On April 1st, THE MAX Challenge’s corporate team and franchise owners paused their daily company-wide Zoom video call to display handwritten messages of gratitude to all essential workers.

“Thank you – you truly are our heroes,” one message read. “Thank you for holding up the sky and making this possible for ALL OF US. We are so grateful!” said another. Many of the signs also had drawings of hearts, smiley faces, and the American flag alongside these heartfelt words.

Nearly a month ago, the fitness franchise shut their doors before it was government mandated to do so in an effort to protect their members. They shifted to a virtual model practically overnight, and to help facilitate this change, Founder/CEO Bryan Klein has been holding daily coaching calls with owners.

Together, THE MAX Challenge team decided that the Zoom call was the perfect opportunity to show their appreciation for essential workers – many of whom are members at various locations.

“As soon as everyone held up their messages, I was immediately brought to tears,” said Hayley Guerra, Director of Marketing and Development at THE MAX Challenge. “Over 50 windows filled with messages of thanks, of hope, and of encouragement; it was truly remarkable.”

The display of gratitude didn’t stop there – members of the team took screen shots of the thank-you messages from the Zoom call and shared on their social media pages, encouraging their members to tag any essential workers in the comment section who they wanted to publicly thank.

“My heart breaks for those on the front lines,” Guerra said. “These are people deliberately putting themselves face to face with this virus out of necessity, out of bravery, and out of a commitment to serve. They deserve every bit of recognition and support we can offer.”

THE MAX Challenge has always placed an emphasis on helping people improve both their physical and mental health, but in the wake of the COVID-19 crisis, they are finding new ways to help all their members practice self-care. Aside from offering live and on-demand classes, they’re also hosting live cooking demonstrations, weekly motivational speakers, and virtual mindfulness walks lead by Saul Concepcion, Regional Director of Franchise Operations and Certified Life Coach.