HALO Talks

With 30+ years in the beauty & skin care industry, Denise knows how to build and scale massive consumer brands from the ground up. How do you take a concept from PowerPoint to something on the shelf? "Success is a little bit of magic, a lot of discipline, and a lot of hard work. Everything begins with an idea, inspiration, or concept," she states.  In an industry with very low barriers to entry, what can you do? How do you build a moat around your product? How do you deal with the 600lb gorilla in the room? Listen now to learn more from this seasoned veteran.      

Formerly with World Bank and now at Bain since 2011, Chris discusses a (fairly) new type of instrument private equity firms are using these days--an Impact Fund. "We're not pretending our investment of 10-15 million per business will change the obesity epidemic or solve global warming. However, what we can do is help fund scalable models which can be one of the hopefully many things to eventually get to that point," he states. Bain is already invested in game changing brands like by CHLOE and others. This is a must-listen for any entrepreneur with a mission driven management team who wants to get to the next level & what it takes to possibly get through the door. 

As a Portfolio Manager in Emerging Markets at Blackrock for over 8 years, Nicholas effectively created his own "HALO portal" within the massive organization. Certainly not an easy feat in a company with over 14,000 employees! How he did it, and how he went about navigating the twists and turns politically is incredibly useful advice for anyone facing similar challenges within their corporate culture. For anyone who thinks, "Something like this could never be done where I work!" this episode is the inspiration you've been searching for!     

"We launched for a very simple reason: It was way too hard to find a great pair of workout shorts!" laughs Keith Nowack, Founder of Ten Thousand. They're now growing at a fantastic clip and Keith and team team remain, "Focused on profitability and not just raising capital every 12 months!" A former pro soccer player and seasoned entrepreneur & investor, Keith highlights the highs and lows that come with starting & growing a business and offers some tips on how to endure! "Being an entrepreneur, being a founder, is lonely. Nobody talks about it, but it is!" 

Macrolease has been serving clients in the HALO sector since 1969. Equipment financing has always been a critical part of the industry and Sal Venuto--VP at Marcrolease--is a 20 year veteran and has seen the evolution first hand. "It's a dynamite industry to be involved with," he says. "Operators are getting much more sophisticated. People call us early on in the process now, even sometimes before they sign their franchise agreement." Listen to learn more about this critical part of the HALO world. 

"Learning how to write is universal. It's never going anywhere," states John Romaniello. John has been named "Top 100 Most Influential People In Fitness." He wrote his first article in 2002 and now, with several e-books, courses, sites, a best seller, and a few thousand clients to his credit, John serves as a writing mentor and business coach. In one of our more philosophical HALO Talks, John discusses content creation, food-culture connection, trends, how he evaluates business opportunities and more!

"How we're accessing fitness has evolved. In the past, 2% of gym members were buying other fitness experiences. Now it's over 25%," says Founder and 20+ year fitness veteran and marketing & media executive Joanna Stahl. "I'm going to be in Houston tomorrow, what cycling class should I go to?" It was questions like these she'd get from friends that were never easily answered. Go2Practice was born out of that and now--with 100,000+ gyms on the site--it makes it simple for consumers to search, book and buy from gyms nationally. Learn more about this innovative (and long overdue!) business and how your club can get involved. 

First Credit is a leading company in the Accounts Receivable space with an impressive, 25 year history. They work with over 4,000 clubs and have integrations with all the main point of sale providers. "This is usually only a $100-$200 bill. It just needs a talk. We're a non-threatening, consultative, member engagement retention model with a soft approach. We never threaten legal issues. We're against arguments!" states CEO Raj Chhabria. With a refreshing difference in an industry that (may) not always have the best reputation, Raj's unique leadership and philosophy continue to make First Credit a leader in their field.

Workout Anytime began in Douglasville, Georgia in 1999 with a converted, 3,200 square foot facility. After 10 months, they had $800,000 in receivables and "knew we were on to something," said Co-Founder John Quattrochhi. "We had no idea we'd be franchising one day either!" he states. They sold their first franchise in 2006 and now have over 100 nationally. The company was built "one brick at a time" and--like any entrepreneur--certainly had their share of setbacks. Listen to learn more about this company's incredible story & growth!

"Why wouldn't you give free sessions? It doesn't cost you anything!" is an incorrect and unfortunately, all-too-common refrain that 22+ year industry veteran Zach Lucas hears often. "We've seen studies that show people prefer incentives 3 to 1 over discounts!" The results that Promotion Vault customers are seeing clearly bear that out. Zach is very passionate about educating the industry about the multi-billion dollar incentive world. Promotion Vault works with all the major chains, integrates with all major point of sale providers, and is in over 2,200 locations in the USA and Canada. Listen now to learn more about using this highly powerful tool in your facility.   

