Latest / Daxko Fitness Forward / Inside HFA: The Fight to Protect, Promote & Grow the Fitness Industry | Fitness Forward Ep. 08
Transcript
- FF EP 08 Greta x Jeff: Yeah. This is Fitness Forward, Conversations Shaping the Future of Fitness. All right, welcome to the next episode of Fitness Forward Podcast. today, I am privileged to have on with me someone I've known for a long time, had a lot of respect for, an industry colleague, Greta Wagner, who, Greta, it's sometimes it's hard to know exactly how to introduce yourself. So long time leader at Chelsea Pierce clubs, but then also a HFA or Back in the day, URSA board member and now the interim president and CEO of HFA. So welcome, Greta. It's good to have you on with with me today. thank you, Jeff. It's great to see you. And we have known each other for a really long time. it's been a pleasure. Yeah. So I'd love to start, Greta. just giving a little bit of your background. How did you get in the industry? What were the roles you played at Chelsea Piers over the the number of years that you were there? Yeah. Well, I'm I'm known for my thirty years that I spent with Chelsea Pierce, but I was actually in the industry for ten years before that. So I've done everything from frontline instructor to personal trainer, teaching exercise prescription at NYU at their Cole Center. I worked for a property developer Mass Mutual in MacLow, which is a large builder in New York. doing their residential and and corporate clubs before I found Chelsea Pierce. and then, you know, once I did find Chelsea Pierce, I spent thirty years doing a lot, not just in fitness, because obviously it's youth sports, we have a large event business. So I had my hands over those thirty years working directly with the owners. in a lot of things. primarily fitness, youth sports, competitive team sports, and golf. So I've I've done a lot, but always there was something else, another challenge. So I think that that's my longevity with Chelsea Piers is because it was such a diverse organization. Yeah, that's amazing. I did not know the pre Chelsea Piers story, so that's that's also news to me today. So that's great. so while you're at Chelsea Piers, You also were involved in Ursa back in the day, now called HFA. What were some of the roles you played you know, along the way with Ursa? Yeah. Well, you know, for as long as I've been in the industry, I've been associated with Ursa back then. and I was on the board for about five years during those COVID years. So I Wow I got on the board. Yeah, you're welcome. Thanks to all of us. It really was a a mixed blessing for so many reasons for all of us, but coming together was huge, as many people have said in the past. But I joined the board in two thousand nineteen and left the board in twenty twenty four. I you know, it was really a privilege to be part of that group and we did a lot of work and it was definitely instead of, you know, meeting three times a year as board members, we were meeting weekly, sometimes three times a week. during those COVID years. But we did a lot rebranding of the I was part of the rebranding. I was part of bringing in the, you know, successor to the then current president and CEO. so I kind of feel like we've come a little full circle with you know now that I'm stepping into this or have stepped into as of April of this year as the interim president and CEO. So it's nice to have looked at it from so many different lenses as an operator and somebody who really utilized the services of our trade in association. And then as a board member who helped contribute to our growth and evolution, and now in sort of the hot seat, so to speak. Yeah. to to really be empowered to reach out, make as many relationships, talk to as many people as I can. To really get to that next level of the association and all the things that over those years that I said, we should be doing, I wanna be doing. Now I have an opportunity to try and push that forward. so I think, you know, the level of expectation on my end is I want to start, you know, having more even more impact. And so this gives me an opportunity with the team members that we have in place, because it's an awesome team and having that history as an operator, knowing you, we we we worked together for a long time. We were Daxto members. and and all of the other operators and owners that I have come across and have befriended and really gotten into the weeds with over the years, both owners, operators, industry partners. So I feel like I have a really well rounded network that I can draw from and have a deep understanding of the pains that we've all gone through. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I I think that's i absolutely true. And I am personally grateful. I know a lot of people are that you're sitting in the seat right now. And I think it's just your depth of understanding of what's happening, you know, what I say on the front lines, you know, in facilities every day, what's important to operators, and what kind of support, you know, that is valuable. to a a daily operator from a trade association like HFA. So I'd love for you to talk a little bit about now that you're sitting in the seat where you are being able to make the decisions and heavily influence the direction of HFA. talk a little bit about HFA. Th the there are I'm sure a lot of people that are listening to this that are maybe aware of HFA or maybe not, you know, and they're wondering what does HFA do? What's the value it brings? Why would I potentially join? Why would I go to a trade show? Yeah, I'd love for you to give kind of a summary of of what is the value and and where do you see it going? Sure. I mean, I'll start with our purpose, you know, it's to protect and promote and grow our industry. Any good trade association is, you know, the collective voice and the representative of its membership base. So, and that's sort of what I'm trying to do is find that. nice balance, advocacy and lobbying and all of those things that are very important as a trade