Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

This is why fitness needs an experience upgrade at every level. On this episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast we meet Rob Barker, president of Precor. As well as heading up of one of the world's largest fitness equipment companies, Rob is also an exec board member of Amer Sports, the £3b global leader in sporting goods. Rob's sharing real-time advice and information about driving the development of personalised health and fitness experiences that help people live the lives they desire. For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast Video Version – https://youtu.be/hW6g8zcDKhw Venturing into fitness as a career, Rob began in operations, running the equipment of YMCAs in the UK. He fell in love with the industry, wanting to make people healthier and happier. He progressed and started in the supply sector in 1995, as a London sales rep for Precor. In his own words, he's been trying to be the best version of himself ever since, rising through the ranks of the business until he became president. The Precor mission is to develop personalised health and fitness experiences that help people live the lives they desire. For over three decades, Precor has driven fitness forward with a passionate focus on ergonomic motion, proven science, and superior engineering. The business constantly studies and anticipates the needs of the people and organisations it serves, and continually redefines the levels of innovation, quality, and service necessary to deliver the very best fitness experiences – all with the goal of improving the ways people improve themselves. Precor equipment is chosen by health clubs, hotels and spas, universities, and individuals all over the world.   Episode highlights -  What power is in owning your own development, staying humble, and working every day to be the best in whatever it is you're doing at the time. Why happiness has to come before success, and why it's a choice that you can make regardless of your situation. Reference: Shawn Achor: The happy secret to better work (TED Talk on positive psychology) https://bit.ly/2GE3fvU How you can energise yourself as a leader in the tough times even more than the enthusiasm you show during the good times. Why a lot of operators will pivot from facility-centric to consumer-centric, with an omni-channel approach that better suits how the world has changed. What results come from live tracking of over 120,000 connected pieces of cardio from all around the world in gyms, hotels and hospitality, with each machine getting an average of 23 minutes' workout time on it. How do these results compare to last year pre-COVID? Reference link: https://www.precor.com/en-us/preva-stats Why the fitness industry needs to be working together even more closely to get the message across about being a safe space, and what other countries have done to change the mind of policymakers. What positives have come from COVID and how the pandemic has given the fitness industry a real tail wind to ride on for future progress with a growth mindset. How habits pre-coronavirus have been broken and why we need to help reestablish new fitness habits for members of the future. What power digital has to create local familiarity across digital platforms, in addition to the digital advances that have already come into effect. What are going to be some of the key trends that we'll see, both from a manufacturer and operator's side, in the coming months.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Rob Barker…

Hard hitting home truths that will improve your life and expand your potential. David Meltzer is co-founder of Sports 1 Marketing, an agency he co-founded with the NFL Hall of Fame quarterback, Warren Moon. As an executive producer and main judge on Entrepreneur Elevator Pitch, David provides insights for thousands of businesses each year to help them focus on their company growth. Host of The Playbook podcast, David also depicts the key principles to expanding your own potential in both business and life. This episode will have your head spinning with simple and practical advice. For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast   Video version – https://youtu.be/aHP_0_UGy0g   In his early 20s, David Meltzer quickly rose to the top of his game in the business world, becoming a millionaire. David lectured around the globe and saw rapid success in every business project he touched. But something was missing, and in his 30s as a multimillionaire, he went on a rapid downward spiral that ended in bankruptcy. It was only then that David realised, in order to revive and thrive, he needed to 'codify' what had made him successful in the first place. Today, his entrepreneurial and philanthropic spirit has rewarded him with recognition as one of Marshall Goldsmith's top 100 business coaches in the world. David is also chairman of the Unstoppable Foundation, Variety magazine's sports humanitarian of the year, and host of the Top 5 podcast: The Playbook. Sports 1 Marketing is a global sports and entertainment marketing agency that leverages over $20 billion in relationship capital and over 38 years of business experience, bringing athletes, celebrities and businesses together to make a lot of money, help a lot of people, and have a lot of fun. If you'd like to learn more about the free resources that David is offering anyone for business and life improvements, email him at david@dmeltzer.com   Episode highlights -  How to deal with the worst of times, even to the point of losing $100m, a top golf course, ski mountain, 30 houses and a bunch of condos. It's all about the mindset and overcoming challenges. What the positive effect of building values, principles and key disciplines will bring in your life no matter what stage of success you're at. How to deal with bankruptcy and understand the enjoyment of the pursuit of your potential, regardless of what challenges face you. Why pain is just an indicator that you've got lessons to learn. It's not a stop sign. What your skills, knowledge and your desire is going to do for your journey to success. How to understand the mathematical equation to luck, and how attention plus intention will equal coincidence that will allow you to take advantage of great opportunities. Why you need to study every day what you have planned, what you don't have planned, what you're grateful for and what other areas you need to identify. What the timescales are you need to concentrate on for your health, family, research, and studying your calendar. How to improve efficiencies, practices and timekeeping to increase the amount of 'hours' you can achieve in the same time as anyone who's not weighting the balance of efficiency. Why it's important to understand faith as an object of energy, and how we can do better to “understand what surrounds what surrounds you” (sic) for a better perspective of the universe.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with David Meltzer…

