Staff Newsletter | Tuesday, September 7, 2021
“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” – Hebrews 11:1
Things I Think About … Our Y
I appropriated the above title from a sport’s blogger in New York. Today, there are over 500 million blogs published on a monthly basis, with a viewership of 409 million people (OptinMonster). Companies with blogs produce 67% more leads monthly than companies that don’t. Blogging is the third most common content marketing strategy, after video and eBooks. Marketers who prioritize blogging received 13 times more ROI than companies that did not. 70% of people would rather learn about a company through articles than through advertisements.
I had no idea how vital blogging is to the success of a business's marketing efforts. Written communication is still a highly effective method to engage the customer, and recently, Michelle and her team hired Maura White to be our association marketing and communications director. Initially, Maura will focus her skills to assist our efforts to acquire members and support operations. Maura brings great capacity and excitement to raise the awareness of our Y in the community. We are extremely excited to have her on our team. Her first day is September 13 and you will get an opportunity to say hi, as Michelle is planning to take her around to visit each of our centers. Welcome, Maura! We are thrilled you are choosing us.
What I Think About … the Virus
540 days. It has been that long since we were forced to close our doors, back on March 16, 2020. It has been a grueling test of our resolve, but our team has exhibited an unprecedented collective commitment to persevere and carry our Y forward. We have had to make deep sacrifices in order to sustain our operations and it continues to be a heavy weight to bear, but I remain convinced that we will prevail and evolve into a new organization that will effectively embrace the new world that lies ahead. The tremendous resiliency we have demonstrated through these past 18 months has shone a bright light on our grittiness and our ability to confront any challenge that comes our way. “Organizational resilience is the capacity to act robustly in the face of environmental turbulence and to adapt to the ongoing environmental changes” (Lengnick-Hall et al.). Time and time again, we have faced different challenges, but each time we have successfully adapted.
When we first encountered the virus and closed our centers, I spent far too much time wondering when we would reopen. Today, our approach is to focus on what is in front of us. Our centers are open and we will continue to serve our members, and we will look to develop new tools to deliver our services. Within the next few days, Michael Marquez, Annie Doyle, Kenny Aye, Bruce Caudill, and the rest of the virtual program team will be unveiling the new studio in our Tacoma Center facility. This is a very exciting development for our Y. For the entire 18 months, we have been working toward this day, honing our ability to deliver virtual services. The opening of the studio enables us to produce the highest-quality virtual programming product, and engage our members in a new way.
In addition to perfecting the virtual platform, we discovered that our members were open to participating in activities outdoors, even in difficult conditions. Over the past few weeks, the operations team has been exploring possible options for the upcoming fall and winter months. Four years ago, we conducted a market study to test the impact of adding outdoor fields to our Tom Taylor and Gordon Family Ys; the results were positive for generating interest from current and prospective members. From what we are hearing from the fitness industry, people are expressing greater comfort with exercising in the outdoor elements, and businesses are adapting to creating those opportunities in order to secure customers.
What I Think About … You
“In constantly changing times, taking the ground most traveled and embracing the status quo is no longer a viable option. Truly resilient organizations must embrace robust transformation” (Lengnick-Hall et al.). Our team has consistently maintained a posture of being curious, exploring new ways to engage our members and to deliver our services to a community in need. Whether it was transforming Camp Seymour’s dining hall into a distance learning center, or transforming a camp bus into “Y on the Fly,” our team has shown a keen ability to innovate, propelling our Y forward and energizing us with renewed vigor. When I think about the uncertainty that lies ahead, I am not nervous; I am excited and encouraged. We continue to embrace change and uncertainty with a quest for new paths forward. “Resilience is exhibited in a person who sees failure as temporary setbacks they can recover from quickly. They maintain a positive attitude and a strong sense of opportunity during periods of turbulence. When faced with ambiguity, they find ways to move forward and avoid getting stuck” (Zenger Folkman). Over and over, we have shown up, faced the challenge, and found a way to push forward. I remain in awe of who you are and your unrelenting spirit to meet the most difficult circumstances in order to serve others. You are truly extraordinary.
#StayStrong #StayWithUs