association. and we've made a lot of progress in that regard over the years. along with what's really meaningful to our operators and anyone who touches our industry, and that's through resources available to our membership base research that is, you know, educating our both our operators, the people who want to invest in our industry, the suppliers who, you know, have a wealth of information. You know, so it's what we provide is the opportunity to have accessibility to things that will help you make better decisions. And when I was an operator, it was really important to me and it and it changed. One year it was, you know what? We have some legislation coming downstream and it's gonna affect us negatively. And how do I get more engaged with that and and f figure out how to fight it, but still be a good operator, not fighting something that's going to hurt our customer base, but fighting something that's gonna prevent us from really providing the best service for our members. And and then other times it would be, you know what, I'm in design mode and we're building a new club and I wanna know we're gonna add a new element or service. Who are the best suppliers that can can, you know, and and how do I find those? or you know, the simple things like early on in my career, it was like, Okay, if you're gonna build a club, what how much space do you need? Where do you allocate that, you know, those resources and spaces? And and and URSA back then now, HFA, Health and Fitness Association, we have those answers. And I think that, you know, we are constantly engaged in. I was talking to the team today. All right, what are the resources, the library that we need? Anyone can pick up AI and go to Chat GPT and say, Okay, how do I build this? or what's what are the suppliers here? But we have the historical knowledge and the deep relationships and the feedback from thousands and thousands of our members, that we can then with confidence go in and say, okay, here it is. It's on our platform. And these are all the people who are who can help you in in this decision or in this, you know, area of your business. And that's that's what's important to me and Always was and still is now that I'm delivering it. I'm I'm the person that has to say, are we really delivering what we promise? And and so that's why I've spent a lot of time over the past five months really just talking to people like you, Jeff, that have been in the industry a long, long time who have thousands of their own customers, tens and hundreds of thousands of their own customers, and you know. getting that information and that knowledge and what's important to you. and, you know, and so that's that I feel is my duty as when planning the direction of how we can serve better is first we have to listen. and I can have my own operator hat on to influence it. But that's not that's one perspective. I need yeah the collective many, you know? Yeah. Yeah, I love that. It i it it's interesting and we've talked about this a little bit lately, is just the the being a resource to operators, in HFA. And I I literally remember back to the Ursa Institute. I think I went there twenty-seven years ago in Boston, you know, and went to, you know, kind of graduated from the four-day course. I was just bought my first club. It was like nineteen ninety-six, I think, right? And and along the way, you know, HFA and back in the day, Ursa, you know, has been a great resource. And I and I think it continues to be a trusted resource. And I And I and I know under your leadership, that's something that's important to you, whether it be the show, and all the learning sessions there, but also just every day being able to reach out somewhere and say, Hey, I'm trying to figure this out, whether it's about dues increases or programming or what is yeah, what is kind of the the the right guidance I can get. So is that something that yeah, go ahead. No, no, I was gonna say and I think that the environment has changed over the over the years so much, especially I mean it's accelerated the past few years, right? Where our members, members are so sophisticated now. Yeah. And there's so much available to them that, you know, having that one resource where whether it's making a connection to a person, delivering a r research white paper, or or just, you know. giving giving advice. we're my team's on the phone constantly with our members, to just sort of say, what else do you need from us? and you know, so I think that although there's a lot of noise out there and there's a lot of a wealth of information, it's nice to have a credible for we've been in business 46 years, you know, and and I'm excited in March we're gonna be celebrating a lot of the people at our Hall of Fame that help build our industry. And and and there's so many that have made that journey that I we need to connect more. We need to get more people in the mix joining HFA and and both contributing to to the mission, but also reaping the benefits by making sure that we're delivering what we need to deliver. Yeah, absolutely. All right, so I wanna move on and and focus the rest of our conversation on advocacy, right? And I think first of all, I wanna make sure, you know, people in this audience understand, you know, what HFA is doing in terms of advocacy. I think historically it was maybe a more understanding there's a trade show and there's education and there's resources. I think we all learned, myself included, how important advocacy is during COVID, you know, when we were, you know, put in the same category as bars and restaurants and it it was I think very eye opening, right? And so I would love to hear from you, you know, the role HFA plays in advocacy. you if you wanna kinda then weave that into some of the things around the FIT Act or or whatnot, but I'd love for you just to share a little bit more about what is happening and what's the role that HFA plays there. Yeah, so I think that, you know, HFA that's one of our core mission, right? initiatives is to make sure that we