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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: June, 2017
Jun 27, 2017

On episode 34 we're taking a 360° look with the VP of Sales for Power Plate, Craig Bradley, at how technology is impacting new training methods in the fitness industry. If you've been curious about whole body vibration training and how this technology along with many others is now changing both the group and one-on-one training experience, you're in the right place.

But were not just talking about the Power Plate on today's show, we're also learning about the impact of new technology in the primary vertical markets, including real direct to consumer, blue-chip clubs, medical, and active aging segments, where Craig explains what he believes the next 24 months hold in both opportunities and growth potential for all fitness professionals.

Craig also presents a handful of controversial ideas around exercise adherence and turns the personal training model upside down, as he shares about a pilot test in one of his former clubs where they gave away personal training, and how it actually earned more revenue for the club than when they charged. 

What are the various training methods we're seeing rise up in our space, fueled by new technologies?

The answers to those questions and much more takeaways for club owners, operators, and fitness professionals right here, right now with Craig Bradley.

About Craig Bradley

Craig Bradley is the VP of Sales for Power Plate and Performance Health Systems. As a global business professional capable of blending sales and marketing skills with operational expertise to grow profits, Craig has a reputation for reducing costs and improving customer satisfaction in the fitness industry. With a vast understanding of the global market, Craig has deep expertise in the relationships between fiduciary responsibility and the value of diversity across multiple verticals.

Listen To Episode 034 As Craig Uncovers

  • What is whole body vibrational training
  • Understanding the new training methods using technology
  • Craig's vantage on the primary vertical markets in fitness:
    • Real direct to consumer
    • Commercial fitness space: elite professional, NFL, NBA, S&C
    • Blue Chip Clubs: Equinox, Lifetime
    • Active aging space
    • Medical space
  • Understanding the Power Plate: vibrational platform that essentially helps the consumer prepare faster, perform better, and recover quicker for exercise by stimulating the natural reflexes, increasing muscle activation, and improving circulation
  • Why more and more options exist now for the home user like Peloton, Daily Burn, and Power Plate
  • Why fitness consumers and members of gyms are supplementing what they do in the club with activities at work or home
  • How will the role of trainers will shift as new training methods rise up
  • The role of empathy for personal trainers combined with technology
  • Why Craig believes that being in a management position actually is a popularity contest, regardless of conventional thinking around the role of this position
  • What Craig believes that the next 12-24 months (trends) will create in our space

Top 3 Takeaways From The Show

  • Craig reminds us about the important of fitness professionals to practicing emotional intelligence, combined with technology will be in the digital world ahead. The reality is that many fitness pros are gym rats, and they love being in the gym to work out. But the clients they work with don't always share that same mindset. The long-term behavior change strategies from trainers (that want to serve their clients where they actually are) must include smarter touch points through cloud-based accountability and proven behavior change models.
  • Vibrational training is currently proving to be a revenue booster for small group training where novelty and individualized programming are valued most. We're also seeing the medical and active aging space rapidly adopt vibrational training due to its benefits and low impact for people who suffer with chronic conditions. Smart clubs and small group training facilities are taking a bigger look at vibrational training in 2017.
  • Craig believes that combining member club usage data with the data sets outside the four walls is the future of fitness and represents a major opportunity in both revenue and customer service. Imagine what omni-channel and omnipresence experience could be delivered to our members if we could contextualize their data in and out of the facility; tailored to give them the right message at the right time based on how they actually live.

Power Quotes From Craig

"Make it fun. I think the more you can engage and coach folks in a fun environment, the more adherence you'll see. There is a reason why most of the fitness brands that are more 'party, playful, and fun' in their orientation do extremely well, and that's the area that I would try and encourage operators to explore."  -  Craig Bradley on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"I think diet is the big opportunity for fitness operators out there. What people put in their body is obviously more important than what they do with their body, and I see that as a huge opportunity. Obviously there are diet subscriptions and apps now, but if fitness companies can find a solution whereby they offer a diet solution to their subscriber base, this is a massive opportunity." - Craig Bradley on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

Resources Mentioned From Craig

Thanks To Our Outstanding Sponsors

  • Turbo-STRAPP is a wearable platform that harnesses the power of wearable fitness devices and seamlessly shares the data with fitness professionals. The platform allows you to connect with users throughout the day and provide professional guidance, workout suggestions, and even nutritional tracking. The potential to grow your business globally through digital content has arrived. Visit thier website at www.turbo-strapp.com and enter your email for a FREE GUIDE on how to grow your online business.
 
