HALO Talks

Every Wednesday we release our all new “HALO Academy: 2 Minute Drill" by Integrity Square Founder & HALO Talks host, Pete Moore on everything you need to know for financial literacy, unit economics, legal documents used for M&A and capital raises, capital sources you can access, understanding how financings are structured, valuation metrics and parameters, and what you need to know about your own business before engaging in cap raises and/or a potential sale. If you missed our email about this, you can re-read it here: https://mailchi.mp/9567da51c0ce/2025programschedule  ====================================================== RESOURCES  https://www.integritysq.com https://www.halotalks.com https://www.thehaloacademy.com  =================================================== ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR  Pete is the Founder, Managing Partner and Chief Dream Architect at Integrity Square ("ISQ"), a leading boutique financial advisory firm focused on the $4.7T Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoor ("HALO") sec

In today's episode, host Pete Moore is joined by dynamic entrepreneur, Kevin Wathey. Kevin shares his journey from a deeply personal tragedy with his Mom, to becoming a multi-faceted entrepreneur, spearheading innovative projects across the globe. The discussion dives into two latest (and very complementary) ventures, including a new wellness resort set in Costa Rica, tailored for high-performing individuals seeking holistic health transformations.  Kevin also touches on Baseline, his health tech platform designed to revolutionize personal health management by offering customized experiences based on unique biological data. With insights on personal motivation, the importance of wellness, and his ambitious plans for future locations in Italy and South Africa, this episode is a must-listen for those interested in the fusion of hospitality, technology, and health. On building out Velara, Kevin mentions, "The acquisition in Costa Rica was a preexisting boutique hotel. It was 24 rooms, two restaurants, a spa, and

Every Wednesday we release our all new “HALO Academy: 2 Minute Financial Drill" by Integrity Square Founder & HALO Talks host, Pete Moore on everything you need to know for financial literacy, unit economics, legal documents used for M&A and capital raises, capital sources you can access, understanding how financings are structured, valuation metrics and parameters, and what you need to know about your own business before engaging in cap raises and/or a potential sale. If you missed our email about this, you can re-read it here: https://mailchi.mp/9567da51c0ce/2025programschedule  ====================================================== RESOURCES  https://www.integritysq.com https://www.halotalks.com https://www.thehaloacademy.com  =================================================== ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR  Pete is the Founder, Managing Partner and Chief Dream Architect at Integrity Square ("ISQ"), a leading boutique financial advisory firm focused on the $4.7T Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoor ("H

In this episode, we're joined by Deb Strougo, longtime industry veteran in the HALO sector. Deb shares her insights both as a seasoned consumer and advisor, exploring the current and future landscape of fitness. Pete and Deb dive deep into the experience and inner workings of high-end clubs like Bay Club, weighing their offerings and discussing the evolving needs of today's customer. As Deb articulates the growing importance of holistic wellness and the cultural shifts in exercise preferences, she provides a unique perspective on how fitness businesses can thrive. Listen now to learn how to navigate the ever-changing dynamics of the industry and the collaborative potential between new entrants and established players. Whether you're a fitness entrepreneur, industry insider, or just passionate about health, this conversation has a ton of valuable takeaways.  With regards to empowering fitness choices and the need to provide more diverse options Deb states, "In the Pilates space for example, you're seeing a lot

Every Wednesday we release our all new “HALO Academy: 2 Minute Drill" by Integrity Square Founder & HALO Talks host, Pete Moore on everything you need to know for financial literacy, unit economics, legal documents used for M&A and capital raises, capital sources you can access, understanding how financings are structured, valuation metrics and parameters, and what you need to know about your own business before engaging in cap raises and/or a potential sale. If you missed our email about this, you can re-read it here: https://mailchi.mp/9567da51c0ce/2025programschedule  ====================================================== RESOURCES  https://www.integritysq.com https://www.halotalks.com https://www.thehaloacademy.com  =================================================== ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR  Pete is the Founder, Managing Partner and Chief Dream Architect at Integrity Square ("ISQ"), a leading boutique financial advisory firm focused on the $4.7T Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoor ("HALO") sect