86% of athletes recruited into their first jobs are promoted within 18 months. However, 64% are graduating without a job in hand. 97% are not receiving a job through relationships with the Athletic Department either. The Athlete Book is going to change all of this & will connect athletes to employers in a way that's never been done before. It's the brainchild of Ryan Drummond, former captain of his lacrosse team at the University of Delaware and veteran in the recruiting world. Amazon, GE, Under Armor, Mass Mutual, Yelp, JP Morgan Chase are already customers. This game-changing platform plans to remake how D1, D2, and D3 athletes transition into the work world.  

Dr. Jaime Schehr is one of a small number of people who is both a Registered Dietitian and Naturopathic Physician. After serving as a clinician in Mount Sinai for 12 years, she began her own practice in addition to starting Xfit Lab which has worked with companies like Soul Cycle and Peleton. Dr. Schehr "married medicine and fitness" and because of her broad background in both fields, is able to assess analyze and assess data in unique (and actionable) ways. In one of our more scientifically oriented HALO Talks, Dr. Schehr dives deep into VO2 max tests, separates some facts from fiction, and more! 

"You have to have sat on the operating side of the table if you want to be really effective in this space," states Leigh Randall, Managing Partner of Topspin Partners, a leading private equity firm in the HALO sector & consumer products and services space since 2000.  "We hear over and over from small business owners that there's a complete lack of appreciation for what they've accomplished!" What is private equity exactly? What can PE firms bring to the table for entrepreneurs? What should entrepreneurs know about approaching PE firms? Listen now to this info-packed chat with this seasoned executive.

"I'm naturally scrappy, I love a good challenge. . . I don't need to be a hero and do it alone!" says Jackie Stauffer, CEO & Founder of the innovative company, RECESS. A former college athlete, Estee' Lauder & Equinox Fitness marketing executive, RECESS was born (like many companies) from a personal frustration. "I was starting to not work out because of the whole 'waiting in line to shower!' thing. I thought there definitely had to be a better way!" states Stauffer. RECESS came out of that with the very apt tagline, "For the in-between moments." This game-changing, unique product is poised to blow up! Listen now to learn how's Jackie has gotten so far so quickly and where RECESS is going next.      

Ron is currently the CEO of Daxko but spent 26 years with Reynolds & Reynolds--the leading tech company in the retail automotive space. Jeff founded Club Automation which Daxko acquired in January, 2018. This chat with these two highly seasoned executives runs the gamut from the benefits of partnering, why you should consider this path when the time comes, how to vet an appropriate partner, how nascent the fitness industry is tech wise, and much more! 

Hari Singh was the Dairy Barn President for 15 years and learned about this "CrossFit thing" when it started making waves in NYC. He became a convert and started CrossFit NYC (the 16th CrossFit affiliate in the world.) With 26 instructors on staff and 2 locations, "We never thought we'd get 30 people!" he jokes. Hari has a strong relationship with Greg Glassman the Founder and mentions, "He isn't saying anything different today than he has when we first started." How do you win in an industry with no barriers to entry?  What was one of the biggest things CrossFit NYC did in the beginning that helped set them apart? Learn more about CrossFit's early days, Hari's journey & much more!  

One day, Elana Frankel, Co-Founder of Indigo & Haze--a highly curated CBD marketplace specializing in plant-based wellness, beauty, and living--was in Miami and the next? She was in the hospital having a CAT scan. The doctors still don't know what happened but they do know she suffered a TBI. (Traumatic brain injury.) Her road to recovery was accelerated due to her use of CBD tea, but she kept quiet about it. "3 or 4 years ago, CBD was underground, especially on the East Coast! People needed education. When you said 'cannabis' people went straight to marijuana or 'getting stoned' or 'do I need a medical card?'" says Frankel. CBD is non-intoxicating and has a massive array of health benefits. Listen now to learn more about her incredible journey and this rapidly moving market segment.          

"Save your money before you open your studio. You should have a minimum 3 months, preferably 6, of your operating budget in the bank before you open," states Julian Barnes, Co-Founder of the Boutique Fitness Summit ("BFS") which organizes 1-day summits in DC, NYC, and Chicago. Julian has been around the industry since playing competitive tennis as a child. He's run over 100 networking events in NYC from 2012-2017 & his passion for the boutique fitness space (and helping the Owner/Operators with best business practices) is contagious! If you're an Owner or General Manager of a boutique facility, this is event is a must.    

Focused on the place where "entertainment meets fitness," Crunch Fitness was a huge game changer when they first started. Cyrus, an 18+ year industry veteran & the Senior Vice President of Group Fitness Programming, discusses complex issues such as which type of programming to use in your facility. Top things you need to know to retain top talent. Pros and cons of pre-packaged programming. Her thoughts on streaming, the issues around health insurance for group exercise instructors and more! 

Wayne Strobel's ambitious goal is to have Beachbox become, "The Disney of health and wellness, creating cohesive brand experiences in our studios, at home, on our mobile devices, and online." Beachbox is "more than just a gym" and Wayne's extensive in the retail sector helped shape their mantra, "Build, Burn, Become!" Listen now to learn more about their unique gamification of their workouts through "Beach Bucks" and much more!