  • 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
Jun 20, 2017

For episode 33 we’re learning from the CEO of FitCloudConnect, Brad Weber, and exploring the rapid changes of how all size clubs are reaching consumers through "lifestyle fitness" including delivery of programming 24/7 365, through any mobile device. 

Looking back on some of our previous interviews with brands like Wexer, MYZONE, and Under Armour, we know that our space is shifting quickly towards meeting millennial’s and other demographics at their deepest needs which include tablets, mobile phones, and live streaming fitness experiences.

But the larger question that we're taking an honest look at today is around breakage. 

How do some big-box clubs that sell essentially more memberships than they can support, knowing full well that members will drop off after EFT payments have been collected for months, continue to operate in this paradigm?

New technology can help to change this paradigm by adding revenue streams built for the club and so that members can begin to see the facility as the hub, the place where they feel at home, and so does their all their activity data. 

In this episode, Brad is sharing with us his expertise around using smart cameras and content strategy, similar to the successful model of Peloton, that many clubs are starting to take a serious look at as the attention spans of members shorten, and the need for digital connection increases.

Brad also gives us some great tips on interoperability, how platforms must come together now more than ever, and why he believes that lifestyle fitness and the devices that support it across all verticals within the industry is now a driving force behind the future of sustainable fitness business operations.

How can technology-focused health clubs use lifestyle fitness to engage members inside and outside the club?

Answers to those questions and much more in this episode with Brad Weber.

About Brad Weber

Brad Weber is the Co-Founder & CEO of FitCloudConnect. He has spent over 15 years in numerous software and SaaS organizations, and has extensive experience in working with all sizes of companies across numerous industries in the U.S. and Canada in researching, designing and deploying enterprise-wide software solutions.

He has been a sought after consultant for many of the world's Fortune 500 companies in areas of enterprise software, and has spent much of his time as a key contributor to building startups in the enterprise and SaaS software industry.

Listen To Episode 033 As Brad Uncovers

  • What is Lifestyle Fitness" and how does this relate to the growth in our space
  • Understanding connected devices across iOS and Android 
  • The value of live-streaming content delivered to gym members across all devices
  • Creating separate revenue streams for fitness facilities through smart cameras
  • Understanding the future of connected fitness: "the gym taken home with the member"
  • How to measure what members are "at risk" for cancelling memberships
  • Impact: Direct to consumer offerings in the fitness space 
  • Exploring the interoperability between systems, and the closed systems that stay walled
  • Understanding "smart cameras" that will serve the gym members of the future outside the 4 walls
  • The paradigm shift: less about competition, more about collaboration in fitness technology  

Top 3 Takeaways From The Show

  • Brad believes that the “fitness lifestyle” experience that has been offered for so many years in our industry is now going through a massive change. To meet the needs of members who travel, who might be intimidated by coming into the club multiple times per week, or who might be a member solely based on class attendance, the delivery of a gym experience to wherever the consumer is 24/7, represents the next level of lifestyle fitness.

  • Smart cameras and connected fitness are now allowing facilities to truly think "outside the box." By using quantifiable measurements of revenue generation that can be implemented and used across the organization (without having to manage that technology) operators are recognizing that a great fitness tech platform is one that does all the heavy lifting for club.

  • The reality is that are some people who will never come into a club. With only 16% of the national population having memberships, 84% don’t. Brad reminds us that many people who use the excuses of being too busy, embarrassed, or living too far away simply don’t have to remain true. With lifestyle fitness being delivered to members 24/7, 365, this new technology is about extending the fitness experience to people who need it most, and is helping to address the breakage aspect of big-box clubs who sell more memberships than they can actually support. 

