HALO Talks

Jake Thomas began his career in the fitness industry immediately after college. With a background in athletic training and a strong passion for working with kids and training athletes, he joined Forward Fitness and Parisi Speed School. Here he tells the story of how he went from Fitness Manager to proud Owner! After gaining valuable experience, he moved on to MVP Sports Clubs in Michigan, where he spent five years overseeing sports performance programs within the clubs. Wanting to return home, he found Razor Sharp Fitness and joined as the fitness director in 2013. Within a year, he was promoted to the role of General Manager, which he held for eight and a half successful years. He takes us through his journey of inquiring about the future plans of the business owners and their gradual inclination towards selling the building and the business. It's a great story of curiosity, candid conversations, and unexpected opportunities. There's also an important takeaway regarding the involvement of Jacob in lease agre

Jane Curth is a passionate individual who has made a significant impact in the field of education and personal training. With a background as a professor in kinesiology, she specialized in online education and was recognized as a finalist for a state award for excellence in online teaching. It was during her teaching career that she identified a pain point in the industry and decided to take action. Jane's idea was to create a personal training course at the college level, allowing students to earn college credit while also providing them with a potential part-time job opportunity that offered a decent hourly wage. However, she faced numerous obstacles in getting the course approved, enduring months of red tape. Realizing that she needed to regain her personal training certification in order to teach the course effectively, Jane dedicated herself to retaking the exam. This experience further fueled her determination to address the pain point she had identified earlier. As a result, she founded FitFixNow, a co

Charles Seltzer and his Co-Founder Brendan Doney shared a passion for team sports since childhood. From hockey, basketball, and soccer to football, lacrosse, and more . . . their lives revolved around sports. However, their competitive sports journey ended after high school, and college only offered the chance to play intramural. After graduating, both found it heard to find a reliable team to play on. They joined different leagues but often missed games and weren't particularly thrilled with their teams. Frustrated, they made the difficult decision to give up on sports altogether.  Eventually, they decided there was a business opportunity and formed a unique basketball-inspired social club called Crosscourt. Charles shares how they aim to make team sports as accessible and seamless as other fitness experiences. From pickup sessions to a membership-based community, Crosscourt offers a holistic approach to reigniting people's passion for team sports and the sense of connection it brings.  On the benefits of te

Dr. Bechara Saab is a classically trained chemist with a passion for understanding the intricacies of the human mind. After completing his Ph.D in neuroscience at Mount Sinai in Toronto, Dr. Saab pursued a career as a principal investigator at the University of Zurich, where he opened his own laboratory. Through his work, he made a groundbreaking discovery - a strong correlation between the lack of exploratory drive in individuals with mental illness and their symptoms. This revelation prompted him to delve deeper into the field of mental health. He faced a major obstacle in his journey however. Situated in a psychiatry hospital, he witnessed how his colleagues, despite their passion and dedication, lacked access to objective tools when delivering treatment. This limitation had hindered the progress of psychiatry for centuries. Determined to change the landscape of mental health treatment, Dr. Saab recognized the revolutionary potential of objective measurement in the field. The ability to treat the brain as

On today's episode we chat with Alex Peacock from Leisure Labs. He joins us from the UK to discuss the future of technology in the fitness industry, and how to prioritize your tech investments for maximum impact in 2023. With over 20 years of experience, he has witnessed the industry's shift toward embracing new technologies, but there's still work to be done, and Alex shares his insights on where we currently stand and what lies ahead. Pete and Alex dive deep into the top three technology priorities for fitness operators. They discuss the importance of operational foundations, choosing the right platforms, and how to leverage technology as an accelerator rather than a hindrance. They also touch on the challenges of change management and the role of employee training when implementing new technologies. On the role of tech Alex states, "I always view technology as an accelerator. It will accelerate things, but that can be good and that can be bad. So if you're doing things badly, if you have the wrong operatio

