CFA Bids Farewell to the Curves Owners Community

 
This is a sad day, as I write these words, for the final issue of the CFA newsletter. As per the notice posted here (Special Resolution of Dissolution), the vote has been cast and the decision has been made to dissolve the CFA effective Sept 30th 2011, the end of our current fiscal year.
 
I was not involved in 2006 for the early drive to get this association established, nor for the hectic roller coast ride of those early years of the association. We have however, invited three parties who have been there since the inception of the association to contribute to this newsletter offering insight and points of views to enlighten the membership. Their words provide a summary of the highlights of accomplishments, roadblocks encountered, lessons to learn about going forward and support of our franchisor during those early years. I hope that each of you will give those contributions the attention and the thorough read they deserve - a lot has happened and it has not always, if ever, been an easy line to tow.
 
I joined the CFA in Aug 2009 as an elected representative from Canada, serving as a board member in my first year and then accepting the elected role of President the following year. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think that a year later the association would be dissolving, and saying good bye to the Curves Owners Community. Once again it has been proven that it takes a lot of hard endless work to get to the top and an even greater amount to stay there.
 
This association has done much for the membership since its inception, all through the volunteer time and effort of elected board members. However, apparently all things come to an end and this was painfully evident during the recent nominations and elections of future board members. Each year 5 regional seats come up for election. This year, due to 3 resignations as well, we had 8 vacant seats of the existing 15. We had 2 owners who let their names stand for election/re-election. The remaining seats were vacant due to exiting board members having served the maximum terms allowed. Results of the recent electoral process make it apparent there are not enough owners, willing to, or having the time to contribute to the ongoing efforts of the CFA. At convention last year, we shared that none of us can do this alone. "We invited you to join us to be your voice and advocate, and continue to believe that success comes with hard work. Keep your passion alive and remember -- the CFA is here to help you".
 
As a CFA member you were invited to:
•    Be a part of the solution.
•    Have a voice in the leadership of the CFA.
•    Be eligible to join a committee.
•    Have a VOTE in the annual elections.
•    Participate in member surveys and forums.
•    Be able to serve on the executive board.
 
Membership numbers have decreased yearly since dues were implemented. Without dues paying members many things come to a standstill - legal matters being the biggest one. These pursuits require funds to pay legal fees. We all must make our own decisions and the owners have spoken. We wish you all well in your endeavors and much success with your clubs.
 
In closing I would like to acknowledge those who are major players in our existence
•    Our Steering Committee Founders,
•    Our Past Presidents,
•    Gary and Diane Heavin,
•    Mike Raymond and his Executive Team,
•    Our Area Directors,
•    Our CFA Attorney, Ron Gardner,
•    And each of you, our loyal members.
 
It has been an enlightening experience and an honour to have had the opportunity to be a part of the CFA. And to work on behalf of fellow owners.
 
Respectfully Submitted,
Carole Keyes
President, CFA

________________________________________

 
WHEREAS, Article XIII of the By-laws of the Circuit Fitness Association d/b/a Curves Franchisee Association ("Association") states that any action to dissolve the Association must be approved by a 3/4 majority vote of the quorum required by Article IX Section 5 of the By-laws;
 
WHEREAS, Nevada Rev. Stat. § 78.580 also permits the Association to dissolve upon the adoption of a resolution by the Board to that effect;
 
WHEREAS, written notice of a meeting to vote on the dissolution of the Association has been issued to all Members eligible to vote on the issue of dissolution at least 10 days prior to such meeting;
 
WHEREAS, the meeting of the Association scheduled for July 28, 2011, was held, a vote on the issue of dissolution took place, and the Members voted to pass this resolution for the dissolution of the Association in accordance with the requirements set forth in the By-Laws and the laws of the State of Nevada.
 
THEREFORE, it is hereby resolved as follows:
1.    Due to the vote of its Members, the Association is dissolved, effective upon the filing of a certificate of dissolution with the State of Nevada. Such certificate of dissolution shall be filed with the State of Nevada within 30 days from the date of this Resolution.
2.    The Board is empowered and authorized to take any and all reasonable and necessary actions to wind down and finally settle the affairs of the Association, including, but not limited to, any actions permitted or required by the By-Laws and the laws of the State of Nevada.
3.    If, after paying all creditors and disposing of all assets, the Association has any remaining funds, such funds shall be transferred to the Curve's general advertising fund.
 
