Fitt Insider

Today, I'm joined by Daniel Tal Mor, CEO of Lumen, makers of a breathalyzer device used to monitor and improve users' metabolic health. Aspiring to help people achieve better health through data, Lumen's breathalyzer and connected app democratize the "gold-standard" in metabolic measurement typically reserved for elite athletes. In this episode, we discuss the company's breathalyzer for hacking metabolism, Lumen's recent $62M funding round, and the concept of metabolic flexibility. In this episode, you'll learn: • Metabolism's role in weight, energy, and performance management • Lumen's product roadmap after closing its Series B • Daniel's vision for the future of personalized nutrition and well-being Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/ Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:05) Daniel's background and about Lumen (02:36) Lumen's breathalyzer (04:05) Measuring metabolism by analyzing breath (07:50) Lumen's product journey (11:17) Selling products and subscriptions (14:31) Subscription business model (17:08) Impact of economic recession in wellness (22:11) Lumen's technology (29:40) Metabolic flexibility (32:06) Lumen's innovation (37:35) Conclusion

Today, I'm joined by Jonathan Shooshani, co-founder & president of JOON, a corporate wellness benefits platform. Founded in 2019, JOON's employee-facing platform alleviates administrative challenges while unlocking the freedom of choice for wellness-seeking employees. Beyond traditional benefits, it covers spending for fitness, food, mental health, family care, and education, leading to a healthier and happier workforce. In this episode, we discuss the company's flexible wellness benefits platform and using technology to reimburse employees for health-related expenses. Plus, Jonathan shares his vision for a Spotify-like recommendation engine for personalized well-being. In this episode, you'll learn: • Jonathan's personal journey to starting and scaling JOON • How JOON's technology simplifies health & wellness spending for employees • How to reduce friction in user experience Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/ Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:22) Jonathan's background and starting JOON (03:51) JOON's background (05:01) Marketing the platform (07:49) Engaging partners in the platform (10:52) Wellness benefit programs (12:52) Categorizing brands and products (14:57) Getting employees to utilize wellness benefits (20:25) JOON's technology (22:19) Future growth plans (24:12) Personalizing wellness benefits and offers (30:07) Trends in wellness industry (32:49) Future roadmap (36:31) Conclusion

Today, I'm joined by Trisha Goyal, founder & CEO of Break the Love, a matchmaking platform for recreational tennis and pickleball players. Break the Love is reinventing the tennis club by connecting paddle sports players to local courts, coaches, and competition. Personalized based on interests and skill level, Break the Love aims to innovate the country club model and democratize access to racquet sports for everyone around the country. In this episode, we discuss the company's racquet sports marketplace, the technology making activities like pickleball and tennis more accessible, and the impact of authentic branding and partnerships. In this episode, you'll learn: • Trisha's journey and the motivation behind creating Break the Love • How the company acquires new users and builds community • Break the Love's future roadmap, including expansions to other sports Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/ Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:19) Trisha and Break the Love's background (07:15) Break the Love's differentiation strategy (10:07) Acquiring users and court suppliers (17:45) Balancing acquiring users, suppliers, building a brand, and forging partnerships (22:58) Building supplier and brand partnerships (32:17) Applying their tech to other sports (35:47) Key priorities for 2023 (37:36) Conclusion

