Dedicated Teams = Strong Communities
Posted: 5/18/2026In the fitness and wellness industry, we talk about the importance of participant engagement in building a strong community. But the success of strong program engagement is dependent upon the extent to which employees are behaviorally and emotionally committed to their work. Companies with engaged workforces are 23% more profitable and 18% more productive than those with disengaged staff.
According to Nicole Fischer, Elevation Health’s Regional Operations Manager-West, when employees feel valued, supported, and connected to the mission, that energy transfers to the people they serve. Dedicated teams don’t just deliver programs, they create experiences, build relationships, and foster trust.
In her role, Nicole focuses on keeping facility staff focused on the “why,” noting that when a team is grounded in purpose, they stay resilient through change, make better decisions, and don’t just complete a job, they advance a mission.
At Elevation Health, engaged employees are the heartbeat of our organization. Nicole points out strategies that ensure we prioritize people in every decision.
- Recognition and feedback are powerful. Elevation Health celebrates wins, so people feel seen and appreciated, fueling motivation and pride in their work.
- Providing growth and development opportunities transforms engagement from transactional to personal. We ensure employees have access to training, mentorship, or new challenges.
- Fostering autonomy and inclusive decision-making allows employees to feel ownership over their work. With a voice in shaping how things are done and the freedom to execute their own ideas, engagement skyrockets.
Nicole refers to employees taking "extreme ownership" in their roles, referring to Jocko Willink’s book Extreme Ownership. Willink highlights leaders take responsibility for everything within their world - no blaming circumstances, no pointing fingers at the team, and no excuses. If something falls short, the leader looks inward first and asks, “What could I have done differently to create a better outcome?”
This approach builds trust, accountability, and clarity, all hallmarks of Elevation Health’s mission and values. When leaders own the results, it creates a culture where others feel safe to do the same.
Nicole highlighted, “When we see high participation in our fitness centers and wellness programming, it’s a reflection that our team truly took ownership, they planned every detail, marketed the program effectively, anticipated the needs of their participants, and designed an experience people wanted to engage with. It’s the onsite staff who drive the success, taking full responsibility for execution and outcomes.”
The power of an organization lies in the strength of its teams and the Elevation Health team is proud to bring passion, innovation, and growth strategies to our clients’ community engagement initiatives every day.
