Move Everybody – Team Profile: Renée Goldsmith, Senior Account Manager
Move Everybody – Team Profile: Renée Goldsmith, Senior Account Manager
For over three decades, Corporate Fitness Works has successfully inspired health and fitness for all, stimulating workplace cultures that promote activity and well-being. As we continue to Move Everybody in 2019, we celebrate the amazing Team Leaders behind our mission. By sharing their stories, their inspirations and lessons learned, we hope to enthuse others to pursue their goals and aspirations for optimal health and fitness. This month we are pleased to feature Renée Goldsmith, Senior Account Manager.
The Ah-Ha Moment
As a dancer, Renée understood the significance of physical fitness and well-being. She attended James Madison University and pursued a degree in Health Sciences: Health Assessment and Promotion. She credits her internship at CFW with helping her realize the wellness and fitness industry, without question, was where she wanted to be. Upon completion of her internship, Renée took the position of Fitness Specialist. There, she was able to take her childhood passion for dance and translate it into teaching group exercise. Renée continues to teach group exercise classes (her favorite being Zumba), but her role with CFW has evolved over the years. From intern, to Fitness Specialist, Program Manager, Account Manager and currently Senior Account Manager, Renée remains passionate about finding growth and success in everything she does.
We asked Renee to share a few things about her career journey and success with Corporate Fitness Works. This is what she had to say…
Tell us about a time in your studies or in your career that helped you prepare for the challenges you face in your role today?
I’ve participated in many leadership seminars/conferences throughout my career. Each time taking away a nugget of information. The more I’ve attended, the more bits of advice I’ve collected. Most recently, I’ve attended two consecutive years of the Coaching for Leadership program and it really has transformed how I approach conversations with my team and with my clients. I’ve learned to listen more, ask questions, and process that information before responding or giving my input. This has been integral in finding what the “real” issue is in any conversation. I just love how asking a few simple questions can really change the process.
What is your #1 motivator? What are you most passionate about in the work that you do?
My number one motivator is finding ways to make a difference in someone’s life. If I can do that then I know I have succeeded. They could be a team leader, a client, a member, or a peer. If I can help them in their growth and success, then I know I’ve accomplished something great. I love talking through problems and coaching my team towards an answer/solution. I’m passionate about creating processes/procedures that will help teams stay organized and on task. The more efficient the process the better! Why work harder when you can work smarter?!
Describe the key steps you took in the path to your career success/career growth that made the greatest impact?
The key for me has always been to take every opportunity that has been put in my path. I’ve been lucky to work with some great clients and awesome Team Leaders who have shaped me into the manager I am today. No matter how big the task/challenge, I’ve taken it as an opportunity to learn and grow. Give me a less than ideal situation and I’ll jump in head first, to get it resolved. Give me a mess, and I will work diligently to organize it. I love structure and if I can give that to my sites, clients, and team I feel successful.
How does your role as Senior Account Manager support Team Leader growth and our business growth?
I truly love working in an environment where I can support Team Leaders and watch them grow. When I see someone just starting their career and putting in the time and effort to learn, grow, and succeed, I’m inspired. I’ve seen several of my past interns and Health Fitness Specialists develop into Program Managers and that to me is surreal. It was the path I took, and the fact that I was able to be a part of their journey is awesome. I’ve also enjoyed being a part of the contract renewal process; it has truly been a great learning experience for me. To demonstrate the progress, we as a company have made and the impact, we make on an organization reiterates why we do what we do!
How does your role most impact our clients (and the members we serve) success?
As a Senior Account Manager or SAM, I can draw on my experiences over the years – both failures and accomplishments – beginning at the site level, then later when I moved into a management position. That knowledge along with my expertise in fitness management help provide a support system to our Team Leaders at the client sites. That support system not only includes me but also every CFW business unit. We are lucky to have a great team that supports one another. Sharing my experiences and knowledge will help the team be successful.
Share a career highlight.
Being part of the Culture Ambassadors team that created the Achieving T. E. A. M. Culture Training was one of my favorite projects! It truly was an honor to be nominated as an ambassador. To be a part of the team that created a company-wide training seen by all Team Leaders was a highlight for me! It wasn’t easy getting in front of a camera, but Anthony and Teresa (members of our Executive Team) made it fun for the entire team. There was a lot of hard work and long hours behind the content of those videos and it’s so satisfying to see how the training is helping new Team Leaders integrate into the CFW culture.
If you could share one “value added tip” as Senior Account Manager for CFW, what would it be?
Go that extra mile to reach out to Team Leaders about more than just work. I find some of my most engaging conversations begin with something personal and eventually lead back to work. I get a better glimpse into who they are as a person and that helps me supervise/manage better.
Please share an interesting fact about you that you would want our Team and our clients to know about you? This can be career related or personal.
I love cooking healthy recipes! I even create recipes during my spare time to take classics and put a healthy twist on them. Sharing these recipes and having others make them is a lot of fun. Eating healthy does not mean you have to sacrifice your favorite treats/meals! I like taking a recipe and figuring out the best way to make it clean. You can pretty much always find me snapping a picture at a restaurant or in the kitchen and sharing my favorite food finds!
Renée is pictured here (center, front row) alongside fellow CFW Culture Ambassadors as they wrapped filming of a successful video training project titled Achieving T.E.A.M. Culture. The video compilation was rolled out to the entire CFW organization and continues to be facilitated as part of our new Team Leader training.
Often attending regional and national seminars to learn and grow, above is Renée (second from left), with teammates Brittany Fischer, Laurie Caton and Lori Schiffer at a previous IHRSA Fitness Convention and Trade Show.Balancing work and fun, here is Renée and teammate Bill Klitz demonstrating the CFW core value, Inspire Balance in a most impressive and literal way.