OT Growth Partners

A massive congratulations to Leah Evenhouse, our Head Coach in Dyer, for being awarded June’s Employee of the Month award! We appreciate all that Leah does for Orangetheory Fitness and for our members. Here is what Leah says about her tenure with OTF: “I've been with Orangetheory Fitness for 8 years! It all started when I joined a studio in Illinois as a founding member in October 2014 while I was working a desk job in that area. I hated working a desk job so I quit, but continued driving almost an hour to that studio several times a week because I was completely hooked. I realized I needed to pursue fitness as my profession, so when I found out an Orangetheory was coming to my hometown of Dyer, Indiana, I jumped at the chance to work there. I got my fitness certification as soon as I could and was lucky to join the original team of coaches in Dyer! It’s been a sincere blessing and joy ever since! I’ve met some of my best friends here. I get to challenge others and myself every single day. As a former athlete, OTF is the perfect vessel for me to get a taste of competition when I need it, but also feel completely encouraged and fulfilled no matter how I perform. And being able to be even a small part of someone else’s realization of how much they’re capable of brings me immense joy! As soon as I pop out my baby girl in August, it’ll be back to the grind to be even stronger than I was before having kids! I LOVE being a mom. Even better, I love being a STRONG mom, mentally and physically. I want my kids to see that life’s challenges don’t have to get in the way of your progress. Be stronger than excuses. Always work hard. You’re not always going to be motivated, but you must choose to be disciplined. Outside of OTF, a personal goal of mine is to travel the country in a big RV with my husband and kids. A fun fact about me is that I won my high school’s Air Band competition with my rendition of Bohemian Rhapsody!” Let’s congratulate Leah on this incredible achievement and for all of her hard work and dedication!

Another great month means we get to celebrate another Employee of the Month and for May, we get to celebrate Sara Patkin! Sara is the Head Coach at our Ankeny studio and has worked with Orangetheory for 8 years! Here is a little bit about what Sara has to say about her journey with Orangetheory Fitness: “My 8 year work anniversary with OTF is in September of this year! I was grabbing a smoothie from the shop next door when they were doing pre-sales at the soon-to-be-open Ankeny studio. The owner tried to sell me a membership, but ended up hiring me as a Coach and the rest is history! My favorite part about OTF and the community are the members. They are why we show up every day. I am always proud of and amazed by what they can accomplish, and it is an honor that I can be a part of their journey. I love how we know each member individually and can affect their lives in a positive way AND have fun doing it! In 2024, I have big plans and big goals. I have one daughter getting married and another entering her senior year of high school. I want to look and feel my best for those events, and continue to have lots of energy for our members. In the future, a major goal I have would be to go hiking in Europe! Lastly, a quick fun fact about me is that I used to dress up as the mascot at my high school! It was a huge, hot costume and I’m not even sure how I was able to do it since I was only about 5 feet tall and 100lbs soaking wet! Let’s give Sara a massive thank you and congratulations for all of her hard work and dedication!!

Congrats Kim, well deserved! Thank you for all that you do! #employeerecognition #teamwork #employeeofthemonth

Congratulations to Kim Mihail for being awarded the April Employee of the Month Award! Kim is the Head Coach at our Valparaiso, IN studio and takes so much pride in her job, is eager to learn, and quick to communicate! Here is what Kim has to say about her journey with Orangetheory and OT Growth Partners: “I have been working at Orangetheory for 7 years this month! I started as a Sales Associate and have been coaching for 5 years! I got started as a single Mother wanting to make changes of my own, I tried a class in Dyer, right before Crown Point opened and I was sold on the work out itself, the environment, the energy and knew I wanted it to be a part of my career! I started my NASM and working as a Sales Associate right away! My favorite part of the OTF community is that it speaks to everyone and is for everyone! We are all on the same level together even though we all may have completely different goals or reasons of why we are there. My goals for 2024 are to obtain a bodyweight pull up, do a Spartan and PR on my mile. Along with travel to National Glacier Park! Id also love to take a summer trip and travel and hit different national parks while camping. Live wild. A fact that surprises many is my age and that I have a 19 year old! I am almost 42 and thank Orangetheory for keeping me young!“ We appreciate your dedication, hard work, and love for Orangetheory and we’re excited to celebrate you this month!

Team OTF had a blast at the 48th running of the Indy Mini on Saturday in Indiana! 🏁 Our Pit Station was buzzing with energy as we cheered on and supported thousands of runners and walkers tackling the 13.1 miles.💧 Volunteering in the community feels amazing, especially when it involves spreading positivity and encouragement. Huge THANK YOU to our incredible members that showed up to help out. Here's to more moments like these! 🎉

Another great month and another great employee to highlight for our March Employee of the Month award! This month, we are celebrating Nick Beebe, a Coach and Sales Associate at our Wilmington location! Nick does so much for our members at Wilmington and here is what he has to say about his time with OT Growth Partners: “I became a Fitness Coach last November and began working as a Sales Associate at the beginning of this year! I passed my first personal training exam at the very start of the COVID-19 quarantine. I enjoyed online personal training with my own small business while gyms were closed down but my main source of income was from working in restaurants at Disney World. I was very interested in making my passion of helping others through fitness full-time and heard about Orangetheory through a friend. After looking into the brand, I knew I would be a perfect fit. I did have a few ups and downs with moving to a new area and receiving new training certifications, but I kept trying to follow God’s plan for me and he led me to OTGP. I truly love the family vibe with my coworkers and it was everything I needed after moving to the area. I’ve experienced some unhealthy atmospheres working in restaurants where I would dread going to work but it could not be more of the opposite with the two studios here in Wilmington. Monica Ruzza is the GOAT and I feel blessed to have her at the helm (Shoutout to King Julian). My main goal in 2024 is to continue learning how to make healthy boundaries in my personal life. Another goal is to beat a particular member at Wilmington who is in my age group at literally any benchmark in the Mayfaire studio, he’s got that dog in him. One thing on my bucket list is competing in an amateur MMA fight. I’ve wrestled my whole life and have a couple years of Muay Thai experience. I am definitely in the shape of my life since I began regular exercise at OTF so I can see it happening sooner than later. I’m very passionate about music! I used to DJ in Downtown Orlando and love selecting music for my OTF classes.” Let’s thank Nick for all his hard work and give him a huge congratulations for this award!

