Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, we present to you the second episode of the On The Edge Podcast where Emma Barry & Matthew Januszek interview co-founders of Boutique Fitness Solutions, Julian Barnes & NT Etuk. The Boutique Fitness Solutions, a peer-to-peer network & business education provider that guides, connects and empowers boutique fitness owners. BFS’ aim is to educate, connect and support boutique fitness business owners to enable them to grow profitable businesses that serve the evolving needs of their clients.  Escape Fitness, was invited to The Summit by BFS, and there Emma Barry & Matthew Januszek were able to find out BFS’ top 5 business principles that they’ve identified to be successful, some of the biggest takeaways of the data within the fitness industry, and why many female CEOS are optimistic about the future of the fitness industry. To find out more about BFS, click here! https://boutiquefitnesssolutions.com/

On this week’s Escape Your Limits Podcast, we got to sit down with the founder & GM of the Nike+ Lab and the Nike+ Accelerator who oversaw business development and partnerships, has spent nearly two decades building and scaling companies in sport, fitness and wellness- Brian Kirkbride. He is the co-founder and co-CEO of FitLab, the first fitness platform to connect every aspect of fitness lifestyle, from training to equipment to nutrition to clothing. The brands seen in FitLab Electric, Ragnar, Fitplan, McGregor FAST & XPT Life. Brian clarifies how there needs to be a reinvention of the old business model into a tech-centric model while also describing what it takes to be successful in an integrated experiential fitness & retail model, and why brand partnerships are vital to global expansion within the business realm. To learn more about FitLab visit here! https://www.fitlab.com

On this week’s Escape Your Limits podcast, our guest today is known as the “daddy of data-“ David Minton. He has been collecting and analyzing data from the fitness sector for the past two decades and reporting it to the public. He is also the founder of The Leisure Database company which is a leading independent specialist in the leisure sector, providing key market intelligence and analysis across the fitness industry in the form of an annual state of the industry report, Due to the pandemic the last State of the Industry Report was conducted in 2019 so there is an eager anticipation surrounding the 2022 report which is due for public release this May. Minton explains how the government has been unable to report on accurate data about the fitness industry due to inaccurate collection because of the pandemic which caused a struggle for facilities stay open. He also enlightens us on an untapped fitness opportunity with the older generation revolving around healthy movement, and the evolution of the definition of what a “low cost” gym is. To learn more about The Lesiure Database, click here: https://www.leisuredb.com/

On this weeks episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, Matthew Januszek & Emma Barry interview the first female CEO of IHRSA in its 40-year history, Liz Clark, at the Connected Health & Fitness Summit. Formerly a candy industry specialist, she previously lobbied government relations and advocacy at the National Confectioners Association (NCA). Serving as the industry’s voice in DC since 2011, Clark successfully lobbied to have confection manufacturing deemed “essential” during the pandemic. A striking contrast from the candy industry, Clark set her eyes on fitness. Transitioning her talents from one industry to another, she is advocating to making a change on Capitol Hill for higher awareness of fitness and the power of movement, nationwide. Clark highlights her first 100 days as CEO, her plans to evolve IHRSA, what role politics plays in fitness, and the importance of advocation for health representatives in Capitol Hill. To find out more about IHRSA, click here: https://www.ihrsa.org/

On this weeks episode of the Escape Your Limits, we interview an ex investment banker turned fitness entrepreneur, Simi Williams. She served different roles over 5 years within Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs and Morgan Stanley, spanning across equity capital markets and asset management. She then worked as an Investment Professional at Helios Investment Partners, Africa’s largest private equity fund. Desiring a change of her finance lifestyle, she wanted to pursue a career that allowed her to enjoy life while she loved what she was doing. In 2019, she founded BEYOND fitness, Africa’s first boutique fitness studio and digital platform. An entrepreneur keen to shake up the underserved African fitness industry, she focused on creating an impact in wellness, finance, technology, and inclusion spaces. Williams gives insight into the current state of Nigeria, and why growing a business is harder now than ever, what lessons she learned from her finance background that led to her success in fitness, and how she was able to be a successful entrepreneur while handling motherhood. To learn more about BEYOND Fitness click here: https://www.beyondng.com/

