Industry Leaders – Page 2 – John Mickelson's Soap Box

Industry Leaders, Operations, Water Reduction

July 2015

Feeling the pressure of water restrictions?

Reduce water evaporation up to 30% a month with a new product from Sea Klear now available through Ecolab.

In our last edition, we talked about how it was up to us to rise to the challenge of meeting water use reduction goals while maintaining member satisfaction in a cost effective manner. We are rising to that challenge.

Introducing the Revolutionary New Product: Solar Shield!

SolarShieldBottle This newly released product helps reduce pool water evaporation and heat loss to save you money and reduce water usage. Solar Shield forms an ultra-thin, invisible barrier on the surface of the water that is safe for swimmers and is a simple alternative to traditional pool covers.

The long-lasting product can provide protection up to 30 days between doses, saving you time. Solar Shield is also compatible with saline systems, allowing you to apply it wherever you need it most.

A reader with a 45,000 gallon pool could expect to use a gallon of Solar Shield over a 2-3 month period, translating into approximately $50 a month to reduce water loss (usage rates and cost per treatment will vary by pool size).

Contact your Ecolab representative at
1-800 EL CLEAN to order.

Did you know?

The EPA estimates a 15,000 gallon outdoor pool can lose over 45,000 gallons of water during the course of a year to evaporation?

Readers, we want to help you with water conservation and your day-to-day needs, but we need your feedback. Ask us a question and we will find an industry leader to offer a helpful answer.

Send in your questions here.

Featured Partnership of the Month: FitLife

FitLife fights for independent health club ownership and gathers experts to support their 77 Pacific Northwest clubs by hosting the Fitlife Summer Conference, where you come to learn, grow, share and have fun! Email Neal for registration information to attend the convention.

This summer marks the 35th annual summer conference. “..we have one of the best line-ups...‘Customer Service, Re-energized!‘ Bill McBride, Eddie Tock, Robert Brewster, Brent Darden and more are also presenting.”- Neal Simpson, Executive Director of the FitLife Club Network, who has dedicated over 30 years to FitLife and 40 years to the industry!

A Testimonial from Neal…

“Thank you Petra and John Mickelson for all you do to support Fitlife. Our member clubs enjoy your prompt attention to detail and great products and service. Looking forward to seeing you at our summer conference and trade show in Bend, Oregon this July. Your sponsorship of Bill McBride is always one [of] the highlights of our conference. John with Petra, I am truly glad I met ya!” – Neal

Petra is sponsoring the one and only Bill McBride for the third year in a row for a reason.

He’s an amazing speaker who knows what he’s talking about.

You can get a sneakpeak from Bill in the all new Fitness Business Podcast as he talks purchasing behavior, management criteria, business strategy, and more!

Industry Leaders, Operations

May 2015

Welcome to May Edition of the SoapBox!

Last month, we were able to enrich the lives of many people (and animals!) thanks to your Donation Nominations!

All our winners received the $500 donations made in their nominators’ names. The surprise and joy on the other end of the telephone was what made this experience truly special. But there are more Donation Nominations to be made! Make your submission today by using the form at the bottom of this post.

Our guest today is Dr. Stacey Naito, a truly remarkable woman who has dedicated the last 25 years of her life to health and fitness. Dr. Naito is offering valuable tips for the special needs of women so health club and fitness facility owners can provide this powerful demographic with the support they need to meet their health and wellness goals. Until next time…John & Katy

Meet Our Contributing Author Dr. Stacey Naito

Dr. Naito is the Medical Director for Urban Med, a company she has been with for the last 4 years. She has 11 years of experience in medicine and 25 years in fitness/health. You can email Stacey at in2neuro [at] yahoo.com

Favorite Quote…”Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love.” ~ David McCullough

Women’s Health & Fitness:

Relationship-based solutions for female clientele of any age

By Dr. Stacey Naito

Many women can often be intimidated by health club or gym environments for a multitude of reasons. Women who don’t have a clue how to use unfamiliar exercise machines may find the experience of navigating through a whole collection of them rather terrifying.

As if that isn’t enough, some women question their ability to perform exercises with the necessary degree of coordination, balance and strength. Other women may hold onto the common misconception that lifting weights will make them extremely muscular and masculine, so they will shy away from free weights and weight machines, opting instead for more aerobic style activities. What is remarkable is that once these women are educated on the importance of regular exercise and proper nutrition, they experience profound health benefits which impact every aspect of their lives.

Gym owners who are willing to make an effort to address the unique concerns of women have a wonderful opportunity to build trust in their female clients, while also potentially increasing revenue by offering classes, training packages, classes, supplements and apparel which are designed for women.

If one-on-one training is offered at your facility, make sure to develop a group of trainers which can motivate female clients and address their unique concerns without making them feel inadequate or overwhelmed. Women also tend to have more questions about how to eat healthy, and often practice chronic caloric restriction which their bodies eventually adapt to, making it more difficult to drop those last few pounds, so it also makes sense to offer nutritional advice or refer female clients out to a dietician or nutritionist who is affiliated with your facility. Once the clients begin to experience physical and mental transformations, they become great cheerleaders for the gyms in which they train.

