Learning to Thrive

Courtney Parfitt & Michaela Vernon
  • 5.0 (6)
  • Management
  • Updated Biweekly

On the Learning to Thrive podcast, we share stories, lessons learned, and practical tools to help your business go from surviving to thriving.Reach us at: contactlearningtothrive@gmail.com

  1. 1d ago

    Ep. 199 - Progressing Students to Create Lasting Enrollment

    Episode Links: Subscribe to our newsletter — Check out our blog — Show Notes: In this episode of Learning to Thrive, we walk through how skill progressions create retention in sports programs, from recreational classes to competitive teams and field sports. You’ll hear real examples from our gymnastics program, including our system with specific skills tracking, regular check-ins, and a progression showcase that celebrates mastery and fuels word of mouth marketing. We also get practical about implementation: what to measure, how to measure it, how often to report it, and what to do when an athlete masters a new skill. Whether you use paper, Excel, or a CRM, the goal stays the same: a parent-friendly progress report that builds trust and keeps kids motivated. If you found this helpful, subscribe, share it with a program leader, and leave a review. What would you change first to make progress more visible in your program? — Show Links: Send us Fan Mail Be sure to include your phone number or email so we can respond to your message! Reach us at: contactlearningtothrive@gmail.com Find more Learning to Thrive: thrivegym.mykajabi.com Find Us on Instagram Find Us on Facebook Find Us on Tik Tok

  2. Sep 28

    Ep. 198 - Systems That Support a Positive Culture : How to Engage Your Customers and Staff to Live Your Company's Values

    Episode Links: FREE Download: Culture Assessment Toolkit — Subscribe to our newsletter — Check out our blog — Show Notes: In this episode of Learning to Thrive, we’re wrapping our culture-building series with the day-to-day systems that make core values real and keep them from getting lost in the mud. We walk through three pillars that help leaders in the sports industry, gym owners, and program directors build a healthy company culture that lasts: communication, accountability, and continuous evaluation. You’ll hear how weekly shout-outs, quick one-on-ones, and shift huddles can keep values front and center without adding hours to your schedule. We also explain how monthly focus points and annual performance reviews can tie values to recognition, growth, and compensation so your team knows you mean it. Then we get into the hard part: protecting the culture. We talk employee evaluations, teaching observations, documentation, disciplinary action plans, and codes of conduct for staff, parents, and athletes. The takeaway is simple but not easy: don’t write standards you won’t enforce. Finally, we share how surveys, observation, and consistent conversations help you catch small issues early so you can lead with intention instead of crisis management. If you’re ready to go from surviving to thriving, subscribe to Learning to Thrive, share this with a fellow leader, and leave a review. Which one system will you start this week? — Show Links: Send us Fan Mail Be sure to include your phone number or email so we can respond to your message! Reach us at: contactlearningtothrive@gmail.com Find more Learning to Thrive: thrivegym.mykajabi.com Find Us on Instagram Find Us on Facebook Find Us on Tik Tok

  3. Sep 21

    Ep. 197 - Elevating Your Culture : How to Make Changes That Last

    Episode Links: FREE Download: Culture Assessment Toolkit — Subscribe to our newsletter — Check out our blog — Show Notes: In this episode of Learning to Thrive, we’re laying out two clear tracks for leveling up your culture. If you do not have core values yet, we show how to create them from what is already true and from the future you want. If you already have values, we show how to test whether behavior and values actually match and what to do when they don’t. The big shift is making core values actionable. Instead of vague single words like “Integrity” or “Community,” we argue for short phrases that tell people how to behave, because leaders need language they can coach, praise, and correct in real time. We break down the Stop Start Continue framework value-by-value, how to pull in your team to build buy-in, and how to build momentum with quick wins and consistent recognition so culture becomes a living, breathing system. If you want a healthier staff culture, stronger customer experience, and clearer leadership in your sports organization, hit play. Subscribe, share this with a fellow program owner, and leave a quick review so more leaders can go from surviving to thriving. — Show Links: Send us Fan Mail Be sure to include your phone number or email so we can respond to your message! Reach us at: contactlearningtothrive@gmail.com Find more Learning to Thrive: thrivegym.mykajabi.com Find Us on Instagram Find Us on Facebook Find Us on Tik Tok

  4. Sep 14

    Ep. 196 - Culture Check Up : 3 Ways to Get an Honest Assessment of Your Company Culture

    Episode Links: FREE Download: Culture Assessment Toolkit Customer Survey Sample Template — Subscribe to our newsletter — Check out our blog — Show Notes: Your company culture is giving you clues every single day, whether you’re reading them or not. When leaders rely on assumptions, culture drifts and small problems become season-long headaches. We want to help you run a culture checkup that replaces guessing with evidence, so you can lead your staff with clarity and build a better experience for athletes and families. In this episode, we’ll break the process into three practical tools we use in our sports organization: direct observation, targeted surveys, and a hard look at where our time, energy, and money actually go.  If you’re ready to go from surviving to thriving, hit play, download the free observation template, and try one of these tools this week. Subscribe, share this with a fellow leader, and leave a review so more coaches and owners can build cultures that hold up under pressure. — Show Links: Send us Fan Mail Be sure to include your phone number or email so we can respond to your message! Reach us at: contactlearningtothrive@gmail.com Find more Learning to Thrive: thrivegym.mykajabi.com Find Us on Instagram Find Us on Facebook Find Us on Tik Tok

  5. Sep 7

    Ep. 195 - What is Culture and Why Does it Matter?