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast, we bring to you a new series with co-hosts Emma Barry and Matthew Januszek called the On the Edge Podcast. In this new series Matthew and Emma touch on a variety of topics that tie fitness into tech, fashion, etc. This week, the pair were invited to the Connected Health & Fitness Summit where they interviewed not one, not two, but five guests that each give their thoughts on the current state of the health industry and where they see it progressing in the future. These exclusive interviews cover a variety of topics including technology, business strategy and growth, the incorporation of science into fitness, health & well-being, and so on. The Connected Health & Fitness Summit asks the question of how the new type of consumer chooses to engage with fitness tech companies and gyms alike will determine the future successes, and failures, of these interconnected industries. Against this backdrop, in the past 18 months there has been a flood of investment into Fitness Tech; whether this be in the form of smart-fitness devices, fitness videos and tutorials, connected at-home fitness, or daily trackers and wearables. To learn more about the Summit click here: https://connectedhealthandfitness.com/events/connected-health-fitness-summit

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast, we bring to you a new series with co-hosts Emma Barry and Matthew Januszek called the On the Edge Podcast. In this new series Matthew and Emma touch on a variety of topics that tie fitness into tech, fashion, etc. This week, the pair were invited to the Connected Health & Fitness Summit where they interviewed not one, not two, but five guests that each give their thoughts on the current state of the health industry and where they see it progressing in the future. These exclusive interviews cover a variety of topics including technology, business strategy and growth, the incorporation of science into fitness, health & well-being, and so on. The Connected Health & Fitness Summit asks the question of how the new type of consumer chooses to engage with fitness tech companies and gyms alike will determine the future successes, and failures, of these interconnected industries. Against this backdrop, in the past 18 months there has been a flood of investment into Fitness Tech; whether this be in the form of smart-fitness devices, fitness videos and tutorials, connected at-home fitness, or daily trackers and wearables. To learn more about the Summit click here: https://connectedhealthandfitness.com/events/connected-health-fitness-summit

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, we interview the managing director of 70 plus JD Gyms nationwide, Alun Peacock. A former professional rugby union player turned health club operator, he blazed his way through the fitness industry by working for JJB Health Clubs. Peacock was with the business from their outset, joining in 1997 to manage the first JJB club and leaving the business in 2010 as operations director, looking after 68 sites. By having the large backing of retail megabrand JD Sports, JD Gyms was able to execute their success by focusing on their consumers wants and needs. By revolutionizing affordable fitness with fair pricing and a sensational training environment, the success of JD Gyms is seen throughout their multiple locations. He puts his input on why the fitness retail industry doesn’t dive into opening fitness clubs, what role social media played in designing JD Gyms, and the innovation behind creating a successful business in the fitness industry. To learn more about JD Gyms, click here: https://www.jdgyms.co.uk/

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, we interview Neal Spruce, the CEO of dotFIT, and the former owner of the prestigious National Academy of Sports Medicine. Growing up, Spruce was surrounded by fitness and turned his lifelong passion into his career. When owning the National Academy of Sports Medicine, he revolutionized the business by turning it into the global leader in providing evidence-based certifications, fitness solutions, and advanced credentials to health, sports- performance, and fitness professionals.   He moved on to wanting to help people find holistic solutions tin their fitness journey’s and created dotFIT, which focuses on filling nutritional gaps and providing evidence-based programs. Spruce focuses on informing people how to fulfill their nutritional gaps, the differentiation between health span, life span, and play span, and growing a business in what one is passionate about. Learn more about dotFIT here: https://www.dotfit.com/ Learn more about Fibr here: https://www.fibr.fit/home/

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, we interview Joe De Sena, the creator of one of the most mentally challenging races to exist, the Spartan Race. Being raised around the mob during his formative years, De Sena took the lessons he learned and applied it to his life. In doing so, he created an entrepreneurial career for himself which led him to Wall Street, and soon to the fresh air of Vermont. There, he was able to explore his passions- which include mentally and physically challenging the human race- and soon birthed the Spartan and Death Race.   De Sena explains his views on failure, career switching, and looking past fears and obstacles. Learn more about Joe De Sena here: https://joedesena.com/