What a crazy week it was last week at the gym! To say this experience was easy to juggle with work and moving back to Pittsburgh would be lying, but it was incredibly fun and eye-opening. We originally planned to open the newly-remodeled second floor of the gym on August 7th, but were waiting on a late shipment of equipment to be delivered. As of right now, it is still all in the process of being assembled, but we expect to debut the renovated space within the next week. Whether I am in intern there or not, I am still an active member at the gym and look forward to seeing how the rest of the project progresses as I go into my last semester at Point Park! For now, we have been posting on our Instagram ads for our open houses to encourage members to bring friends and family to the gym to see what it will look like once it is completed, so they have the opportunity to sign up at a discounted rate before the monthly fee rises (after the renovations are complete). Seeing the facility transform from the Gold’s Gym into Townplace Fitness over the last 3 years has been such an interesting experience. I had no idea how much really went in to essentially re-branding a gym. One of the larger projects that Tyler and I have been working on recently is how to attract a wider variety of members. Gold’s had been known as a “bodybuilding gym”, and the new owners of Townplace really wanted this new gym to be inclusive. To do this, we really focused on posting more pictures of normal people (not crazy muscular bodybuilders) enjoying their workouts. Even after the renovations are complete, I will probably still be there giving Tyler advice on social media posting! With working nights as a server, most of my hours at Townplace were in the early mornings and into mid-day, and days that I was off, I was there for extended periods of time. To really get an idea of the demographic of the gym (currently) I needed to be there during morning, noon, and evenings, since different members seemed to come at specific times. This determined when we would go out to distribute flyers and what areas of the city to target.
Final Weeks at Townplace
Published by maryfurka
I am currently an SAEM major in my Senior year at Point Park University in Pittsburgh Pennsylvania! I grew up right outside of Pittsburgh in a small town called Hopewell with my mother and father, little sister, and (as of 2015 - when she was rescued) my little Calico cat, Roxy. In 2016 I graduated from the Community College of Beaver County with my Associates in Communications. At the time, I truly had no idea what field I wanted to continue my education in. A few months prior to applying to Point Park, I had begun working out and eating healthy after 20 years of being a professional couch potato. So I began tossing around the idea of studying Exercise Science. I wasn't sure how my newfound passion for this lifestyle would develop in coming years so I decided against it, opting to look for a field of study that was slightly more broad. I knew I wanted to continue learning more about this industry, however, so I wanted to make sure whatever major I chose would teach me more about it. Spring 2016, I came across Point Park's Sports, Arts, and Entertainment Management program and I knew immediately I would love it. I have always wanted to learn how to be an entrepreneur and own my own business one day, but also how to apply that business knowledge to the world of sports (health and wellness, in my case). I began my journey at PPU in the Fall of 2016. At 21, I packed my things and moved to Pittsburgh, signing my first lease and diving head-first into learning to pay bills and manage time without the help of my parents. Growing up in an Italian Catholic household, and being the oldest daughter, my parents were there to help me with everything I had ever done. My father is a mechanic and my mother was always a stay-at-home mom. That means I had my meals ready for me every day when I woke up or got home from school, my bills were paid, and my time was managed for me. When I moved out, I had to learn how to take the roll of both my mother and my father; paying my own bills and managing my own time. They were always there for support and help when I needed them, but developing my own identity and my own life after living in a small and sheltered town was a challenge. So my time at Point Park has been more drawn-out than I had anticipated. I began struggling with my health at 21, but put off the surgery I needed until December of 2017 (when it began affecting my schoolwork). I put my education on the back-burner for a few months while I recovered. A few months later, I was forced to move home after the lease I had signed fell through, and when I did not have a way of getting to Pittsburgh for my classes, I had to essentially give up my semester. For about a year, I struggled with believing that I would ever get my degree. Then I decided to once again go out on a limb and move back to the city, get a new job, and start from scratch. After training at Gold's Gym Pittsburgh for 3 years, I was approached by management about an internship opportunity. They knew I studied SAEM and had a passion for the health and fitness industry, and told me about their name change (to Townplace Fitness) and the complete re-branding of their facility. I was offered the chance to help them with social media, marketing, and event planning; while learning how the gym operates daily. I quickly jumped on the opportunity, knowing that this was truly my passion. After a tough year of not knowing if I would ever be able to support myself, finish school, and work full time again, I have finally managed to figure it out! I currently work as an online coach, helping guide other young women on their own journeys in health and fitness, I am a full-time waitress at Bar Louie on the North Shore (where I have been lucky enough to make so many good friends), and I spend all of my spare time at Townplace Fitness, now not only as a loyal member, but an intern. My experience at Point Park has truly been remarkable. The support I received from my my professors and my peers when I was at my lowest was what I needed to get back on my feet and continue to pursue my dreams. This blog will follow my experience at Townplace Fitness while I learn how to re-brand and build a new facility and help them market themselves to Pittsburgh residents, businesses, and students just like me! Welcome to my blog :) -Mary View all posts by maryfurka
Marketing and Social Media at Townplace Fitness 