are on top of what's happening both in within all the states, but also globally, because we can learn from each other globally, even though we don't advocate or get involved you know in the weeds outside of the United States. But you know, we're really focusing right now on our state level advocacy. And and because I think that there's, you know, some people have this misconception that, you know, why do we need to spend the resources and does it really have any impact because we don't see the big bills being passed. But it's not really about any one bill or or initiative. It's really about relationship building, right? That's what advocacy is. It's like knowing what's happening so we can have a seat at the table and we build these relationships so the legislators and the representatives view us as somebody worthy of being at that table to help guide and inform them of what their decisions that they make or what the things that they're planning, how it will affect our membership base. and so that's really kind of what what we do. and you know in practice lobbying and and you know we're doing that every day on the federal level, on the state level, you know, HFA's government affairs team and our policy experts and consultants. So it's not just the four, I have four dedicated people who are focused day in and day out of keeping in touch with what's happening on every state level. and we have policy experts, we have consultants and and even our members, right, are taking part in that. by by engaging and knowing their representatives. And you know, we're gonna be going into Chicago soon and and having an event there that one of our members, Mel from East Bank Pub, is gonna be there. good, very good. Yeah, so so we want those state partners, the allied organizations, the researchers and local business leaders that can speak directly to those elected officials, you know, and different people play different roles. HFA monitors the issues, we develop the strategy, we coordinate the industry's position, and we maintain those relationships, you know. So, but the members are providing that. expertise, the local credibility, the data about their, their constituents and their, you know, and the real stories about their employees. And that's that's really what these people care about, right? They're in their states and they want to know, hey, you have 30,000 members. That's important to them. You know, and that's sort of how you build those relationships and and bring those stories to light. So being in the room doesn't mean simply We hire a lobbyist or we appeal, and and d when a crisis happens. Right. It's having that credible seat. Yeah, yeah. It's having that credible seat that you own you you really own it and earn it over time with those trusted relationships. So Yeah. So Greta, w if you were to summarize HFA and the value it should bring to its members, yeah, just just walk me through that. Yeah, so you know The value that HFA brings is we we are a trade association. And, you know, yes, protect, promote, and grow is the core to our mission. and it's the framework we use to decide where HFA can make the greatest difference for our operators and consumers and the future of the industry. But at the heart of it, our goal and our mission is to help our members build their businesses. To do it in the right way, to have best practices, to ha set the standards, to make sure that, you know, we all lift our industry up, that we're recognized by the government agencies, we're recognized by the healthcare system, we're recognized by our members and anybody who touches the health and fitness industry, that we are viewed as, you know, the the higher ground. Right. If you're associated with HFA, then you're doing business in the right way. And our goal and our, you know, promise to our members is we're going to give you those resources, be that sounding board, have the opportunity to educate the new people who are coming into the industry. You know, we have a lot of private equity coming into our industry now and consolidations and all of those things. And every you know, decade or every year. We evolve and we need to be something different for our membership base. But it's always comes down to our membership, right? Yeah. Our members are what's important. And our members know that and understand it because that's their business too. Their businesses are all about their members. Yeah, yeah. And and so whatever vehicle we're using, whatever focus we have, whether it's advocacy, whether it's education, whether it's the trade show and connecting people, it's always about What does the member need? And then what do we need? And and I I don't want to make this sound like a plea, but the reality is we are the only nonprofit trade association. And nonprofit is key, right? We need the resources, we need the support. That comes from our membership dues. That comes from people donating, you know, to the foundation so we can do more research. and it comes from coming to the show and We've got a lot of really exciting things that are going to be happening. thanks to you and a lot of your industry partner colleagues that I've spent a lot of time with saying, what haven't we done in the past that we should be doing in the future? How should we evolve to make sure those three, four days that people are spending with us and are are really wisely used. And that it's they leave with something tangible they can take back to their businesses to have impact and to their members that will you know enhance their experience and be valuable and worth the money they spent to come to come visit us. This year it's in Vegas, March 10th through the the 12th. And and we've got a lot of exciting things happening. But we need those resources, we need people to step up and say, hey, the trade association is important. Because even though that bill didn't get passed, all the relationships and all the work they're doing, and if they, you know, just pick up the phone and call us. And, you know, we can talk