We want OTF LoLa back!

I couldn’t agree with this statement more. I’m incredibly disheartened and disappointment in the decisions management has made over the past few weeks. Further, I sent an email filled with concern and question a few weeks ago and have yet to receive a reply. I’m truly shocked at how the studio, staff and community are being managed and voices are being ignored.

I love OTF Lola. The workouts are amazing and I know that when Alexa and Jojo are watching my form, they will correct me to prevent injuries. I used to workout at Camp Gladiator and one of the reasons I switched to OTF Lola is the quality of coaches. When Jojo and Alexa call out my name in the middle of a workout, I’m inspired and thrive in the recognition (even if they are telling me to correct form or stay with my speed). Exercise can bring out a range of emotions and I felt safe being vulnerable with Alexa and Jojo. I’m debating changing my studio or leaving OTF all together. Please take this petition seriously.

Alexa is the heart and soul of the studio. Her departure, and that of JoJo has me reconsidering my membership.

This is a critical time and tipping point for this studio. I joined Orangetheory in advance of the LOLA studio being opened with the hope that i could get a good workout in. I was a bit skeptical but hopeful. My first LOLA workout was with Coach Alexa, she new her stuff and guided the class with ease and instructed people with varying levels to succeed in their efforts. Throughout the last year Coaches Alexa, JoJo and Bryony have been able to provide in a group setting class, a workout that challenges me as an individual. This takes athletic know how, people skills, organizational skills. The coaches are why members come back day after day to achieve their fitness goals. They are positive influencers in my life and they are people that when you look back at your life you were glad you met and knew them. This studio management must understand that we can go to any number of gyms in the area and the thing that keeps myself and others coming back are the coaches and the expectation that they are knowledgeable, competent and trustworthy and have an organization behind them and us. It is apparent that there is a severe disconnect between what we as members value and what is valued by management. Alexa is an experienced coach and hard to replace. Alexa was instrumental in building the LOLA community. I personally recommended OTF to people and would not have done so without Alexa being the head coach. I would like to see Alexa back to help heal our wounded community and build into a strong and welcoming studio. I would welcome a call to discuss Cheryl

There are many choices in our area to exercise-with more opening every month. My experience with our community at LoLa OTF had always been one of support, positivity and great energy. And there has most definitely been a dramatic change. Happiness trickles downhill and LoLa needs a new spicket. Thank you to whomever was the impetus of this petition. Hopefully it will be an agent of change.

I have been a member for over a year, and I have recommended this place to so many people. But the energy in the studio has not been the same in recent weeks, and membership appears to be declining as I have had no issue getting a spot in class even on short notice. I hope this brings light to the need for change. Alexa was one of the best things to ever happen in my adult life. My boundaries have been rebuilt further out, time and time again, because of the confidence and motivation she inspired in me. She challenged the status quo of my body and my mind, and I believe in my own abilities more every day because of her coaching. JoJo and Bryony have lifted me up on bad days with humor, understanding, and encouragement. Clients don’t come because the studio says OrangeTheory on the outside. They come for the atmosphere that is created by the coaches and staff. If ownership doesn’t acknowledge this and really make a concerted effort to listen, then the whole client experience will suffer. Leadership is not a title; it’s about positive influence. Leadership is not achieved by tearing others down; it is achieved by building up all those people around you who have strengths that are different than your own. Your coaches are leaders. They set the bar high for everyone at your studio. I hope that everyone is measuring up to their example.

“Our passionate coaches are not only credible, they truly care. They are your helping hand to reach your goals, and will always inspire you to be your best. Beyond that, your coach is your accountability partner, your motivator, your guide, your friend”. Alexa and Jo Jo embody all of the qualities that Orangetheory list on their website and then some. To see coaches of this caliber leave LoLa under these circumstances is disconcerting. As a founding member, I have seen them build a true community through their energy, support and individualized encouragement each and every class. The coaches are what differentiates OTF LoLa from the hundreds of gyms in Boulder County. This is what has kept me as a loyal member and is LoLa’s invaluable asset. I would expect them to be treated as such by the studio management. Based on recent events, this is clearly not the case. This needs to be addressed immediately.