Udaiyan Jatar, born and raised in India, had a unique upbringing due to his father's career as a fighter pilot. He attended 13 different schools across 6 states and became proficient in 4 or 5 languages. Coming from a family with a strong military background, this played a significant role in shaping his life. After completing his education, Jatar started his career in door-to-door sales. He later pursued an MBA and joined Procter and Gamble, a major company in India during the time of the country's economic opening. In this role, he gained valuable experience working to take products to market from scratch. Later on, Jatar transitioned to Coca-Cola and played a pivotal role in helping the company expand into new categories within the Indian market. His significant contributions to Coke's growth in India showcased his strategic thinking, business acumen, and ability to identify unique market opportunities. Currently, Udaiyan Jatar is CEO and Co-Founder of Tecton, where he's working hard to move the needle on

HALO Talks, on behalf of Integrity Square, is pleased to share this podcast with our new client, HealthFitness Corporation. HealthFitness is committed to further expansion into facilities-based fitness management and has engaged Integrity Square to assist in outreach with prospective owners who are seeking a great home for their company and employees. If you are interested in exploring opportunities after hearing this podcast, please reach out to Rosa Alaimo-Quinn, our Chief of Staff, to arrange an introductory call with our team. (rosa@integritysq.com) Sean McManamy is a key figure in the fitness industry, with a focus on creating communities and a sense of belonging through the management of fitness programs and on-site facilities. He has been with Trustmark, HealthFitness’ parent company, since before their acquisition of HealthFitness in 2010. Trustmark is a benefits company that has supported employers and their teams for more than 100 years. Over the past decade, Sean has been instrumental in driving th

Eziah Syed is a former athlete with a background in fitness and health. He played basketball at a national level in Canada and also had some experience in the tech space. His life took a turn when his mother was diagnosed with cancer and his brother suffered a serious fall, resulting in multiple injuries. These personal experiences made Eziah reflect on the healthcare system and the care received. He noticed gaps and questioned why his own injuries were taking longer to heal than expected. This led him to explore the connection between nutrition and healing, realizing that the medical community was largely unaware of the impact of nutrition on the body's healing process. Eziah decided to take action and founded his own firm to bridge the gap between healthcare and nutrition, aiming to provide better guidance and resources for those in need. He states, "We developed our own formulations, and we go through a very rigorous pharma-like process, to develop what we call nutrapharma which lives in a class in between

Randy Sussman is an entrepreneur who identified a gap in the market for pickleball apparel early on. Observing that players were initially wearing items like heavy cotton shirts with kitschy designs, he quickly realized the need for high-quality, stylish clothing in this growing sport. The number of players have grown exponentially to approximately 7-8 million players, with 35-40 million having tried it at least once last year. Determined to meet this demand Randy approached his friend David, an experienced apparel professional in New York City. Despite initial skepticism, Randy's unwavering conviction convinced David to offer his advice. This marked the beginning of Sussman's journey into the world of pickleball apparel, challenging the conventional belief that "you only go into the apparel business to lose money!" The sport shows no signs of letting up. Sussman states, "You visit the courts in Delray . . . and you see really strong play! Night time or on the weekends . . . you find kids that are in their tw

Natacha Nelson's journey has been one of resilience and determination. In college, she faced the disappointment of not making any sports teams and struggled to find her identity as a mixed-race individual. Battling addiction, she eventually left. Not too shortly after, a moment of realization pushed her to make major changes. Working tirelessly in multiple restaurants, Natacha decided to return to a junior college to pursue her dream of going into the medical space. Starting with anatomy and physiology classes, she gradually worked her way up, eventually becoming a chiropractor and running her own business, specializing in working with athletes. Despite the challenges and setbacks, Natacha's unwavering spirit led her to achieve her goals and serve as a testament to the power of perseverance. On making effective, lasting changes, Natasha approaches it in a unique way. She states, 'When it comes to whether it's food or exercise, most people say, 'okay, I'm going to give up all these foods' or 'exercise every da