    Episode Links: FREE Download: Culture Assessment Toolkit — Delivering Happiness: A Path to Profits, Passion, and Purpose by Tony Hsieh Shoe Dog: A Memoir by the Creator of NIKE by Phil Knight — Subscribe to our newsletter — Check out our blog — Show Notes: Your culture is already teaching people how to behave, even if you’ve never written a single core value down. When you grow a sports program, open a second location, or simply add more teams and staff, that invisible culture starts to drift and the cracks show up as inconsistent coaching, parent issues, staff burnout, and leaders who feel like they must approve every decision. In this episode, we talk through how we stopped “accidentally” creating a culture and started building a living, breathing company culture on purpose. Along the way, we share what we learned from studying brands known for consistency and loyalty, and why the same generic values on a website can feel totally different in real life. Authenticity matters. If your values don’t match what’s actually happening in the building, families and employees feel it immediately. Then we get practical: strong core values reduce decision fatigue and unlock team autonomy. We break down how values like “Safety First” and “Do I Matter?” guide real-time decisions at the front desk and on the floor, so staff can act with confidence and you don’t have to micromanage. We also cover how values help you hire better, protect your standards when you’re short staffed, and create clear accountability across the whole program. Press play, grab the three culture questions we share, and start defining what you want your organization to look and feel like in five to ten years. If this helps, subscribe, share it with a fellow leader, and leave a review so more coaches and program owners can build cultures that thrive. — Show Links: Send us Fan Mail Be sure to include your phone number or email so we can respond to your message! Reach us at: contactlearningtothrive@gmail.com Find more Learning to Thrive: thrivegym.mykajabi.com Find Us on Instagram Find Us on Facebook Find Us on Tik Tok

  6. Aug 31

    Ep. 194 - 5 Fun & Easy Ways to Keep Your Staff Happy (Replay)

    Episode Links: Developing Leaders Invite Template & Sample Curriculum — Subscribe to our newsletter — Show Notes: If you are a team lead, director, or facility owner - look no further for strategies on how to boost staff morale and maintain a supportive, happy team environment. The techniques you will find in today's episode are generally easy, and definitely enjoyable for all involved. Try these fresh ideas out with your team, and let us know how it goes! --- Show Links: Send us Fan Mail Be sure to include your phone number or email so we can respond to your message! Reach us at: contactlearningtothrive@gmail.com Find more Learning to Thrive: thrivegym.mykajabi.com Find Us on Instagram Find Us on Facebook Find Us on Tik Tok

  7. Aug 24

    Ep. 193 - Hiring & Managing Great Staff : With Special Guests!

    Episode Links: Developing Leaders Invite Template & Sample Curriculum — Subscribe to our newsletter — Check out our blog — Show Notes: Your staffing problems rarely start on the schedule. They start the moment you decide what you’ll tolerate. We’re joined by Sarah, our HR director, and Chéree, our facility manager, to get practical about how we build a reliable team in a youth sports and gymnastics business where parents expect safety, consistency, and connection every single day. We walk through our hiring process, from personality-forward applications to interviews, shadow shifts on the floor, and getting multiple leaders to weigh in before we make an offer. We also unpack what we look for in great coaches beyond technical skill: flexibility, calm problem solving, and the ability to adjust their teaching for different ages and behaviors. If you’ve ever hired someone who sounded perfect but struggled with real kids in a real class, this conversation is for you. Then we zoom out to operations: onboarding that covers safety and systems, a structured training ramp, and how we pair new staff with strong mentors so they build confidence fast. We talk about managing a teen-heavy team with clear expectations and communication, plus a scheduling approach that starts with non-negotiables. We close with a leadership principle that can save your culture: better short staffed than poorly staffed, because one bad hire can push out your best people. If you found this helpful, subscribe, share it with another youth sports leader, and leave a review so more gym owners and program directors can find these staffing and retention strategies. — Show Links: Send us Fan Mail Be sure to include your phone number or email so we can respond to your message! Reach us at: contactlearningtothrive@gmail.com Find more Learning to Thrive: thrivegym.mykajabi.com Find Us on Instagram Find Us on Facebook Find Us on Tik Tok

  8. Aug 17

    Ep. 192 - Developing Leaders : How to Enhance the Leadership Skills of Staff Members At All Levels

    Episode Links: Developing Leaders Invite Template & Sample Curriculum ***Includes Thriving Pyramid Lesson*** — Subscribe to our newsletter — Check out our blog — Show Notes: In this episode of Learning to Thrive, we’re breaking down the mechanics behind Thrive’s Developing Leaders program, built to enhance leadership skills across every level of staff. You’ll hear how we choose participants, why we cap cohorts, and how our program calendar creates the ideal momentum. We talk about setting clear container rules so the room stays high-trust and high-respect, plus why a curriculum needs both structure and flexibility to handle real issues happening on the floor. If you’re building a leadership pipeline, running a gym, or leading any small business team, you’ll take away from this episode concrete ideas you can start with today. Subscribe, share this with a fellow leader, and leave a review with the leadership skill you want to build next. — Show Links: Send us Fan Mail Be sure to include your phone number or email so we can respond to your message! Reach us at: contactlearningtothrive@gmail.com Find more Learning to Thrive: thrivegym.mykajabi.com Find Us on Instagram Find Us on Facebook Find Us on Tik Tok

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About

On the Learning to Thrive podcast, we share stories, lessons learned, and practical tools to help your business go from surviving to thriving.Reach us at: contactlearningtothrive@gmail.com

Information

  • Creator
    Courtney Parfitt & Michaela Vernon
  • Years Active
    2024 - 2026
  • Episodes
    200
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © 2026 Learning to Thrive
  • Show Website
    Learning to Thrive