Mark Miller, the accomplished and inspiring Chief Operating Officer of Merritt Athletic Clubs, is a beacon of leadership excellence in the fitness industry. With an impressive tenure spanning over three decades at the corporate level, Mark’s journey at Merritt is a testament to his unwavering dedication and exceptional capabilities.
Beginning his career with Merritt in 2000 as the Regional Fitness Director, Mark swiftly ascended the ranks to assume the pivotal role of COO. His responsibilities encompass the comprehensive management and smooth operation of all eight clubs under the Merritt umbrella, including overseeing the innovative Merritt consulting arm – MCM, as well as spearheading the newly established Wellness division.
Mark’s profound expertise spans diverse domains ranging from club management, sales strategies, revenue optimization, personal training methodologies, program development, budgetary acumen, to fostering a thriving cultural ethos within Merritt clubs. His holistic approach towards operational efficiency and strategic vision has been instrumental in driving Merritt’s success and ensuring unparalleled member experiences across all facets of the business.
Beyond his operational duties, Mark is a sought-after speaker at prestigious fitness industry conferences and events, where his insights and leadership acumen resonate deeply with peers and enthusiasts alike. Furthermore, his active involvement in the esteemed REX Round Table for Executives, both as a Chair and participant, underscores his commitment to advancing industry standards and fostering collaborative knowledge-sharing.
Mark’s influence extends beyond the confines of Merritt Athletic Clubs, as he leverages his expertise to contribute thought leadership through writing for industry publications and engaging in consultative endeavors with other clubs and organizations. His invaluable article titled “Leadership Lessons I Learned from the Ballfield” embodies his ethos of mentorship and continuous learning, offering profound insights that are sure to resonate with aspiring leaders and industry professionals.
For those seeking to engage with Mark and tap into his wealth of experience and wisdom, he can be reached at mmiller@merrittclubs.com. His passion for elevating others, coupled with his astute business acumen, makes him a formidable force in the realm of fitness and wellness management.
In the realm of professional and personal development, the exchange of knowledge through various mediums plays a pivotal role in fostering growth and shared understanding. Within this context, the insights provided by Mark’s article, coupled with the discerning perspectives of Bill McBride, as encapsulated in his work “12 Questions You Should Ask Every Job Candidate at Your Health Club”, and the enlightening discourse presented by Chris Stevenson and Marisa Hoff in their article “Recharge and Return: Mastering Relaxation on Vacation”, serve as beacons of wisdom in the contemporary landscape of wellness and recruitment practices.
Should you aspire to share your own insights and perspectives with our esteemed readership, we welcome your contributions at drt@drtevents.org, as we believe in the transformative power of collective knowledge and collaboration to shape a better future.
In the words of the iconic Paul Newman, “The need is great and so are the opportunities to make a difference.” Let us seize these opportunities together, guided by the exemplary leadership exemplified by individuals like Mark Miller.
– John & Shannel
Leadership Lesson I Learned from the Ballfield
By Mark Miller, COO, Merritt Clubs
I won’t lie. I love baseball. It’s was one of my favorite sports played growing up and a lifelong passion. Now I get to share it with my son MJ and coaching his travel team. Baseball isn’t just a game. It’s also the setting for some of life’s best wisdom—including plenty of incredible lessons on leadership and business.
With baseball season in… forgive my pun … full swing, I wanted to share a few key leadership principles that baseball has helped me understand better and i am sharing with our boys today as life lessons.
If you’re a baseball fan you’ll love this. And if you’re not (yet), there are still plenty of insights here for you, too! Let’s jump in.
1. Preparation is everything
There’s an element of natural talent in any sport and baseball is certainly no different, but it’s the hours of practice and training that really make the difference.
If you’re going to be good at baseball—or anything, really—you’ve got to spend time working on it. Think of all the hours the greats like Tom Brady, Micheal Jordan, Katie Ledecky spent honing their skills and practicing.
Their success came down to Practice and Preparation.
“If you’re not prepared, you’re not going to perform. No with anything being prepared I think is result of consistency. If you are not prepared you freeze, make errors, the hole point of being prepared is that when a situation arises its instincts and repetition which take over. You have seen it a hundred times it becomes almost automatic. Trust me hitting a baseball is more about having seen it thousands of times and our body and minds knowing where to swing to hit it, versus us trying to keep an eye on a 80 mph fastball and watch it hit our bat. Not sure abut you but My eyes probably do not move that fast. My nervous system and brain do bc we have seen it over and over again in practice.
Now, do not get me wrong all these great had an immense amount of natural talent. But they amplified it with preparation, putting in the hours and focusing on what helped them improve. And they did it daily, every day. So, think about it in business. How often do we practice things vs reacting to them. In sales role playing is that practice. Yet do we do it daily and at nauseum so that our response are automatic and not scripted.
Being smart and talented is great. But we can’t just sit back and rely on that. We’ve got to back it up with focus and hard work. If we truly want to stand out, take the time to prepare. Come to meetings with research and clear thinking already done. Go the extra mile in your preparation. Grind out the hard work. Do not be afraid to put in the practice.
