the weekend. Unfortunately, the boys will be staying behind, but it'll be great sister time as we get pedicures, go shopping and take bets on if we will have another nephew or our first niece in January.
• Our anniversary falls on Labor Day this year. Yippy for a day off to celebrate SIX YEARS of marriage!
• We go to California in October for another My Gym owners-only seminar. I can't believe we have been in Colorado AND a business owner for almost 4 years already.
• I miss my grandparents. I think about Mimi a lot when I'm playing the piano. I think of Pop even at the most random times. If I'm remembering correctly, their anniversary is this month. I wonder how you celebrate 63 something years with your love in Heaven.
 



Our May

I cannot believe it is already the month of May! One of my new years resolutions was to blog more often, but there is so much that has already happened this year... it's hard to keep up. I am on track with another new years resolution, though: to read 12 books during the year 2012. I am not a fast reader, and it's hard for me to make time to put my feet up and dive into a book - that's why I thought it would be a perfect challenge for me. I only read 4 books in 2011, so I set a goal this year of one book a month and even if I accomplished only 50% of my goal, it would be more than the previous year. Currently, I am on my 5th book since January 1st, and considering it's the 5th month of the year, I feel like I'm right on track.

One of the books Thomas and I read together last year was Dave Ramsey's "Financial Peace" while we were completing the Financial Peace course at our church. It has changed our life! We are medical debt free as of last month (from Juli's emergency, no insurance gallbladder surgery in May of 2010). We are no longer purchasing things on credit cards as we are chipping away at that debt each month, and My Gym Arvada should be paid off by this time next year. My Gym Colorado Springs will be put up for sale once we finalize our lease (hopefully this month), but the timing of that sale is in God's hands.

Summers are hard for us financially at My Gym in this gorgeous state. People travel or prefer to be outside ALL Summer instead of continuing their weekly My Gym classes. We are already seeing our numbers drop (March was a very high enrollment month, but we have dropped 30+ kids in each location since then), so we are trying a new marketing approach to capitalize on those who might think of My Gym during the Summer.

Our drop-off Summer Camp starts in both locations the first week of June and we have had successful Summer Camp enrollment nights for those. This week is Teacher Appreciation Week, so I took the time to research local elementary schools and type all the teacher's email addresses into a database to send them a summer special just for teachers. Memorial Day is just around the corner, too, and we'll be advertising a huge military discount in Colorado Springs since that gym is located right by the Air Force base.

Staffing is our biggest struggle with owning two gyms. We ran My Gym Arvada for 16 months without staff (just Thomas and I on every class and every birthday party), but now that Juli is mainly in Arvada and Thomas is mainly in Colorado Springs, we are becoming highly dependable on other people. We are hiring in both locations because we need to. It's a little stressful to do so during the approaching slow summer months, but we have to stick to our belief that we will never be able to grow our business if we don't grow internally with dependable/available, highly trained staff.

Some more quick updates...

 Pepper turned ONE on April 29th. He has grown so much since we adopted him at 8 weeks old.

My brother is a United States Marine!

 We were able to fly to South Carolina for a quick 3 days to be a part of Micah's family day and graduation from Marine boot camp. We were able to visit with Juli's dad, mom, step-dad, aunt Sheila, brother, sister and nephew Jacob.

 The Waits siblings: Juli, Micah, Angela

And finally...

I would say that a "chapter" in my life is coming to an end, but it feels more like a book is coming to a close. I have been a nanny off and on since she was 14 years old. Caleb and Chloe (our flower girl and ring bearer in our wedding) were my first "job", and my love for babysitting turned into long-term nanny commitments along side of My Gym duties. Anelise was my most recent almost full-time nanny job, but I had to close that "chapter" when we took over the My Gym in Colorado Springs. I was so sad to not have that "mommy practice" anymore and thought I was done with nannying until Kate (pictured) came along once a week on Thursday mornings. I thought it was manageable since it was only 4 hours a week, however, with the work load of both gyms and staffing troubles, May will be my last month as a nanny. I would still love to babysit here and there for families I keep in touch with, but my consistent day to day and even week to week work will always be My Gym until the glorious day comes when I get to "nanny" my own children for a lifetime.

Open Houses

We had an Open House at My Gym Arvada on Saturday, Feb. 12th and enrolled 11 new kids! We make monthly enrollment goals (even when we are not doing an open house) and decided to make 25 our goal for the whole month of February. With the Open House specials and the 11 new kids during our 4-hour event, we hit our monthly goal of 25 enrollments the second the Open House ended... 12 days into the month. We are adding new classes and really have gotten on an enrollment spree that we hope to keep going.

