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Fitness + Technology

Welcome to the Fitness + Technology Podcast for club owners, operators, and fitness professionals! This show is your #1 trusted resource for the accelerating world of fitness technology. We regularly bring you an expert interview with a global influencer at the crossroads of fitness and technology. You’ll get the insights, tools, and inspiration you need to stay connected to the pulse of what matters most for your fitness business in the age of exponential technologies. This podcast is brought to you by the Fitness Industry Technology Council, who is mobilizing resources to drive the fitness industry forward, and representing leading companies and organizations to success through collaboration. This show is supported by Bryan O'Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, a boutique investment and advisory firm helping early mature and late stage enterprises, moon mission media a digital marketing firm dedicated to the fitness space, and Integerus Advisors. To learn more visit bryankorourke.com
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Now displaying: March, 2017
Mar 28, 2017

This legislation has the potential to transform our space and help put prevention in our healthcare system, because as you learn from Bryan, with as much as were doing in the fitness and wellness worlds to reach as many people we can, the reality is that our current healthcare model is broken. 

On episode 20 we're learning from the President of FIT-C, Bryan O’Rourke, about one of the most pivotal legislations pending in Congress that has a direct impact on the success and longevity of your fitness business. We're talking about the PHIT Act.

What we have now isn’t healthcare, it's sick care.

Make sure to take action after listening to the show by clicking on this link and view the resources below where you can have your voice heard by writing your member of Congress to ensure that activity expenses are covered under pretax medical accounts. 

We'll also hear from Bryan about his recent webinar with Club Industry:  

"The Five Simple Ways To Use Technology To Increase Revenue" and why he believes that consumers have quickly shifted into becoming more digitally attuned now than ever before, and how smart club owners and operators that focus on omnipresence and various technologies can reach current and future members at their deepest needs. 

Bryan O’Rourke serves as president of the Fitness Industry Technology Council, a consortium of leading companies working on technology standards for health and wellness. These organizations collectively serve more than 1,000 fitness facilities, dozens of organizations and more than 5,000 instructor professionals. Bryan is an entrepreneur, investor and former club owner who has worked in the health club and fitness industry with his partners for 18 years. He has presented as a keynote speaker at industry and corporate conferences on four continents.

He is widely published and quoted in periodicals such as Inc. Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, and was recently recognized as one of the top 17 most influential entrepreneurs on Twitter. IHRSA named him one of 13 to watch in 2013. Bryan has recently contributed to a newly released book with other European thought leaders titled "Essentials of Motivation and Behavior Change."
 

Listen To Episode 020 As Bryan Uncovers

  • The Personal Health Initiative Today Act: What the passage of the #PHITAct will mean for the fitness industry
  • How this legislation incentives people to spend money on exercise and self care by making those expenses tax deductible
  • When the legislation has been re-introduced and what we need to push it through congress
  • Bryan's view on the major discussions in the USA about healthcare reform
  • Why 3/4 of chronic illness comes about though lifestyle choices
  • How you can make your voice heard by asking your congressional representative to pass #PHITAct
  • How industry leaders like Meredith Poppler are championing this incredible legislation  
  • How this legislation will cost only one-one thousandths of 1% of the annual federal budget over 10 years
  • What this means to families who need more fitness in their lives: Saving 20-30% on annual physical activity costs
  • What are simple ways to use technology to increase revenue in your fitness business 

Top 3 Takeaways From The Show 

  • Right now in the United States, the "sick care" system is broken. Our current paradigm is focused on responding to disease and not preventing disease in the first place. Three quarters or more of chronic illness comes about through lifestyle choices, so when we look at how exercise can positively impact human health, getting people to participate in primary prevention for their own health strategy is smart. If we spend our efforts doing that, we can avoid spending billions of dollars on an unsustainable system.
  • Currently, pre-tax medical accounts are primarily used for reimbursement of medical expenses once you become sick. With the #PHITAct, this will allow taxpayers to place up to $2,000 a year in existing pre-tax medical accounts for reimbursement of physical activity expenses. Lower costs will promote active lifestyles and improve the health of Americans. The #PHITAct will put prevention in our healthcare system. 
  • Bryan believes there are four key drivers that are impacting reinventions in our industry: changing consumers, advancing technologies, new economics, and globalism. The bottom line is moving more transactions for the health club online to make it both easy for more people to join clubs, and provide a seamless experience for marketing, selling, and servicing members in a truly personalized way, based on who they are.  