through what's important to you and how what resources we have that can be helpful. So so I view it really as a partnership and as a, you know, everybody kind of supporting each other in the industry. which this is the best industry in the world to be a part of. That's most of us have that's why we started, whether it's well, ten years ago, ten days ago, or forty years ago. it's because we want to have an impact on people's lives. We love to serve, we want people to be healthy, and now that is so much bigger and broader and the opportunities are so endless. We're just trying to distill it, make it a little less noise. And be a resource for for the people who are listening to this right now. Yeah. So okay, so I I'm listening to this and I've I've not yet decided to become a member of HFA, pay my dues. give me give me a few of the things that it's a few reasons why I should do that, you know, and and what is the value, you know, a couple of things that you think create value for someone who joins and supports financially HFA. Yeah. I think that one, we can support your team members, you know, so everybody has a way to educate their team on what they specifically do within their organization, but we can help educate them and give them resources that give them a broader view of whether it's customer service, whether it's member engagement, whether it's sales. You know, we have those resources and we have the experts available to us and that That is growing every day. So we're spending a lot of time focusing on that. what I said before in our previous conversation about the industry suppliers, vendors. most people call them vendors, we call them industry suppliers and partners. And you know, so many years under their belts and so many members and facilities that they touch that they they bring a huge amount of expertise. to to to any question, any concern, any and we have that ability to connect you. the advocacy is hugely important. You might not realize it, you might not understand it. I didn't as an operator and I've become much more educated on it. It's not don't wait till you need them. You gotta build the relationships now. And we have those resources and we have those experts that you can call us with a problem and say, hey, I wanna understand this better, or I need to figure out a way to get in touch with my representative or, the governor or the, whoever it is. And we have a team, dedicated team, who can help you with that. And we'll come visit you with that. You know, so we're make we're doing a little road trip over the next year where, you know, we're gonna be in Dallas next month and we're meeting with our members and we're meeting with some government officials. And, you know, so it's really about we can help connect you and assist you to make better business decisions and to just be a resource. So I encourage everybody to, you know, call us on it, make sure that we're delivering what you need. But, you know, there's a lot of resources available and I hope that you, you know, either renew, join, or just even call us and ask us a question. because the more you know me and the team, the more you'll realize that you want to be part of this, you know, association and have the wealth of information. I grew up in the industry and the best, you know, friends and colleagues and resources that I still call upon are people who I've met through HFA over the 40 years. So it's invaluable. Yeah, for sure. I I think I think that is a a big part of being a a part of HFA, even at the show, right? It's obviously there's great there's great sessions and learning, obviously there's the exhibit hall, but there's the networking in the people you get to know. And to your point, I mean I'm I'm the same. It's like, I've had this issue. Like who can I call that will understand this? Like, I've met this person or that person, and just to pick up the phone and and get a little bit of help is been amazing. So I I totally agree with you. So on advocacy, I I'd love for you to give maybe just some real life examples, you know. So I know there's the big advocacy, you know, like the Fit Act and hopefully someday that will pass and you know, but we're keep we're keeping that one under the radar. It's not it's not dead, but you know, but we're focusing, like I said, on you know, the state level right now. and and I'll use two I'll use an example. It's the same example but in two different states. and this will kind of show both the frustration and the process, the length of the process that it takes. So, you know, this is probably I don't know, maybe thirty years old. both can New York and California have price cap regulation, you know, legislation rule. and so it limits people and operators they can only go so high with their annual dues. Now this was put in place thirty years ago. Yeah. And so a price cap from thirty years ago is not what we need now. so you know, so people have hit that threshold and some people have probably surpassed that threshold. So we've been working with getting that pass through you know, in both states And it actually did pass in both states and it's sitting on both governors tables, their desks, and has been for quite some time. And you know, they have up until I think December to to sign this, but they could also not sign it, which is what happened in California. So we we thought, okay, we've gotta win, and now it's been vetoed and it's N right now, not happening. In New York, the governor hasn't done anything yet. She hasn't l I guess looked through her pile. and but but you know, so that's where our members need to understand. It is sometimes it can be a long haul. Yeah. Sometimes we get the win and sometimes it doesn't come all the way through. Sometimes we get the win and it's great. There's much more that we've accomplished than what has not gone through. And we do an annual report and and you know through our HFB publication, health and fitness business, through some of our white papers, there's a there's a lot of information on our website