In 2024, we organized our very own Staff Transformation Challenge, setting out to lead by example alongside our studio members! Employees from all four states were invited to join in the excitement. Your unwavering determination and enthusiasm yielded astounding results. We're truly amazed by the incredible strides made during the thrilling 8-week competition! Let's dive into the OTGP Staff Transformation Challenge stats: Our Muscle Gain category showed incredible progress, with a staggering 98% of participants experiencing an increase. Equally impressive, 78% of employees in the Body Fat Loss category also boosted their muscle mass. It's a testament to the balanced approach of OTF with the correct fuel. Every single employee, a whopping 100% in the Fat Mass Loss category, experienced a decrease in fat mass, while 96% in the Muscle Gain category also slashed their fat! We averaged a 2.5% reduction in overall Body Fat % company-wide over the course of the challenge, looking like this in closer detail: - We packed on 50 pounds of muscle! - We obliterated 350 pounds of fat! Congratulations to our 2024 Staff Transformation Challenge winners!

Happy St. Patrick's Day! 🍀🧡 Last Saturday, our studios in Wisconsin transformed the course into a sea of ORANGE for the Lucky Leprechaun 7 Miler! We're proud to say we took home the Largest Team Award with 92 Team OTF staff and member participants. Cheers to "actively building community inside and outside the studio"!

This month, we are so excited to announce that Tommy Morgan, our Regional Fitness Manager in North Carolina, has been awarded February’s Employee of the Month Award! Tommy does so much for our studios and coaches and his hard work is appreciated. Tommy has kindly given us some insight into his Orangetheory journey below: “August of this year will be my 9 year anniversary with Orangetheory… wow time flies! I started as a Sales Associate at the Holly Springs studio. When I walked in to the interview, I saw the Coach helping the members in the studio and the atmosphere/community that the Orangetheory Holly Springs team created and I knew I had to be a part of it somehow. The only position they were offering at the time was a Sales Associate position from 4:30a-12p M-Thur. I knew if I wanted to be apart of this team I would have to turn into an early morning person! I love Orangetheory because everyone comes from all different walks of life. No matter if you’re fit and already have a current routine or you’re looking to start one up and get into a community, OTF really is for everyone! The diversity in the room brings me joy knowing that we’re all different but similar in ways. In 2024, I have some big fitness goals and I have my two biggest races in May and September. May is a Spartan Trifecta which is a two day event. The first day is a half marathon with 30+ obstacles to be completed. The second day is a 10k and a 5k with 25 obstacles. I enjoy the challenge of running but also working through obstacles in my path which is why i’m a big advocate for obstacle course races. My second race in September will be my furthest distance run, a 50 mile trail race. A lifelong goal of mine would be to go on the show survivor. Season 46 episode 1 started yesterday. I would love the chance to compete on the show! OTF/OTGP, please sponsor me!” Let’s give a huge thank you and massive congratulations to Tommy!

At Level Up Convention, we announced OTGP’s new Studio Manager and Head Coach of the Year! Join us in congratulating our 2023 Head Coach of the Year, Victoria Norris. Here is a small excerpt from the nomination her managers, Erin and Tommy, wrote, “Victoria exhibits an unwavering ownership mentality in every facet of her work. She treats the studio, members, and staff with respect and warmth and fosters an atmosphere like family within the four walls. Victoria approaches each day with a deep sense of personal investment, as if the studio were an extension of herself. She is confident in leading both the coaches and front desk staff alongside her studio manager as one cohesive team. She upholds a high standard for anyone entering the studio where every individual is welcomed with a smile and their name, creating an instant sense of belonging for first-time guests and seasoned members alike. ” We are very proud of the leader that Victoria is at Greenville and OTGP. How did you get started at OTF? I began my journey as a coach in April 2021 and decided I wanted to pick up more hours as an S/A and coach. In April 2022, I got promoted to the Head Coach of Greenville. Why do you love working under the orange lights? I love working at Orangetheory because of the endless amount of possibilities and growth within yourself, the team, and most importantly the members. The serotonin I feel after a member realizes they can something they never thought they could not only is astonishing for them but it also translates to my every day life. It is the most rewarding job I have ever had! What is your favorite part of the job? My favorite part about the job is the connections I have built and continue to see building throughout our community as we change their lives in the most positive way. What goal in 2023 are you proud of accomplishing? In 2023, with the help of Oki Castillo, the studio manager and the entire GVL staff, we have created an immense amount of synergy that the GVL studio has never felt or seen between the front desk staff and coaches then creating the best community, friendships, support and growth the studio has ever had. This is my biggest accomplishment of 2023. Fun Fact: In 2020, I created a hand-made candle business that sold $10,000+ in revenue in the first year!