Power Quote From Bryan

"As the technology goes to the trough of disillusionment and climbs the slope of enlightenment, we will see the market rush to adopt. All business models need to look at a strategic view of what they can do for the near-term around existing business models, and how they can apply technology in a way that can really help with their midterm and long-term strategies." - Bryan O'Rourke on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"Right now in the United States, the "sick care" system is broken. Our current paradigm is focused on responding to disease and not preventing disease in the first place. Three quarters or more of chronic illness comes about through lifestyle choices, so when we look at how exercise can positively impact human health, getting people to participate in primary prevention for their own health strategy is smart. If we spend our efforts doing that, we can avoid spending billions of dollars on an unsustainable system." - Bryan O'Rourke on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

Resources Mentioned From Bryan

Support This Podcast

Thanks To Our Outstanding Sponsors

  • Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere VenturesIntegerus Advisors, and many more. If you are looking for unmatched guidance, capital, insights or a great speaker or facilitator, Bryan and his partners are the go to resource for your organization. To learn more visit bryankorourke.com

  • The Fitness Industry Technology Council, your non-profit resource for reliable technology information supported by forward looking brands who are seeking to drive increased technology adoption in the fitness industry. Make a difference and join FIT-C at fittechcouncil.org today

  • Check out Bryan and his partner Robert Dyer's recent book "9 Partnership Principles: A Story of Life Lessons" which is available now on Amazon.com

Mar 21, 2017

Brian Hayden is the Cofounder and CEO at fitness technology startup, ShapeLog. ShapeLog is your new personal trainer - their patented data collection platform helps gyms and trainers make more money by delivering better client experiences. Brian previously founded and ran the education technology company, HeatSpring. He also teaches B2B sales at the University of Michigan's Center for Entrepreneurship.

For episode 19 were growing stronger, and tracking while we do it. Discover how ShapeLog relates to your fitness business in the age of exponential technologies that are now affecting the new member orientation experience and strength tracking alike.  Brian delivers a fresh perspective as a new business in our space, as well as the challenges and incredible opportunities that can exist when companies drop the walls and start sharing data and ideas for collaboration. 

If you are a club owner, operator or trainer interested in the next generation of strength tracking, or have been curious about how to use seamless technology to create a captivating first 30 days for a new club member, this is the show for you.

Brian is sharing with us how forming a team of specialists from the Internet of things combined with an ethos to help transform the health of millions of lives through machine learning and artificial intelligence is now paving the way for what strength training will be in our industry.  

As we cycle down from IHRSA 2017 this month, a lot of club leaders are filled with new information. From this show, you’ll gain a few key tactical steps to take inspired action from. 

Listen To Episode 019 As Brian Uncovers

  • Why the IoT solution for strength tracking is changing our fitness space
  • How approaching group strength training is inevitably different than normal group classes 
  • Understanding "The Death of The Leaderboard" 
  • Why strength tracking is more "vulnerable" data for clients and new members 
  • How machine learning and AI use data points collected from stand alone equipment sensors
  • Why Brian chooses to teach B2B at the university to maintain his vantage point in our space 
  • What smart club owners, operators, and trainers can do with the IoT sensors like ShapeLog 
  • What the future of strength training, combined with wearables and IoT sensors like ShapeLog, will do to help maximize trainer time and reduce attrition in clubs. 
  • How to radically upgrade the new member experience using tailored programming with the IoT

Top 3 Takeaways From The Show 

  • The way our industry strength trains and how we track it is changing. Personalized workout plans, automated tracking, accountability and motivation are all things that great trainers and coaches already do, but with these retrofitted sensors that use the IoT to automatically track strength training workouts, the trainers and coaches of today and in the future will have technology on their side.
  • Strength training is the second most popular form of exercise with health benefits that surpass many other modalities. With the Internet of things and sensors like ShapeLog guiding new members into a dynamic and engaged initial 30 day experience will help club a operators  bottom line. Not only reducing attrition, but through increasing the likelihood of member's results - which is why they came into the club in the first place.

  • The personal training model in our space does not scale, and that’s a problem for trainers, clients, and fitness clubs. However, group training that’s data-driven is a perfect marriage with personal training when contextualizing the data and making complicated numbers easy for everyone to wrap their heads around and take inspired action from. This must be one of the missions for the greatest coaches and clubs in our space. Most people who start working out just want to know what to do Whether you’re data-driven or you just want the right direction based on the data your body is creating,  the Internet of things is showing us with companies like ShapeLog that we can provide a trusted On-Ramp solutions that will benefit the user and member for the long-term.

