Navigating Career Changes and Leadership Transitions

Lessons from a business leader with a reputation as a disruptor.

This week's guest on the Escape Your Limits podcast is a graduate from the University of Cambridge; he's held several roles in a number of top corporate institutions, most recently spearheading growth from 84 gyms to over 200 after overseeing a £600m company sale in his current role.

We hope you enjoy this passionate, professional and honest interview with the CEO of PureGym, Humphrey Cobbold.

For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast

Video Version – hthttps://youtu.be/uYbjk5PckCs

Humphrey Cobbold is CEO of PureGym and a serial disruptor in business, responsible for a dramatic shift in pricing structure and offering members more flexibility.

He's an IRONMAN triathlete with a passion for both performance and recovery in and out of business. From building his breadth of experience in consultancy and other roles out of the fitness industry, he transitioned into a very different type of role as CEO of Wiggle where he took sales from £33m to £175m.

Today he's dealing with the challenges of PureGym locations being closed down in over 500 sites around Europe, while also representing the fitness industry to the media in fighting continued closures even after sanitisation and hygiene standards have been exceeded.

PureGym believes everyone should have the opportunity to enjoy a fit and healthy lifestyle. They have made it simple, affordable and convenient for everyone to achieve their personal health goals.

With over 220 pieces of the latest gym equipment, personal trainers will also be on hand to provide you with advice and instruction to get the most out of your workout. Inside PureGym you will find a vibrant and spacious gym floor, excellent changing facilities, modern showers, and the brand's functional training zones. The team prides itself in maintaining the highest standards in every PureGym, while creating a fun and friendly atmosphere.

Episode highlights -

• Hear the reaction of government decision makers as they toured gyms to get a better understanding of the fitness industry throughout the pandemic, and what percentage of them hadn't stepped foot in a gym for 20 years.
• What the PureGym team is doing to track transmission rates throughout the fitness industry and feed results back to governing bodies.
• Why governments and authorities don't really understand what the fitness industry does, and how we can impact and influence decision makers in each environment around the world.
• How you can make your own luck from persistent hard work, and what you can do if the worst happens on your career path. A resilience-focussed mindset is key to getting through hard times, even if it's day by day.
• What the difference is in a career path between trying to manage something that's inherently unmanageable or embracing opportunities as they arise.
• What are the four things that you're truly responsible for as a chief executive, and how you can overcome the pressure of a new role in the first few weeks of the job.
• How business strategies have changed in the past 25 years and what we can learn from the past to find sustainability, durability and success in the future.
• What the importance is in fitness facilities and wellbeing environments to inspire confidence in both members and teams, regardless of whether the brand is low cost or luxury.
• Why you need to understand where your strengths and weaknesses are, hire people better than you, and work together to complement each other as a team in every area of business.
• How you can take time to think by blocking out space in your diary for concentrated effort for planning, strategy, understanding and finding new ways of implementing what you've learned.
• What actionable changes can you make to your life to not only set yourself up in business, but support your wellbeing and family life in the most efficient way possible for true happiness.
• Why distraction from your business life and daily activity is just as important for recovery and performance over time. Find what you love to do in your spare time and do it regularly so that you're not always head-down and on the clock.

Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Humphrey Cobbold…