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Community Moves – Empowering Over-50s to Move, Socialise, and Thrive
How a high-touch coaching partnership helped Community Moves expand to three sites, professionalise operations, and build a loyal member base for life
About the business
Community Moves Health & Fitness, founded by Accredited Exercise Scientist Van Marinos, is a multi-location fitness centre focused on helping over-50s move better, feel fitter, and live more active lives in Sydney’s North Shore. More than a gym, it’s an award-winning, barrier-breaking community—where fitness is tailored to every ability, group sessions are social, and members feel like they belong.
Before working with Candour Strategy, Community Moves was growing organically but needed sharper systems, more sales rigour, and the operational confidence to open new sites while keeping high standards and culture intact.
Challenges
- Expansion stretched Van’s focus—making it harder to keep standards high and member experience consistent
- Staff performance and engagement varied between sites, impacting retention and atmosphere
- Sales and lead conversion was ad hoc, missing key training and accountability
- Costs, supplier deals, and key expenses weren’t optimised, reducing margins
- Operating procedures depended on one person’s memory, making scaling risky
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The Solution
Candour Strategy partnered with Van to:
- Design and launch a new site with clear growth, financial, and member targets
- Build replicable Standard Operating Procedures for every part of the business: sales process, retention, service, and operations
- Delivered hands-on sales workshops for staff to lift confidence, conversion, and member rapport
- Provided detailed financial mentoring—ensuring Van always knew his numbers, got the best supplier deals, and kept costs lean
- Rolled out a robust accountability framework and leadership coaching for Van, stepping up his role as owner and team leader
+46%
Member base grew from 240 to 350 (+46%) across three thriving, community-focused locations
Sales conversion rates climbed sharply—staff now have the tools and confidence to maximise every lead
Operating margins improved, and key expenses dropped with smarter negotiations and cost control
Van reports greater control, confidence, and work/life balance, while the staff and member culture is stronger than ever
What this means for you
If you want to grow, keep your quality high, and never lose that close-knit community feel, don’t try to do it all yourself. Structure, systems, and accountability will let you expand smoothly, keep costs under control, and make your gym or studio the place people want to stay for good