Connie Foote, Lady Wellness
According to Lady Wellness Operations Manager Connie Foote, the company’s premise is summed up quite nicely in its name: complete wellness for all women.
The women’s-only facility offers a wide variety of fitness plans. “We have resistance training, personal training, aerobic/exercise classes, cardiovascular equipment, a lovely vanity and locker room area, as well as other amenities,” she said.
In addition, Lady Wellness provides pampering through its spa services. “The Serenity Spa offers massages; facial and nail services; body treatments such as body wraps, scrubs, and cellulite treatments; natural skin care products, and nutritional supplements,” Foote said. “Lady Wellness members receive a full fitness assessment, orientation to the equipment, and discounts to the spa.”
Though part of a corporation based in North Dakota—with chains in that state, South Dakota, and Minnesota—the Peoria branch of Lady Wellness is only the second such facility located in Illinois. “We’re the youngest of the clubs; we just had our second anniversary in December,” Foote said.
Foote has been with the facility for about a year, making the jump to a new profession she’s passionate about. An Oklahoma native, Foote graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a major in psychology and minors in sociology and French. She moved to Illinois right out of college, where she held human resources positions for more than 15 years. “I worked for several companies: a Fortune 100 company, a Fortune 500 company, and a couple of smaller companies in which I created and built the human resources departments,” she said.
Four years ago, Foote decided to change careers and enter social services. “I worked with children from preschool through ninth grade as a prevention specialist. We procured state and federal grants to teach drug prevention in the schools. After that, I came to Peoria as a social worker in a long-term care facility. Finally, almost a year ago, I decided I wanted to do something a bit different, and that led me to Lady Wellness.”
The idea behind Lady Wellness—offering women of all ages, sizes, and levels of fitness the opportunity to learn about wellness and practice a healthy lifestyle in a non-intimidating environment—is welcoming to many of its members. “Women today are far more educated about the necessity of maintaining a healthy body and healthy lifestyle,” Foote said. “We see women of all ages who are making the commitment to being the best they can be. With the soaring costs of health care, health insurance, and long-term care, women come to us to learn how to achieve and maintain a high quality of life—and wellness is what we promote.”
The spa services are also attractive to today’s always-on-the-go professional women, she said. “As people realize more and more the negative effects stress can have on one’s health and wellbeing, our spa grows busier all the time with clients seeking to unwind, refresh, and rejuvenate themselves. Our wide range of services and professional staff ensures every woman who visits our spa leaves feeling relaxed, more confident in her appearance, and mentally rejuvenated, as well as educated. Everyone needs and deserves a break from the daily routine and stresses of life, and what better way to show someone they’re appreciated than a gift certificate for a massage, facial, or manicure/pedicure?”
Foote’s job as operations manager of the club involves diverse responsibilities, she said. “Along with my terrific staff, I coordinate the daily operations of the club and perform general management of the facility. Our primary consideration is keeping clients informed of anything new in the industry, helping them to stay motivated, and offering them the best customer service in the area. I also work on keeping the club staffed with top professionals in our industry; I’m very proud of the talented women who comprise Lady Wellness. All of our employees are degreed, certified, and/or licensed in their respective fields, and they offer many years of experience and expertise to our clients.”
She said her job is rewarding for two primary reasons. “First, I have the opportunity to see women literally transform themselves when they begin to practice healthy habits and improve the quality of their lives. Secondly, we have an incredible team of people at Lady Wellness—very dedicated, knowledgeable, and experienced. We learn from each other every day, and everyone is determined to provide the best service to our clients. We also have devoted clients who are just as eager to help each other.”
Foote believes the popularity of Lady Wellness and similar facilities will only increase in the future. “Our mission is to promote wellness, meaning we provide tools, knowledge, and encouragement to women and teach them to take care of themselves every day. Women really understand the importance of staying strong and healthy since we tend to be the caretakers of our families, our elderly parents, and each other. Lady Wellness and the women’s fitness industry will continue to grow as more women join us in keeping healthy and happy.” TPW
The women’s-only facility offers a wide variety of fitness plans. “We have resistance training, personal training, aerobic/exercise classes, cardiovascular equipment, a lovely vanity and locker room area, as well as other amenities,” she said.
