The Fitness Founders Podcast

Welcome to the Fitness Founders Mini series, in collaboration with Mehdi Elaichouni, owner of Carpe Diem Jiu Jitsu Throughout each episode, Mehdi shares his first-hand experience navigating the challenges he faced as a new fitness operator, highlighting key learnings and actionable takeaways to help equip new fitness business owners as they set up their first operation. Finding a location for your fitness business is an art and a science. In this episode, Mehdi talks us through the steps that led him to find the perfect first location for Carpe Diem. He highlights the importance of having a vision, doing your research, exploring areas you love as well as the key things to consider once you’ve found a place where you can see your vision coming to life. Connect with Mehdi here: https://www.carpediembjj.sg This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

This week, we are joined by Cory Sterling, a lawyer and the owner of Conscious Council, a law firm focused on servicing health and wellness businesses. Connect with Cory here: linkedin.com/in/corysterling/ In this episode, Cory explains the origins of Conscious Council, the biggest legal risks fitness business owners can face, and how using a legal service allows you to really focus on the important areas of your business. As mentioned in the episode, Cory has kindly offered a discount for his excellent course: Don't Get Sued: Legal Essentials for Wellness Professionals, which covers the core issues we've seen our clients have the most questions about. Link to course here: https://sso.teachable.com/secure/357916/checkout/3282459/dont-get-sued Use discount code GLOFOX to it for FREE This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

Fred Hoffman is an international fitness expert and consultant based in Paris, France. He is the owner of Fitness Resource Consulting Services. Back in July Fred joined us to talk about what makes a great customer service, how different digital customer touchpoints and channels work and how customer service strategies differ from market to market. Connect with Fred here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredhoffman/?originalSubdomain=fr This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

Todd Wadler is a former investment banker and is the co-founder of BoxUnion and the current CEO of Title Boxing. Todd talks to us about starting BoxUnion, how he grew it into a profitable business, and how he applied the lessons he learned to over 150 franchise locations with Title Boxing. Connect with Todd here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-wadler-85513a18/ This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

Josh will be speaking at #Glocon2021 which brings together the best minds in the industry to help you navigate the world post pandemic. Sign up here: https://www.eventbrite.ie/e/glocon-2021-tickets-158559464627 Josh Biro is the founder of The Yogapreneur Collective, an ethical business coaching program for purpose driven yoga studios. In this episode Josh talks about focusing on the core vision of your studio, why value is the key to your pricing and the simple secret to making your sales pitch successful. Connect with Josh here: https://www.instagram.com/joshbiro Find The Yogaprenuer Collective here: https://joshbiro.com/the-yogapreneur-collective/ This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com

This week we talk to David Marquet, a retired United States Navy captain and submarine commander, leadership expert and bestselling author of Turn the Ship Around and Leadership is Language. In this episode David describes how he transformed USS Santa Fe into what has been called the most empowering organization ever seen, how to transform your leadership style from telling people what to do to letting people make decisions for themselves and why you need to think about the legacy you want to leave as a business owner Find out more about David and his essential leadership books here: https://davidmarquet.com/ This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

This week we talk to April Fisk, the CEO of Rockbox Fitness, a boxing inspired boutique fitness franchise based in the US. In this episode, April tells us about what the best franchises do at the highest level of operations, the key qualities of a successful franchisee and the importance of building strong communities within a franchise network. Connect with April here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/april-fisk-08600316/ Check out Rockbox Fitness here: https://rockboxfitness.com/ This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

This week we welcome back Chris Cooper, a gym owner, author and the founder of the fitness business mentorship program Two Brain Business. In this episode Chris tells us about how gyms were forced to rethink their business models during Covid-19, where fitness operators need to spend their time and money to be successful and he explains the secret behind why you should aim for 150 members when starting out. Connect with Chris here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/twobrain/?originalSubdomain=ca Find out more about Two Brain Business here: https://twobrainbusiness.com/ Take a look at their State of The Industry report here: https://twobrainbusiness.com/research/ Check out this article on Robert Dunbar's research that Chris mentions in the episode: https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20191001-dunbars-number-why-we-can-only-maintain-150-relationships This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

This week we are joined by Laurie McCartney, who is the President of Global Fitness and Wellness Solutions at Ascend Learning, which includes The National Academy of Sports Medicine (NASM), Athletics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA), Premier Global, ActiveIQ, and ClubConnect. In this episode Laurie talks about the changing role of fitness learning and development, how to add to your toolkit of skills to grow your business and the new opportunities on the horizon for fitness businesses post pandemic. Connect with Laurie here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-mccartney-1ba1456/ Check out NASM on the following channels: NASM on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/personaltrainers NASM on Instagram https://www.instagram.com/nasm_fitness/ NASM on YouTube https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCjWgUFeyDbeQ3Q_eVCup_7Q This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

This week we talk to Debra Strougo and Eric Von Frohlich, the founders of Row House, an Xponential brand and boutique fitness franchise that offers a low-impact, cardio enhancing, full-body strength workout for all fitness levels. In this episode Debra and Eric tell us about the challenges and successes starting out, how they built the brand from a few locations into a franchise and what the future looks like for the company and the industry as a whole. To to get involved with the Gyms Coalition that Debra mentions in the episode check out this link here: https://gymscoalition.org/get-involved Connect with Debra here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/debrastrougo/ Connect with Eric here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-von-frohlich-7a93b525/ This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