Everyone needs honesty, and everyone needs recovery. Eric Leija is one of the fastest rising fitness influencers online with almost a million Instagram followers, his own online coaching business and a workout programme branded by Men's Health. In this episode, the celebrity fitness trainer who specialises in unconventional training talks about what it took to develop and launch a successful fitness app, Primal Fitness, in the middle of a pandemic, and how COVID put him out of action for weeks, even as an elite athlete. For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast Video version – https://youtu.be/_X3-BfV2TgQ Eric Leija used to work in the ONNIT warehouse, packing supplements and shipping equipment off to customers. As the company started selling more kettlebells, steel maces and unconventional training equipment, they needed someone to show potential customers how to use it. Eric got certified and became one of the first coaches in the ONNIT gym. He soon became a head coach for kettlebell training and created a new approach for his growing audience with kettlebell flows. Backing from a Joe Rogan shout out  on social media and hard work behind the scenes meant that Eric was able to launch his own business, teaching kettlebell and animal flow workshops of his own. With the guidance of Eric Leija, you will become proficient with tools below such as kettlebells, barbells, dumbbells, sandbags, the steel mace, steel clubs, or resistance training, mobility and durability in general, and other approaches that lead clients to live a stronger, healthier, and more optimal life. Visit ericleija.com to find out more about the Primal Swoledier's online courses, customised training programmes, personalised diet plans, and unconventional workouts.   Episode highlights -  How having a business based online has helped Eric transition activity to still be successful through lockdowns and pandemic challenges. Why workshops may not be a big generator of revenue, but is the best way to connect with the most valued members of your audience. When you need to focus on hard and heavy training, when you need to focus on foundational fitness, and why the social media highlight real isn't the full picture. How much time you should be spending creating content for social media, posting it on platforms and engaging with your community. Where there's still space in the digital fitness and app market, and what further growth is going to have on current operators in the industry. Why, even when someone is known for working with a particular bit of fitness equipment, any athlete's training regime is made up of so much more than solely what they specialise in. How to deal with burnout from business, physique issues, creating content and lack of sleep, and why that left even an athlete such as Eric suffering from coronavirus. What symptoms COVID can cause; the timeline of how they evolve over weeks, and how long it can take to recover.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Eric Leija…

Attract clients. Perfect your pricing. Retain members. Profit and prosper. This episode is a lesson in how to bring more clients into your business and keep them longer, all while improving profitability. It's an art form that our guest has developed into a science. With tips time-served by a client base of over 2000 thriving businesses, this strategy session can bring some impressive results. CEO of GymLaunch, Alex Hormozi, is making gym owners evolve their business to be better for their bottom line and members. For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast Video version – https://youtu.be/8_qL5oB3BR4   Formerly a competing power lifter, Alex Hormozi didn't like the effect that the volume was having on his joints. He transitioned to more of a bodybuilding approach without feeling the need to get stage lean. Professionally, Alex has gone from sleeping on the floor of his gym to discovering financial freedom, teaching other gym owners his success secrets and transforming over 1500 gyms on four continents. As host of the Gym Secrets Podcast he's also helping gym owners get more profit per member, increase retention and engagement, all while retaining your own personal life. Alex is also host of the Gym Secrets Podcast. Subscribe at https://apple.co/3kHGF4g The Gym Launch model has now transformed thousands of gyms spanning four continents. Gym owners work endless hours and sacrifice themselves for their customers, and still, many go home empty-handed. Gym Launch is dedicated to solving this problem. For more information visit gymlaunch.com   Episode highlights -  How to build a consultative mind map of all the information that exists for success, and build a mentorship and educational community to leverage lessons that others have already learned. Why the fitness industry continues to talk about the same challenges, and what it's going to take to start moving conversations forward. How the virtuous or viscous circle of price can work for or against your business model through understanding value, profit and performance. What your choice of equipment and classes will do to your business, and how the smallest accessory can ruin your profit line. Why the passion in the fitness industry is often what kills the chances of a business' success. What fitness trends are going to outlast everything else, and what to base a gym around for longevity. Plus the key points to what makes a good operator. The five things you should be doing in order to retain members, and what to do if you're a struggling gym owner right now. Why exercise digital programming will better serve members and clients through convenience than any live digital workout on Zoom will do. How the difference between a good and bad operator is all in genuinely caring about your customers. Why dual motivation is so powerful in getting to the gym, particularly when you think about hanging out with your friends and going for a workout.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Alex Hormozi…   For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast

Stress, recovery, repeat. This week on the Escape Your Limits podcast we discuss a very different vision for the future of the fitness industry. Today's guest has consulted with some of the biggest brands in fitness, sharing his passion for movement with audiences from the likes of Equinox, Microsoft and Nike. This conversation with Michol Dalcourt, CEO of the Institute of Motion, will challenge your thinking and open your mind to many of the great opportunities that still exist within the fitness space. For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast Video version – https://youtu.be/zsboE_hhkxw   As CEO of the Institute of Motion, inventor of the ViPR PRO, and co-founder of PTA Global, Michol Dalcourt has spoken at hundreds of conferences on becoming unbreakable. He is a fitness visionary and shares his insight on the future of fitness for both bodies and business in his second appearance on the Escape Your Limits podcast. The Institute of Motion is an applied health and human performance company. For over 20 years, the IoM has continued to provide innovative solutions in the arenas of health care, fitness and human performance through programming, coaching and education. The mission is to help people improve their health so they can do whatever it is they love most. The IoM team get fired up about helping others enjoy the benefits of healthy choices, because we know health is what makes everything possible. For more information visit instituteofmotion.com   Episode highlights -  How to implement lifestyle changes that will build your resilience in order to become unbreakable at any stage in life. Why fitness doesn't necessarily equal health, and why some of the fittest people on the planet may not be leading a particularly healthy lifestyle. What certain responses are the result of chemicals and processes within the body, and how you can leverage these to get bigger, stronger and faster, but also knowing what the cost to your body may be. Why there's no binary good and bad, but health and human performance that is engineered for the individual. How celebrities such as Tom Brady, LeBron James, Serena Williams and Roger Federer are trying to build capacity, balancing out the systems of the body. What are the different types of training that will bring longevity and recovery to your body, and why cardio is not the killer of gains that people think. Business model evolutions and ancillary revenue stream ideas that will offer longevity to your fitness offering long after HIIT training and current trends pass. What the difference is between personal training and health coaching, and how fitness is likely to make way for lifestyle and behaviour change. How recovery days in the gym may not look to others like you're doing much, but will leave you feeling bulletproof when you leave. Why the fitness industry's experience has to be at the global table when it comes to longevity for populations around the world.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Michol Dalcourt…