Power Quotes From Brian

"Strength training is the second most popular form of exercise - right behind walking. Strong is beautiful, measurable, and the best way to stay healthy at every stage of life. Understanding a few key metrics about yourself has the potential to change your life forever." -  Brian Hayden on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"Trainers don’t ‘scale’, and that’s a problem for trainers, clients, and fitness clubs alike. People in the U.S. spend more than $10B on personal trainers in the US. every year. Those 6.5 million people will use this information to have better conversations with their trainers. Good trainers have told us that they welcome those conversations – visibility of client data is a ‘magical bridge’ that keeps clients engaged and less likely to drop out of the program." - Brian Hayden on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

Resources Mentioned From Brian

Support This Podcast

Thanks To Our Outstanding Sponsors

  • Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere VenturesIntegerus Advisors, and many more. If you are looking for unmatched guidance, capital, insights or a great speaker or facilitator, Bryan and his partners are the go to resource for your organization. To learn more visit bryankorourke.com

  • The Fitness Industry Technology Council, your non-profit resource for reliable technology information supported by forward looking brands who are seeking to drive increased technology adoption in the fitness industry. Make a difference and join FIT-C at fittechcouncil.org today

  • Check out Bryan and his partner Robert Dyer's recent book "9 Partnership Principles: A Story of Life Lessons" which is available now on Amazon.com

Mar 14, 2017

Mac Gambill is the co-founder and CEO of Nudge, LLC. As the CEO, Mac wears many hats, but his primary roles consist of business development, fundraising, and sales. In his time with Nudge, the company has been recognized as finalists in programs such as RVA Companies to Watch and the Chattanooga Technology Council's Early Innovator Award. Mac was recognized by CIT as being a GAP 50 Finalist, which identified Virginia entrepreneurs most likely to build the next generation of tech companies in the state.

In Q1, 2015 Nudge launched a complementary platform for health coaches, called Nudge Coach, that leverages the Nudge technology to streamline the coaching process and help coaches better manage larger client populations. Nudge has also launched Nudge+Coach, introducing an on-demand coaching network to complement the mobile health ecosystem, allowing consumers to combine the benefits of their wearables data with a real-life health coach.

Listen To Episode 018 As Mac Uncovers

  • Why we are seeing that specific apps and devices are becoming critical tools in both client and patient healthcare management care models
  • How to take these great devices out there and tie them into client care models so that we can increase revenue and also the health outcomes of individuals
  • How Nudge Coach is supporting the disruption and transformation of the role of personal training into coaching for the fitness industry  
  • How digital health coaching and virtual health coaching models can help give trainers and club owners their time back while also serving more clients towards better health
  • Understanding the 3 core issues for using wearables in the fitness industry:
    1. Data access
    2. Data intelligence
    3. Seamless virtual coaching
  • Uncovering "collaborative care" and the convergence of fitness and health care, both in the private side of healthcare, whether it’s concierge medical groups with membership models or fitness pros collaborating with healthcare professionals
  • How wearables and virtual wellness services for healthcare and wellness providers complement the consumer UI/UX and deliver a better healthcare experience across the board
  • How to use wearables, email marketing, and virtual coaching together in lead capture strategies

Top 3 Takeaways From The Show 

  • What we can now do with digital offerings and digital models that a lot of businesses are interested in is tap into audiences that are outside driving distance from the club. With mobile health, clubs can not only extended their business reach outside the four walls, but also dramatically increase their target audience - which yields greater financial success while helping more people in their health and wellness. 
  • Mac believes that the data is showing the collaborative care model is growing, with the convergence of fitness and health care, both in the private side with concierge medical groups with membership models and also by fitness pros collaborating with healthcare professionals to create a new environment around the consumer and the client.
  • Mobile health technology in and out of the fitness industry is already changing lives and poised for growth. Mac believes that mobile health is a large piece of the puzzle, but what needs to occur to use this technology for a healthier world is the rise of the tech enabled fitness professional who uses strategic communication with their clients. The data is great, but data without contextualized feedback is just not effective. 

