CASE STUDY — Fitness
An independent gym rebuilding its people foundations after a tough year — and creating a culture as strong as its member experience.
THE CHALLENGE
8
employees at engagement start
Following a difficult period of staffing issues, E-Motion needed to start again with stronger foundations. There were no real people systems in place, and the absence of structure was costing the directors time, energy, and focus. They wanted to do right by their team but didn't have the processes to do so consistently. What began as a conversation about putting the basics in place quickly evolved — it became clear that building real clarity, accountability, and support structures internally would be the key to creating the thriving, sustainable culture they were after.
HOW WE WORKED TOGETHER
The approach.
Maat worked closely with the two directors to build the right foundations without overcomplicating things. We started with two collaborative workshops to redefine the business mission and vision, giving the whole team a shared sense of direction.
From there we built out the people infrastructure from scratch — recruitment and interview processes, onboarding plans, probation structures, 1:1 templates, team check-ins, and end of year reviews. We introduced talent management, updated expectations for both staff and members, and facilitated a team alignment session to re-energise the group around the new direction.
Alongside the practical work, Maat acted as a consistent coach and thought partner for the directors — providing a calm, honest sounding board for decisions and supporting them to lead with more confidence and intentionality.`
THE IMPACT
What changed.
The results were tangible. Three strong hires were made in under ten months using the new recruitment process. Team dynamics improved, with clearer communication and consistent 1:1s creating stronger trust across the coaching team. The directors described feeling more supported, less stressed, and more in control. And crucially, the values that E-Motion was built on are now visible in everyday behaviours — from the leadership down.
Voices from E-Motion Fitness Hub
"
Maat has been exceptional — delivering on every promise and helping us navigate some complex challenges with confidence. Haydan's creativity, in particular, has shaped many of the everyday processes we now rely on at E-Motion.
Director
E-Motion Fitness Hub
"
Working with Maat means working with someone who's fully there. Haydan brings calm, clarity, and practical thinking, and always leaves us with a golden nugget or new idea. He speaks to everyone from directors to ground staff with the same ease, and always helps us move forward. If that's the partner you've been looking for, that's Maat.
Director
E-Motion Fitness Hub
"
I noticed a clear difference once Maat started working with E-Motion. The systems and processes — already efficient — got even better, and Haydan brought a simple way of gathering feedback that made impact easy to measure and improvements easy to identify.
Coach
E-Motion Fitness Hub