Escape Your Limits & LIFTS

Part two of our CES special from Las Vegas sees Matthew Januszek speaking to some of the most innovative and exciting exhibitors that are leading change in the fitness tech space. The entrepreneurs in this episode explain all about the pioneering technology that’s helping with measuring fat, monitoring bodily metrics, embracing sexual wellbeing, improving mindfulness, embracing mindfulness and bringing effective strength training to your home. Watch the full episode on YouTube Crowdfunded through Indeigogo, Bello is a device for measuring belly fat to find out what’s inside our bodies using light variations. The scanner sends data to an app displaying your fat percentage and the amount of subcutaneous fat compared with visceral fat. From this data, the app will also give you recommendations on what kind of exercise to undertake and what kind of foods to eat. The HEALBE GoBe2 smart band is the first consumer tech product to track calorie intake without any manual log in, using impedance sensors to monitor diet at a cellular level. It uses four sensors measuring calorie intake and hydration, heart rate, emotional tension and stress level, and movement or activity. Algorithms collate everything into useful information for the user and big data for the company Ti Chang, co-founder of Crave, is an industrial designer currently working on sex toys and products for women for pleasure; it’s the company’s first year at CES following relaxed event legislation coming into effect. Her products not only have a practical application, but convey an element of luxury and act as conversation pieces that are vital to removing stigma, getting people talking about what had previously been seen as taboo. You’d never think that killing jellyfish could help improve your sleep, but Guirec Le Lous, founder of Urgonight, says this is the key to concentrating the mind through tech. His headset and app encourages daytime brain training with a feedback device to help you gain better sleep at night through neuro feedback. Find your way to a meditative state that brings better sleep – everyone has a different approach and technique to training their brain. Core is a mental wellness and a fitness-inspired approach to breath training and meditation. CEO, Sarah McDevitt, embraces bio feedback and trackable stats from a physical product and app combination that syncs audio, vibration and instruction to improve concentration and mindfulness. Billed as “The world’s most intelligent gym and personal trainer,” Tonal is revolutionising the way people work out, combining electricity and magnets to bring all the benefits of serious strength training into the home. Ashley Hennings, director of PR, talks to Matthew about how AI is bringing personalised pacing and weights to workouts, taking the guesswork and intimidation out of lifting. Tonal monitors multiple metrics as its algorithm learns your specific progression journey.   Episode highlights - Why most smart scales use bio impedance analysis (BIA) technology and how your levels of hydration will greatly change your results, rather than using light to identify fat stores. How being able to track abdominal fat in particular can better combat chronic diseases and inflammation, and why this type of fat is a better indicator of health and wellbeing than fat anywhere else on the body. How your diet and macros change your blood, and how tech can detect this sending over 100 signals per second to register differences in blood sugar and glucose with up to 90% accuracy. What effect smart technology’s integration with bigger partners such as Apple Health and Google Fit will have on your own analysis and understanding of your body and exercise habits. How to promote products in an incredibly stigmatised market without falling foul of the expected stereotypes. The journey that CES has been on as a consumer exhibition and why this is the first year that elements of sex tech for women have been allowed on the show floor. Why shame and stigma have no place in the world of pleasure. Conversely, why pleasure is not a luxury. It should be a human necessity like eating and sleeping. How to use meditation for recovery. We’re living in a state of elevated sympathetic nervous system. Creating an environment of parasympathetic nervous system through tech can lead to improved tissue repair, digestion and other ‘rest and digest’ states of wellbeing. Why we all need to realise how connected mental and physical wellness are, and how you can improve memory, decision-making, empathy and self-awareness for big business leader benefits. Why meditation is a very simple concept that’s still incredibly challenging. How mental wellness is a journey for everyone, and not just about struggles and illnesses. How AI and machine learning can have a long-term benefit of influencing ‘real’ studies, and why this will change the game of how we source information about ways that people really work out. Why it’s not the tech itself that is forging progress with this new emerging market, but the software that has allowed entrepreneurs and disruptors to implement new algorithms and approaches to working out with the hardware such as magnetic resistance.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with these technology experts from CES 2020…