Today, I'm joined by Anne Mahlum, founder of boutique fitness concepts [solidcore] and Ambition. A 3x founder, Anne Mahlum launched Back on My Feet, a nonprofit combatting homelessness through running and fitness before scaling Pilates-style boutique studio [solidcore] to 95+ locations nationwide. Since stepping down as CEO, Anne created Ambition, a multimodality fitness brand based in NYC. In this episode, we discuss building a successful boutique brand from scratch, Anne's advice for fitness entrepreneurs, and how her most recent venture Ambition is targeting holistic wellness. In this episode, you'll learn: • Anne's learnings from founding three fitness-based companies • How Anne continues to scale [solidcore] as executive chair • How Ambition addresses the mental and physical of today's exerciser Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/ Chapters: (00:00) Intro (01:27) Anne's Background (03:24) Founding Back on My Feet (04:49) Getting the idea for [solidcore] (07:37) Anne's founder journey (12:14) Advice for aspiring entrepreneurs (15:21) Running [solidcore] through Covid (18:02) Passion for fitness and running a business are very different (22:21) [solidcore] before Covid (24:24) Are in-person fitness classes dead? (26:58) Retail strategy for fitness studio businesses (28:43) Background on Ambition (30:05) Anne's views on alcohol and wellness (36:03) Ambition's programming and strategy (37:54) Ambition's roadmap (38:42) Conclusion

Today, I'm joined by Max Kislevitz, co-founder of Bala, maker of design-focused functional fitness accessories. Founded in 2018, Max and his wife Natalie took on Bala as a side project with the goal of making ankle and arm weights more practical and attractive. Their creation: weighted accessories called Bangles. After appearing on Shark Tank and hosting successful retail pop-ups, Bala has become a rapidly growing business, selling a variety of at-home fitness accessories and launching a digital fitness platform, Balacize. In this episode, we discuss the company's design-forward approach to fitness equipment, and Max shares the company's vision to "Balaify" fitness for all ages and ability levels. In this episode, you'll learn: • How Bala started as a side project and turned into a booming business • The role Shark Tank played in its exponential growth • Bala's plan to double their product line in the coming year Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/ Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:17) About Bala (02:41) Bala's journey (03:48) Max's journey to starting Bala (05:25) Marketing strategies (10:09) Bala's growth during the pandemic (11:40) Shark Tank (14:30) Iterative approach to business (15:46) The team (17:21) Future growth plans (19:51) Bala's products (22:28) Brand marketing (25:12) Building a fitness brand that resonates with people (26:27) Bala's vision (28:18) Future roadmap (30:31) New products to look out for (31:33) Conclusion

Today, I'm joined by Dugal Bain-Kim, co-founder of Lifeforce, a health optimization company tailored to people 35 and older. Lifeforce combines convenient diagnostics, science-backed nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals, and practical lifestyle support to help adults improve their healthspans. Backed by fellow co-founders Joel Jackson, Tony Robbins, and Dr. Peter Diamandis, Lifeforce strives to improve people's lives, mentally and physically, through science and health. In this episode, we discuss enhancing well-being after age 35 and teaming up with Tony Robbins and Dr. Peter Diamandis. Plus, we discuss the company's vision for a digital health optimization clinic. In this episode, you'll learn: • The approach Lifeforce takes to optimize its members' health • The impact of high-powered thought leaders • What roles blood testing and wearables play in health optimization Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/ Use code FITT at https://www.mylifeforce.com/landers/diagnostics, and get 20% off your first diagnostic. Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:33) Dugal's background and Lifeforce intro (03:15) Dugal's journey to starting Lifeforce (06:28) Lifeforce pricing (08:20) How Lifeforce works (10:17) Wearables role in health optimization (12:23) Concierge service (14:55) Customer diagnostics (19:21) Stigma around hormone treatments (21:32) Marketing strategies (23:50) Growing Lifeforce through referrals (26:48) Education component of health optimization (29:50) Future roadmap (32:54) Perception of health optimization (37:01) Conclusion