We had a two-day Open House at My Gym Colorado Springs the following weekend and enrolled a total of 22 new kids. Since we had 11 new members during the first day of the Open House (just like Arvada), we were not expecting much the second day, but it's exciting that we were pleasantly surprised.

We've had a rental car for January and February as our second vehicle. We will be turning the car back in on the 29th, and the March work schedule has us trying to cover every shift with just one car and all the new staff we've hired. I am nervous about it, but I rather try it before we have to add a second vehicle expense right now. Thomas will still be staying one night a week in the springs to save on gas, but having one car will actually allow us to spend more time together working in either Arvada or Colorado Springs instead of being split like we have been for the past 2 months.

It's almost like March will bring on a new adventure, but we are ready and still excited. We are also thankful there is a Petsmart with a Pets Hotel right by the Colorado Springs My Gym. Our dog, Pepper, loves the 1 1/2 car ride to and from his doggy day camp while we work (and it's only $20 for the day... usually 10-12 hours).

Those are the work updates I have for now. I always want to write about more interesting things going on in our life, but My Gym is our life right now and there's a lot going on to talk about. We are tired, but blessed!

Time for an Update

We have owned both My Gym Children’s Fitness Center in Arvada and Colorado Springs for over a month now, so I thought it was time for an update. Both gyms are currently increasing in enrollment and birthday parties. We are gearing up for an Open House in Arvada next Sunday, Feb. 12^th. Colorado Springs will have a two-day event on Feb. 18^th and 19^th. We hired a new employee in Arvada last week, and are still interviewing other applicants in both locations.

Thomas is mainly in Colorado Springs – staying overnight about twice a week to save on gas. The gym has a nice extra storage room where he has a futon set up with a TV and his Xbox. Juli is mainly at My Gym Arvada during the week and typically in the Springs on the weekends to give Thomas a break from the drive. It’s hard managing two gyms and working every class/birthday party, but we have great staff right now helping us (especially Dustin from Arvada and Sam from Colorado Springs who also work 6-7 days a week), and we a truly blessed by this experience.

Our goal is still to eventually sell My Gym Colorado Springs, but since we are unsure the timing of when that will happen this year, we are focused and determined to build it up to the best of our abilities before resting. We have to constantly remind ourselves that the continuous work and endless hours are only for a season and that it will be worth it all in the end.

Please continue to pray for our health and safety through this journey… may we receive wisdom and strength from the One who gave it all.

In other news, Juli’s brother left for Marine Corps boot camp on January 16^th. We received the first letter in the mail from him last week. The letter means a lot to me (Juli). I keep in on my fridge and look at it daily. It reads, “Juli, Thomas (and Pepper): This place is crazy! I’m gonna send mom all the details cause I don’t have much time to write. I am well, though, I miss you guys! I regret not spending more time with y’all when in Colorado. I promise to visit soon. How’s Colorado Srpings? Please write often. Include spiritually uplifting things. My devotions are what’s getting me through this. I really love y’all. ~Micah …PS Tell Mom and Angela that the food is truly great and the weather is nice so far.”

I am going to write him tonight, but I don’t think I could tell him how much I actually miss him. I was spoiled by Facebook keeping us so connected before he left. Little things during the day make me think of Micah and what he possibly could be going through. Please lift him up in prayer, too, as I count down the days to his graduation (April 13^th) and a short 10-day leave that will allow him to call his sister. If you would like to write him (normal first class letters only), his address is:

RCT Waits, Micah D.

3^rd BD, India CO, PLT 3024

PO Box 16345

MCRD Parris Island, SC 29905-6345

Opportunity is Knocking Again

I read this quote the other day and really needed the encouragement: "Don't be surprised when God calls you to do something you don't feel qualified to do. He does it so you will lean on Him and less on yourself. "

We are being called to take over a 2nd My Gym Children's Fitness Center beginning January 2nd. The location is an hour and half away in Colorado Springs, and we are not certain how long we will be managing it (our main focus will remain on the Arvada My Gym). Our goal is to increase enrollment, turn it around, and then sell it before this summer. Staff scheduling is going to be the biggest challenge, but we are excited to take on another adventure.

We are ending the year 2011 smarter than when we became business owners just over 3 years ago. We have a handle on the enrollment trends in Arvada and are going into Colorado Springs during a peek time of year. We are expecting the unexpected (both positives and negatives).