In the first of our three-part Consumer Electronics Show technology special from Las Vegas, we speak to Julie Sylvester, producer of fitness and wearable tech summits for Living In Digital Times, official partner of CES. This episode is a who’s who of fitness technology, from the start-ups that have evolved to the huge brands we know today and the people behind them. Learn what caused this growth and how entrepreneurs implemented their insight for the benefit of both bodies and business. Watch the full episode on YouTube As conference producer, Julie Sylvester seeks out new and established companies who are at the forefront of innovation in the field of sports, fitness and wearable technology. The conferences she’s been a part of with Living In Digital Times have fostered introductions that have led to key partnerships in the field of fitness and wearable tech. From a decade of experience, Julie knows everything there is to know about the sectors that help you understand whether workouts are actually effective or not. Celebrating decades of events, awards and exhibits that herald and tap into the future at CES, Living In Digital Times helps companies understand what it means to be a consumer in today’s digital world. By identifying and exploring trends, desires and needs in specific consumer technology marketplaces, LIDT connects the dots to life’s technology by providing context. Markets include health, finance, retail, family, fitness, and fashion – representing nearly every part of life touched by technology.   Episode highlights - How CES has evolved and where it came from in the early days compared with the Vegas tech fest behemoth that it’s become today. How fitness tech has evolved from the early days of GPS and step trackers to the vast and diverse connected training opportunities that are available today. How the little companies were driving innovation and progress in the market to start with before bigger companies came in and started a bidding war over all of them. What’s interesting to investors today compared to yesteryear and how you can gain interest from the people that can help you scale your business. What’s going to happen with all of this big data collected? Who will collate it and what will it mean for our future?   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Julie Sylvester…

Both controversial and cunning in the ways of behavioural science and sales, Benjamin Dennehy is an expert in challenging beliefs around money. These secrets of selling from the UK’s most hated sales trainer will allow you to not only discover new predictors of success and recruit the right candidates for any sales roles, but battle against money concepts, subservience and tired belief systems in an industry where profit is king. Chances are that your “best practice” is not the best practice. In this episode you’ll learn why. Watch the full episode on YouTube Benjamin Dennehy grew up in New Zealand before travelling to the UK for life experience, working in pubs. When the time came to get a “real job”, he studied in law but fell into a role as a recruitment consultant. His recruitment record was abysmal – recruiting nobody in six months. However, his aptitude for lead generation and setting up appointments was through the roof. So began a new direction. Fast forward through years of sales development and prospecting, Benjamin is now working with people that have the desire, motivation and ambition to change. Benjamin Dennehy is an engaging sales speaker, interim sales director and sales trainer who will explain that the barriers cemented within your selling process ARE your parents’ fault! Dennehy brings an antipodean brutality and charm to the sales experience many have never encountered before. His ‘no holds barred’ presentation will educate, inspire, motivate and help sales people to understand why they struggle with many of their daily sales frustrations. Episode highlights -  Why you need to play to your strengths, even if you don’t realise you’re good at something until you start doing it. When you need to make the decision between working for someone else or making money for yourself, doing what you do best in a self employed role. How to avoid creating pitch briefs for prospects, where you’re essentially working for free and giving them your ideas. Why so many sales people don’t know why people buy things, which is imperative to understanding purchase behaviour and reasons for spend. How to understand what emotions drive purchases, and how your sales technique can be altered to appreciate this new truth. The real reason for purchase is often very different from what a prospect tells you it is. Hear about what the purpose of selling is and what you need to amend in your pitch or approach to make your prospecting universally appealing to any customer. How you can gain more control in your prospecting calls, and why at times you should even be looking for the hard “no” if they’re not the right person you need. How you can get past the gatekeepers and what you should be saying to the real decision makers. Why you need to emulate the person you’re trying to get through to. Why you need to learn how to ask questions in a way that doesn’t upset people. How it may not be confidence that’s causing lack of sales performance and what you can do to remedy the situation through a change of beliefs. Why comparing sales techniques, including training and daily approach, with other industries such as healthcare or the legal system will change your mind on how a salesperson should be behaving. Why price shouldn’t be an issue and how the best salespeople can unveil how you can get around the “you’re too expensive” dismissal. How a great salesperson wouldn’t necessarily be a great manager, and why this career path and promotion may be detrimental to overall results for a business. Why some sales-related positions in a business really shouldn’t have a sales target placed above them. The need for management skills sometimes outweighs the additional budget needs or cost.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Benjamin Dennehy…

