Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

What does McDonald’s have to do with gyms and how is Hussle getting the other 90% interested in fitness? Hussle, the UK’s largest fitness network, recently partnered with McDonald’s to offer a fitness-based prize as part of its annual McDonald’s Monopoly game, which is played by more than seven million consumers nationwide. The deal will give McDonald’s customers the chance to win access to any of Hussle’s 2000+ partner health clubs and leisure centres. At first glance, it may seem like a paradox but Hussle believes the collaboration is a great way to reach more people and help them become more active, more often. Throughout this interview with Hussle CEO Jamie Ward, we discuss the McDonald’s partnership as well as: • How to raise money for a fit-tech startup • Advantages of working in the fitness marketplace • Why gyms have a marketing problem • The comparison between ClassPass and Hussle • How to get a better return on your gym’s digital marketing efforts

Natalia Karbasova is the CEO of the FitTech Company and Founder of the FitTech Summit, the leading conference in Europe devoted to fitness technology and the future of wellbeing and healthy lifestyle. Throughout our interview, she illustrates where technology is taking the fitness industry. Right now, health is the largest market in the world. And Silicon Valley now wants its piece of the action. In the race for gym members and subscribers, the fitness industry has been given a head start. But Big Tech is catching up really fast – forcing brands to reimagine the gym experience or become obsolete. Big Tech’s move into fitness was always going to happen, pandemic or not. But what does that mean for the traditional fitness industry? How will fit-tech influence gyms in the years to come? In this insightful talk, she shares her view about what the future holds.

Our guest this week predicts the future for a living. Not peer into a crystal ball kind of future predicting. His role as a forecaster in the real world is concerned with future certainty. Prof. Dr. Carl Rohde looks at how hidden trends in the present signal direction changes for society, brands, and the world at large. He doesn't tell us how we should think about the future; instead he lays out his own predictions. What will delight your customers in six months, a year, two decades? What eco trends will influence the fitness industry? How will technology and A.I. shift ever-changing consumer expectations? If you're eager to see into the future, check out this interview with Prof. Dr. Carl Rohde. Prof. Dr. Carl Rohde is a cultural sociologist, a professor of Future Forecasting, Trend Watching and Innovation, and the founder of Science of the Time. He conducts the biggest trend research, the Cool City Hunt project, with 47 universities and about 10,000 students worldwide. Together they construct local and global validated trends for brands such as Adidas, Bacardi, BMW, Canon, Coca Cola, Footlocker, Heineken, Levi's, Microsoft, Sony. Learn more about the Science of the Time: https://scienceofthetime.com/

Kory Angelin has over 25 years experience in the fitness and business industries. He is an award-winning fitness expert, sales strategist, two-time published author, speaker, and podcast host of Rep It Up. He has helped to elevate some of the biggest fitness companies in the world teaching brand experience and is the author of "#Sellout: How a Great Experience Can Help You #SELLOUT of Your Product." In this interview, we cover: • Should fitness studios still have sales staff? • If you don’t have passion for your brand, you won’t sell a membership. • You need to provide great member experiences and journeys. • The key to operating a great studio is understanding your sales cycle. • Why delivering an unbelievable onboarding experience is key to growth. • What makes a great gym experience? • The difference between big box gyms and boutique studios. • Digital marketing strategies your gym needs to be using. • How often should fitness brands be shopping their competition? •Why buyer personas matter and how they can help increase gym memberships. • How to generate more business leads on social media. Currently, Kory stands at the forefront of Volofit, a new HIIT fitness concept by Tough Mudder Bootcamp that is designed to challenge individuals through four areas of fitness, endurance, strength, power and agility. Kory was featured in the Top 20 Entrepreneurs to Watch in 2020 by The Chicago Journal and Top 20 Influential People of 2020 by New York Wire. He has worked with some of the top fitness brands in the world, including his current role with F45 and previously Lifetime Fitness, Equinox, and Les Mills. 

