Planet Fitness is NOT Inclusive

When DEI and woke are mistaken for each each other, you end up with a situation similar to what Planet Fitness is experiencing today.

Their woke tactic of allowing men into women’s restrooms WITHOUT informing women prior is why they’re in trouble. The media portrays this as an act of hate. It isn’t. It’s a response to a LACK of RESPECT and CONSIDERATION.

This can only mean there was no (or not enough) data to support the decision to change the locker room policy. Current earnings reports show that the gym franchise hasn't taken as large a hit in revenue, but trust has been broken. Their reputation says Planet Fitness is NOT inclusive—at least for women or those who care about sticking to the assigned gender when it comes to locker rooms.

All 3Rs are greatly affected: Revenue, Reputation and Retention. We can’t stress this enough: a successful DEI program or initiative addresses all three positively. Since all three have been negatively impacted by this decision proves it was woke, not DEI.

How are they handling it all? They've hired a woman to minimize the damage, which could be viewed as a tactic to minimize the blow to women who feel strongly about the situation. Here’s the frustrating part: The new CEO, Colleen Keating, is a legitimate business operator. But she will inevitably have her credibility called into question.

Keating is on record as a CEO who supports diversity, equity and inclusion (as many do). However, what she is stepping into is NOT DEI. It’s woke. And I am very curious to see how she will handle this initiative this mess.

This is where leaders have been messing up–they come up with excuses for bad decisions instead of owning the error and finding a solution to the problem. You know, the way we should do business. 

She’s tasked with creating a safe space for the trans community without making what used to be 47% of Planet Fitness members (women) feel unsafe. Her focus needs to be on that and only that because unless Planet Fitness has $400 million worth of new members in the trans community and allies to step in and recover that loss, she’ll soon be focusing on closing locations. 

Wokeness is not smart or sustainable. Leaders with strong business acumen can see the difference, as Planet Fitness’ current financial situation demonstrates.

Don’t be the next woke example–prioritize the business or start working on your business exit strategy because you'll need it.