Michael Arredondo and his co-founder and childhood friend, Ray Weisberg, used to compete over everything—who could sell the most jeans at Tilly’s, who could serve the most desserts at the country club, and who could rack up the highest sales numbers. However, their biggest challenge was competing for attention in workplaces that treated high performers the same as employees who merely showed up for a paycheck.

“We were always those employees who wanted to overachieve,” Michael recalls about their days working those hourly jobs. But not every workplace rewards that drive. Too often, they watched as their extra effort went unnoticed while less engaged coworkers received the same treatment. That experience planted a seed that would eventually grow into Edge—Employee Driven Growth Engine—a platform that’s now helping thousands of fitness professionals get the recognition and rewards they deserve.

The Problem: Great Coaches Going Unrecognized

Six years after founding Edge with his longtime friends (including his brother), Michael has seen firsthand how this recognition gap plays out in the world and the fitness industry. Although Edge isn’t strictly for the fitness industry, there is a significant gap to bridge in this area. Coaches and trainers, the very people who create transformative experiences for members, often feel undervalued and underpaid. It’s a pattern that drives talent away from an industry that desperately needs skilled professionals.

“Most coaches and trainers typically leave because either they feel like they can make more money elsewhere, or they don’t feel appreciated for the work that they’re doing,” Michael explains. Meanwhile, operators are juggling a multitude of daily tasks, often focusing on problems rather than celebrating successes. This creates a vicious cycle that we understand all too well at Coach360. Great coaches leave, studios struggle to find replacements, and the churn cycle continues, with an almost 100 percent turnover rate across the sector annually. 

The Solution: Making Recognition Automatic and Rewarding

Edge addresses this issue by turning customer satisfaction into employee recognition and rewards. Here’s how it works: After a class or training session, members receive a simple text asking them to rate their experience with their coach on a scale of one to five. When they give high ratings, the system seamlessly encourages them to leave a positive Google review, specifically mentioning their favorite coach by name. 

Edge makes it seamless for customers to review their favorite employees and earn them a financial bonus without having to open their own wallets to make it happen. It’s quick and free for members, and generates buzz for the studio, appreciation for the trainer or coach, and creates an all-around positive experience for everyone involved.

The magic happens in the feedback loop. Within 24 hours of a positive review being posted, coaches get a notification on their phone that they were given a shout-out in a review. They get to see the kind things members say, which provides a dopamine hit and a sense of accomplishment, knowing they are making a difference in the lives of their patrons and making the company proud of the work they are doing. 

But Edge doesn’t stop at feel-good moments. Studio owners can set monetary incentives for each mention in a review. The platform tracks everything automatically, and coaches can redeem their earnings through a marketplace featuring gift cards from popular retailers such as Starbucks, Chipotle, and Amazon.

Beyond Recognition: Building Careers, Not Just Jobs

As coaches rack up positive reviews mentioning them by name, they’re building their professional reputation online. Michael shares the story of a personal trainer whose consistent positive reviews began attracting new clients who specifically requested him. There are people who have never been to the gym or studio before, but will specifically book with this individual after seeing so many glowing reviews about him online. It’s helping coaches and trainers market themselves effortlessly and seamlessly. 

This shift from employee to recognized professional is exactly what the fitness industry needs. Instead of coaches feeling like interchangeable parts, they’re becoming valued specialists with growing reputations, which are assets that studios want to retain and invest in.

Some forward-thinking operators are already using Edge as a recruitment and retention tool, highlighting the extra earning potential as a job benefit. It’s a smart move in an industry where finding skilled trainers and coaches has become increasingly complicated.

The Fitness Industry’s Backbone Deserves Better

The fitness industry has long relied on passionate professionals who genuinely care about helping people transform their lives. These coaches and trainers work early mornings and late nights, celebrate client victories, and provide encouragement during difficult moments. 

Yet for too long, many of these dedicated professionals have felt undervalued. They screenshot positive texts from clients, save encouraging emails, and build their informal collections of feedback to remind themselves why their work matters during tough days.

Edge systematizes this recognition while adding meaningful financial rewards. It acknowlEdges what savvy operators already know: people return to the gym or the class because of the coaches who make them feel seen, supported, and successful.

“People return and buy because of the coaches, the instructors,” Michael emphasizes. “They’re the best marketers, they’re the best salespeople, they’re the ones that can make or break the guest experience.”

Final Thoughts

What started as two friends competing over dessert sales has evolved into a platform that’s changing how an entire industry treats its most valuable assets. Edge proves that recognizing great work doesn’t have to be more complex than consistently showing up, meaningfully engaging, and offering a well-deserved reward.

The fitness industry has always been about transformation. Now, thanks to platforms like Edge, that transformation is finally reaching the people who make it all possible.

About Elisa Edelstein
Elisa is a curious and versatile writer, carving her niche in the health and wellness industry since 2015. Her lens is rooted in real world experience as a personal trainer and competitive bodybuilder and extended out of the gym and on to the page as a writer where she is able to combine her passions for empowering others, promoting wellness, and the power of the written word.