Rechelle Balanzat, an extremely determined, driven, and resilient entrepreneur, has overcome the rather large challenges of breaking into the highly competitive dry cleaning market with her company, JULIETTE.  With her immense success in this competitive space, Rechelle now helms three different brands and 6 locations in NYC. New York has been her home for over 20 years, enabling her to understand the city's unique mentality and lifestyle. Her expertise with the fast-paced demands of New Yorkers (who expect everything to be done "yesterday!") extends to providing them with efficient and timely cleaning services. Balanzat has literally worked in dry cleaners herself, learned the business from the ground up, and has created a brand poised to conquer new markets (when the time is right.) She emphasizes the importance of creating a strong company culture, finding the right people who align with what your company stands for as well as the values and the needs of your customers. Rechelle's customer-centric focus an

Live from the floor of the March 2023 IHRSA Trade Show in San Diego, host Pete Moore interviews Blake Richards formerly with Nike as a Senior Data Quality Analyst, then Senior Global Membership Ops Process Coordinator and now as the Founder of Wunup. Wunup is a one-of-a-kind app that dives into world of gamification and peer-to-peer challenges in the fitness industry. Blake shares his journey from working at Nike to creating his own company, and how the culture and innovation at Nike influenced his entrepreneurial pursuits. From linking up with Apple Health and Stripe to creating challenges and inviting friends, Blake reveals the inner workings of his fun new tool. With regard to the challenges and accountability for fitness between friends he states, "One thing we'd focus on is accountability, and it was through friends doing different challenges. Basically we would just be using Venmo. I was gifted an Apple Watch and we were all doing these challenges competing for things like Chick-fil-A and bragging right

In this episode, Cale Owen of Gym Launch dives deep into strategies to help engage gym members, maximize profit, and help take business owners to the next level. Cale opens up about the challenge many gym-goers face - the reluctance to put in hard work and effort. He shares his recommendations on how to combat this and engage members by regularly reaching out to them, checking on their progress and well-being. (The simple handwritten card can be a game-changer in client retention!) Pete and Cale go on to discuss the (extremely!) broken marketing and advertising strategies all too prevalent in the fitness industry. Owen states, "The question then becomes . . . what is the offer? And are we able to monetize on that enough to where that new client that I just signed up from this ad pays not only for themselves, the cost to acquire them, but also pays for the next person plus profit in the 1st 30 days? That's the equation we look for. Can we make a profit and pay for 2 new customers right at sign up? . . . We tea

Live from the floor of the March 2023 IHRSA Trade Show in San Diego, host Pete Moore interviews long time friend and serial entrepreneur, Chris Place, Founder and CEO of RINGO. Chris got inspired to create his incredibly innovative product by a gathering of friends in the Florida Keys. During their reunion, they struggled to capture a group photo on a small boat while trying to lean the phone up against their water bottle. (Can you relate?!) This sparked an idea – why not create a water bottle that could also hold a phone very securely? Chris and team started sketching and soon recognized the multitude of uses the product has for those who don't want to lug around a tripod (many of which are now not permitted in gyms anyway!)  The response has been overwhelmingly positive, they have secured design patents, and are currently awaiting a utility patent. Chris's product not only solves a common problem but is also "over engineered" with meticulous attention to detail, making it difficult to replicate.  The compa

Live from the floor of the March 2023 IHRSA Trade Show in San Diego, host Pete Moore welcome the powerhouse Mother/Daughter team of Nikki Warren and Coral Warren from KaiaFit  Nikki and Koral are two, super passionate individuals who began their journey in gymnastics. While watching children at gymnastics facilities, they realized the joy and love that came from being active and connected with their bodies. However, they also noticed that many mothers on the sidelines had lost their enthusiasm for fitness and the feeling of "being alive." This sparked a calling to help both children and women find their passion for physical activity and vibrant living. As experienced coaches, Nikki and Koral recognized that their ability to positively impact children relied on first supporting women. They understood that by empowering women, they could create stronger communities and ultimately benefit the children they worked with. With this in mind, they embarked on a mission to not only coach fitness but to delve into vari