that will keep you informed in every state, what's happening, you know, what my team, Mike Gazinski, who is my chief of staff and also heads up our government affairs team, they are so all over it. and and just up to date. So if you have a question or need something, that's who you would reach out to. And you know, but it it there's there's a level of patience, persistence, just with anything, right? And and as being a business owner, it takes time. and and you know, government is is challenging. we have to think of the long game, not the short game. And and again, we need the resources to be able to do it. Yeah. So if someone were to gonna wanna connect with HFA, they just go to your website, how would they how would they engage or join or reach out to you all? Yeah. you can go to our website, which is health and fitness dot org. You can email me, Greta G R E T A at health and fitness dot org. we have our, you know, membership is available. So, you know, where We've been around for forty six years and we've got thirty full time staff members that are at your disposal. So I would, you know, reach out through the website, reach out to me and I'll connect you with the person who you need to be in touch with, or maybe it might be me. I'm like I said, I'm trying to talk to as many people as I possibly can because the more I know about what people need and want and what they're disappointed in and what they love and want us to keep doing, the better. that we can serve you. So that's that's what I would say to that. That's great. All right, you mentioned the show. so in Vegas this year. give a little more information about that. What are the dates? and if someone has never been to the show, what how would you describe it and you know I would say you know encourage them to come. Like what would they get out of going to the HFA show in Vegas this year? Yeah, so it is March 10th through the twelfth in at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas. And it's, you know, I think you're gonna be for people who've never been before, it is you'll see thousands of people that and all of the key suppliers we're gonna have high rocks for the first time. We're gonna be working with they're doing their national competition at the same time where we've got an overlap. so I was really happy to see us partner with them. So that will bring more of the frontline team members, the influencers, make the show engaging and fun, because we'll be doing some simulated competition on our showroom floor and also have an HFA team. So if you're a HyRox enthusiast and you would love to represent HFA, you know, register your team for the show and you'll be entered to win a spot on the team. And you know, we'll also it's where people launch new products. It's where you can try out every new product. And it's manageable. I also spent 10 years in the golf industry. And you know, so there are some shows that can be overwhelming. Our show, I think, is the perfect mix. You it's intimate enough where you can build relationships, you can get to know people. There's there's so many opportunities. from our welcome reception, which is going to be, really curated this year, to our Hall of Fame reception and celebration for the icons of our industry, you know, that that you know, so it's it's bringing the C suite people with the frontline team members, the people who deliver our product, the trainers, the instructors, will have a third day of education specifically for that audience. And it's just a lot of energy and enthusiasm and results. Education is key. We're gonna be changing that up a little bit to be more roll up your sleeves, round table type of experiences. you know, mixed in with some panels, but mostly like let's compare notes, let's walk away with things that we can implement in our business day to day. Yeah, a little less theoretical and more practical. Yeah, yeah. So I'm Really excited about it. Yeah, I love that. All right. So as we come to a close here, we've talked about advocacy. what is something if you're you're speaking to a club owner, club operator, what should they do to start to influence their local, you know, their their local political area, their state level, what is something that can be done practically? 'Cause you talked about And I think this is so true. It's not just one big thing. It's not just one big bill. It's a lot of influence over a lot of time by a lot of people. But what can each of us do every day to help? Yeah. I mean, one is I'd stay connected to your local representatives, you know, on in very locally, get engaged with your community. on a state level, get engaged with your state representatives, invite them to your club. Get them really get to know them. If financially you can support them, that's even better, but you'd be surprised. They they want to come visit you. When when you can tell them, hey, I have five thousand members, I have ten thousand members, I have fifty thousand members. That those are voters. And and you know, and they wanna understand you and that gives them a platform to talk about what's important to them. invite them to your events. Invite them. They won't always come, but there's that it's the the consistency of the engagement. It's not a one and done. You can't just throw a little event or make one donation and that's it. So I think really build those relationships you know, however can. I do think, and I don't want to sound like a sales pitch, but I do think it's important to be part of the association. And have some weight behind the, you and also gives you that assistance and and can help direct you on on how to have an impact if something's really important to you within your community, we can help with that. So it would be join HFA. and then come to, you know, we had a couple of brand new members come to one of our fly-ins recently. Yeah. The fly-ins are amazing, by the way. Thank you. Yeah. And it's, and and and again, we have a lot of support who who people who understand the importance of getting to know on the