2. The power of routine
Ever noticed how every hitter has an at bat warmup routine? It’s a repeatable set of actions they go through before each and every swing. Some do it in the infield. Watch Gunner Henderson of Orioles he always has a little hop just as the pitcher pitches to activate his reactions and awareness. It’s not just for show—it’s a carefully honed ritual that helps them get in the zone and stay focused under pressure.
Baseball teaches us that it’s key to have process and discipline around what really matters. Baseball is just as much mental if not more then physical.
I always tell our kids how you practice is how you play. You must come in focused and prepared. So it’s the same in our lives how we start our day is how we behave for the day. What is your pre-work routine? What is your end of day routine? How are you setting yourself for success. The formula is out there the key is you have to dial it in.
For example, you might start your deep work with a cup of coffee and a quick meditation session. That repeatable process can “cue” your mind that it’s time to focus. Your team can benefit from routines, too. By setting a regular structure for meetings and check-ins, you can help everyone stay more aligned, connected, and productive. Think of how each person starts their day – do you do the wander around and talk and waste time or do you begin and eat that frog first thing. ? do you leave the day setup for tomorrow with knowledge out what is most important and what must be done to win the day. Then does your am routine activet your mind to get going. For me it that Am workout – get dialed in and push self. Get that adversity set and energize my body and mind for a successful day. We all have routines – what is yours? And is it serving you well? If not dial it in!
3. Team matters
Baseball is the ultimate team sport you 9 people playing together. Aligned wih the goals and actions to score runs and make plays. Its not always the most talented player that wins, but it is always the best team that wins. You play together, respect each other, cheer for each other and pick each other up is what we say. Its like the saying the play for the name on the front of the shirt not the back.
Team is about the relationships you make out on the diamond. We spend as much time cultivating teamwork and getting to know our players, each other and their parents. Together we win or we lose. The choice is up to us.
Jim Rohn once said you’re the reflection of the 5 people you hang around the most. Since at work we spend a third of our days with each other it makes sense that we need to build relationships. And the fitness business as I tell our teams is really the people business we just happen to do it through fitness. So we need to learn to play together. If we are nt focusing on that as part of ur business and culture. Then we will not win many games or be a team.
Strategy and execution are vital, of course. But at the end of the day, the most satisfying part of Playing the game is the relationships you build with your team, your peers, and your members.
Make people your priority. Develop your players. Be intentional about the culture you build. It’ll create the kind of trust and connection you need to drive strong results. Ps – also have FUN
4. Get better each game
Everyone strikes out, makes and error, misses a play. As we tell our boys the hall of famers hit the ball 3 out of 10 times. Failure is ok, mistakes are ok, its how we learn and get better.
When I was playing I had caught the bug quickly and loved playing always trying to get just little better, faster, stronger. I was drawn to how there’s always a chance to improve and do better. “You’ll never be able to beat the game” and that feeling “keeps you hungry, trying to chase it.” Every great athlete, business person, teacher, philosophist, etc. is hungry to get better. The drive to never stop searching or working to find that advantage or edge.
This a good mentality for every player we have and every leader I have ever talked with. We can never stop looking for ways to improve, to chase the next level of excellence. In business if your not growing your dieing I heard once. The really is complacency kills more people then hard work. As you start to slowly drift you slowly stop working, and sooner than later someone runs by you.
You have to have a “healthy sense of paranoia” about your competition, your business, your team, and yourself, so that you can stay ahead of what’s happening in the and never get too complacent with your success.
Even when things are going well, and we are up in the score we tell our boys we have to stay hungry, focused and alert. Let’s not take anything for granted, do what we know we can, control the controllables and continue to play. Let’s not sit back and rest. Do not take any team for granted or game. You never know when the other team will hit that home run.
5. Short memory
Baseball too some is a simple game, however those who play it know its so much more. It is easy to get upset, frustrated and mental out of the game on a moments notice. In this game you’re bound to make some mistakes aka errors, swing at bad pitches, and be frustrated with each other.
The key is when a bad play happens, ask yourself, why did that happen? Do a quick AAR – what went wrong, what did I do right, how do I ix for next time.
Then forget it and move on.
That simple action allows one to stop dwelling on the play, and to focus on the next play and stay in the game. Or as we say keep y our head in the game not on it.
Worry, giving into emotions, angr, etc. does not serve kids well, nor business. Yet too often we focus on the negative and let it ruin our days, disrupt our focus and energy, take us off course and let the others score on us.
Every one experiences setbacks, big and small. It’s how we respond to them that makes all the difference. And guess what only one person controls that response – you and me. Do not give that power away.
Our ability to manage our mentality in situations when we need to bounce back is a huge piece of success, both on the playing field and at work.
I love Baseball for so many reasons, but I especially love how it’s helped me develop as a person and a coach. There are so many lessons waiting to be discovered on the field and I cannot wait to share them all with MJ and all our boys.