Today, I'm joined by Rachel Lea Fishman, co-founder & CEO of Arketa, a platform helping health and wellness businesses scale hybrid offerings. Founded in 2020, Arketa provides an all-in-one software solution for studio owners and independent creators to manage their class bookings, take payment, and host on demand content, online courses, and more through the platform. A trusted partner to 3,000+ studios, gyms, and instructors, Arketa provides monetization tools responsible for "millions of dollars of revenue per month." In this episode, we discuss how fitness studios use the platform to scale hybrid offerings, the company's recent funding round, and why customer obsession is essential to Arketa's success. In this episode, you'll learn: • Rachel's journey to starting Arketa • The markets Arketa serves and expansion plans • How they differentiate the product from other studio software Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/ Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:14) Rachel's background (03:49) Rachel's journey to starting Arketa (07:52) Arketa's vision (11:40) Educating fitness instructors (16:07) Strengths of Arketa (20:02) The future of the industry (24:16) Is Arketa only for fitness and wellness businesses? (26:13) Growth (28:33) The team (30:49) Arketa's roadmap for the future (32:53) Demand generation and onboarding (34:44) Conclusion

Today, I'm joined by Stefan Olander, co-founder & CEO of OMORPHO, a weighted apparel company. Founded in 2017 with the goal to reinvent the weighted vest, OMORPHO's "gravity sportswear" apparel is designed to help its wearers train smarter and improve performance. With MicroLoad technology—small amounts of weight evenly distributed across each garment—they are creating a new category of functional sportswear for everyday use. In this episode, we discuss OMORPHO's athlete-tested weighted apparel, Stefan's learnings from working 20 years at Nike, plus the challenges and opportunities in defining a new category. In this episode, you'll learn: • Why Stefan left Nike for OMORPHO • The difference between weight vests and gravity sportswear • How the company plans to defend their technology Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/ Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:21) Stefan's background (02:34) Stefan's journey to starting OMORPHO (06:39) Weighted apparel and MicroLoading (10:15) Marketing strategies (13:57) Expanding retail footprint (15:27) Building a lifestyle brand (17:10) Testing process and supply chain (20:06) Protecting the technology (22:05) Teaming up with professional athletes (24:10) Brand marketing (26:25) Future growth plans (28:38) Idea to execution (31:09) New collections to look out for (31:58) Conclusion

Today, I'm joined by Allen Chen, co-founder & CEO of Fitbod, an AI-powered personal training app. Founded in 2015, the platform creates personalized workout plans based on user data including fitness level, goals, and available equipment. Leveraging AI, the app democratizes personal training, recommending workouts to 300K+ paid subscribers. In this episode, we discuss how Fitbod is using AI to personalize exercise, its focus on organic growth and subscriber retention, plus Allen's thoughts on quantifying and gamifying strength training. In this episode, you'll learn: • Allen's journey to founding Fitbod • His plan for growing and retaining the app's paid subscriber base • AI's role in the future of personal training Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/ Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:20) Allen's Background and starting Fitbod (05:00) Size of the company (06:40) Fitbod's differentiation factor (10:51) Strategies to acquire users (14:25) Building brand and community (17:08) Competitors (19:54) Sustainable vs. exponential growth (24:35) Ai's role in the future of personal training (27:53) Fitbod's future roadmap (33:00) Conclusion

Today, I'm joined by Sarah Larson Levey, founder & CEO of Y7 Studio, a chain of hot yoga studios known for high-intensity classes set to music. Starting as a pop-up studio in the Williamsburg neighborhood of NYC, Y7 Studio quickly rose to fame for its unconventional, modern approach to yoga. After prolonged COVID challenges, Y7 is pushing forward with a new digital platform and plans to open more brick-and-mortar locations in 2023. In this episode, we discuss the yoga brand's prioritization of good music, forthcoming expansion strategy, and how its partnership with Universal Music Group impacts its digital fitness offering. In this episode, you'll learn: What differentiates Y7 from traditional yoga studios How COVID impacted their studios in NYC and LA Y7's approach to improve the digital at-home yoga experience Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/ Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (02:11) Sarah's background and starting Y7 Studio (10:58) Y7 Studio's journey (14:33) Y7 Studio's expansion and growth (16:56) Marketing strategy and celeb clients (21:04) Building a lifestyle brand (24:47) Y7 Studio's future roadmap and digital offering (35:53) Future physical expansion (39:54) Conclusion