Relationships & Networks - An Expert's Guide - Vanessa Severiano

Vanessa Severiano has been a leader in the fitness industry for 18+ years. She has extensive experience in creating, managing, and developing brands in areas of sales, marketing, branding, and operation. Vanessa understands firsthand what is required to ensure a successful outcome for a wellness business.

How did Vanessa get to where she is now? (1:19)

• Vanessa started out about 19 years ago just after graduating from college.
• She had two degrees in English Literature and interpersonal and organizational communication.
• Interpersonal and Organizational Communication is about how to speak to others and clearly communicate management styles.
• Burnt out from School, Vanessa didn’t want to work in a cubicle and started researching cool companies.
• Her first job was at The Crunch in 2001 which was a very work hard/play hard environment.
• In 2005 she moved to Miami and started the first two Equinox locations in Florida.
• Being a single move of two kids at the time, Vanessa pushed herself to limits she never thought was possible.
• After that, she ended up working for David Barton Gym for several years and then got a great opportunity to be a part of a start-up in Miami.
• Starting from zero members, zero-brand and zero identity was thrilling and took several years to build up but now she is where she is today.

How does Vanessa tackle problems while helping businesses build themselves? (9:41)

• When coming into an organization that already exists you need to understand the history, understanding what’s been happening and what has been successful. 
• And then you can start focusing on what needs to happen and change to make the unsuccessful portions of a business successful. 
• Coming into a new organization also poses the problem of people resisting change whether it is beneficial or not. You have to create that relationship and comfort level with those people. 
• Connecting with other people, empowering them, and learning from them too.
• Solving problems in a business is a very collaborative process. 
• Having good communication and speaking to the clients about what they also want is very important. 

Where most fitness professionals fall short withing their sales and marketing tactics and strategies.  (11:56)

• Talents are individual and what you’re good at is what you’re good at but others might not be but they are good in something completely different that you are not good at. 
• It’s important to focus on yourself and your talents, no one is good at everything. 
• It’s important to collaborate with others to combine different strengths together.
• Business owners should invest in themselves and in a mentor to try and bring as much value as they can to clients.

The key to having great relationships. (22:08)

• Effort, value, and respect are important to bring into a hopefully long term relationship, whether it’s a business or romantic relationship.
• Nobody likes a one-sided relationship so you have to be willing to give, to provide value and support for the other person. 
• Recognize that people communicate differently and adjust your way of communicating with individual people.
• Meeting people halfway is a big part of forming healthy relationships. They don’t maintain themselves and putting in equal effort is important. 

What is something positive that will come out of this pandemic for the fitness industry? (25:11)

• Brands will be forced to provide more value to clients and the members and consumers of fitness technology.
• This is because there is a lot more competition out there at the moment from lower-priced options. 
• Clients stick with a certain service or product because it gives them tremendous value and therefore as a company you have to make sure to maintain that value for your consumers. 
• With the recent and rapid growth in fitness technology, Vanessa hopes and believes that it will get more people moving and being active. 

VannesaSeveriano.com

Vanessa Severiano aims to help fitness and wellness businesses create outstanding brand experiences.

Resources

Connect with Vanessa: LinkedIn

Vanessa Severiano: Website

Connect with Eric: LinkedIn