Larry Domingo and Gino Lombardo are leading the future of the wellbeing market with a gym and recovery studio in one business. 6th Sense Fitness + Recovery not only offers traditional functional fitness benefits, but they’re leveraging technology such as cryotherapy, compression, and other parasympathetic treatments that allow you to rest and digest compared to when you’re working hard the rest of the time. This episode of the Escape Your Limits podcast will offer everything to help you recover quicker by dealing with inflammation, oxidative stress and similar conditions that follow tough workouts. Watch the full episode on YouTube Larry Domingo has been in the fitness industry for over 30 years. Now working as a boutique consultant, he is also founder of PrePostFit, providing innovative products backed by evidence-based science to the fitness industry and facilities such as 6th Sense Fitness + Recovery. Gino Lombardo is general manager of 6th Sense Fitness + Recovery and is passionate about guiding members to reach their full potential. Full of positivity and enjoyment of all things to do with both nature and movement, his approach is that ‘you don’t have to do it, you get to do it!’ 6th Sense Fitness + Recovery is all about redefining wellbeing through looking after both body and mind. A gym space combined with wellbeing facilities such as cryotherapy, infrared sauna and photobiomodulation, 6thSense is leading a trend for providing everything a member needs under one roof. 6th Sense is a diverse selection of high-end services, group classes, and nationally certified trainers, providing you with a personalised fitness experience that is enhanced by modern-day technology and fused with scientifically backed methodologies, to help you train smarter and recover faster.   Episode highlights - What facilities are up and coming with innovative technology to help you build, perform and recover in equal measure. How recovery studios and modalities can help the general public just as much as professional athletes. Why bigger budgets are being spent year on year for recovery of professional sports teams to give them the edge and get results, and how this is going to trickle down into general public appreciation soon. Why tech and apps will allow you to get to know yourself better and understand when you need to work hard or when you need to rest. Who the big players are in the recovery and rehabilitation market at present. How recovery facilities will help trainers differentiate themselves in a competitive fitness market. What’s causing us to be constantly stimulated in the world today and how you can combat these environmental factors to get into a parasympathetic state that will improve every aspect of your life. What it is going to take to make recovery more mainstream and ensure that facilities are not too ahead of the curve for success. How operators should be pricing these recovery facilities and how often members need to be using them. What demographic recovery operators currently appeal to, why this is going to change and how levels of affluence around a location are important to any facility.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Larry Domingo and Gino Lombardo…

Host of the Escape Your Limits podcast, Matthew Januszek, takes a look back on the 12 months of 2019, identifying trends from every episode and how they’ll make a difference in fitness. Whether it’s finding what areas of the market are set to explode in the coming years from our guests’ insight, or what you need to do in order to grow your business in any industry as an entrepreneur or business, this episode will set you up for 2020 and beyond.   Watch the full episode on YouTube.   Highlights – A look back on 12 months of the Escape Your Limits podcast, sharing information about what’s happening in the immediate fitness industry and peripheral sectors that will change how we all work together. How competitive the fitness industry is and why the majority of businesses are fighting in the same market, often to their own detriment. Why finding your ‘blue ocean’ will bring innovation and increased business through appealing to a whole new range of people. What recovery really means, and why it’s not just about preventing your muscles from aching. Mental recovery is just as important in any fitness regime. Why it’s important to share conversations with as many people as possible to give a broad view of the fitness industry, rather than a small-scale perception through controlled information and agendas. How many people’s lives have been taken over by the need for instant gratification, whether it’s on social media, with financial progression or with dietary decisions. The importance of working together and finding partnerships to collaborate and benefit both parties, whether it’s a venture, a product development process, or sharing an audience or customer base. Tips on staying relevant with your customer and how to overcome the challenges on technology advancement, purchasing trends and finding the right team to discover market trends. Timing your business proposition so you’re not late to the game or too far ahead of the curve. There’s a fine line between strategic innovation and bad planning. Why there are many times when you’ll question yourself, but it’s important to not let those doubts influence your decisions too much. Use feedback, both positive and negative, to drive you forward and push for more. What’s coming from the Escape Your Limits podcast and Escape Fitness in 2020 and beyond.   Join Matthew Januszek looking back on 2019 about the trends and topics covered in this year’s Escape Your Limits podcast episodes…

