HALO Talks

Maura Vella started her journey in the corporate world, quickly climbing the ladder and achieving financial success by the age of 24 in tech sales. However, she realized that despite the impressive paycheck, she lacked a sense of purpose and excitement. This led her to embark on a different path, one centered around her newfound passion for yoga. She eagerly attended classes every day, and it became the focal point of her daily routine. Fueled by this passion, she made the rather large decision to leave her lucrative job and pursued her dream of teaching yoga and getting into the business side of the HALO sector. (Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoors.) She ventured into this new chapter of her life, eager to share the benefits of yoga with others while building a thriving community for like-minded individuals. She states, "By the time I was 24, I was making six figures, which was amazing. But then had this epiphany that it wasn't purpose driven. I wasn't really excited about what I was doing even though I was m

Chuck Goetschel is the CEO and Co-Founder of Rallio, and a respected figure in the franchising community, known for his strong belief and track record in building and maintaining positive relationships between franchisors and franchisees. With a focus on empowering and supporting franchisees while utilizing the strength of the brand, his mission is to ensure a harmonious and successful partnership between the two.  He shares his expertise in solving problems and creating technology for local business management and touches on the frustrations between franchisors and franchisees, shedding light on his innovative solutions that bridge communication gaps and empower brands. From AI in marketing to hiring passionate individuals, this episode is packed with invaluable insights on leveraging technology and building successful businesses. Listen now to hear how Chuck and Pete navigate the complexities of the industry and inspire listeners to make a positive impact in the world. Regarding AI in Rallio, Chuck says, "W

Pete Moore, Founder & Managing Partner of Integrity Square recounts a conversation he may or may not have had at one point or another in his investment banking career. These types of discussions may or may not also take place daily in investment banks and M&A firms everywhere.  As he's often fond of saying, "Finance is basic math. It's not hard, but the people in the sector love to make it sound hard." That's one of the (many!) reasons you need a firm like Integrity Square if you're ever going to do a buy or sell side deal.  There's an entire section on our HALO Talks site called "Finance 101" where Pete breaks it all down in hilarious 2-3 minute riffs. Enjoy!  On our Integrity Square site, we've also created a glossary of terms translating 'finance speak' to real English. Links in resource section below. Here's a few examples:  "Window of Opportunity" = If the company doesn’t get money by Friday, the company is dead. "Upgrading The Management Team" = Fired the CEO and entire management team becaus

Amy Bantham began her career in the late nineties as a group exercise instructor, a role she quickly fell in love with. While working in management consulting, she realized that it was teaching group exercise during her lunch hour that truly brought her joy and drive. This eventually led her to begin working with the main industry trade group, IHRSA (International Health, Racquet & Sports Association) for over a decade where she focused on advocacy, health promotion, and health policy.  During her tenure, she played a crucial role in establishing the IHRSA Foundation, which allowed her to further her passion for expanding access to physical activity opportunities. This sparked her desire to pursue a Doctor of Public Health degree, a journey that took three years. Through her impressive career and educational background, Amy has become a dedicated advocate for promoting physical activity and improving public health. About the Daily Mile initiative, she states, "This was an elementary school, in-school phys

Bill Davis is an extremely dedicated individual who has witnessed the tremendous transformation and maturity of the HALO (Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoors) space over the past few years. Despite the anxiety and uncertainty brought about by the pandemic, Bill has been impressed by the sustained growth and expansion of both membership and brands within the industry. With a keen understanding that fitness and wellness are top priorities for many, he recognizes the critical importance the brick and mortar experience plays in achieving overall well being. At ABC, Bill and his team have used the many challenges of the pandemic as an opportunity to embrace new technologies and continue to innovate. Davis aims to continue to contribute to the positive development of the industry, even in small ways. On the power of personalization he states, "I think the technology is there. It's helping club operators understand how they can more effectively seamlessly leverage it to garner better, more curated, more personalized

Wade Norris is a former researcher at Google AI, where he had the fortune of transitioning into the AI space just as it was gaining momentum. His expertise lies specifically in helping computers understand photos, videos, and the surrounding world. Wade had an amazing journey there, starting with a team of only 10 and witnessing its rapid growth to 140 researchers. During his tenure, he contributed to the development of several impressive products. Eventually, he seized the opportunity to explore starting something new and making more of an impact.  Wade recognized the tremendous opportunity in addressing the role of diet and nutrition. Armed with his passion and his impressive expertise, he started building Snap Calorie, a game-changing solution that leverages computer vision to help track and analyze nutritional information and portion sizes. If you're curious about the intersection of technology, nutrition, and personal health, this episode is a must-listen! Regaring AI and LIDAR (light detecting and rangi

Chris Mirabile's passion for health started young. At 12, he stumbled on to a copy of Men's Health magazine, which inspired him to take care of his body through exercise and what he believed was a healthy diet. Health became an integral part of his life until everything changed when he was 15. While on a school trip in New York City, Chris unexpectedly had a seizure caused by an undetected, golf ball-sized brain tumor that had been growing for years. This medical emergency necessitated immediate surgery and completely upended his life. It forced him to reevaluate his understanding of health, realizing that true well-being goes beyond just physical appearance and athletic abilities. It also ignited a new-found curiosity about the biological aspects of health and set him on a new path. Regarding biological age and chronological age he states, "Biological age and chronological age are two different things . . . biological age is essentially how old you are biologically, which is correlated with your risk of mort

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