The foregoing Resolution has been adopted and passed on this July 28, 2011, as witnessed by one or more of the following members of the Board:
 
_____________________
President
 
_____________________
Secretary

________________________________________

"Since its inception, the Curves Franchisee Association has worked diligently to represent the views of Curves owners, to make recommendations for improving the system, and to maintain a spirit of collaboration with Curves International. The members of the CFA board have given freely of their time and energy to help other owners. We all owe them our thanks and our appreciation for their selfless devotion to Curves and the Curves franchise system."
 
Mike Raymond
President, Curves International, Inc.
 
 

As someone who has practiced franchise law for almost two decades, I could have predicted that this day was coming several years ago. The reality is that most franchise associations go through a lifecycle quite similar to that experienced by the most recent iteration of the Curves Franchise Association: (1) lots of excitement by lots of people to get an association formed and to move forward; (2) a lot of time, effort and hard work in setting the association up by a smaller number of people; (3) continued hard work as the association tries to find its feet, both in terms of its goal and purposes, and its independent voice - by a smaller number still; (4) a longer period of time in which a few people continue the work of the association, working hard to make the system better for all franchisees, but increasingly feeling unappreciated by the "membership"; and (5) resignation by the few remaining members that, given the volunteer nature of the work, it is no longer worth the effort.
 
Let me be clear - none of the current CFA Board members have expressed to me a "resignation" that their service was not worth the effort. But, to be fair, I could see it in their eyes, hear it in their voices.
 
On a brighter note, however, it has also been my observation over the last two decades that an association like the CFA has laid too much groundwork for a franchisee voice to simply be ignored by the franchisor. Whether that voice is in the form of the CFA or some successor organization that is most certainly sure to spring up (if it has not already) is something that we will all have to wait and see about. However, during this "lull" in activity by an official independent franchisee association, it probably behooves all of us to take stock of the lessons that we have learned through the lifecycle of the CFA, as well as providing our sincere thanks to those who worked so hard, and quite frankly, accomplished so much, in pioneering this effort.
 
Among the lessons we have learned: while Curves certainly prefers to do things its way, it is willing to listen to reasoned and rationale viewpoints that are divergent from their own.?Look, we all know that franchising is different than most people think it is when they first start - but, having a franchisor that is willing to listen to the concerns of the franchisee, and consider them, is a significant step in the right direction. I am not suggesting that you should not be dissatisfied with your franchisor at times, and maybe even most of the time depending on your situation. But, we know that screaming, yelling and suing each other rarely brings the parties closer to together to gets things moving in a more cooperative direction. One of the most refreshing things that I observed during my work for the CFA was the willingness of Curves senior management, including Gary Heavin, Mike Raymond, Roger Schmidt, and a host of others, to listen when we had something to say. Often times, Curves would agree with our observations, and change their approach, or at least consider serious modifications. We did not win all of our battles, but we most certainly had a lot to say, and Curves is a better system for it.
 
We learned that, not surprisingly, a collective voice is much louder than an individual one. As you know, Curves has thousands of franchisees, and is broken into several subparts. Just getting the attention of your franchisor can be difficult if you do not have a collective voice to go through. The franchisee association, in its heyday, was a loud voice for franchisee rights, and helped many individual franchisees find solutions to problems that they were not able to find on their own.
 
Of course, not all the lessons that we learned were positives. We learned that franchisee associations cannot function productively if they have to spend a significant portion of their time battling the viewpoints of other franchisees - rather than executing strategies aimed at changing the behavior of the franchisor. To my great dismay, the CFA and the people who committed so much of their time and effort to making the CFA a better organization, spent far too much of their time being victims of unjustified rumors, accusations, and other frivolous distractions. It is my sincere hope that the next time an independent association rises in this system, that those members who choose to disagree or not participate with those who are doing the work, choose to merely sit on the sidelines and/or voice their displeasure at the ballot box, rather than undertaking a campaign of personal attacks that make it certain that nothing productive can ever get done.
 
Another lesson that is not surprising that an association cannot survive, long term, no matter how much value it is adding to its member, if those members are not willing to fund the organization. Among one of the most remarkable things I will remember about the CFA was the way in which Curves so generously funded the organization through its infancy - never demanding in return that we take their particular viewpoint, or refrain from challenging them on any of their initiatives. Unfortunately, that was an unappreciated gesture by the vast majority of Curves franchisees, and when that money ran out, the value that the CFA was delivering to the members was either unappreciated, or unknown, and members were not willing to step up and contribute even a small amount to keep the organization vibrant. Again, my hope for the future is that Curves franchisees remember this the next time around, and that they might give generously to those who worked so hard to protect their rights.
 