Brendan Brazier and Mark McTavish are the game changers of alcohol. The two entrepreneurs are pioneering new growth in a market of drinks steeped in wellness and nutritional benefits. Through a vegan mindset and ethical stance, they’re sharing the benefits of alcoholic elixirs, whether it’s probiotics or the zero sugar, to prove there’s new way of drinking for everyone. Watch the full episode on YouTube Brendan Brazier is a vegan triathlete and entrepreneur. After discovering nutritional ways to combat his own health conditions, Brendan started Vega – a plant-based drink to aid performance, with protein, essential fats, fibre, greens and more. Brendan was also an executive producer for the plant-based Netflix film, The Game Changers, alongside Arnold Schwarzenegger, James Cameron, Jackie Chan and countless others passionate about diet and nutrition. Mark McTavish is the president of 101 Cider House, a devoted cider fan and a lover of artistic beverages. With a juxtaposed background in fitness and the Canadian craft beer industry, Mark moved to south California to combine his passions in a fermented fruit drink that brings the enjoyment of alcohol with the benefits of probiotics and craft cider. Mark McTavish discovered the simplest way to make an alcoholic beverage, inspired by the organic sidras of northern Spain. 101 ciders contain zero residual sugar and no carbs, just 100% fresh pressed juice, full of naturally occurring yeasts and bacteria that ferment the base cider. To that, the team adds fresh fruits and herbs for flavor, and then everything is conditioned in the bottle (or keg).  It’s also probiotic, gluten free and vegan friendly! Now Mark has teamed up with Brendan to promote the benefits of healthy eating, healthy drinking and a mindset that means you can achieve anything.   Episode highlights -  Discover the new cold pressed juice that’s been fermented – a healthy alcoholic drink with uplifting effects. Benefits include no dehydration, improved digestion and intestinal flora, and even nootropic qualities. How to go about the gritty world of brand building, creating a product and getting it out there. Why many athletes believe that a plant-based diet will help with everything from getting rid of inflammation, improving digestion, increasing strength and feeling better overall. The difference between veganism, a plant-based diet, being a vegetarian and other nutritional trends or marketing terms. How a lot of the opinions surrounding dietary decisions are based upon commercialisation of a food system that doesn’t work. Why fear and laziness are the biggest contributors to not making better decisions with anything in life. How common ground can be destroyed by labels and naming conventions, and why division is not going to benefit anyone in regards to progressive nutrition choices. Why sprouted and fermented foods are so healthy for you, and can help with a multitude of gastronomic issues or conditions. Why a change in your diet will unlock the nuances of flavour after your tastebuds become recalibrated. How multi-layered distribution channels, price influences and margins are not currently conducive to a system that gives consumers healthy products when it comes to alcohol. Why we all have a stress threshold and how we can concentrate on productive stress while letting go of anything we can’t control.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Brendan Brazier and Mark McTavish…

In these days of fake news, Facebook and Google monopolies and general misinformation, trust is hard to come by. Bryan O'Rourke knows how important trust is in any business, and why inspiring long-term confidence will shape the future of fitness, changing the leaders of internet activity as we know them. From a fitness futurist, board director, advisor, keynote speaker and president of the Fitness Industry Technology Council, this episode is a lesson in how fitness as we know it is going to grow in ways that are unimaginable to most of us today – trust us. Watch the full episode on YouTube

Through yoga, Stacey Mulvey is taking time to relax within the ‘green rush’ boom of the marijuana industry. As founder at Marijuasana, a traditional fitness concept combined with cannabinoids, she’s creating a community of one-on-one coaching and trainer certification fuelled by CBD, THC and other cannabis products. Watch the full episode on YouTube Stacey Mulvey started doing yoga as part of a lifestyle epiphany. She was fed up of being out of shape, in pain and living a sedentary existence. Stuck in a mindset pattern full of victim consciousness and how every problem was everybody else’s fault, Stacey realised that only she could improve how she feels in her body. She began to increase her movement through Callanetics and the healthier lifestyle created more happiness and positivity. After some time, Stacey quit her corporate job to become a Pilates instructor. This started her on a journey that’s developed into a business opportunity like no other, jumping into an emerging market for a wellness and mindfulness movement that brings together two worlds. Marijuasana promotes wellness and considers plant medicine and yoga as essential components of an integrated, healthy lifestyle. Stacey and her team support and show respect toward those that use cannabis, and through participation in mindful movement and other creative activities they foster community connection, trust, and reduce stigma. Countering the intensity of some traditional yoga classes, Marijuasana is an open and community-based yoga movement that’s welcoming anyone with an affinity to or curiosity about cannabis.   