Chris Voss is the former #1 Lead International Kidnapping Negotiator for the FBI. He is the author of the bestselling book "Never Split the Difference: Negotiating As If Your Life Depended on It," and the CEO of Black Swan Group. He spent 24 years with the FBI and was the FBI’s hostage negotiation representative for the National Security Council’s Hostage Working Group. His many years of experience in international crisis and high-stakes negotiations helped him to develop a unique program and team that applies these globally proven techniques to the business world. Chris Voss was trained in the art of negotiation by not only the FBI but Scotland Yard and Harvard Law School. His mission used to be to save people's lives. Today, his mission is to help people change their lives. Tune in to this illuminating conversation as we discuss:  How to negotiate with a customer you can't afford to lose. The two most critical skills to become a master negotiator. What people tell you is really only 7% of what’s going on. In a negative mindset, you're not as smart as when you're thinking positive. How your personality type affects your negotiation style. The power of being genuinely curious. Why bargaining should be your last move in a negotiation. Trust based influence vs. manipulation. How can you tell if someone is lying? The deal killer in the room is often as important as the decision maker. What is tactical empathy and how can you use it to negotiate? Why you're in so much trouble if somebody looks at you and says, “You're right.”

On this week's Escape Your Limits podcast, we interview Pete Moore, the founder of Integrity Square, which is the leading boutique financial advisory firm for the Health, Active Lifestyle, and Outdoor, or HALO, sector. He is also an author, former investment banker, and co-founder of IRON Planet, a notable B2B auction site for used equipment that sold for $758 million.  For anyone interested in investing in the HALO sector, our guest this week is the go-to authority. Episode Highlights. Why he believes the bricks and mortar gym experience is here to stay. Things people typically get wrong when investing. How to turn your frustrations into a billion dollar business. What private investors are looking for before investing in fitness startups. Top 3 investment opportunities within the HALO sector right now.  Why health club operators need to stop competing on price.  Is recovery programming the next big thing in fitness? How brands like Peloton have shaped what investors are looking for. The do’s and don’ts within the HALO sector.

Gold's Gym first opened in 1965. At that time, there were only three gyms in the Southern California and Los Angeles area. It became the mecca for bodybuilding. Today, there are more than 700+ Gold's Gym locations in 28 countries. Our guest this week is Angel Banos, the President and CEO of Gold's Gym SoCal. From the very beginning, Gold's Gym was built on community — something that remains true to this day. In our interview, we discuss: • What the $100m acquisition of Gold’s Gym means for the franchise’s future. • How Gold’s Gym's President put pressure on local government during the pandemic. • The #1 business secret that's revolutionizing the Gold's Gym franchise. • How Angel Banos uses goal setting to manifest success. And much more!

On this week's episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast, we interview Shari Castelli, the Director of Industry Development at ClassPass. ClassPass is a monthly fitness membership that connects members to thousands of fitness studios and gyms in 2,500 cities across the globe. In its latest Series E round, the startup raised $285 million putting the company's valuation at over $1 billion. So, what makes the ClassPass business model so successful? Tune in and find out.

Our guest this week is Rod Hill, the President of énergie Fitness Europe. He’s an expert at navigating the ups and downs of international expansion and recently signed a master franchise agreement to develop 75 clubs in Spain over the next 10 years. In our interview, we explore the influence of European gym design and what the rest of the world can learn from this emerging market, why you need to invest capital back into your trainers, and how your franchise could be missing the mark if you turn your back on Baby Boomers.   More Episode Highlights:  Navigating the ups and downs of international expansion. How you could be missing the mark by turning your back on the largest and most affluent demographic. The merging of fitness and wellness. How changing market dynamics offer franchises new opportunities. Want to be successful? You have to be authentic. Ways in which the boutique space will continue to grow. How brick and mortar gyms are integrating hybrid fitness models.

In 1976, Joe Gold founded World Gym International during the heyday of Muscle Beach in Venice Beach, California. World Gym is where iron men like Schwarzenegger and Lou Ferrigno worked out on the regular. This week, we interview Jarrod Saracco, World Gym's COO. He is a 25-year veteran of the health and fitness industry with experience at every level of club operations. We discuss: • The history of World Gym • What he anticipates the future of World Gym will look like • Key essentials for running a successful gym or club • What to know about gym equipment before you stock your gym • Why gym design and member experience are more important than you think World's Gym owners are projecting that the brand will grow to 500 locations by 2023.