Of course, the end of the CFA does not mean the end of issues between Curves and its franchisees. Therefore, if you find yourself in a situation in the future where you either have business disputes and/or legal disputes with Curves, it is my sincere hope that you realize that resources were developed over the years that will exist into the future - even if the CFA does not. I am virtually certain that most CFA Board members would be happy to share with you their experiences on particular business issues if you were to reach out to them in a time of need. Likewise, to the extent that you need legal help in your dealings with Curves, my contact information has not changed. You can still contact me at rkgardner@dadygardner.com, and I will be happy to share my knowledge and information with you about my insights into the Curves culture, contracts, and likely responses to particular situations.
 
In closing, I want to take one moment to extend a personal thanks to the Board members who I have worked with over the years (many of whom became very good friends), and most importantly to the four women who chaired the organization over the last several years, Melanie Schaengold, Mary Ella Young, Teri Bertrand, and Carole Keyes. Their wisdom, insight, leadership, and enormous commitment of time on your behalf can likely never be repaid. Thanks as well to those Board members who participated year after year after year, against difficult odds, giving of their time and sacrificing their businesses and their families, to try and make things better for the system. While I am sure I will forget some, I particularly want to thank Sandie Maddux, Shelly Ronfeldt, Angie Wisler, Darlene Bayer, Brad Steinberg, Don Marshall, and Cheryl Hdarecky. While these Board members did not always see eye-to-eye with each other, I firmly believe they all always had the best interests of the Curves franchisee members in mind as they went about their work.
 
So, at this point, it is not goodbye. It is so long - for now. I look forward to the day our paths cross again.
 
- Ron Gardner
 
 

Dear Franchisees,
When the idea of forming an organization to represent franchisees presented itself, we had several leaders step to the forefront to begin the process of forming it. They were the Steering Committee. In 2006 the Inaugural Executive Board of the Curves Franchisee Association was elected and needed to get busy with many facets required of a new organization. Along with daily tasks, Board calls, internal committee meetings, we sat down face to face with Curves International's Executive Team in Dallas a few times a year. We also had call meetings with them and our CI liaisons on average of twice a month to share ideas, issues, solutions, opinions and, they listened and, in fact, they incorporated many of the ideas that came from those brainstorming sessions--into current programs that are in place today. To name a few:
 
•    The current AD system
•    Tapes by Nadia Rodman for franchisees
•    CLE's for franchisees
•    Fitness Study
•    Avon brainstorming meetings
•    Club Smart brainstorming meetings
•    Changes in ad marketing content and offers
•    Changing name of Figure Analysis form to Fitness Assessment
•    Change of date to report projection sheets
•    Working with CI on Curves Community to make it more user-friendly
 
We planted seeds for change in our communication with Curves International that were given to us by our constituents that actually came to fruition.
 
As a Board from 2006 through 2010, we were able to share our concerns over verbiage in the new Franchise Agreement whereby it stated that a Seller (owner), would be responsible for royalties if a buyer were to default. We delegated the task of discussing this unfair requirement which was brought to us by our members to our attorney, Ron Gardiner, who was successful in getting CI to remove that wording in the Franchise Agreement which released sellers (owners) from responsibility. We also had concerns over blood pressure monitoring in clubs either on a monthly basis or including it in fitness studies. This was addressed with corporate by our attorney to CI at the Board's request as they felt it would present a form of liability to owners. We took the stand that it would be and made our position clear by informing our members directly.
 
We listened to many of our members as it pertained to their success of using extended hours in their clubs as a means to keep their doors open in order to survive rather than close. In the Summer of 2010, through the efforts of the officers, Gary agreed to sit down with his Executive Team along with the current President, VPO, a Board Member and our attorney to discuss the pros and cons of this option for members in the system. While it was an informational and factual meeting, their decision, unfortunately, was an unfavorable one.
 
Many efforts were made by your Executive Board and, in 2010, we were successful in meeting our goal of becoming self-funded and independent of CI while realizing that our existence would then become dependent on the support of dues-paying members and working with vendors.
 
Those of us who have served on this Board since it's inception are now at the end of our term, and as bittersweet as the experience has been, we would like to say it has been an honor to have been given the opportunity to work on behalf of our fellow-franchisees. We wish you all the best and may God bless your future and your continued efforts to strengthen women in your communities.
 