How to build a community and keep it. This week's Escape Your Limits podcast guest started out from humble beginnings in a family that depended on welfare and food stamps. Today he's earning millions of dollars, following a core belief system of mind, body and action. Starting as a personal trainer in fitness, Dean Aguilar is now the founder of two real estate companies selling over $300m in real estate, as well as being the CEO of Digital Muse, an award-winning marketing agency. For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast Video version - https://youtu.be/ceqDJAoBOm4   Dean’s family immigrated to the US from Argentina (mother) and Pakistan (father) in 1972. From the age of 13, he began bagging groceries for $3/hr. At the age of 15 he fell in love with fitness and began sharpening his sales skills by selling personal training to clients at a local gym. Dean excelled so quickly, by age 21 he was running an entire fitness facility with 61 employees. Today, whether heading up his real estate agency, his media agency, consulting, undertaking speaking engagements or any other business activity, Dean Aguilar knows the importance of online and social media. It's many of these insights he's sharing in this episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast. Contact Dean for more information at instagram.com/realdeanaguilar   Dean Aguilar is CEO of Digital Muse Media, an award-winning, full-service digital marketing agency. His work has been featured in Forbes and Buzzfeed, and the agency was named the fastest-growing brand agency of 2019.   If you're looking for some of the latest strategies for growing your business and your personal brand, building a growing virtual community, and discovering trends in the digital marketing space, Dean is the man to contact.     Episode highlights -  What's causing people to truly appreciate how social media is a truly giant presence in our lives, and how platforms can be leveraged especially during tough times when gaining attention is vital. How you can position yourself to deal with impending uncertainty, and why you should often prepare for the worst in business. Why it's important to stay humble and be prepared to take a step backwards if you need to. Lose the ego and it will benefit your business. What parallels and predictions you can draw from school situations and child attendance, with gym member activity and comfort in coming back to a regular routine. How you can offer the best service and build a real community through digital channels in ways to satisfy members, offering value and longevity in times where your audience can't be physically social. What effect the relationship between bricks and mortar and digital is going to be across difference sectors over the coming months. Why 'pay to play' social media doesn't have to be about selling, and how it's more about connecting and being seen . What social media strategies you can leverage to draw new audiences to your business, and what you can do to keep that attention. Why it's important to be authentic and how trying to be someone else will not serve you well in the long term, whether it's personally or professionally. What you can do to block out space and make time for social media activity and shooting videos as part of your personal brand.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Dean Aguilar…

How to ask the right questions for success. This week's Escape Your Limits podcast is a lesson from positivity power couple Mark Victor Hansen, co-author of best-seller Chicken Soup for the Soul, and his wife Crystal Dwyer Hansen. Together they're sharing important messages from their new book: Ask! The Bridge From Your Dreams To Your Destiny. Through understanding how to pivot and perform when faced with any challenge, these are the questions to ask to wake up opportunity during adversity. For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast Video - https://youtu.be/8W35XFkzbSs  Inspirational speakers, authors and motivational specialists, Mark Hansen and Crystal Dwyer Hansen are passionate about positivity. Co-author of Chicken Soup for the Soul, Mark Victor Hansen has sold over 500 million copies and also holds the Guinness World Record for having the most books in the New York Times best selling list at the same time. Crystal Dwyer Hansen is an international speaker, researcher, corporate consultant, author, and entrepreneur. Internationally-renowned as an expert in human potential, she has invested years of experience and insight into health and wellness. Mark Victor Hansen has worked his way into a worldwide spotlight as a sought-after keynote speaker, and entrepreneurial marketing maven, creating a stream of successful people who have created massive success for themselves through his unique teachings and wisdom. For more information visit markvictorhansen.com Through her years spent as a Transformational Life Coach, and Wellness/Nutrition Expert, Crystal Dwyer Hansen has seen people experience profound and lasting transformation in relationships, career, health & wellness, by tapping into their own inner resources. For more information visit crystalvisionlife.com   Episode highlights - What difference the ability to ask will have on your opportunities, business and resulting success. How anyone's success story isn't a one way deal, and is a journey of up and down that can, at times, look like the end of opportunity. Mark and Crystal explain how they have both overcome low points. What tough questions should you be asking yourself in order to get out of challenging situations and get to where you want to be. How you can put down your baggage, let it go and start your life anew every day. What you can do when facing rejection, and what are the factors to indicate you're on the right path. Why it's everyone's duty, responsibility and obligation to fulfill their destiny, become rich and be as healthy and happy as they can. What you can do to pivot and reinvent yourself if you're facing the worst situation you've lived through. The only way is up, but you've got to ask the right questions. What the most common things are that hold people back from their potential, and how to overcome them. Why we're all master askers when we're born, wanting to know who, what, when, where and why about everything. And why we lose that initiative as we age.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Mark Hansen and Crystal Dwyer Hansen…

How to make strategic decisions when dealing with uncertainty. Chris Clawson is passionate about fitness being seen by the world to help with longevity and wellbeing, long after the pandemic passes. In this Escape Your Limits interview, he explains why the fitness industry needs better representation for public perception change, how to thrive in a climate of adversity, and why he rejoined Life Fitness as CEO shortly after parting ways with the company. For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast Video Version – https://youtu.be/g7vjKusw5UI  