Please pray for us this new year - for our health, safety, and blessings on this new business opportunity. We have a busy week ahead of us with setting goals, planning schedules and getting to work. My New Years Resolution is to blog more often, so follow us if you would like and we'll keep in touch.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! ~The Hobbys

Quick, Little Update

Contact info: Juli's hotmail email account was mostly all junk mail, so she now ONLY uses thomasandjuli@gmail.com and Thomas uses tmh6586@yahoo.com

Traveling: August 1st-8th, we will be in Washington D.C. for an early anniversary trip (5 years on September 3rd). Our friend/Director at work, Dustin, is house-sitting for us to take care of our puppy, Pepper, while we are away. August 18th-23rd, we will be driving to California (16 hours straight one-way, not including stops) with our Director for our annual My Gym training seminar. We will close the gym that week and Dustin's fiance will house-sit/dog-sit.

Juice Plus: We would love to tell you more about our 2nd business: Juice Plus (the next best thing to fruits and vegetables). Check out our website: www.MyGymTakesJuicePlus.com and email/call Juli if you would like a testimony on our improved health and wellness since taking Juice Plus.

My Gym: Summer has still been hard for us, even with relocating to our brand-new facility. We are looking forward to our Ribbon Cutting Ceremony (through the Arvada Chamber) & Enrollment Night on Monday, August 29th. Please help us spread the word about our business and vote for us (by August 19th) as the 'BEST Gym' on the Denver's A-list: http://kmgh.cityvoter.com/my-gym-children-s-fitness-center/biz/102811

Meet Pepper - Our 1st Puppy

Today we had a My Gym marketing event all day, outside at a street fair. We had to arrive and set up at 7:30am so that the cars could get off the street, but the event didn't start until 10am. Because we set up really fast, and we had a lot of time to kill, we decided to walk the street and see what other vendors were there. Our first stop was at the adopt-a-pet bus because the cute little puppies outside caught our attention. We just were looking for a second and the next thing I know, a puppy was in my hands. The lady said, "here" and I said "umm, you shouldn't have done that." I was falling in love so I quickly that I passed him to Thomas, but when I looked at my husband, he had the same look in his eyes that I did... love. I don't love all dogs. Actually, I don't like ones that jump, lick or bark a lot. That's pretty much all dogs. This little puppy, though, was the calmest, sweetest, quietest thing I had ever seen! We learned a lot about the dog and why it needed to be adopted. The mom was dropped off to them and had puppies 2 days later - a boy (Pepper) and a girl (Piper). They are a Chihuahua and Doxin mix (a Chiweenie). Today the puppies turned 8 weeks old and the family of 3 were up for adoption. We were not planning on getting a dog anytime soon, and definitely not today with the responsibility of running the My Gym booth. We put the puppy back, gathered all the information, and went on a walk to talk about it. Our biggest hold up on getting a pet was our landlord. We never explored the option since we are renting our town home and didn't want to pay a pet deposit/fee. I told Thomas that if we were even just 90% sure we wanted him that it wouldn't hurt to fill out the adoption application, call our landlord, and see what happens. By 9:30am this morning, we had turned in our application for Pepper (the boy puppy). Next, we called our landlord, and he amazed us. He told Thomas that because we have been responsible and a tenant for awhile (3 years in October), that he would not charge us anything to have a pet if we still kept the house nice - clean up accidents, keep his nails short not to scratch the hardwood floors, etc. That means no money down for a pet deposit and no extra money a month in our rent. I walked back over to the adopt-a-pet bus to tell them that everything was ok with our landlord, but before I could say anything I heard "he's yours!" I called Thomas over to leave our My Gym booth and come hold his new puppy. They had already called one of our references from our application (one of our My Gym moms - been there since before we took over the gym - who is a Veterinarian and owns an Animal Clinic with her husband right by our house) and everything was approved. Pepper was placed in the bus and had to have his crate covered by a blanket to keep all the people from wanting him. We would visit Pepper throughout the day and they would always let us take him out to hold and bond with him, but no one else could. He is ours, but we don't get to take him home until Monday after he is "fixed" tomorrow, de-wormed, and all that fun stuff that was included with the adoption.

Meet Pepper

He smiles! :)

Holding him like a baby...

Pepper's sister was adopted, too, by another family so they got to stay together today until they are both sent home with their new family Monday. Pepper (our puppy) is the one sleeping on the right and his sister Piper is on the left.

Pepper outside with his mom before we adopted him

Our 1st picture with our 1st puppy

We love him!

Then we had to put him back with his sister and say goodbye until Monday. I already miss our little guy (he is only 3lbs right now) and can't wait to see how he runs around and masters the stairs at our house. I'm sure we'll have more pictures and videos coming soon.