Live from the floor of the March 2023 IHRSA Trade Show in San Diego, host Pete Moore welcomes back (for the third time!) the team of Austin Cohen and Justin Turetsky.  FlexIt’s mission is to empower everyone with flexible Interconnected Health experiences, including Virtual Personal Training, Virtual Nutrition, and Virtual Physical Therapy – Wherever, Whenever®. The platform is the ultimate tool for motivation and accountability, helping users reach their health and wellness goals through live, 1-on-1, private sessions with elite fitness and wellness professionals and custom features designed and optimized for training. Each client’s program is customized based on their needs, lifestyle, and goals and delivered on a proprietary platform designed and optimized for wellness experiences. During the pandemic, the team successfully brought clubs and trainers to a virtual marketplace, connecting consumers with fitness experts and incorporating club brands. As things progressed and the pandemic started to fade, the

Please go to http://bit.ly/haloacademylive and fill in our 2-question survey. Whether we go ahead with this iniitiative will depend solely on the survey responses we receive, so if you're at all interested in this. . .please do us that favor. It'll take 30 seconds or less.  With appreciation,  Pete Moore-Managing Partner & Founder, Integrity Square David Ganulin-Chief Marketing Officer, Integrity Square & HALO Talks Executive Producer

Joining us on this episode of HALO Talks are a cast of veteran actors and incredibly talented individuals who have combined their love for performing, writing, and a newfound passion for pickleball to create something truly special: Pickleball is Life-Dill With It! Watch the hilarious trailer here!  Today's guests include Carol Ann Demarco, Susan Gallagher, Catherine Curtin, and Leigh Anne West.  When the COVID-19 pandemic struck, Carol Ann and Leigh Anne found themselves brainstorming ideas for a comedy project. Drawing from their experiences in New York Theatre and indie short films, they came up with the concept of a mockumentary that serves as a bit of a "love letter" to Cape May, the quirky and eccentric characters they encountered in the world of pickleball, and the sport itself. Despite initial resistance as a former tennis player, Leigh Anne embraced the project wholeheartedly. She and Carol met every Friday to develop the characters and scenarios, created a pilot, and with the addition of powerhouse

Russ Meneve, an entrepreneur and inventor, experienced a life-changing event when he suffered a severe injury from a free weight bar a few years ago. It left him with a torn shoulder, requiring surgery and a grueling year-plus recovery period. Throughout this challenging journey, Russ realized there was a notable lack of safety measures available in the market to prevent such accidents. He embarked on a mission to create something that could prevent injuries during free weight lifts. After months of experimentation and development, he and his team successfully invented an absolute game-changer. This innovative device features a laser that runs across the bar, allowing users to let go at any point during a lift. Upon release, the device promptly stops the bar from moving further. The versatility of the product enables it to be easily attached to existing racks and machines in any gym without the need for additional equipment purchases. Russ's journey from successful stand up comedian, to injury, to recovery, t

Live from the floor of the March 2023 IHRSA Trade Show in San Diego, host Pete Moore welcomes Laura Munkholm, President and Co-Founder at Walla.  Laura, seven months pregnant with her second child, was running her Yoga 6 location and facing a frustrating lack of insight into her teacher's performance. Determined to find a solution, she partnered with Doug Hecht to create a game-changing product in the face of fierce competition. Laura chats about her  journey of identifying frustrations and building solutions from the root cause and shares invaluable lessons learned, the importance of connection and community in entrepreneurship, and the power of understanding diverse perceptions in design.  Regarding the importance of experience and understanding a vertical, she states, "When I looked at competitors, I saw a lot of companies that were either underfunded, undercapitalized, and who had experience but didn't understand what it was going to take to build a competing product. Or, I saw tech people who could raise