Behind the scenes with leadership lessons from a pioneer of fitness in Asia. Sincere and reflective, this Escape Your Limits podcast interview with Simon Flint is the kind of honesty that we need in fitness today. Simon is the CEO of Evolution Wellness, a six-brand total port folio making $300m in revenue across 175 sites in six countries. He's leading his 7000 employees with compassion, communication and a camaraderie that will see the companies gyms and studios coming back stronger than ever. For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast Video Version – https://youtu.be/-EbxHtqhulU   Simon Flint was born in the UK to hard working parents that instilled a mindset in him of continual growth and progress. He moved to south east Asia in 1994 and has put the hours in that's led to his 26-year veteran career, leading Asia's health and fitness industry. Today as the CEO of Evolution Wellness, created from a $500m merger by the Fitness First Asia and Celebrity Fitness brands, his six-brand total port folio has been making $300m in revenue across 175 sites in six countries, with 7000 employees. Established in 2017, Evolution Wellness is comprised of six brands: Celebrity Fitness, CHi Fitness, FIRE Fitness, Fitness First Asia, Fivelements, and GoFit. The brand reaches as far across Asia as Hong Kong, Indonesia, Philippines, Singapore and Thailand. The vision is to build a comprehensive wellness ecosystem, and the company is focused on leveraging combined industry knowledge and the team’s global experience to extend reach across the vibrant Asian fitness and wellness scene.   Episode highlights - How to cope with closures in multiple markets, and then deal with the organisation of some markets opening again, some staying closed, and some closing again after reopening. What can change optimism into pessimism during dark times, and how to manage a business effectively with a realistic mix of both outlooks. How different government approaches can affect business through standards of practice, communication and ministerial level access. Why each member's needs different affects how a gym can react with space concerns and workout offerings if one aspect such as group exercise is prohibited due to COVID restrictions. What the contrast is between trainers leading classes in person or instructing others through digital platforms, and why some may thrive on one medium over the other. How a leadership team and perform at peak capacity during challenging climates through staying resilient and nurturing the team dynamic. What both landlords and gyms can do to help each other and work together for mutual benefit in the future. Why access to senior management and being able to communicate information is vital to the understanding, empathy and mental health of staff and teams throughout an entire business. What trends are set to take over from HIIT workouts and the popular modalities of recent years, and what members are most looking to get back when the pandemic passes.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Simon Flint…

Post-pandemic plans and predictions from a CEO who's seen success all around the world. An experienced and successful multi-brand professional at a global level, Ty Menzies has spent over 15 years forging growth in the fitness industry and founding multiple companies of his own. Today as CEO of Lift Brands, Ty oversees a port folio of five operations: Snap Fitness 24/7, 9Round Kickboxing, YogaFit Studios, Steele Fitness and FitnessOnDemand.   For more information visit https://escapefitness.com/podcast Video version – https://youtu.be/fYP63YmI_6k   Lift Brands is a collection of fitness-minded businesses that share a similar goal: creating comfortable, welcoming services that foster good health and wellness. From individual personalised workouts to group fitness training, each company has its own unique specialty. For both users and owners, Snap Fitness 24/7, 9Round Kickboxing, YogaFit Studios, Steele Fitness and FitnessOnDemand serve as the foundations for a better life.     Episode highlights - • Why lots of conversations with lots of people is the key piece to any puzzle in business, particularly around times of the pandemic and restricted access to job inductions, for example. • What happens now that we're out of crisis management and into a triage stage to see how you can move your business forward. • Why the member experience should take precedence when it comes to development in the coming months, and what you can do to enhance it. • How to balance the rules and regulations around the world regarding COVID, and what you can do to work with franchisees in order to maintain safety measures for members. • Why franchisee businesses today are more about the one, two or three-location operators instead of what it just to be with six, seven and eight-location franchisees. • Why it's never been more important to work with every element of fitness in educating the general public about wellbeing. • What the relationship is going to be between bricks and mortar gyms with digital initiatives, and how they'll complement each other long term. • What the different franchise options are at low or high level, for single locations or multi-site operators across the Lift Brands portfolio. • How the fitness industry is going to change over the next 12 months.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Ty Menzies…