Best Wishes,
Teri Bertrand
Past-President
2010-2011

________________________________________

Treasurer's Report
Tracy Singel, CFA Treasurer
 
After taking office as Treasurer, one of the first orders of business was to prepare a budget for the 2010-2011 year. We soon found that the CFA would have to make significant changes to its operations based on our current cost restraints. We made many efforts to cut the budget by eliminating face to face meetings, finding a less expensive website provider, increasing vendor income, etc. Unfortnately, however, the combined efforts still did not produce enough revenue to maintain the revised, minimal operating overhead of the organization.

________________________________________

 
BMI - Mike Raymond informed the CFA Executive Board that CI is aware of and is looking into the recent fee increase announced by BMI. Further discussion with BMI will continue next week, and in the meantime C will be exploring alternatives. Updates will be posted to Curves Community.
 
Curves Complete - the infomercial aired for the first time on Tuesday, September 6th in test markets. Feedback will be evaluated over the next three weeks.

________________________________________

 
BOARD DEVELOPMENT - Teri Bertrand, Chair
The election process ran from June 14, thru Midnight PST, July 15, 2011. The following candidates were voted in:
 
Nancy Noonan - Region 1
Vaughn Smith - Canada
 
There were no candidates for Regions 2, 3 and 5 or At-Large
 
 
ASSOCIATE VENDOR COMMITTEE - Elaine Solomon, Chair
It has not been a great year for the Associate Vendor committee. We lost Cyrus Systems and Fitting Belt due to low sales. Patch products ended up to be a very time consuming vendor so we agreed to give them back to CI, since they were originally a CI vendor. That left us with Keenfit, Comcast and Cardiac Systems. Unfortunately, CI was not very accommodating in the approval process for new vendors. We started the year with 2 temporary vendors - Brad's posters were eventually unapproved when CI brought in their own printing company.
 
The following vendors were brought forward for approval but denied by CI:
•    Coke - water program
•    Power Balance Bracelets
•    EFX Balance Bracelets
•    Sport Hoops
•    PAI - credit card processing
•    WOW teeth whitening
•    Computerease
•    I Go Figure
 
The following were also considered:
•    We had extensive negotiations with Musak, but their bankruptcy forbade them from entering into an agreement with the CFA.
•    I played phone tag for months with Sears' rug cleaning.
•    ADT was approached, but we were told they did not have a national program. Each area handled their own accounts.
•    EOS wanted to offer us a profit sharing agreement. Don Marshall was to try it before we made a decision.
•    Curves Websites wanted to offer us a discount program but no money to the CFA.
•    We discussed advertising on the CFA website and in the CFA newsletter. We asked outside sources and were advised not to charge too much since there is a lot of very low cost or free internet advertising available.
•    It seemed like we were fighting a losing battle in finding suitable vendors that would pass the CI approval process and would be willing to back the CFA in a monetary way.
 
 
CURVES PRODUCTS - Darlene Bayer, Chair
The goals of this committee listed below were fulfilled from the inception of the CFA formation of the CFA Curves Products Committee in 2007. From 2007 to August 2011, Darlene Bayer chaired this committee and we are proud of our accomplishments, many that would not have occurred without our tireless pursuit, brainstorming and discussions in spite of incredible turnover at Curves International at the CI Liaison level. I firmly believe a large part of inconsistency and challenges over the years are directly attributable to Curves Products management turnover. During my chair of the CFA CP Committee, I worked with the following liaisons, David Heavin, Bill Elliott, Hugo Robinson, Margo Stauffer, Carol Norman, Chris Hendley and now Linda Whitney.
 
Goals of the CFA Products Committee:
•    Maintain proactive positive open lines of communication between the CFA and Curves Products.
•    Make improvement recommendations for products and suggestions on new product development, brainstorming/sharing of ideas.
•    Continuous review and recommendation suggestions on pricing and volume discounts.
•    Continuous focus on product quality, sizing and improvements to consistency of future product collections.
•    Continuing to recommend sellable items for franchisees in all areas.
•    Maximizing profit for Curves Franchisees through continued review of Curves Products - all areas.
 