Juice PLUS+

We are now official Wellness Coordinators for Juice Plus+. Juli first heard about Juice Plus+ from a close family friend who she babysat her young kids for 7 years. Their whole family took Juice Plus+, and she could see the difference between their health and her health through the years. We also thought Juice Plus+ was a great nutritional "product" to market through My Gym, however, now we want to share our knowledge with the ones we love - our friends and family. Learning about Juice Plus+ changed our mindset toward more healthy eating, but we still don’t come close to getting the daily recommended 7 to 13 servings of fruits and vegetables. We honestly don’t know anyone who does. Since we have added Juice Plus+ to our diet this year, we feel good knowing that we're complementing our diet with added nutrition from 17 different fruits, vegetables and grains, every single day, and we are already noting the benefits. We believe in Juice Plus+, and we'd love to share more of our experiences or answer any of your questions about the most thoroughly researched whole food concentrate in the world. This is not just a business for us because once we understood the value of nutrition, we felt a responsibility to share this knowledge with other families.

MOST FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (AND ANSWERS) ABOUT JUICE PLUS+

1. WHAT IS JUICE PLUS+?

· Juice Plus+ delivers key phytonutrients that are absorbed by the body.

§ (bioavailability – n. The degree or rate to which a substance is absorbed or becomes available at the site of physiological activity.)

§ (antioxidant – n. A substance such as vitamin E, vitamin C, or beta carotene that protects body cells from the damaging effects of oxidation.)

· Juice Plus+ reduces oxidative stress caused by free radicals.

§ (oxidative stress – n. Physiological stress on the body that is caused by the cumulative damage done by free radicals –oxidants- inadequately neutralized by antioxidants.)

· Juice Plus+ positively impacts markers of systemic inflammation.

§ (systemic inflammation – n. Protective response by tissues throughout the body to injury or destruction.)

· Juice Plus+ helps support a healthy immune system.

§ (immune system – n. The integrated body system of organs, tissues, cells, and cell products that protects the body from potentially harmful organisms, cells, or substances.)

· Juice Plus+ helps protect the structural integrity of DNA.

§ (DNA – n. Deoxyribonucleic acid, a nucleic acid molecule that carries the cell’s genetic information and hereditary characteristics.)

· Juice Plus+ promotes cardiovascular wellness.

§ (cardiovascular – adj. The body system of, relating to, or involving the heart and blood vessels.)

2. WHAT SEPARATES JUICE PLUS+ FROM THE THOUSANDS OF OTHER NUTRITIONAL PRODUCTS ON THE MARKET TODAY? Unlike traditional vitamin supplements, Juice Plus+ provides whole food based nutrition from 17 different fruits, vegetables, and grains in convenient and inexpensive capsule form (or chewable for kids). Unlike most diet and nutrition products, Juice Plus+ is backed by numerous scientific studies conducted specifically on our product.

3. WHAT DOES IT COST? I’ve found if people can’t afford to stay healthy, they really can’t afford to be sick. It’s amazing how doctors’ visits and medications can add up. At less than $1.50 per day, Juice Plus+ is less than a cup of coffee or a bottle of water. Each carton contains a 4-month supply of Juice Plus+ capsules - 4 bottles of Garden Blend and 4 bottles of Orchard Blend - shipped to you in full and payable in 4 monthly installments for $41.75 a month. Juice Plus+ Soft Chews and Juice Plus+ Complete shakes are available with pricing in the store portion of our website: http://www.mygymtakesjuiceplus.com/

4. WHY DO I NEED JUICE PLUS+? I ALREADY TAKE VITAMINS. Juice Plus+ is very, very different from vitamins. It’s whole food based, so you are getting the benefit of thousands of plant nutrients that are not present in multivitamins.

5. WHY DO I NEED JUICE PLUS+? I EAT LOTS OF FRUITS AND VEGETABLES. That’s great! I strive to eat 7 to 13 servings a day, too, but like most people I find that impossible to do. And I definitely don’t eat the variety I should, like kale and beets… Do you like beets? I see Juice Plus+ as an insurance policy that complements my diet every day.

6. IS JUICE PLUS+ A SUBSTITUTE FOR FRUITS AND VEGETABLES? No! Everyone should try to eat as many servings of fruits and vegetables as they can, every day, as recommended by nutrition professionals. Juice Plus+ complements your diet and helps you “bridge the gap” between what you should eat and what you actually eat every day.

