Exploring Life & Business with Elyse White of Sparrow Michigan Athletic Club

Today we’d like to introduce you to Elyse White.

Hi Elyse, so excited to have you on the platform. So, before we get into questions about your work life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today. 
I moved the East Lansing with my family in 2015. I needed a place to work that also had childcare in-house, as I had an 8-month-old son at the time. I searched all over the area for Gyms/Athletic clubs hiring as I knew YMCAs offered childcare from a previous employment I had after High School. In my search for a place, the Sparrow Michigan Athletic Club, or ‘The MAC,” was mentioned to me by a local. So, I quickly applied, and I started at the MAC as a service desk attendant, greeting and checking members into the club, as well as program registration. I worked at the desk for a few months before taking a position as a Member Services Representative, where we toured the club with prospects and signed up new members. Shortly after that, my boss left, and I was offered the position of Member Services Supervisor, where I oversaw the Service Desk and Concierge operations. I worked in that role for a few years and, after a business change, became the Member Services Manager, where I now oversee the Service Desk, Concierge, and Billing Operations of the club and have since July 2021. Currently, we are navigating a merger with a new Health System, which will bring exciting but unknown changes for us in the near future! 

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
My path working at the MAC has been pretty seamless one for the most part. The hardest portion of my career that I’ve had to navigate through, I would say, was a complete restructure of our Leadership Team. This came after COVID and its many challenges. In 2021, many positions were eliminated, and new positions that benefited the business better were created. Some of leaders made it into the next phase of life for the MAC, and some did not. This is when I went from my supervisor role to a manager role, and I took it very seriously. It was tough for me to navigate through at first as there were not only duties I now had to jump right into that I have never been a part of in the past, including budgets, supporting 30+ people, learning payroll and scheduling duties, etc… but also with new teammates that were facing the same challenges and fears as I. While we may have lost a few more teammates since all this began, most of us are still all together and stronger than ever! 

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next, you can tell us a bit more about your business.
The MAC is one of the largest medically based Health Clubs in Michigan. In our 286,000-square-foot facility, we have just over 12,500 members. As a MAC member, you can choose from more than 120 complimentary group fitness classes each week along with hundreds of other training services and recreational programs for your family. We are a one-stop shop that contains a full-service restaurant, a Starbucks, and a Summer ‘Food Shack” located outside by the pools. In addition to the two outside pools, we also have two inside, each location including a 6-lane lap pool. We also have Hot tubs, Cold Plunges, Steam rooms, and Saunas in all locker rooms, as well as a massage department that offers everything from prenatal to reiki and everything in between! Childcare, kids programming, and camps, along with 10 tennis courts, 16 pickleball courts, handball, squash, and racquetball courts, are just a few more of our offerings! 

Our Brand revolves around being a comprehensive and all-encompassing athletic facility dedicated to enhancing the health and wellness of every individual within our community. 

Is there a quality that you most attribute to your success?
Fairness and Consistency with ALL members! The goal is that each and every single time a member calls, visits, or interacts with a caregiver at the MAC, they are receiving consistent information no matter who they speak with and that should an issue arise, that we are treating everyone fairly in our policies. Communication is one of the most important things in Customer Service. When you have a great experience somewhere, you expected that each and every time you utilize the services, just like ordering a drink from Starbucks for example, no matter where you going in world to a Starbucks, you are planning on the drink you love to taste the same no matter what day it is or what location you’re at. That’s the goal for the MAC: the same great Customer Service with every member, every time. 

Contact Info:

• Website: themac.org
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sparrowmac