“Culture” has become a bit of a buzzword lately. We hear it everywhere — company culture, team culture, community culture. But what does it really mean?

At its core, culture is about knowing you’re working collectively toward a purpose. It’s that feeling that your team — and the organization as a whole — wants more for you than they want from you.

That’s where it clicked for me the first time I walked through the doors of Anytime Fitness HQ over a decade ago. I remember that exact feeling — a mix of belonging, energy, and shared purpose. It was the kind of feeling that made you stand a little taller and breathe a little easier.

Honestly, it also made me want to run downstairs and get a Runningman tattoo — still haven’t done that yet. But that’s the kind of impact culture can have. It makes you want to be part of something bigger than yourself.

And here’s the crazy thing: all these years later, every time I walk through those same doors, I still get that same feeling.

I felt it again this year — twice — at True Movement® HQ. That same sense of home. But it made me stop and ask myself: what is that feeling? How do you quantify it?

Because it’s not just about what’s inside the four walls. It’s not the logo, or the color palette, or the amenities. It’s every interaction. Every message. Every smile. It’s knowing that, every single day, we have the opportunity to change someone’s life — and that the people around us believe that too.

That’s culture.
And in today’s world, it’s the new competitive edge.

Why Culture Wins

Culture isn’t soft. It’s strategy.

It’s what keeps your best employees from leaving for a studio down the street. It’s what turns clients into advocates and first-time visitors into lifelong members.

But underneath all of that — it’s about creating an environment where people feel that the organization wants more for them than it wants from them.

Because when people feel that, they give their best — not because they have to, but because they want to.

It’s not just member retention — it’s employee retention.

Because when your team feels seen, supported, and challenged in a way that helps them grow, they stay. They care more. They bring energy, ideas, and ownership that no amount of marketing can buy.

Culture is built in how we lead meetings, celebrate wins, and handle the hard days.
It’s built in the questions we ask — and how well we listen to the answers.

Not waiting to respond, but actually listening.
Not assuming your people feel valued, but asking and showing them that they are.

That’s the difference between a workplace and a culture.
And that difference? That’s your competitive edge.

How to Build It

1. Lead with clarity and care.
People want to know where they’re going and why it matters. Clarity creates confidence, but care creates commitment. When your team knows your vision includes them — not just what they can produce — they’ll move mountains with you.

2. Listen to understand, not to reply.
The best leaders aren’t the loudest voices in the room — they’re the best listeners. Ask questions and mean them. When someone shares feedback, resist the urge to jump in with an answer. Sometimes the most powerful thing you can do is truly hear them.

3. Grow your people, not just your business.
When you invest in someone’s growth — personally and professionally — you show them that their success matters as much as your own. Provide mentorship, development opportunities, and pathways to evolve. The ROI on genuine growth is loyalty.

4. Recognize what’s real.
Culture isn’t built through grand gestures — it’s built in the small, daily acknowledgments that say, I see you. Celebrate effort, progress, kindness, and integrity. The moments you notice often become the moments your team remembers most.

5. Protect your energy — and theirs.
Your culture mirrors your energy. When you lead from burnout, your team feels it. When you lead from alignment, they rise to meet it. Take care of yourself, encourage your team to do the same, and create rhythms that allow everyone to breathe.

The Competitive Edge of Caring

Culture, at its best, isn’t about control — it’s about connection.
When you build a culture that wants more for people than from them, everything changes.

That’s how you attract talent.
That’s how you retain members.
That’s how you win — not by competing harder, but by caring deeper.

I’m rooting for you,
With love and encouragement,
Beth

I’d love to hear your thoughts- What does culture feel like to you?
When was the last time you walked into a place and instantly felt at home?