- Words by tessVan Straaten Photography by Don Denton

As an athlete who played college football and some professional football and who has coached lots of kids乌鸦传媒� sports, president and CEO Chris Smith is used to taking hits and overcoming setbacks. But the COVID-19 pandemic definitely put him to the test.

乌鸦传媒淭his has been the most challenging business environment I think any of us have ever seen,乌鸦传媒� says the 47-year-old father of five.

Chris had a pretty good sense of what he was getting into when he decided to buy the company, after Steve Nash Fitness World乌鸦传媒攐f which he was also president and CEO乌鸦传媒攆iled for creditor protection in the early days of the pandemic.

乌鸦传媒淚 had the unfortunate task of terminating thousands of employees in a matter of seven days, which is terrible and one of the worst things I乌鸦传媒檝e ever had to do,乌鸦传媒� Chris says. 乌鸦传媒淚 don乌鸦传媒檛 know if I needed redemption, but I really felt I needed to get this business back up on its feet, and I just had a strong feeling that if I didn乌鸦传媒檛 find a way to open the business with a new partner, nobody else would take on that risk. That would have just left me with unfinished business and a sick feeling in my stomach.乌鸦传媒�

But as the public head of the company, Chris faced a lot of backlash from people who didn乌鸦传媒檛 understand what had happened.

乌鸦传媒淲e were one of the first businesses in the pandemic to publicly face challenges and people were looking for someone to blame,乌鸦传媒� Chris says. 乌鸦传媒淚 didn乌鸦传媒檛 own the business, I wasn乌鸦传媒檛 an owner, but what do you do during the pandemic if someone gives you lemons? You make lemonade and in this case, I got dump trucks full of lemons.乌鸦传媒�

Chris was convinced the company could re-emerge stronger, bigger and better than before. After talking to thousands of Fitness World members, he and others worked to change everything about the business, from the pricing model to the membership agreement.

乌鸦传媒淚t was a consumer-driven strategy,乌鸦传媒� Chris explains. 乌鸦传媒淲e went and changed everything乌鸦传媒攍iterally everything乌鸦传媒攁nd I乌鸦传媒檓 really proud of that. We乌鸦传媒檝e gotten better and we乌鸦传媒檝e grown the business every single month.乌鸦传媒�

Chris乌鸦传媒檚 passion for exercise and its benefits began in his youth. His divorced parents didn乌鸦传媒檛 have much money, and playing sports was his salvation.

乌鸦传媒淟ifting weights, exercise and wellness changed my life,乌鸦传媒� Chris says. 乌鸦传媒淭hey provided for me like nothing else could.乌鸦传媒�

He乌鸦传媒檚 now spent his entire career乌鸦传媒攃lose to 27 years乌鸦传媒攊n the fitness industry, after getting into the business as a personal trainer.

乌鸦传媒淚 stayed in it because I found something that I love that can truly make people better and something that makes a difference,乌鸦传媒� says Chris. 乌鸦传媒淭hat乌鸦传媒檚 what I love乌鸦传媒攎aking a difference for others. There乌鸦传媒檚 nothing else I乌鸦传媒檇 want to do with my life.乌鸦传媒�

In mid-December, the BC government once again announced that all gyms would have to close down the next day, for at least a month, due to rising COVID case counts fuelled by the highly-transmissible Omicron variant.

乌鸦传媒淲e were shocked, along with the rest of the health and wellness industry,乌鸦传媒� Chris says. 乌鸦传媒淭he information that乌鸦传媒檚 available is overwhelmingly supportive of the fact that gyms, fitness centres, and health and wellness facilities should be open. Frankly, you乌鸦传媒檙e in a lot more danger going to a grocery store than a gym.乌鸦传媒�

Chris was once again faced with laying off staff乌鸦传媒攖his time, more than 500 of Fitness World乌鸦传媒檚 650 employees. And he struggled with how to explain the government mandate to their 75,000 members across 15 locations when he says there乌鸦传媒檚 been no data to support gym closures.

乌鸦传媒淚 think there乌鸦传媒檚 definitely a lack of understanding around health and wellness, and the role exercise plays in not just physical health, but mental health,乌鸦传媒� Chris says. 乌鸦传媒淥f all the things that are essential, health and wellness are as essential as it gets. The number one thing you can do to keep yourself healthy overall is to exercise three times a week.乌鸦传媒�

But despite the setback of a second COVID-19 closure, Chris says he乌鸦传媒檚 still feeling pretty bullish.

乌鸦传媒淚乌鸦传媒檝e been operating as a frugal chef for a long time now, and making sound decisions for the business from day one, expecting the unexpected, and always kind of preparing for those worst-case scenarios,乌鸦传媒� he says. 乌鸦传媒淎fter the first shutdown, we made strategic decisions to operate the business in a different way and while it乌鸦传媒檚 been very challenging, there have been lots of curve balls thrown at different periods of time, so I乌鸦传媒檓 fortunate to be surrounded by great people. My team is able to react to these situations and find ways to turn negatives into positives.乌鸦传媒�

Chris says the biggest lesson he乌鸦传媒檚 learned over the years is around attitude and the kind of mindset you choose to have.

乌鸦传媒淥ne of the phrases I live by is, 乌鸦传媒榶our attitude determines your altitude,乌鸦传媒櫸谘淮�媒� he says. 乌鸦传媒淭here have been a lot of times I could have personally given up, and a lot of times where people on my team could have given up, and the consequences of that giving up would have been bad for a lot of people. What I乌鸦传媒檝e learned through all of this is you have to keep yourself centred, and centred in a place of positivity, because if you don乌鸦传媒檛乌鸦传媒攅specially as a leader of a business乌鸦传媒攊t乌鸦传媒檚 a slippery slope you don乌鸦传媒檛 want to find yourself on.乌鸦传媒�

As for whether he乌鸦传媒檚 regretted buying a business during a pandemic, it should come as no surprise Chris has another sports saying for that.

乌鸦传媒淣o risk it, no biscuit.乌鸦传媒�

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
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