LegCurlNaito — One of Dr. Naito’s favorite exercises, the Leg Curl.

On a personal note, I am a proponent of weight training and supportive nutrition, especially in older individuals. One of the cruel consequences of aging is that a progressive loss of muscle occurs, beginning as early as one’s 20’s. I explain to clients that resistance training and an increase in protein intake are both critical for combating the insidious deflation of muscle and sagging skin which are the dreaded signs of advancing age.

It is important to make clients aware of the fact that resistance training will increase muscle-fiber diameter and overall strength, as well as naturally boost growth hormone and testosterone levels in the body.

Such hormonal and metabolic boosts can be incredible blessings for a menopausal woman who has been riding the unpredictable and often uncomfortable wave of hormonal decline, which is fraught with hot flashes, mood swings and, insomnia.

Basically, it is never too late to begin strength training!

For more information on age-related muscle loss in older women, please read my feature article in the September 2014 issue of Muscle & Body Magazine.

Make Your 2nd Quarter Donation Nomination!

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Thank you for your response. ✨

Industry Leaders

April 2015

Welcome to April Edition of the SoapBox!

This month we have a lot of great fun to share with you. First, a real sweet treat: John Harrison, America’s Ice Cream Taster, has joined us to share some of the knowledge he’s learned from 30 years with Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Company.

Disclaimer: LOTS of ice cream was devoured during the making of this newsletter

We’re also announcing our $500 donation nomination recipient…or should I say all three recipients!! We had so many wonderful submissions, John just couldn’t pick one.

As for the donation he made in my name, the Poppy Walk was a great success raising over $30,000!! We hope you are enjoying the SoapBox as much as we are. Until next time…Katy

Meet Our Contributing Author John Harrison…

“I had one of those unique positions that led to being the ‘national spokesman’ for America’s leading ice cream company. Like most things, it did not land in my lap overnight…” John Harrison (email)

5 Best Practices For Expertise in Any Field

Ice cream is in John Harrison’s blood: His Great Grandfather owned two candy and ice cream parlors, his grandfather started the first dairy co-op in Tennessee, and his father owned a dairy ingredient company.

If that wasn’t enough, his uncle owned a Wille Wanka ice cream factory in Memphis were he grew up spending the summer months making ice cream.

John’s taste buds have been insured for $1,000,000. He has done 17,300 interviews on ice cream: 10,000 radio interviews, 7,000 TV interviews, and 300 magazine and newspaper interviews.

Today, John is offering his best practices for expertise in any field.

I. Passion

A passion for the product is a must. In this case, a dairy science or food science degree is also needed in this mature US industry. My background is in colloidal chemistry, tree exudates, and water polymers such as sodium carboxymethel cellulose. Food grade ingredients that bind water and give viscosity. I traveled North and South America as a formulater, troubleshooter, and problem solver working with all the major ice cream manufacturing companies.

II. Focus

Always move forward. A set of circumstances took me away from the ice cream industry for a short period of time. I remained in the food industry as a head hunter. I consulted with a small ice cream company in the late 70’s which later became the largest company of its type in America. We got to know one another so I called them to see if they were looking for any key management personnel. Yes, there were looking for a Vice President level manager to oversee the corporate manufacturing operation. I filled the position with the person who later became my boss. Now, how often does that happen?

III. Flexibility

It was not long after this that I received a phone call from the Vice President of Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream Company in Oakland, CA offering me a position as Taster and Flavor Developer.

Over the next five years I developed 75 flavors that went to the marketplace. The most popular was Cookies N’ Cream, which soon became the fasted growing new flavor in the history of ice cream and is now in the top five selling flavors in the world! Not long after this, due to personnel changes, I was asked if I would, due to my product knowledge, be the “Corporate National Product Spokesman” for the Company where I spent the next twenty-five years.

Global Best Selling Top 5 Flavors:
1. 30% Vanilla
2. 10% Chocolate
3. 7% Neopolitan
4. 6% Butter Pecan
5. 5% Cookies ‘n Cream

The top 5 selling flavors represent 58% of the total volume sold.

IV. Creativity

I believe no one person has a “lock” on creative ideas. I do believe that new ideas are available for those who are open, expecting, and have a desire to see what is right before us that needs to be enhanced, changed or made simpler.

No matter the industry, good business practices will take you to the top. Ideas flow with an attitude of gratitude. I added the “gold spoon” to taste, the bow-tie, and the lab coat that set me apart (along with the million dollar taste buds) in a global industry.

Watch Mr. Harrison in action in this short video clip!

V. Servant Leader

You are a business and you can go as far as you desire. Be a Servant Leader and see if you won’t go to the top when you encourage others along the way.
Our sincere thanks and appreciation to John H. for sharing his 5 tips for success. Again, if you wish to contact John you can email him here. Let’s all take an attitude of gratitude this week!

Thank you again for joining us. If you haven’t signed up for the SoapBox so you receive it in your inbox each month, sign up now!