In this episode we're pleased to host Jeremy Kelstrom from Alaris, a company that continues to make waves in the B2B SaaS space by addressing the needs of youth sports, camps, and club check-in experiences. With a really cool origin story that dates back to their initially winning a business plan competition sponsored by Rolls Royce, Jeremy dives into how Alaris pivoted away from its core signature recognition technology origins to eventually becoming a key player in club management software. Host Pete Moore and Jeremy also discuss how customer feedback led to their significant pivot, challenges and successes of entrepreneurship, and how Alaris is expanding its offerings with innovative booking platforms. Kelstrom shares his valuable insights on product market fit, customer feedback, and the importance of a bottom-up strategy focusing on front-line staff's experiences. When it comes to the power of partnerships for growth, he states, "There are lots of deals we're brought in on where it's said to to the custo

Today's Thursday. . .so that means another HALO Talks-Fast Break! Integrity Square Founder, Pete Moore, was out on location with Brian Mitchell (happy birthday!

Every Wednesday we release our all new “HALO Academy: 2 Minute Drill" by Integrity Square Founder & HALO Talks host, Pete Moore on everything you need to know for financial literacy, unit economics, legal documents used for M&A and capital raises, capital sources you can access, understanding how financings are structured, valuation metrics and parameters, and what you need to know about your own business before engaging in cap raises and/or a potential sale. If you missed our email about this, you can re-read it here: https://mailchi.mp/9567da51c0ce/2025programschedule  ====================================================== RESOURCES  https://www.integritysq.com https://www.halotalks.com https://www.thehaloacademy.com  ===================================================== ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR  Pete is the Founder, Managing Partner and Chief Dream Architect at Integrity Square ("ISQ"), a leading boutique financial advisory firm focused on the $4.7T Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoor ("HALO") se

In this episode, we've reconnected with Andrew Menter (episode #135) as we dive into what they've been doing recently over at Physmodo. Pete and Andrew chat about the advancements the company has made since inception, focusing a lot on their consumer app designed for self-assessment in movement screening. Andrew shares the journey of adapting the business from its initial push into fitness spaces to expanding into markets like sports orthopedic medicine. They also touch on the application of their tech for injury prevention, particularly in youth sports, and the exciting intersection of biomechanical analysis with consumer wearables. Andrew reflects on the challenges and milestones along the way, and offers insights into the future of movement analysis in various industries.  Key themes discussed Expanding Fitness Assessment Reach Injury Risk Analysis & Trends FMS Research and Injury Screening Data Ownership and Wearable Insights Subscription App with Minimal Signup Job Requirements and Assessments Worke

Every Wednesday we release our all new “HALO Academy: 2 Minute Drill" by Integrity Square Founder & HALO Talks host, Pete Moore on everything you need to know for financial literacy, unit economics, legal documents used for M&A and capital raises, capital sources you can access, understanding how financings are structured, valuation metrics and parameters, and what you need to know about your own business before engaging in cap raises and/or a potential sale. If you missed our email about this, you can re-read it here: https://mailchi.mp/9567da51c0ce/2025programschedule  ====================================================== RESOURCES  https://www.integritysq.com https://www.halotalks.com https://www.thehaloacademy.com  ===================================================== ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR  Pete is the Founder, Managing Partner and Chief Dream Architect at Integrity Square ("ISQ"), a leading boutique financial advisory firm focused on the $4.7T Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoor ("HALO") se