7. HOW IS JUICE PLUS+ MADE? Juice Plus+ is made from fresh, high quality fruits and vegetables, and is carefully tested to ensure that no pesticides or other contaminants affect the natural purity of the product. These fruits and vegetables are juiced, and the juices are then concentrated into powders using a proprietary, low-temperature process. We carefully monitor to ensure that our all-natural ingredients are not exposed to the high temperatures that can destroy much of the nutritional value of fruits and vegetables, as when they are over cooked. Juice Plus+ Orchard Blend is made from 7 different fruits (apple, orange, pineapple, cranberry, papaya, peach, and acerola cherry), and Juice Plus+ Garden Blend is made from 10 different vegetables and grains (carrot, parsley, beet, kale, broccoli, cabbage, spinach, tomato, oat bran, and brown rice bran).

8. IS THERE A WAY I CAN GET JUICE PLUS+ FREE FOR MY CHILDREN? I want to introduce the Children’s Health Study: a large-scale, multi-year survey designed to formally document the effects Juice Plus+ has on the health and well-being of families who take it. The way it works is simple. For every parent, grandparent, or other adult who signs up as a Juice Plus+ customer, the study provides Juice Plus+ Orchard Blend and Juice Plus+ Garden Blend free to a child, teenager, or college student for up to three years. At various intervals – after 4-8 months and then at the end of each year - adult participants are asked to fill out a voluntary survey to determine whether (and how) their family’s health habits have changed as a result of taking Juice Plus+. Learn more at: http://www.childrenshealthstudy.com/

We are having our first Wellness Presentation at My Gym to explain Juice Plus+ on Friday, June 24th from 6:00-7:00pm and Monday, June 27th from 5:30-6:30pm. Children up to age 10 will be able to play at My Gym (www.mygym.com/arvada) for free during the Wellness Presentation. Anyone who may not be able to attend but is interested in learning more about Juice Plus+ may email us at thomasandjuli@gmail.com, check out our website http://www.mygymtakesjuiceplus.com/, or call Juli at 407-620-2128.

Positive Feedback

Our My Gym members LOVE the new facility! We wanted to use their excitement to tell their friends, so we took the opportunity this week to hand them a survey card that read: "Our BEST form of advertising is Word Of Mouth! We need your help to tell you friends about our new facility and the wonderful programs we offer here at My Gym. What would entice you to bring your friends more often? Please circle an option below or use the back of this card for your own thoughts on how to share the gift of My Gym with your friends (and you benefit by doing so). Their choices were:

• Friend-referral My Gym Bucks towards classes, parties and/or products.


• Being able to bring your friends to Free Play with you for a small charge.


• More Open Houses or events to bring friends to.

We are still collecting the cards for a few more days and then will think of what specials we will run leading up to our Relocation Celebration (Open House) in July.

On a side note, have I mentioned before how much I love my product display (I posted a picture on my last post). We sold $69 in product (Melissa & Doug toys, My Gym T-shirts, frisbees and sippy cups) our first 3 days of being open. That is equivalent to a one-month payment of an enrolled child.

I'm also so proud of my staff! I have seen the new My Gym bring out a sense of excitement and confidence in them while they are teaching classes. In fact, we just received a really nice e-mail today from a member who hasn't even attended her class yet this week (she comes Saturdays). This is a wonderful, "random" testimonial that means so much to me in regards to my business and my staff.

"We are excited to see the new space. We want to thank you for the quality
classes you have provide us for the past year. We are willing to drive
from Firestone just for her to have that experience. My background is in
Early Childhood Education (prior to giving it up for the corporate world)
and I know what to look for in a good early childhood program. Sara has
learned so much from the classes and we have enjoyed watching her grow.
Keep up the good work and please tell the staff we are very pleased."

Ready to re-open!

The re-location process of our My Gym started last Monday afternoon and we worked all day everyday until late Sunday night to be able to have Memorial Day off and then re-open for business on Tuesday, May 31st. On Friday, we signed the construction completion form for the new facility and handed over the keys of our old space for them to start demo/construction over there tomorrow. I never thought I would be so sad to walk out of the place that made me the youngest My Gym owner (so far), but I was overjoyed to walk 11 doors down and open the door to our brand-new, dream come true My Gym. It's OURS... it's FREE! Talk about flipping a business. :) We are so blessed and excited for all of our customers to see our hard work and start telling their friends about My Gym!

Ta Da!!!

artwork

artwork

My dad happened to be working out here the week we moved, and he helped hang my product wall (a.k.a. The Money Wall). I really like how it turned out! We are selling Melissa & Doug puzzles and toys along with some My Gym T-shirts, frisbees and sippy cups.

Our storage room is the one place we did put some of our own money into this project. I wanted to take the opportunity to really organize everything and make the most out of all the space we had. All the cars and worms hanging above the swings used to be a mess on a shelf, taking up so much room and making it very difficult to easily use and put away during classes. Since we bought everything in time, the construction workers still installed it for us. I love me some organization!