federal side too, what it's all about. And and you know, but we had some brand new members who joined us and it was enlightening. They're like, God, I have no clue. And this was so exciting, and I didn't realize there was such a community. where I can be having these conversations with people who are facing the same issues as me, regardless of whether they're an HVLP or a premium club or supplier, vendor, or you know, but we're all together and we all have that same, you know, cause. And and you know, so so come to those things if you can. We're gonna be reaching out and doing more on the state level. So yes, we c we congregate in DC once a year. But I have Mike and team going out to California. We did a fly in this past year in California. We're gonna do a fly in in other states. We're we're gonna be coming to you. We want you to come to us, but we're gonna be coming to you as well. So get involved. So what what would be so I reach out to my legislators, what is the message that I'm trying to deliver? Like what helps, you know, in some of this advocacy? Yeah. I think that, you know. Listen, the health is first and foremost, right? We've got an epidemic in this country and we've got, big financial issues of how we deal with it because we've been dealing with it with health care instead of preventative care. Yes. instead of moving more, exercising, using your gym membership as a tool to stay healthy, to have longevity. and I think it's really the message should be I'm part of the solution. My club is part of the solution. for getting kids active, for getting families active, for having an impact on our healthcare system locally and federally. So that that should be the the biggest message, you know, that that we're here, we have the infrastructure to do it. You don't have to build something to to make it happen, to have people move more, be healthier. and you know, so it's really just educating in that letter to your representative to say, this is what I have, this is what we can do, this is the impact. Share the research that HFA provides on the GLP ones, on the inactivity crisis, on the mental health crisis that we're all you know facing in in, you know, and that spans from youth sports to to to you know seniors of people are lonely and having a place to go to Being more physically active and on, that could be lifting weights if you're on a GLP one. That could be taking a walk if you're, you know, if you just need to start moving. So it's different for all different people, but we have the places, we have the clubs that people can do it and do it together, which will also sort of, you know, address that mental crisis issue that we're having. So d do you feel that all right, so we're we're all of us are participating, right? And and I love that HFA has the guidance, the documentation, all the data to support, I think what all those of us who've are in at a club every day believe, right? And so I love that. in the end, what's the ultimate let's say this all builds up over time, you know, like in the end, what does that hopefully look like for the benefit of operators? Is it the Fit Act where you can use your FSA, HSA dollars for a membership or for kids programming or things like that. what could that look like if we just continue to educate and advoc advocate like that? Yeah, I think that listen, I think it starts with making sure we can demonstrate our value, right? We need the stronger data and the research that quantifies our industry's economical impact, right? The consumer reach, the health impact, the role of our communities, you know, that's the evidence that makes us more effective. Yeah. With our policymakers, our healthcare leaders, employees, media, everybody. you know, it also means that we have to continually kind of raise the professionalism of of our industry and you know and have responsible business practices and consensus based business practices right so and and those those standards that I think that maybe as an association we've kind of let go of a little bit and we need to bring that back in my opinion. But practical resources that will help our operators manage risk and strengthen our consumers' trust. And I think that that's a big part of it. So, you know, when we kind of collectively strengthen that voice, then we're going to be able we'll we are a mature industry, right? And even though sometimes you hear, you've all you know, the fitness industry is only 40 some years old and there's other institutions and associations that are much older and have been in business that much longer. But, you know, the we really you know, we need to engage and influence those policies and that affect our businesses. And, you know, and as we do that more, then We'll have bigger conversations, broader conversations about health, wellness, prevention, physical activity, and and the economic growth of everything that we do. Grad, thanks for joining today. first of all, I'm super excited the role you're playing and you know, expect and hope that at some point the interim title comes off. and appreciate the work you and the entire team at HFA is doing as, you know, I think it's sitting two seats. I'm a club owner on one hand and appreciate the work that's being done and obviously here at Daxco, we service nineteen thousand operators across all segments of health and wellness, you know, from clubs to boutiques to nonprofits and whys and Js and you know, everything. And I think ultimately, you know, I think what COVID taught all of us is we are all in this together. We all, and I you said this earlier, you know, we were drawn to this vocation because we want to have an impact on people's lives. And When we're partnering well with our trade associations and the clubs, we can do really powerful things and and and feel confident we're kind at the front end of that. So thank you for your leadership. thanks for jumping on with me today and looking forward to HFA in Vegas in March. thank you so much, Jeff. I really appreciate you having me. Yeah, thank you.