Power Quotes From Mac

"We are approaching the day and age where fitness pros realize it does not have to be either them or the device. I think in the past that professionals might’ve been skittish about digital health and seen it as competition, but what were seeing now is this marriage is coming together." -  Mac Gambill on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"Collaborative care is growing and were starting to see the convergence of fitness and health care, both in the private side of healthcare with concierge medical groups with membership models and also fitness professionals collaborating with healthcare professionals to create a new environment around the consumer and the client." - Mac Gambill on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

“Being the founder of a technology company, I know we build some really great things, but at the end of the day the value is really provided by the professional. In as much as I want to say our technology is going to change lives, I know we are just a part of the puzzle. What we now know needs to occur is the tech enabled professional who uses strategic communication. Data is great, but data without contextualized feedback is just not effective. - Mac Gambill on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

Resources Mentioned From Mac

Support This Podcast

Thanks To Our Outstanding Sponsors

  • Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere VenturesIntegerus Advisors, and many more. If you are looking for unmatched guidance, capital, insights or a great speaker or facilitator, Bryan and his partners are the go to resource for your organization. To learn more visit bryankorourke.com

  • The Fitness Industry Technology Council, your non-profit resource for reliable technology information supported by forward looking brands who are seeking to drive increased technology adoption in the fitness industry. Make a difference and join FIT-C at fittechcouncil.org today

  • Check out Bryan and his partner Robert Dyer's recent book "9 Partnership Principles: A Story of Life Lessons" which is available now on Amazon.com

Mar 7, 2017

Bryan O’Rourke serves as president of the Fitness Industry Technology Council, a consortium of leading companies working on technology standards for health and wellness. These organizations collectively serve more than 1,000 fitness facilities, dozens of organizations and more than 5,000 instructor professionals. Bryan is an entrepreneur, investor and former club owner who has worked in the health club and fitness industry with his partners for 18 years. He has presented as a keynote speaker at industry and corporate conferences on four continents.

He is widely published and quoted in periodicals such as Inc. Magazine, the Wall Street Journal and the New York Times, and was recently recognized as one of the top 17 most influential entrepreneurs on Twitter. IHRSA named him one of 13 to watch in 2013. Bryan has recently contributed to a newly released book with other European thought leaders titled "Essentials of Motivation and Behavior Change."

He is a cancer survivor and underwrites a variety of causes pertaining to cancer prevention and those impacted by the disease.

Listen To Episode 017 As Bryan Uncovers

  • Attend Bryan's speaking events at IHRSA 2017:
  • *Thursday 3/9, 11:30am PST - Technology Networking Roundtable
  • *Thursday 3/9, 3:30pm PST - Multimedia Presentation: "Poised For Expansion" How the industry will grow 300% in the next decade
  • *Friday 3/10, 7:40am PST20 Minute Presentation: Disruptive Innovation, Capitalizing on Wearables
  • With so much change in our industry space, what is the optimal mindset for club owners and operators to best capitalize with new technologies?
  • What smart club operators and owners can look forward to at the FIT-C roundtable at IHRSA
  • Why it takes a lot of discipline for club owners and operators to step outside where they are  and think strategically while keeping in mind what is possible in the near term and today
  • What Bryan believes to be the best way to plan an effective and meaningful schedule at IHRSA 
  • Why the top brands will begin to morph into a dynamic of measuring receptors of data and cognition and intelligence
  • Why 96% of the world's fortune 500 companies lost market share in 2016 and why this disruption is happening 

Top 3 Takeaways From The Show 

  • The term wearables is really just a misnomer as we move into the space of hearables, ingestables, seeables, injectables and more. Yet the value is not really about the sensor, which is just the receptor, the real value is how we use the platforms that take that data and create user experiences in new ways.
  • The reinvention of the customer is proving that the greatest business models in the fitness and health club industry over the next 10 years haven't been invented yet. 
  • One way that many businesses and industries have traditionally measured success was by the number of users, members, and revenue per transaction. Bryan believes we are now going to see that space shift increasingly to the drivers of the most successful and fastest growing brands morphing into a dynamic of measuring both the receptors of data, and cognition and intelligence.