Accomplishments - "Highlights" that are "top of mind", include but are not limited to the following:
•    Working with CI to establish additional revenue product streams for owners.
•    Club owner best practices for sales and displays, including professional display options.
•    Continuation of the Workout shirts that were going to be discontinued.
•    Continuation of the Workout Gloves that were going to be discontinued.
•    Recommendation of bulk Item purchases for clubs and co-ops.
•    More V-Neck t-shirts and T-shirt of the Month revenue streams.
•    Dedicated professional staff apparel and Basics workout apparel.
•    Inventory shutdown change from mid-December to end of November.
•    Tireless discussions on pricing concerns and shipping pricing concerns.
•    Tireless discussions on quality of merchandise and suggestions for improvements.
•    Continuous stocking of ongoing club needs.
•    Tireless discussions on proper inventory forecasting and back order systems.
•    Free Shipping recommendations resulting in Free Shipping for calendar year 2009 in addition to tireless conversations regarding reduced shipping for bulk item purchases.
•    Constant feedback, input and committee surveys with recommendations on improvements.
•    Clarification and discussion on the CP product return policy.
•    We created numerous Power Point presentations to CI and CP staff with detailed product suggestions, recommendations, ideas and solutions.
 
In conclusion, Curves Products started out as the brain child of David and Glenna Heavin. It was a pleasure working with both David (RIP) and Glenna Heavin, who we are praying for. Their motto was "World Class Service". Gary Heavin purchased "Ideas in Action" company from his brother, David, and Diane Heavin headed it up and made it her baby. It continues to improve and be a work in progress, as do we all. Over the years, thanks to Diane, we have seen so many positive improvements that I believe our committee influenced. It has been my honor and pleasure to serve as Chair of this Committee for the CFA and work with Diane, and her CP management team in addition to my many years served working with Gary Heavin, Mike Raymond and their management team since the formation of the CFA in 2007. I'd like to acknowledge extreme gratitude to Gary and Diane Heavin. Without the financial assistance and collaboration of Gary and Diane, the CFA in my opinion would not have accomplished its significance over the years.
 
 
ADVERTISING AND MARKETING COMMITTEE - Deann Bouchard, Chair
From the beginning of the CFA to the end of 2010, the Advertising and Marketing Committee was one of the most valuable, interactive and influential Committees in relation to Curves International. We were known for changing programs for the benefit of the Franchisee.? Coming up with new promotions for CI to take a look at and help with implementation.
 
This 2011 has been a different story. We still had our Committee calls twice a month. We would still have a weekly call with our Curves International correspondent. The relationship between our Committee and CI is still great and we are asked for some minor feedback at certain times. However, this year the Committee has not been able to work on projects or help with new US or Canadian promotions. The truth to the matter is that we have just been getting quality updates from CI. This is good information, but has not been real productive work for the Committee.
 
It seems as though CI is better at getting feedback from Franchisees with their surveys through Curves Community. They acquire more information quicker and from more of a majority of Franchisees. Just like the rest of the world, the Internet is downsizing more organizations than we realize. The CFA's Advertising and Marketing Committee falls in line with how today's technology depletes human communication within companies.
 
It has been a great privilege to work on this Committee and build a respectful relationship with Curves International. We have been a productive and influential Committee. I am very proud of our accomplishments and if a future interaction takes place, the groundwork has been laid for the next Chairman.
 
 
COMMUNICATIONS COMMITTEE - Libby McKinney, Chair
It has been a pleasure to work on this committee for the past year, but it has not been without challenges. It was the responsibility of this committee to publish the newsletters and keep the website updated. In an effort to cut costs, we switched website providers this year. While we were able to save money, it was not without limitations. The format of the website is host controlled and does not lend itself to accessibility for changes, which left us frustrated at times.
 
We worked with Public Relations Director, Becky Frusher on ways to improve franchisee usage of the Grass Roots newsletter tool and thanks to member comments, we were able to provide constructive feedback that helped CI not only better understand how franchisees perceive the benefits of this tool, but also the viability of the entire program.
 
 
CURVES SMART COMMITTEE - Nancy Noonan, Chair
Over the last several months, I have had several phone meetings with Julio Andracchio and Stacey Boulton from Mytrak. In order to serve Curves owners better, they are beginning a CurvesSmart Maintenance service in conjunction with Fitness Service, Inc., a company out of California. This will include an onsite visit each year to each CurvesSmart Club in good standing. The rollout will begin in Arizona, followed by east coast clubs. The entire schedule has not been released yet.
 
There will be several packages available to owners. The first one is the Silver Package, which will be included in your CurvesSmart contract. There is no extra charge to owners for this service. This will include a maintenance tool kit and a 15 point inspection: checking alignment, proper sensor reflector positioning, checking for pinched wires, firmware check, verifying hardware and software coincidence, and making sure wiring is properly routed. Machine inspection will include: cylinder leaks and weakness, loose parts or bolts, rust and damage, oblong cylinders and flanges, worn bushing, and safety inspection and notification. Along with this, a retraining for staff on upkeep and maintenance is included.
 