Power Quotes From Brad

"When we looked at the market over two years ago for our strategy, we noticed there was many established players already delivering "celebrity fitness content" into the club. We knew that delivering an in-club experience outside the gym would be an exceptional away for a facility to establish and help build their brand beyond the four walls. We also knew that giving a virtual experience of instructors at the gym through a combination of prerecorded and live streaming experiences would be what members would want."  -  Brad Weber on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"The great thing about technology is it gives you deep insights on who your users actually are.  Now we can start to understand user behaviors where previously a user would walk in and out of the club. Now we can use smart data to understand all the movements of a person on a virtual system and determine where best to put our resources and invest our time." - Brad Weber on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

Resources Mentioned From Brad

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
Jun 13, 2017

With the results now being calculated for the recent Fitness Industry Technology Council's technology usage survey, for episode 032, we're exploring the real answers for club owners around the adoption of new technologies and when to recognize true disruption vs. just a loud media buzz.

If you missed the technology survey, be sure to sign up for the FIT-C mailing list over at www.fitechcouncil.org.

Today's show will help our industry address some important information about health club usage of technology, including how fitness facilities are using AI in retail, what is the real bridge between technology adoption and ROI, and how specific technology can enhance your business to rise above competition.

We're learning from the Chief Information Officer of Gold's Gym, Adam Zeitsiff, to get more clarity around what Adam believes are the 4 most powerful questions to ask when adopting any new piece of tech.

These questions and the information from Adam's interview are a great template for all size clubs, and powerful guide when making decisions that club owners can use to separate their facility from those that frenetically adopt what "seem" to be disruptive technology. 

How do smart club owners and operators make the best decisions when experiencing adoption and disruption in our space? 

Listen to this insightful conversation with Adam Zeitsiff for the answers.

About Adam Zeitsiff

Adam Zeitsiff is the Chief Information Officer at Gold's Gym. He is a dynamic, entrepreneurial and visionary leader with an expertise in providing a game-changing edge to manage and grow company infrastructure, technology and product development in highly competitive landscapes.

A champion at executing & operating enterprise technology, Adam specializes in leading software and infrastructure solutions within companies for scale, sustainable growth & has years of performance excellence across the US, Canada & European markets.

With an out-of-the-box approach, Adam has a proven entrepreneurial spirit & battle-hardened tenacity through consistently achieving results through the application of both technology and business strategies.

Listen To Episode 032 As Adam Uncovers

  • The bridge between adoption and disruption:
    1. Will improve your operational agility?
    2. Will it make a positive impact on your staff?
    3. Does it enhance the member experience?
    4. Will it create new revenue streams?
  • As we look at the fast growing technology in our industry, how do we identify when disruption is actually taking place vs. just a media buzz?
  • Understanding Adam's quote: "You either disrupt or you get disrupted” (Blockbuster, Kodak, ect.)
  • When we hear the term “technology adoption” and in looking at the sociology behind the technology adoption lifecycle, what data driven actions should clubs be aware of and why?
  • Why not to adopt technology just to adopt, and only to adopt with a true purpose
  • How has Gold’s Gym been an early adopter with technology?
  • What is a BI Engine?
  • How does a BI Engine learn and serve its customers?
  • How is AI being used with retail and how might this be used in the fitness industry?
  • Why do we as an industry need to figure out how iBeacon, near field technology, and the affordability of AI and geotagging blend together?
  • What are the technology needs of corporate wellness in the next 12-24 months?

Top 3 Takeaways From The Show

  • Adam believes there's a lot of fear, uncertainty, and doubt out there, and a lot of media press around technology disruption, but buzz alone doesn't mean something is truly being disrupted. That means somebody got a press release out there and people picked it up. Operators must take the time to really look at these things, always be talking, and learning to stay in touch with colleagues to see the real difference between adoption and disruption in our space.

  • For the operators that choose to have a mindset of learning, who look at all the technology changes with a step-by-step process, Adam believes there is a tremendous possibility to have more engaged members than ever before. The big opportunity with disruption is that operators in our industry hold years of experience that some of the technology providers that are trying to disrupt, just don't have. By leveraging new tech and the deep experience of long time clubs, revenue and member satisfaction will rise. 