Episode highlights Why it’s down to you to change your lifestyle if you’re not happy with it, and how you can take control to change your path and eventually develop a thriving business opportunity from your passions. The difference between cannabis, marijuana sativa, hemp, CDB, THC, the cannabinoid and other elements of the plant. What the effects of CBD are and why there’s ambiguity surrounding the pros and cons of its use. Why cannabis culture and non-psychoactive CBD use has been stigmatised, even in territories where it’s been legalised. How important authenticity is and why your integrity depends entirely on your ability to be truthful with yourself, including in business ventures. How the cannabis industry is split in two, and why marketing positions are differentiating the perceived morality or ethics behind health and wellness integration. Why your physical body can be affected by your mental state, whether that’s through your attitude to healing, your own empowerment or the way that you deal with injury and recovery. How the cannabis industry needs to differentiate between wellbeing and dependency, and how this will aid both corporate and consumer in the long term. Why the best move in business can often be to brave and follow your instinct when it comes to emerging markets, even if you can’t fully-explain exactly what led you to that decision. How financial institutions affect the cannabis industry and how this has stunted market growth. What the different options of consuming THC and CBD, whether it’s inhalation and smoking or transdermal or edible, and how they affect your tolerance levels differently. How you can transfer a lesson structure in person to offer online experiences for digital classes that progress over different paces and time periods, or by employing certified trainers in multiple locations. How your body’s endocannabinoid system regulates neurotransmitters and receptors in your body, and affects every system of your body, regardless of if you’ve used cannabis before.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Stacey Mulvey…

Do you value your time? Brad Lea is responsible for the training platform that gives you the most value from every second, helping you raise the game of your employees and business while adding value to your customers. Brad is also host of the Dropping Bombs podcast. His company, LightSpeed VT has helped authors, motivational speakers and serial entrepreneurs such as Tony Robins, Tom Hopkins, John Maxwell, Grant Cardone, and Daymond John, as well as fitness and automotive industry giants such as Gold’s Gym and General Motors, respectively. When the industry icons want to train people, Brad has the software they use. Watch the full episode on YouTube Brad Lea grew up in Oregon with the same struggles as so many young adults. He dropped out of high school at 16 and was even kicked out of his house for not mowing the lawn, but he developed his never quit attitude and decided to push himself for more. After a career of 25 years in sales and marketing, he knew how to raise the game of salespeople and increase their revenue through effective training. Trying to scale his teaching, he took his ability on the road and found that it wasn’t as effective as his one-on-one training. To combat this, Brad did some research and discovered the key ingredients that make for an effective training experience that lasts. Instilling these factors into one useable system that he could scale, he invented training software that helps large companies better their sales workforce and increase revenue time and time again. Brad visited Vegas in 1991 to see a friend and ended up staying. Before long he was looking for new business opportunities and LightSpeed VT was born. Started in 1999, LightSpeed VT interactive virtual training software allows you to quickly deploy a web-based, scalable and fully trackable training programme almost overnight. When training is done right, it is the single most important investment any company can make. Through implanting effective training, Brad and his team help clients to increase profitability, reduce turnover, increase customer satisfaction and streamline operations. The Dropping Bombs Podcast, hosted by Brad Lea, covers topics from finances and personal branding to finding success in the face of adversity. Through free-flowing conversations with entrepreneurs and industry leaders, Brad uses his no-BS approach to offer his audience the kind of candid advice needed to reach new heights. For more information visit lightspeedvt.com and droppingbombs.com   Episode highlights Learn why there are four key ingredients that should be apparent in any quality training programme – good content, repetition, practice and accountability. The difference between training someone effectively and simply exposing them to information. Why your sales team needs to have the process drilled into its members like it’s military training. How you can leverage technology to ensure that your sales team are fully trained and efficient with minimal