The second package available will be the Gold package. There will be an extra charge for this package. This includes all of the above plus CurvesSmart Maintenance which will include: recalibrate CurvesSmart, align all sensors and reflectors, test and troubleshoot problems, install all hardware in proper position, zip tie sensors, clean all sensor eyes, dress loose wires, adjustment of anti-rotation collars, replace damaged reflectors and upgrade firmware or software.
 
The third package is the Diamond Package. This will include all of the above plus full machine breakdown, lubrication and over $100 in parts replacement. Services to be performed include: tighten up all machines, full break down and rebuild of axels and bushings, replace all bushings (delrin), lubricate all moving parts, stop machines from squeaking, level all machines, clean all machines, test all machines, detailed work order and safety inspections, replaces all listed parts (bushings, square end caps, cane tips, snap rings, shims, adjustable stops, hip ab/ad bumpers). This package is recommended for clubs that want their machines to feel like new again.
 
This new service will go a long way to making CurvesSmart work better for our clubs. I have appreciated the opportunity to work with the CurvesSmart team, and I look forward to a continued good relationship.
 
 
MEMBERSHIP COMMITTEE, Glenna Haynes, Chair
As of June 2011, we have 465 paying members out of 5,830 total US and Canadian Curves franchisees.
 
 
PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION COMMITTEE, Elaine Solomon, Chair
The committee concentrated primarily on Curves OS. We worked with Leslie Graves and Jeanne Smith to put together a list of the top 10 reasons to buy into Curves OS. We also served as a sounding board for clubs that were having OS issues. Any question or issue that we could not handle we were able to get answers to or we were able to put them in touch with Jeanne Smith.
 
 
RETENTION COMMITTEE, Alisha Haskins, Chair
Discussions on the committee were focused on how to retain Members as well as Owners. Most of the discussions were about games that could be played but always came straight back to customer service.The fact is if we/our employees do not take care of our members then our members will not stay. If our members are not getting results due to a lack of coaching then they will cancel and go somewhere else. Happy members lead to a successful business.
 
Retaining owners is completely different from retaining members. Owners get burnt out and give up from working so many hours or to the lack of finding good employees. Our suggestion to the owners is to take time off as often as they can. Keep looking for those good employees and TRAIN them well. Close on Saturdays if you are open and try not to go to your club for at least one day.
 
 
TERRITORIES, MAPPING&RESALES COMMITTEE, Audrey Webb, Chair
Activity in this area has been rather quiet this past year! Several times during the year we were asked by franchisees struggling with low membership or territory issues to intervene on their behalf. My liaison at CI was very quick to respond to these issues and offer suggestions to improve or resolve the issues as best they could. Very often our only role was to identify the Curves International staff person who would best be able to help with the concern!
 
 
WEIGHT MANAGEMENT COMMITTEE, Audrey Webb, Chair
I had my final call with Nadia Rodman and Katy Mitchell on August 23, 2011. Nadia reports that clubs have had good success with Curves Complete. In those clubs utilizing the program, staff and management have shown good weight loss and been successful selling the new program, resulting in increased revenue. The soft launch will happen in September and a full launch in the New Year.
 
I asked how they intend to compete with free online programs such as Spark or the Biggest Loser. Nadia remarked that Curves Complete will be more than a website; our ability to coach and keep members motivated will be an advantage.
 
I also asked how they intend to become #1 in the weight loss industry when efforts thus far have been unsuccessful. They believe the answer is in the infomercial format. They believe they will be able to sell the package better in that format than any other way.
 
I also asked if they had considered the use of a celebrity spokesperson. They have considered it but so far the cost has been prohibitive.
 
In summary they have placed most of their eggs in one basket.. that being the infomercial format. If it works we will be able to capture a larger portion of the weight management market and therefore increase our revenue. However, there does not seem to be a backup plan.
 
Our system will need to be easy to follow, effective and trendy in order to work.
 
 
WELLNESS COMMITTEE, Alisha Haskins, Chair
We were able to work with the Wellness liaison at CI to get a graph that explains how the payments work; i.e., from when we submit to when we get reimbursed and then what happens when we resubmit a denied claim.
 
Since Wellness is so heavily regulated by the Federal Government, the most this committee could do is make suggestions to CI on how to improve the listings on the website or take any issue owners may be having with a program or payments. We were not allowed to be on calls with the liaison when they were talking with the insurance companies nor were we allowed to approach insurance companies. We could provide CI with the name and contact information of an insurance company but our involvement stopped there. At the time of this report Tina Statham was the liaison for Curves International.