5 Ways Special Events Management at Pebble Beach Resorts Helps Me in Fitness and Healthcare

I always wanted to be a physical therapist, and always jumped at opportunities to observe, intern, and volunteer in every aspect of healthcare (even front desk/admin, yikes). However, my undergraduate college had a big internship with the world-class resort, Pebble Beach Resorts. It pertained to special events, management, and hospitality; seemingly irrelevant subjects in relation to my major (Kinesiology). I'm happy to say, I'm glad I stepped out my comfort zone. Working insane shifts and managing dozens of people gave me skills that translated over to my future profession. Here are 5 ways the internship set me up for success in my fitness career and future in healthcare.

1. Customer isn't always right, but the customer always comes first.

Work with them, not against them!Sometimes there were difficult customers, just like there may be difficult clients and patients. Some may come in knowing what they already want (not what's best for them), some might not adhere well to a program, or some may just be downright rude. No matter what, it's our job and responsibility to make sure our customers get the best possible outcome quickly. If that meant giving them a free drink (because free food cost more), I would do it. If that means finding a client's/patients' motivation, or compromising with certain exercises, then I'll dig deep and find what works best. Create a win-win situation every time.

2. Leadership means bringing people up, not making them feel below you.

The key is no micromanaging, and absolute trust in partners, employees, and colleagues (and management to hire well).The internship featured 33 amazing students who got hand-selected by Pebble Beach Executives. Although flattering company to be in, you could expect the strong personalities to clash. From the beginning, I told myself to be ready. How can I highlight their strengths, while also showing mine. Was it hard? Yes. Was I one of the difficult ones? Most likely. I found it best to think about dynamics throughout the day during my breaks, and then talk about the best ways to split up responsibilities. Our trust in each other led to efficient work, high sales, and great outcomes. 

3. No job is beneath you.

Know your role, but if stepping in somewhere significantly increases efficiency and morale, do it.While managing employees and volunteers during all the special events, I learned that titles come with responsibilities and roles. That being said, I learned to step in anywhere I needed to be to make my staff work efficiently. Most of the time it was inventory check, quality control, shift management, and checking up on the small departments, but I found myself taking out trash and stepping in food assembly lines a handful of times. Heck, I was even doing breakdown and set-up of rooms alongside the CEO. Help where it's needed, and work smart.

4. Pay attention to detail.

Details will make people come back. This was stressed since day 1 of the training. Every blind had to be down to the same height and turned to the same angles. Every pencil, water bottle, and folder had to line up perfectly in all planes. Every time someone leaves the room, their area must be cleaned and re-positioned to the beginning appearance. That was the level of detail we went into presentation. In fitness and healthcare, it means remembering everyone's name no matter who they are. It means always having a towel in hand for your client/patient. It means wiping down their area before and after use. It means giving them full attention at all times. These little things make you stick out to your customers, and can long-term raise that standard of care for your profession.

5. Sales, sales, analytics, and more sales.

This is what most fitness and healthcare professionals dread hearing. We are in the business of helping and giving our clients/patients independence. So when we talk about generating sales, this doesn't mean swindling them into products they don't need, doing useless treatments for billing, or prolonging their treatment. It means marketing, making sure they refer us, and giving them a reason to come back if something else happens. In PT school, we learn to invest in the future from the initial greeting to the final goodbye. So every month look at your sales numbers. Are they going up? If not, is it because of poor outcomes? Research what's best or talk to colleagues. Is it billing problems? Talk to the administrative staff to see if there's a problem, or if they'd like someone to come in to catch them up. Is it a lack of new patients? Perhaps more marketing or networking needs to be done. Maybe it's just vacation time for many. Determine variables that affect your numbers, and find out which ones can be optimized. Make sure your business stays open for your customers by thriving. What's not measured can't be managed.

The Pebble Beach internship taught me how to be a hard worker and to lead a team; aspects of work that transfer over to any profession. I still develop my skills today, and transferring it to the context of healthcare is crucial. Pebble Beach is a memorable experience I cherish, but I am glad to get back to the fitness and healthcare professions where I even blog about on my free time (www.howfitworks.com). Thanks for reading!