I have been a member of OT LoLa since day one!! Not only have I found a community, I have found friends, extended my family, and coaches who inspire and push me. My whole sense of well being and drive has changed because is the three original visited coaches at OT LoLa!! I am so fortunate to be a part of this amazing group!!

My experience with OT has been life changing I contribute this entirely to Alexa and Jo Jo who were instrumental in providing me an exceptional experience, fostering community and providing an environment that enables the family atmosphere felt at LoLa. It is disappointing and disheartening to learn management doesn’t value the most important assets they have - their Coaches, especially considering the high caliber of Alexa, JoJo and Coach B. It shadows how I currently feel as a member - not valued. I hope this petition is a wake up call to owners and management - listen to your customers!!! We matter. Your employees matter. The treatment of your employees reflects your priorities which are not in step with your customer base at OTL. I sincerely hope you take all the passionate comments from this community into consideration, it’s not too late to make amends and rebuild a happy clientele. -Kim Jaeger

My husband and I love being a part of Orange Theory LOLA. We are founding members and have reaped many benefits from our membership. Recently we were made aware of a situation involving Alexa and the studio manager, Allysa which resulted in an incredibly destructive, unkind and bullying interaction between Alexa, Allysa and Nina, the studio owner. As a result of this interaction, Alexa was forced in to making the decision to quit at which point she was told that this was their intention all along. Alexa is an amazing coach who truly cares about each individual client and has driven your membership up. By treating her so poorly, you have damaged your studios reputation and now JoJo is leaving as well. To her credit, Alexa is not encouraging people to leave OT LOLA because she understands the benefits they have gained from the workouts however, by her leaving and JoJo leaving as well, the quality of your studio is in question. Anyone can walk through a room and tell people what to do but it takes special people who actually care who can run workouts that make a personal difference. I would seriously take a careful look at the decisions the owner and studio manager are making.

It goes without saying we need Alexa back as a coach. Definitely a huge benefit to the OTF LOLA location. It hasn't been the same without her.

I joined Orange Theory as a founding member before they were even open. Since joining this establishment, I have become healthier, happier, and more fit. Not only do I love the workouts, I love the community that OTF has provided for me. I have even recruited several new members because I love this place so much! The bond I have with the coaches is incredible. After losing Alexa, I was devastated! If you know anything about Alexa, you know she would never leave without notice unless left with this as an only option. The rumors and gossip surrounding this sudden departure don't make me feel like I am with the safe and inviting community I once did. Now, JoJo is leaving too. Again, this is a huge blow to me and the members of OTF Lola. I am concerned as to why no one has inquired with the members about their thoughts and feelings regarding these sudden changes. We all come to the workouts because of the coaches, not the manager. I don't appreciate the lack of communication surrounding Alexa's resignation. She was the heart of the gym and kept us all motivated, accountable, and feeling loved. Since her absence, I feel a loss of community. I don't appreciate her being verbally abused publicly or before class with other members. I hope you are doing everything in your power as the owner to solve these fixable problems. The tension at the studio is uncomfortable. I wonder how effective the manager can be when so many bridges have been burned? Again, no one comes to OTF Lola for the manager, they come for the awesome coaches. Alexa, JoJo, and Coach B are the heroes that have worked to create an environment I love. Without them, I am not sure I will stay a member of this gym. Please take my words into consideration when moving forward regarding this studio. I have nothing but confidence for the coaches, I am very worried about management and ownership and where their priorities lie...