Just like leadership, it’s a place where preparation is vital. Where discipline and relationships matter deeply. Where there’s always room to improve and learn from our mistakes and play the game better. Just like Baseball the key is to win the game and everyday is a new game so lets go out there and play everyday and win as many as we can while having fun.
I hope these parallels inspire you to up your leadership game. One note for us all look around your life and find ways you can glean leadership lessons from whatever activities you enjoy.
The lessons are all around us we just have to be willing to be open to them and be coached. To all I wish for you a winning season.
12 Questions You Should Ask Every Job Candidate at Your Health Club
Understanding strategic thinking and developing a solid strategic plan is core to business success; however, your hiring, training, performance management, incentives and organizational objectives must align to achieve your goals. Executing on that alignment often trips club owners up.
“Most people start with the task at hand, versus going mentally to the final desired outcome and working backwards,” says Bill McBride, president and CEO of Active Wellness and BMC3. When you begin with the end in mind, You are essentially beginning with your strategic goal and then you can create the steps and roadmap to get there.
McBride espouses and teaches the importance of having a systematic approach and process to hiring great talent. “It is a crucial skill set for leaders of winning teams. Your strategic focus on hiring and developing high performers that deliver desired outcomes is paramount to an organization’s success.”
McBride has a hiring process that will help club owners and operators increase their results and the value of their business. The use of a structured interview/hiring packet and set of consistent questions for each candidate are starting points.
Here are 12 questions that McBride suggests asking every job candidate before hiring them:
- What was your first/favorite/worst job?
- What did you love about it?
- What did you hate about it?
- Are you lucky/fortunate?
- If you were to have a professional business coach, what would you chose to be coached in?
- What are you most proud?
- What was your hardest work situation involving conflict with another person?
- Why should we hire you?
- What would your last supervisor say about your work performance?
- What concerns you about the job?
- What do you like about our company?
- What are you famous for?
“It’s not only about knowledge and skills, but even more important to learn about attitudes and habits.” KASH Model – Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills, Habits. People are hired for what they know (knowledge) and have done (skills), but then they leave or are terminated for who they are (attitudes/habits or values/performance).
Recharge and Return: Mastering Relaxation on Vacation
I just got back from a wonderful vacation to Hawaii. Sunsets, golf, hikes, beaches, family time, and mai tais. 🙂 It was awesome. But more importantly, it was a much-needed reminder of the power of taking a break. In today’s always-on work world, true vacations, where we disconnect and recharge, are becoming a rarity. When we prioritize work-life balance and return refreshed, we’re better at what we do. So, how can you truly unwind on vacation and return ready to tackle anything? Here are five tips with a little extra Aloha spirit to help you disconnect and recharge.
Plan to Unplug: Set firm boundaries with work. Let colleagues know well in advance that you’ll be out of touch. Consider setting an automated email response that politely informs senders you’re on vacation and will respond upon your return. This way, you can truly be present and avoid the temptation to check in constantly.
Embrace Flexibility: Ditch the overstuffed itinerary. Leave room for spontaneity and activities that genuinely interest you. Maybe you will discover a new hike, waterfall, or beach or get swept up in a local culture. Embrace the unexpected and let your vacation unfold organically.
Prioritize Sleep and Wellness: Catch up on rest! Vacations are a great time to ditch the alarm clock and sleep in. Eat healthy meals that nourish your body, and remember to exercise! Taking care of yourself physically sets you up for mental rejuvenation. Think of it as investing in your well-being, which will pay dividends upon your return.
Embrace Mindfulness: Practice meditation, yoga, or spend time in nature. These activities can help quiet your mind and reduce stress. Listen to the sound of the waves, feel the sand between your toes, and be present in the moment. Mindfulness practices can help you develop a sense of calm that carries over long after your vacation ends.
Small Doses of Work (if Needed): If you absolutely must check in, designate a specific time each day (ideally early in the morning) for a quick update. Keep it short and focused; 15-30 minutes is plenty. This way, you can address urgent matters without letting work dominate your vacation. However, remember, the goal is to minimize work intrusion, not eliminate it.
But wait! What if you could use this focused work time for something productive? With freedom from daily routines, vacations can be a great time to tackle those back-burner business projects. Is there a marketing strategy you’ve been meaning to brainstorm? A new product design that needs some creative spark? A book you have been meaning to write? Think work on your businesses rather than in them. This dedicated time, free from distractions, can lead to breakthroughs you wouldn’t have achieved in the usual grind.
By following these tips, you can return from vacation feeling refreshed and ready to hit the ground running. Remember, a well-rested and recharged you is a more productive and creative you! In our culture, it’s sometimes a badge of honor to be constantly “on” and grind away without breaks. But the bottom line is this: taking time off is not a sign of weakness, it’s a sign of strength. When you prioritize self-care and return from vacation feeling energized and focused, you’ll be amazed at how much more you can accomplish. So go ahead, book that trip, unplug, and recharge. Your future self (and your work) will thank you for it!
John Mickelson's Soap Box 