spend, no matter where they are in the country or around the world. How to keep training relevant and continuous so that skills within any workforce remain high and staff turnover doesn’t affect abilities within teams overall. Why it’s the testing that’s important, not simply the information. This is an approach that is relevant in everything from sales training to law or fitness certification. How often you need to train your skills and why it should be as regularly as even daily, just as it would be if you want to get fit. Hear how many hours in a typical week you should be training your team. Why it’s easy to convince people to spend budget on advertising spend, but nowhere near as straightforward to influence spending on training in order to increase return on investment. What benefits mapping out your business will do to your understanding of processes and how visualising roles and responsibilities may highlight gaps in potential. How accountability is key to combat employees pushing back on training application, processes and systems that are being put in place. Why processes and systems for training can help at every level of business, whether hierarchal in one business, up and down supply chains, or with franchising opportunities.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Brad Lea…

Through decades of experience in leisure culture and the nightlife industry, along with endless feedback and research, Peter Marks knows his market, audience and customers like no other. This episode is all about recognising patterns and embracing change to stand out in a digital world with old school approaches that work. Through his role heading up The Deltic Group, Peter is proving how his knowledge can benefit any entrepreneur, and that there are more parallels between nightlife and fitness than you might think. Watch the full episode on YouTube Peter Marks started his career in nightclubs in 1981, and has seen considerable change throughout the industry. There were a lot more nightclubs and streets were a lot fuller back then. This has meant Peter has seen the leisure world evolve over decades, with businesses coming and going, experiencing culture shifts and learning from behavioural changes time and time again. However, the disciplines surrounding the business are the same, and parallel the fitness industry almost perfectly. In his current position as chief executive of The Deltic Group, Peter has come to be known as the go-to guy for all things in leisure and business. Encouraging teams to grow in their careers, his insight has ensured that his foundations remain grounded in pathways to success while being able to recognise patterns through industry research and be flexible enough to embrace change. The Deltic Group is the UK’s largest operator of late night bars and clubs, with over 50 nightclubs in dominating positions around the country. The Group has a strategic focus on investing in its estate, people and entertainment to create great nights out for its customers. It is dedicated to being a best in class responsible operator, and in addition runs the ‘Echo Trust’ charity fund, which regularly donates to children’s hospitals and schools in the local areas surrounding its venues. The Deltic Night Index is The Deltic Group’s quarterly research, examining how consumers feel about the leisure offering in towns and cities. Every paper published offers insight on expenditure, frequency of nights out, duration, consumption statistics and unrivalled levels of detail for anyone to discover what club culture is all about. For more information visit delticgroup.co.uk   Episode highlights -  The importance of benchmarking and recognising trends, to the point of leading industry research in customer and client behaviour through your own research. How multiple factors such as industry shifts, licensing and levels of debt all contribute to the success of clubs and management companies alike. When is the best time to benefit from the collapse of other companies and competition, through intelligent buyout strategies and partnerships. How to adapt as an industry when it comes to unexpected changes in demand and income from the market. How to deal with the challenges of rents and renegotiating property and space costs. What you can do to service a market where people’s tastes have drastically changed. These days customers and clients want more, with surroundings and design to provide Instagramable moments they can share. Why going old school with marketing is the ideal way to stand out in a crowded world of digital. Don’t forget about the value of ‘in real life’. How the customer experience has changed in the way of staff service and making people feel special. What are the causes of a raised experience for members and clients, and how you can embrace lower costs of modern equipment that will create the ultimate environment for your offering. Why you need to learn what price points work in each location – both club and city or town – and how to balance investment in particular sectors of your business. How long you should wait before refurbishing and changing the image of your club, and how competitive pressures to change have relaxed over the years. Why it’s important to remember the basics of cleanliness and hygiene in order to maintain popularity and appeal to a broad customer base. The importance of learning from failure, particularly when trying to raise capital, and how you can use your entire experience to better the next time you try.   Join Matthew Januszek in conversation with Peter Marks…