Being a client of the wellness clubs, I became very interested

Ever since she was a child, she found the instinct of leadership unfolding in everything she did. Her biggest dream was to leave her small home town in South Dakota, only to travel and settle down where things were actually happening and where she could make a difference.

She followed the courses of Management school, with a specialization in Organizational Studies at the University of California and during that time she finally ascertained her passion for fitness.

“Being a regular client, I thought it would be nice to learn to become an aerobic trainer. Then, one thing led to another so I decided to come to Eastern Europe”, Michelle Dietrich recalls.

Equipped with a repertoire of skills in management and sports, she accepted the offer to work in Poland for World Class Warsaw, ever since the opening of the first club in this country.

“In 1995 I went to work in Poland at World Class as they intended to open their first centre in Warsaw. I had a lot of experience in sales so I started selling and also teaching aerobics”.

In 2001, she confronted with a new challenge, when World Class had decided to open a center in Romania. She pursued her instinct and grabbed the offer. For eight years now, Michelle Dietrich is the leader of World Class at Grant.

“This is because of the belief we have that people should be open-minded and no matter what professional education they have, they should first follow their dreams”, Michelle Dietrich added.

We have targets, we work hard but we still enjoy our work

When she came from the States to Poland and later to Romania, she has come across with a new and different management philosophy.

What flashed her immediately in the Eastern Europe business climate was the constant conflict between managers and employees, in contrast with the percept she had learnt in her own upbringing – collaboration and teamwork.

“From what I have seen, in Eastern Europe people don`t have a good time at their workplace and sometimes there is no such thing as respect between the managers and the employees, there is a sort of conflict”, she said.

After graduating her MBA, she tried to stretch higher, and change this aspect by finding a way to apply the management theory in practice. She found this opportunity at World Class, and managed successfully to inspire passion to the employees and make them feel a part of the business.

“I believe in this company people really have a good time, we feel good together, we have targets, we work hard but we still enjoy our work”.

"The difference between Romania and Poland was obvious"

"The difference between Romania and Poland was obvious"So, there she was, dropping the anchor in the first day of December, in 2000. As she was coming down the plane, everything seemed gloomy and sad. “What have I done?”, a voice inside her was whispering. Her moods changed when she arrived at the next destination: JW Marriot Hotel, where the first World Class center was underway. As she recalls, that was the moment she felt like she had the best job in the world, and that she was surrounded by nice, funny, healthy people.

“The second impression I remember is not in comparison with the United States but with Poland. They are a northern European country and the people there are more serious which is difficult when it comes to client service where people have to smile and have a good mood all the time”.

Even if the city appeared gloomy at first, the people were amazingly nice and she felt their warmth and optimism despite the hard times. They always have that much-needed enthusiasm to overcome their day-to-day worries.

“In Poland I felt a lot more pessimism so I like the fact that Romanians don`t lose their faith without forgetting the realistic point of view”, Michelle Dietrich.

Her free time is mainly dedicated to travelling. She finds the Carpathians as one of the most beautiful and astonishing natural treasures. The perfect day for her is waking up at five in the morning on Saturdays and hiking.

“I love the way you keep your traditions and every region has it`s specific. That is why I love to explore and get to know most of the places so I often choose o resort with a spa where you can exercise but at the same time enjoy relaxation for a few days absolutely away from the urban lifestyle”.

She also likes to explore the forests and mountains of Panama as she already did four times by now. It is a place she compares with Romania and despite being a developing country, opportunities arise.

We try to see the opportunities in crisis

In spite of the global downturn, World Class didn’t feel the impact on its balances sheets, while the first three months of the year had seen even an increase in membership by 10%, now standing at 2,300 members only at World Class at The Grand.

Despite the growing incomes, Michelle Dietrich reviews the outcomes of the first quarter, bearing in mind the seasonality issue. The winter season is usually profitable for fitness and wellness clubs. In summer, however, people usually go on holidays, hence fewer clients. No worry, though, September is set to come, and managers get ready for a new boom.
Globally, the trend in wellness centers is fitness combined with spa. People start thinking about balance, about distressing themselves and this is how you get the best results for clients.

Apparently, the crisis had little or no impact because they always remained ‘en garde’, and always had a backup plan in case things change as well as because of the benefits that clients receive here, opportunity to socialize, to meet friends and talk.

However, Michelle Dietrich says, this difficult period has made them improve and broaden the service pool for clients.

“We tried to see the opportunities arising in crisis, to offer our clients real experiences and to build a strategy by expanding the wellness services of our SPAs”, Michelle Dietrich added.

The vicepresident of World Class Romania says the majority of Romanian consumers have become stricter, with various preferences, looking for a place to receive information and to be educated on a new healthy lifestyle, and not a sport and wellness club only.

“Some of the ways that people often handle stress is alcohol, gambling and all sorts of decadent things. I would like to think that people are making the healthiest choice because the alcohol makes you feel good for a few minutes and then it makes you more depressed while exercise helps you maintain a balance”.

Clients and development strategy for 2009

Clients and development strategy for 2009When she thinks about clients visiting World Class, Michelle Dietrich divides them into different categories. The partners and loyal clients are the corporate one, such as Vodafone, Orange or Citibank.

In addition, entrepreneurs, businessmen, people with high incomes can be seen strolling down towards the pool, jacuzzi, wellness and fitness facilities.

A special category is made up of managers, executives, Romanians or expats, politicians, diplomats or ambassadors.

Michelle Dietrich plans to raise number of members of the club, as well as to keep the old ones, training staff and building the new brand spa.

World Class will have three new centers this year. The first one is expected to open doors within three months in Mall Vitan and one close to American School.

By the end of the year, the wellness club plans to open an exclusive boutique, a lot more luxurious, with two hundred members and invitation-based access.

"The most important thing is to be consistent"

"The most important thing is to be consistent"Apart from having a profitable business, Michelle Dietrich has set a fresh and different objective: educate people and make them understand the importance of an active life for their health.

“The most important thing is to be constant, try to keep routine in your life if you cannot afford a wellness membership. Just keep active, get out with your child or your dog, take the stairs, leave your car at home and walk to the subway and activate yourself”.

When she works with a client, she always advises him to exercise three or four times a week, 30 or 45 minutes every time, if he wants to actually make a difference.

“You don`t have to spend three hours a day at the gym but you have to be consistent, focus on what you are doing and combine the type of exercises”, Michelle Dietrich added. She teaches three classes a week, at 7:30 in the morning and has the same clients for three years, as she continues to be as passionately immersed in her work as she was at the very beginning.

“My life is about exercising, not because I am a fanatic, but because it makes me feel good. If I have a tough day and I need to feel confident I need my exercise. I exercise five days a week, teaching or just exercising for myself”.