Joel Richardson

Due to the small team at Jungle I inherited a large number of diverse roles.

My role as 2IC included tasks such as;

- Staff acquisition and training.

- Development of written procedures for all tasks in the gym.

- Developed schedule and plan for group bookings, parties, etc.

- Tracking of all financial aspects of the gym.

- Organisation of roster.

- Streamlining of induction processes.

- Creation of events, as well as planning and outreach.

- Tracking and maintenance of all stock.

- Managing staff cohesion and ability to work towards goals.

- Instituting incentives and deals to increase general revenue.

- Booking and events management and scheduling.

- Managing membership creation, freezes, etc.

I am very grateful for the experience of managing a multifaceted gym and feel I have learned a variety of crucial skills during my time. When I started my position, our gym was in quite a state of turmoil, my manager and I were able to redirect the path of our gym positively. As 2IC, there has been multiple occasions where I was responsible for the entire management of the gym, I believe I thrive with responsibility and have been able to elevate the environment.

Within my role of Head Coach I;

- Coached Youth Squad (12-18) and Junior Squad (6-12).

- Coached Adult Foundations Climbing Course + wrote course schedule and information sheet as well as trained other staff to teach.

- Ran all private coaching bookings.

- Ran mass group free introduction classes.

- Created an advanced youth squad and added an extra day of Youth Squad.

- Trained staff members to run Junior, Youth and Mind your Monkeys (6-12).

- Wrote term long training programs for each group.

- Developed lists of games, activities, drills and exercises for all age groups and experience levels.

I have loved my position as head coach, many of my kids I have coached for years. It is a privilege to see them not just develop as climbers, but grow into their own personalities. I think having a role model is essential for young people and have always strived to present myself in the best way possible, in an effort to guide them to be their best selves.

All aspects of coaching is something I am incredibly passionate about and would love to pursue this further in my career.

I have been route setting, boulder and lead, for approaching 2 years now and it is by far my favourite experience of working in a gym. I'm fascinated by the process of creatively finding ways to not just engage members, but encourage learning and development of skills. It is an amazing avenue to channel creativity and inventiveness. The satisfaction accompanied with creating a climb that is enjoyed by the community, demanding a multifaceted approach, is unmatched. I would love to continue developing my skills as a setter, learning and embracing the uniqueness of other peoples styles and approaches.

More recently I have inherited some social media responsibility for the gym. I have attempted to find a healthy balance between light hearted humour and advertisement of events, community and products. Some of the roles have included; creation of reels, organisation of highlights, uploading of stories and posts.

• Provided exceptional customer service, enhancing customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Assisted in inventory management, ensuring accurate stock levels and product availability.
• Trained new employees on operational procedures and customer engagement techniques.

I feel my time working in the retail industry created a great foundation of customer service and relations. Due to the location I was employed, I interacted with an incredibly diverse range of people. Being employed here during the pandemic also provided practice with remaining calm during high stress environments and intense customer interactions.