We are joined by Ian Mullane, the CEO of Keepme, an AI-based revenue acceleration CRM for fitness operators. He is also the author of The Fitness Future: Rules of Engagement, a white paper on the future of the fitness industry. Read his whitepaper here: http://bit.ly/TheFitnessFutureFFP Connect with Ian here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianmullane/ In this episode Ian discusses some key points from his whitepaper and explains how data-driven personalization can increase retention, the importance of consistency in the member journey and how fitness operators should engage with big tech companies entering the market. This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

The week we talk to Adam Zeitsiff, the President and CEO of Intelivideo, which is a digital video platform that helps fitness operators to transform their business into a hybrid model. Adam is also formerly the CEO of Golds Gym and has a wealth of experience in the fitness and technology space. You can connect with him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-zeitsiff In this episode Adam tells us how to create value for your members with your online offering, how large franchises can empower franchisees within this hybrid model and how to get ahead of the competition with hyper-personalization. This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

Matthew Januszek is the co-founder of Escape Fitness Equipment and the host of the popular Escape Your Limits Podcast. You can find him here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjanuszekescape/ Listen to the Escape Your Limits Podcast here: https://open.spotify.com/show/1ti8eXhs3O0qyXRRvzugcf In this episode, Matthew talks about why he started Escape Fitness, the thinking behind the design of a gym, and why you shouldn’t lose sight of your core business as digital fitness becomes more popular This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

This week we talk to Bryan O’Rourke, the President of the Fitness Industry Technology Council who holds a range of different leadership, speaking, and advisory roles across the fitness industry. You can find Bryan here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/ In this episode, Bryan talks about how the growing influence of technology in fitness over the past few years, how major tech companies are moving into the fitness and health space and what large franchises and independent operators need to do in as the market becomes more competitive. T his podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

Simon Flint is our guest this week. He is the CEO of Evolution Wellness which is the largest network of wholly-owned fitness studios in Asia. Currently, they have over 170 locations in 6 countries. Their portfolio includes 5 fitness brands and 1 wellness brand. They also own a software brand focused on the fitness industry. In this great episode, Simon talks about his decision-making process when investing in wellness and fitness brands, the leadership philosophy that influences the culture in the organization, and how to maintain high performance across a diverse range of brands. You can find out more about Evolution Wellness here: https://www.evolutionwellness.com/ This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

This week we talk to Vanessa Severiano, a growth, branding, and sales expert who is also the host of the excellent podcastThe Business Side of Fitness. Find out more about Vanessa and what she does at www.vanessaseveriano.com In this episode, she talks about changing consumer expectations, where you need to focus your sales and marketing efforts right now, and why mission-driven companies will win long term. This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

The week we talk to Loreana Acosta, a fitness business consultant who helps fitness businesses grow and become successful in the Middle East. In this episode Loreana explains the playbook for launching a gym or studio in the Middle East, the key mistakes to avoid when starting out, and lays out the unique challenges and opportunities presented in the region. To connect with Loreana you can find her here: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_loacosta_/ Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/loreanaacosta/ This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

This week we talk to Eric Malzone, a fitness industry consultant and podcast host who has a wealth of experience in entrepreneurship and the fitness industry. In this episode, Eric talks to us about the huge opportunity in the industry right now and takes us through the key qualities you need to be a successful fitness entrepreneur. Eric is the host of two excellent podcasts. The Future of Fitness Podcast a health science, fitness, and wellness interview podcast featuring the bleeding edge experts and entrepreneurs and The Black Diamond Podcast, where he interviews some of the world's best and brightest entrepreneurs, founders, and influencers. The Future of Fitness Podcast: https://www.futureoffitness.co/ The Black Diamond Podcast: https://www.level5mentors.com/podcast/ Check out Eric's consultancy business Level 5 Mentors: https://www.level5mentors.com/ Connect with Eric here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-malzone-%F0%9F%92%A0-8b452a3/ This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

This week we talk to Russ Harrison, the Group Managing Director of Spartans Boxing Club, a community focused boxing club expanding rapidly across the Asia Pacific and Middle East. In the episode Russ takes us on a journey from opening his first location in Singapore to building a franchise fitness business that is set to take him to 5 locations and beyond this year. This is a must listen for anyone thinking of growing their studio into a franchise. Russ will be running a virtual event on the 28th of October for anyone interested in getting involved in the Spartans Boxing Club franchise in Australia. Contact Russ at russ@spartansboxing.com for more information This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym software management company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/

This week we talk to Will Brereton, the co-founder of Ministry of Fit, which helps gyms and studios bring their brand to the virtual space in the most authentic way possible. He is also the co-founder of SH1FT Fitness, an online group fitness business. In this episode, Will gives us a masterclass in making your online offering successful and brings us through 5 key steps to help you bring your brand to life online. On October 12th Will and Ministry of Fit will be running a Digital Fitness Bootcamp and if you want to truly be successful online, it's not to be missed. Sign up here: https://digitalfitnessbootcamp.com/ Halfway down the page you will find a free downloadable guide entitled 9 Ways To Level Up on Virtual that is packed full of great information and top tips. The podcast episode he mentions in the interview can be found here: https://sh1ftfitness.net/podcast/004 This podcast is brought to you by Glofox, a gym management software company. If you are looking to accelerate growth, work efficiently and deliver a well-branded boutique customer experience, check us out at http://www.glofox.com/