In addition, Lady Wellness provides pampering through its spa services. “The Serenity Spa offers massages; facial and nail services; body treatments such as body wraps, scrubs, and cellulite treatments; natural skin care products, and nutritional supplements,” Foote said. “Lady Wellness members receive a full fitness assessment, orientation to the equipment, and discounts to the spa.”
Though part of a corporation based in North Dakota—with chains in that state, South Dakota, and Minnesota—the Peoria branch of Lady Wellness is only the second such facility located in Illinois. “We’re the youngest of the clubs; we just had our second anniversary in December,” Foote said.
Foote has been with the facility for about a year, making the jump to a new profession she’s passionate about. An Oklahoma native, Foote graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a major in psychology and minors in sociology and French. She moved to Illinois right out of college, where she held human resources positions for more than 15 years. “I worked for several companies: a Fortune 100 company, a Fortune 500 company, and a couple of smaller companies in which I created and built the human resources departments,” she said.
Four years ago, Foote decided to change careers and enter social services. “I worked with children from preschool through ninth grade as a prevention specialist. We procured state and federal grants to teach drug prevention in the schools. After that, I came to Peoria as a social worker in a long-term care facility. Finally, almost a year ago, I decided I wanted to do something a bit different, and that led me to Lady Wellness.”
The idea behind Lady Wellness—offering women of all ages, sizes, and levels of fitness the opportunity to learn about wellness and practice a healthy lifestyle in a non-intimidating environment—is welcoming to many of its members. “Women today are far more educated about the necessity of maintaining a healthy body and healthy lifestyle,” Foote said. “We see women of all ages who are making the commitment to being the best they can be. With the soaring costs of health care, health insurance, and long-term care, women come to us to learn how to achieve and maintain a high quality of life—and wellness is what we promote.”
The spa services are also attractive to today’s always-on-the-go professional women, she said. “As people realize more and more the negative effects stress can have on one’s health and wellbeing, our spa grows busier all the time with clients seeking to unwind, refresh, and rejuvenate themselves. Our wide range of services and professional staff ensures every woman who visits our spa leaves feeling relaxed, more confident in her appearance, and mentally rejuvenated, as well as educated. Everyone needs and deserves a break from the daily routine and stresses of life, and what better way to show someone they’re appreciated than a gift certificate for a massage, facial, or manicure/pedicure?”
Foote’s job as operations manager of the club involves diverse responsibilities, she said. “Along with my terrific staff, I coordinate the daily operations of the club and perform general management of the facility. Our primary consideration is keeping clients informed of anything new in the industry, helping them to stay motivated, and offering them the best customer service in the area. I also work on keeping the club staffed with top professionals in our industry; I’m very proud of the talented women who comprise Lady Wellness. All of our employees are degreed, certified, and/or licensed in their respective fields, and they offer many years of experience and expertise to our clients.”
She said her job is rewarding for two primary reasons. “First, I have the opportunity to see women literally transform themselves when they begin to practice healthy habits and improve the quality of their lives. Secondly, we have an incredible team of people at Lady Wellness—very dedicated, knowledgeable, and experienced. We learn from each other every day, and everyone is determined to provide the best service to our clients. We also have devoted clients who are just as eager to help each other.”
Foote believes the popularity of Lady Wellness and similar facilities will only increase in the future. “Our mission is to promote wellness, meaning we provide tools, knowledge, and encouragement to women and teach them to take care of themselves every day. Women really understand the importance of staying strong and healthy since we tend to be the caretakers of our families, our elderly parents, and each other. Lady Wellness and the women’s fitness industry will continue to grow as more women join us in keeping healthy and happy.” TPW