This month F.I.T. turns 10!!!  It seems like only a short while ago that Thom, myself, Jason and Gabe opened the doors and
anxiously awaited the first few clients to walk through our doors.  Yet, looking at how much we have evolved as people and professionals, as a facility and a community, I have a hard time believing that’s all taken place in 10 short years.
We have serviced over a thousand clients through the years and hopefully have positively impacted the lives of most of them.  For those who have been here all the while, as well as those who are newer to the fold, we sincerely thank you for giving us the opportunity to help you on your pursuit of long-term health and lifelong vitality.
With growth and evolution, there is a natural transition of staff.  Many of you were sad to see Analisa leave a few months back and now we are preparing for Jimmy’s departure.  I can assure you that members of our team ‘leaving the nest’ hit no one harder than Thom and I.  We believe the ‘secret sauce’ at FIT, that is palpable from the first moment you walk through the door, is the sense of community or possibly even family.  It is for this reason that I liken the transition of staff to what a parent must experience when a child goes off to college.  They are ready, it’s time, but it’s hard, very hard. 
Sticking with the analogy, we experience a great deal of pride in learning about the success each individual achieves, much like a parent would.  So, to brag for just a moment . . .
Jason – Product Manager, Apple Inc., CA
Josie – Executive Assistant, Sequoia Venture Capital, CA

Kellie – Owner, Moylan Training, WV
Trey – Performance Director, Velocity, TX
Katy – Franchisee, Stroller Striders, TX
Todd – Performance Director, Velocity, VA
Kris – Medical Device Rep, Stryker
Manny – Educator and Exercise Specialist for Chronic Pain Management, Feinberg Medical Group, CA
Herm – Ranger, US Army deploying 2012
Johnny – Program Director, The 3rd Door, CA
Analisa – Owner, Training Business, CA
Jimmy – Owner, Training Business, NV
Scott – Director of Wellness, Hunter Laboratories, CA
Jen – Owner, Buddies in Action, CA
In addition to these pursuits, Karen and Matt are currently working to complete their Masters degrees.
With each individual’s departure there has been sadness and stress as we all, clients and staff alike, adjust to their absence and adapt to the new faces that have replaced them.  The good news is that with each new person to join our staff, we evolve a little further.  We recently hired Michelle Watson, whom some of your will remember from the year she interned with us prior to pursuing her degree in Kinesiology.  In addition, we are currently interviewing a number of remarkable candidates and will go to great lengths to ensure that these new staff members are of the same caliber you have come to expect.
We consider ourselves very fortunate to hold on to our trainers as long as we do (5x the industry average) but it seems that we are currently amidst a season of change.  And change is never easy, but F.I.T. is and will always be a place where both clients and trainers come with a set of expectations and leave achieving so much more.  We are both inspired and inspiring.  The term development is often used when referring to fundraising or philanthropy, but a definition I recently heard applies to the spirit of F.I.T. . . .
“Facilitating discovery of shared values.
Growing a community of individuals who care about a common cause”
Just by walking through our doors you have committed to the common cause of living longer and living healthier.  And the discovery of shared values comes into play every step along that journey.  Thank you for supporting us over the years and for continuing to allow us to support you.
“Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is a success” – Henry Ford