Power Quotes From Bryan

"Everyone has a voice for how they best connect with their communities. What’s most important for all of us in the age of exponential technology is asking the right questions and understanding that we're all perpetual newbies in this world of interconnection." -  Bryan O'Rourke on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"One way we used to measure success in our businesses and industries was around the number of users, members, and revenue per transaction. We are now going to see the space shift increasingly to the drivers of the most successful and fastest growing brands morphing into a dynamic of measuring both the receptors of data, and cognition and intelligence." - Bryan O'Rourke on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

Resources Mentioned From Bryan

Support This Podcast

Thanks To Our Outstanding Sponsors

  • Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere VenturesIntegerus Advisors, and many more. If you are looking for unmatched guidance, capital, insights or a great speaker or facilitator, Bryan and his partners are the go to resource for your organization. To learn more visit bryankorourke.com

  • The Fitness Industry Technology Council, your non-profit resource for reliable technology information supported by forward looking brands who are seeking to drive increased technology adoption in the fitness industry. Make a difference and join FIT-C at fittechcouncil.org today

  • Check out Bryan and his partner Robert Dyer's recent book "9 Partnership Principles: A Story of Life Lessons" which is available now on Amazon.com

Mar 6, 2017

Lindsey Rainwater is a sought after Business Consultant & Leadership Coach, Writer, and Presenter. Lindsey helps people and organizations enjoy transformational change with an enthusiasm for leadership, conscious living, and wellness amplified by technology.  

As a consultant and coach to the professionals supporting the fitness industry, she is well known for her work in business development, strategy, digital marketing, content creation and change management. Lindsey’s entrepreneurial spirit and drive has produced a track record of consistent over-achievements throughout her career which has created her unique signature of being a conscious professional who leverages technology, to build deep, meaningful relationships while helping her colleagues do the same.

Listen To Episode 016 As Lindsey Uncovers

  • How to use simple yet effective techniques to enhance the Group X member experience
  • How gamification and wearables can create return and new members 
  • Why over 90% of recurring members are group fitness members and what savvy club operators can to do help change this statistic 
  • How making simple changes in lighting and music can dramatically change the Group X member experience 
  • Understanding how technology can support filling classes in peak and off peak times
  • How to lighten up the space of the Group X room and make it more fun for members 
  • Dialing up the live class experience: what works best for all sizes of clubs 
  • Why launch parties for Group X fitness can drive new memberships if strategically placed in a sales approach 
  • What virtual Group X means to supporting members who use the gym in twilight hours
  • Exploring the impact of what virtual reality will bring to the Group X space in the next 3-5 years 
  • What Lindsey believes is the future of group fitness technology 

Top 3 Takeaways From The Show 

  • With so many moving pieces to manage in a successful Group X program, Lindsey urges club owners to focus on the cost of losing a loyal member who participates in Group X buffed up against the cost of a new member acquisition. A loyal Group X member stays for a number of reasons, but above all else, its the connection to a community and the personal relationships that are made inside the room.
  • New advances in virtual and live streaming classes can help serve all club members at their deepest needs, and beyond the use of technology, Lindsey reminds club owners to not overlook the simple yet effective changes of class music and lighting which can prove a tremendous impact on the member experience and support retention.
  • With the pace of change and technology options rising for Group X, Lindsey believes the most important thing is to slow down and begin evaluating what’s currently working by surveying members on how you might improve. In club operations on and off the group X and fitness floor, Lindsey reminds us that there is power in the pause. 

Power Quotes From Lindsey

"With so many moving pieces to manage in a successful Group X program, I urge club owners to focus on the cost of losing a loyal member who participates in Group X buffed up against the cost of a new member acquisition. A loyal Group X member stays for a number of reasons, but above all else, its the connection to a community and the personal relationships that are made inside the room." -  Lindsey Rainwater on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"Technology's ability to impact the Group X space happens with social media as instructors take the lead by posting pictures of classes and tagging happy members. Whether gamification was integrated inside the class or not, members can both compete and compare, which creates the base for them to return." - Lindsey Rainwater on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

Resources Mentioned From Lindsey

Support This Podcast

Thanks To Our Outstanding Sponsors

  • Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere VenturesIntegerus Advisors, and many more. If you are looking for unmatched guidance, capital, insights or a great speaker or facilitator, Bryan and his partners are the go to resource for your organization. To learn more visit bryankorourke.com

  • The Fitness Industry Technology Council, your non-profit resource for reliable technology information supported by forward looking brands who are seeking to drive increased technology adoption in the fitness industry. Make a difference and join FIT-C at fittechcouncil.org today

  • Check out Bryan and his partner Robert Dyer's recent book "9 Partnership Principles: A Story of Life Lessons" which is available now on Amazon.com

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