I wanted to start off by saying that I am one who drank the kool-aid and through my 13-14 months at OTF I have upped my fitness levels tremendously, even already having a solid athletic background. I credit that entirely to Jo Jo, B, and Alexa. The three are incredibly motivating and very much care about getting to know the members, understanding their goals and motivations. I can't say enough about Alexa - and hearing that she 'resigned' broke my spirit. Her talents and personality should have never been in doubt. The fact that she 'resigned' and now that Jo Jo has put in her two week notice should be screaming red flags that something is going at the studio. I've only been to a small number of classes as I've been coming back from an injury but I can tell that the studio does not have the same energy it once did. I whole heartily agree with the above petition. John Thrasher

I absolutely love being a member at LoLa, and have loved building relationships with the members and coaches. It is extremely important to know the coaches are supported in their work as they support us so incredibly well. I hope things resolve immediately.

Alexa’s great energy and experience is why I came to LoLa OT. Please bring her back to Lafayette.

I would like to start with saying how amazing my time with at Orange Theory has been. I never thought I would enjoy taking group fitness classes until I discovered the LOLA studio. I have been going for over a year now and joined as a founding member. The coaches are so amazing at this location both Alexa and JoJo have pushed me so hard and truly have changed my life for the better both physically and mentally. Every interaction I have had with these coaches has been so positive and uplifting. However on the other hand it is so sad to see how poorly managed this studio is. I have been to many other locations and the involvement of the studio manager is a complete 180. It is difficult for me to watch the difficulties the SA/Staff have hear due to poor training and development of the team. The studio manager lacks many qualities that one should have in this position and at times makes very poor decisions, like allowing a 430pm class to enter the studio and workout with no coach present. This decision is not only not okay by the rules and regulations of Orange Theory as company but also extremely unsafe. At the end of the day I would just like to see some major changes with the management and hope that one day we can get Alexa back.

Well, in the last two weeks we have lost our Head Coach, Alexa, and now Jo Jo has given notice. Two out of three of our amazing coaches are gone. Something is definitely awry. I’ve written the owner and have heard nothing directly from her about my concerns regarding the milieu of the studio and how poorly the response has been to Alexa’s abrupt “resignation”. Jo Jo and Coach B have done an amazing job filling in but the substitutions are about to become insurmountable. We need to restore communication, respect, and transparency in this studio. We miss our LoLa community and are waiting to see how the owner and management will respond to the concerns of the members.

Change is sorely needed. I have been in contact with Jori Hays, Nina the owner’s consultant and I echo the comments that have been posted thus far. Alexa, Jo Jo, and Coach B have created a culture and community unlike any other. At this moment, one has “resigned,” and another has given her two weeks, while we’ve watched management scramble around and throw coaches “under the bus.” Members come for the coaches, not the management or the ownership. Thank goodness for that, otherwise you would have no members. I want my LoLa OTF community back! Please talk to your paying members. Get the pulse of what is happening here. Act in a responsible and responsive manner. We are all looking for something to change and trust to be built again. The ball is in your court. Do the right thing before you sit back and watch good members walk.

I truly love my OTF lola family. I joined before the studio opened and, until recently, have always ended a workout feeling better than when I started. The lack of professionalism on behalf of management/ownership regarding personnel matters has been truly shocking. To publicly insult the character of a coach who recently left is uncalled for and shameful. It is embarrassing and uncomfortable for members to be in the presence of such behavior. I have felt empowered during my time at OTF lola in a way not keenly felt in other settings. To have management feel threatened by an honest and charismatic coach rather than continuing to empower that person to be their best - and then choosing to act on those feelings in petty and childish ways is abhorrent. It is my greatest hope that I can continue to feel good about spending my money to continue my OTF membership. I truly hope that management and ownership will step up and stand behind their coaches, who are the difference makers for us, the paying members! Time will tell. I will vote with my feet if things do not improve. Sincerely, Amy C

my heart aches for the changes and disturbances that we, my OTF family, have encountered at LOLA the past couple of weeks. The resignation of my favorite coach is only part of it. The defamation of her character is another. There are a lot of rumors going around and the atmosphere is unstable. Please, to the owner, do what you can to reinstate our coach and make OTF the positive place it use to be!