In this episode, host Pete Moore sits down with Fadi Zoghzoghy, founder and CEO of Bridge Athletic. Fadi shares his insights about the transformative power of tech for the training market, particularly for college and professional athletes and coaches. With a strong background in tech, Fadi goes further into how Bridge is digitizing weight rooms and enhancing athlete development through personalized training, learning, and adaptive learning strategies. Bridge is not just about efficiency, but also about improving performance and player engagement. On bringing coaching "into the 21st century and seeing a white space," Fadi states, "There are no tools out there to help them do their job . . . efficiently and effectively. They're spending a lot of time in Excel designing these training plans. They're sending YouTube links. They're following up via text messages. It's all pretty much done in 1990's tech. That was the opportunity that we went after initially." Key themes discussed Digitizing athletic training and

Every Wednesday we release our all new “HALO Academy: 2 Minute Drill" by Integrity Square Founder & HALO Talks host, Pete Moore on everything you need to know for financial literacy, unit economics, legal documents used for M&A and capital raises, capital sources you can access, understanding how financings are structured, valuation metrics and parameters, and what you need to know about your own business before engaging in cap raises and/or a potential sale. If you missed our email about this, you can re-read it here: https://mailchi.mp/9567da51c0ce/2025programschedule  ====================================================== RESOURCES  https://www.integritysq.com https://www.halotalks.com https://www.thehaloacademy.com  ===================================================== ABOUT YOUR INSTRUCTOR  Pete is the Founder, Managing Partner and Chief Dream Architect at Integrity Square ("ISQ"), a leading boutique financial advisory firm focused on the $4.7T Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoor ("HALO") se

In this episode, host Pete Moore sits down with Noam Tamir, successful entrepreneur, long-time fitness veteran, and founder of TS Fitness. Noam shares his journey from working at Crunch to building his own space in New York City in 2011. He talks about the importance of understanding business numbers, creating a strong team culture, and developing effective client relationships. Pete and Noam also dive into the evolving fitness landscape, the significance of community in client retention, and the role of personalized strength and conditioning in achieving fitness goals. Tamir provides some fantastic tips on his success, the challenges he has overcome, and his future plans while staying true to his passion for building communities and transforming lives. On creating a secure and growth-oriented working environment, Tamir states, "This year was the first time I put people on salary. People crave security. One thing that I do to prioritize my day is I'll write out the five biggest things that I need to get done.

In this episode, host Pete Moore sits down with Marco Ferdinandi, a fitness industry expert with a rich career spanning New Jersey to Hong Kong. Marco discusses his journey from being a strength and conditioning coach to founding AQ Strong, a brand focused on athletic wellness in Hong Kong. The conversation also dives into his experience with flywheel training and its benefits, including its roots in NASA research. Marco shares insights on the challenges and rewards of starting a business abroad, his vision for the future of fitness, thoughts on price-to-value in the industry, and his ambitions to make flywheel training a standard in fitness facilities. On starting slowly and building from the ground up, Marco states, "We had an angel investor that contributed the bulk of what we needed to get started. But we started small. We just started with education for the first six months. Once we had a critical mass of people interested, then we went and took the leap into a full fledged facility, which was 10,000 squ

Today we're excited to bring back Brian Anderson, a seasoned executive and entrepreneur who has worked in all parts of the HALO sector. Brian shares his unique journey from running successful companies to becoming a fractional CEO, mentor, board member, and advisor across industries including fitness, wellness, female sexual health, and even the THC-infused beverage space. Brian provides insights into his approach to transforming businesses, focusing on shareholder value, and shares stories of his roles with companies like Pvolve and Your Reformer.  Known for his ability to transform and enhance business value, he consistently led companies valued between $50 million and $150 million. Brian specialized in working with private equity firms, successfully navigating these companies through growth phases and lucrative exits. His career has been defined by long-term commitments, where he devoted four to five years to each project, driving significant growth and benefiting shareholders. When it comes to the shift f

