Actions with club card
EO ¹11, November 2011
Business lady
The founder of the fitness club chain and practically of the whole domestic fitness industry Olga Slotsker supposes that Russia lacks for stories of success, but she believes in strength and optimism of her fellow citizens.
The text by Alexander Pigarev, Ivan Skorikov.
- How and why did you become the leader of the business? What determined your choice?
Sport develops particular leadership skills. After many years of sports activity I got married with a businessman and moved from St.Petersburg to Moscow. I watched Russian business arising, all my friends set up companies. I wanted to try my hand at the point I was interested in. During my holiday in Spain I did fitness for the first time. And I liked it very much. On my return to Moscow I tried to find a club with detailed programs - and I didn’t find any. So I decided to create it myself. Opening my first club I didn’t even think about a fitness club chain. I just didn’t know about the existence of such chains. We had a big lack of information.
- Whom do you consider to be your teachers in business? Did the Swedes you cooperated with help you somehow?
- "World Class" is actually the first multifunctional fitness club in Russia built under western pattern. We gathered young talented sportsmen, and they began to master a new profession that didn’t exist in the country at the moment.
Well we had no idea of what a fitness instructor was! That’s why we learned everything practically from ourselves, from our experience, our mistakes. Certainly we should thank the Swedes, they helped us very much at the beginning. But the problem was that they could build only mini–cars, but not a Mercedes, whereas our space and ambitions were for a Mercedes. Not less!
So we had to go to America, the basis of the world fitness, to read textbooks and to adopt practices of the leading fitness instructors. A huge importance for the development of this kind of business was holding of fitness conferences. And they after grew into one of the world’s biggest fitness festivals. As for the teachers, they were frequently our competitors. I’m an athlete and I’m not used to giving in. So I developed the business in spite of everything!
- Is it easier to become a successful business manager after graduating from a business school or starting from the very bottom?
First of all a leader should be a strategist and see the situation in whole. One can graduate from the best business school and don’t gain the ability. It’s also extremely important when both your team and the industry believe in you. There is safety in numbers. Though you go at the head, it’s important that the others follow you. Then you’ll make it. That’s why successful stories of the people, who managed to set up business literally from nothing and gather a team for big projects, are so interesting and close to me. By the way, it’s your magazine where I often read such stories, special thanks to you for that. Business education is necessary but it will do nothing without experience. The ground should be prepared for knowledge.
- What style of management is closer to you: authoritarian or democratic?
- Of course team work with my confederates is closer to me. However, in a team everybody must respect the rules of the game. While the manager is always the one who sets the vector. I hail initiative, I like talented people. And I support their ideas with pleasure.
- What is the best you can do in your opinion?
- In my business I can communicate with people in the best way. I also can see prospects where the others don’t expect them. I am an experienced negotiator.
- "World Class" is an extremely successful project. Are there any other projects you succeeded in?
- It’s already the 16th year that the festival of Physical education and Sports is held in the "Olympisky" stadium. 150 000 people have taken part in it over the years. It’s a very successful project to my mind…By the way, the popularity of fitness industry in Russia I appreciate as my team’s and my personal merit. Fitness industry didn’t exist as such before us. It’s not about the club’s size but about the energy, impulse that is transmitted to the market…It’s about the basic values. And the biggest value for a man is his health. Fitness industry makes it possible to work miracles with yourself and your appearance. It’s all in your hands. Now I’m working at a new project. I love fresh rolls and bread to distraction. Though now I try to control my urges and don’t abuse farinaceous food. Fedor Bondarchuk and I were shown a project of a French bakery by two talented managers. And we entered this project as investors. The first bakery is called "Bulka". I’m not a passive investor at that, I’m taking an active part in the project. The things were going well and we were recognized as the best bakery of the city. The bakery is situated in the complex “Four Winds" in the Bolshaya Gruzinskaya Street. We don’t jack up prices and make products of high quality. I’m used to produce products only of the world’s highest level, as I did with "World Class" and "Fizkult". They are the same products with the bakery. We deliver freshly baked croissants and rolls to restaurant chains and hotels of the city. When a person comes to another town on business, what does he need? That’s breakfast! You eat a croissant with pleasure in the morning, a tasty roll with hot tea, and the whole day will be successful! Many people choose hotels by the formula "fitness plus tasty breakfast".
- Could you define the formula for success?
- Don’t deceive your partners. Don’t deceive consumers. Don’t deceive the staff. And believe in yourself! Don’t tell yourself: "Only dishonest people make it in business!" Believe me – by fair means you can do even better!
- There is a new trend taken shape in economics – discounters. Are you planning anything in this sphere?
- Discounters are a universal trend. But I don’t take part in this direction. We are developing “World Class" and "Fizkult" simultaneously. It’s a wonderful qualitative fitness and a trimmed personified customer service. For example, you’re not given a towel there; you take your own with you. We counted up where we can save money by not worsening the quality of the service. "Fizkult" are fitness clubs of business class for people who don’t want to spend money on the services they can do without.
- How are you planning to develop your business in the future?
- A new chief executive officer - Aleksei Drobot - has entered upon his duties these days. I wish him good luck. We are planning to expand the chain moving farther into the regions. We have 48 clubs together with franchisee projects at present. Our task is to do everything for our clients to make them feel comfort, so that they don’t leave us but stay with us for years. As for the growth rates, we would like to open 4-6 clubs a year.
- Would you tell us about your social project "Be strong!" at greater length please?
- Our team came up to me with this project and I supported them as much as possible. I believe that the story of success is the thing that Russia lacks globally. We don’t see it in the newspaper- articles and TV reports. The business press, including your magazine, is the only one that writes about that. Alas and alack! The image of a successful man in our country is indefinite and doesn’t have clear criteria. Our project is about the people who managed to change themselves with their labor through fitness. And as a result it has brought them success, satisfaction and self-respect.
- What do you set yourself as an object in your life?
- Be happy!
1965
Olga Slutsker was born in Leningrad on the 14th of January.
1987
Graduated from the P.F. Lesgaft Academy of Physical Education. Perfomed for the Leningrad’s combined team in fencing
1993
Opened the first "World Class" fitness club, having begun the history of the Russian fitness movement
2000
Received the prize "The faces of the year" from the "Komsomolskaya Pravda" newspaper.
2001
Was given the award "Person of the year" in the nomination "For development of the new industry in Russia".
2006
Established the "Fizkult" fitness club chain.
2006
IHRSA prize-winner ("A European club operator").
2007
Was chosen as the president of the Russian fitness aerobics Federation.
2008
Was decorated with the Third Class order of the Saint Princess Olga equal to the apostles for enlightenment activity.
2009
Won the 21st place in the rating of the most influential businesswomen in the version of the "Finance" magazine.