On today's episode, host Pete Moore welcomes Troy Taylor, Senior Director of Performance Innovation for Tonal. With a deep background in elite sports, Troy shares his journey from working with Olympic teams to transforming training methodologies at Tonal. We dive into discussions on the importance of both strength and cardio, the intricacies and challenges of training elite athletes, and how technological advancements in fitness are shaping the future. Whether you're a fitness enthusiast or a professional in the industry, this episode is packed with insights on optimizing performance and longevity. Taylor boasts an impressive 20-year career in the elite sports arena, contributing to the success of three different Olympic teams: Great Britain, Canada, and the USA. Over the course of seven Olympic Games, he has worked across approximately 10-11 different sports in roles including sports scientist, strength and conditioning coach, and physiologist. Taylor's pinnacle role was as the Performance Director for US Sk

Today, we're excited to welcome RJ Krone, President of Extraordinary Brands, to the show. RJ has an impressive background with nearly 20 years in franchising, including leading roles at Pvolve and others. Since joining the team, he's spearheaded the acquisition of three dynamic boutique fitness franchises: Eat the Frog, RowHouse, and Neighborhood Bar. In this episode, RJ shares his philosophy on criteria for awarding franchises, focusing on profitability, and the unique benefits of a diversified fitness portfolio. He also delves into the importance of maintaining the identity of each brand while ensuring seamless operational and marketing support.  Krone's journey into the fitness industry began serendipitously in 2019 when Julie Cartwright from Pvolve introduced him to their innovative online and on-demand fitness modality. He saw potential in transforming this digital concept into a brick-and-mortar franchise and, after several in-depth conversations, Krone embraced the opportunity and officially joined Pvo

Today, we’re diving into the pickleball world (perhaps you've heard of it?) ;) with David and Sam Ring. Join host Pete Moore as we talk about the Rings’ grassroots effort to open PickleballXpo, a state-of-the-art pickleball club in Oceanside, Long Island. David, a former consumer electronics executive, and his son Sam have turned a once-forgotten sports complex into a thriving pickleball venue, complete with professional court design, a smoothie bar, and more.  David recently transitioned out of a 46-year career into becoming a new business owner, spurred on by his wife (an enthusiastic player herself) who noticed his restlessness after retirement. Eight months ago, he seized on a great piece of real estate with ample parking and high ceilings and--recognizing a gap in the local market with only one distant competitor who lacks adequate parking--David made the jump.  Dave and Sam discuss self-funding the venture, the unique features of their facility, and the pivotal role of data analytics in their model. Fro

In this episode, host Pete Moore sits down with longtime friend and former investment banker, Patrick Sandone. Sandone has a diverse background in private equity, venture capital, and entrepreneurship. After earning his MBA from Columbia, he ventured into his family's automotive business, but quickly realized his true passion lay elsewhere. He eventually moved on to the firm DLJ, and eventually shifted into entrepreneurship to create the transformative GUIDE App. Designed to aid first responders, military personnel, veterans, and others in high-stress professions, GUIDE provides anonymous support, microlearning, community interaction, and wellness practices aimed at building resilience and promoting mental and emotional well-being. Listen not to learn how his own experiences and passion for personal development fueled the creation of GUIDE and the significant impact it’s already making. Regarding the critical importance of anonymity, Sandone states, "If you're in some of these professions that may have a real

Thanks for your interest in HALO Talks! You've found the best (and longest running!) podcast on the business-to-business ("B2B") side of the HALO sector. (Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoors) Whether you work at a health club (in any capacity!) or you're covering it in the financial services sector as an Analyst to Managing Partner, you'll glean incredible value from each 30 minute episode.   Pete Moore is the host, Founder, Managing Partner, and Chief Dream Architect at Integrity Square ("ISQ"), a leading boutique financial advisory firm focused on the $6.2T HALO space.  Since founding ISQ in 2010, the firm has played an active advisory role in 100+ mergers & acquisitions, private placements and advisory assignments across North America. Pete Moore and his team have also invested in passionate entrepreneurs at HigherDOSE, XTEND, and Promotion Vault.  ISQ's media and "live education" properties include HALO Talks, Time To Win Again, and the HALO Academy, an Executive Education Bootcamp Series. Prior to ISQ