  • One of the most pivotal questions to ask when adopting new technology is around its positive effect of the member experience. Fitness technology has now created a world without borders; it's not only passed the curve of innovators and early adopters, but also is it now something that will dramatically affect the member experience inside of the club. At the end of the day, you want people to come into your facility and have a great experience, so the technology must disrupt the industry with the sole purpose of improving the member experience within the four walls.

Power Quotes From Adam

"I don't think a day goes by where I don't hear the term "millennial," and I don't think we as a fitness industry can look at millennials and underestimate how technology will disrupt our industry. Millennials think technology first and brick-and-mortar second. The disruption of millennials, in shifting from using their phones to communicate to now using to purchase goods and services, we must pay attention to these early adopters on the bell curve."  -  Adam Zeitsiff on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"There's a lot of fear, uncertainty, and doubt out there, and there's a lot of media press around technology disruption, but that alone doesn't mean something is being disrupted. That means somebody got a press release out there and people picked up. We as operators need to take the time to really look at these things, always be talking, and learning to stay in touch with our colleagues to see the real difference between adoption and disruption." - Adam Zeitsiff on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

Resources Mentioned From Adam

Thanks To Our Outstanding Sponsors

AFTERSHOKZ has created cutting edge headphones, using bone conduction sound technology perfect for cyclists, fitness professionals, and fitness enthusiasts alike. With an open ear design focused on safety and comfort, AFTERSHOKZ is offering an exclusive bundle with a free gift for the Fitness + Technology audience. Pickup your free gift with purchase by heading over to FITC.AFTERSHOKZ.COM today. 

  • 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
Jun 6, 2017

In episode 31 we take a deeper look at the churn rate and attrition of fitness professionals in the industry. Whether you are a studio, small or big box club, increasing the lifetime value of a fitness professional is more important now than ever as we move quickly in our digital world where touchpoints from fitness professionals are so important to a club.

Understanding that human connection from fitness pros to both clients and members is ultimately the fuel that drives the engine of fitness technology, with these new tech tools entering our world every quarter, what are the platforms that understand the trainer's most important data points and business workflows?

In a landscape of sometimes confusing technology applications, how can the right client, club, and trainer ecosystem support both the streamlining of a workday and a proactive approach towards running a successful and sustainable long term training business?

Today on the show we're answering those questions, and much more with the CEO of One Fit Stop, Jarron Aizen. 

About Jarron Aizen

Jarron Aizen is an entrepreneur with extensive experience in the computer software and technology industries. Jarron is the founder and CEO of OneFitStop, a SaaS software that streamlines business management and fitness tracking tools into one complete platform for the fitness industry. 

Listen To Episode 031 As Jarron Uncovers

  • How to increase the lifetime value of a fitness professional
  • The ethos of One Fit Stop; what is it doing for the fitness industry
  • Why giving fitness professionals effective growth tools in order to generate successful businesses is paramount in the digital age
  • What is the common thread among wellness, health and other industries outside of the fitness space in regards to technology meeting the digital needs of consumers
  • Understanding single technology tools vs. machine learning with intuitive guidance and teaching 
  • Why the personal trainer turnover rates remain high even with increased available knowledge: 
    1. Lack of persistence
    2. Lack of clients
    3. Lack of business skill
  • Why Jarron believes trainers must define their business models and payment structures first before ever working with a client
  • How do we use technology to make the trainer's time smarter for dual ROI of clubs/fitpros
  • Exploring the natural "churn" and constant recruitment problem in our space
  • How will AI and intuitive learning affect CRM and SasS platforms in gyms
  • Exploring how technology bridges the gap of trust between the club and the trainer
  • What gaps exist currently in the fitness technology space that will be filled in the next 12+ months

Top 3 Takeaways From The Show

  • Intuitive algorithms sourced from machine learning and AI are beginning to make the next level of both client service and sustainable personal training business thrive. Jarron believes that having the right tech platform to manage a fitness business is important, but what separates the good platforms from the great is not just having the right tool, it's making educated decisions based on a sharpened intuition that is honed from technology that understands what a business needs almost before they do.  

  • Jarron believes that the top CPT certification organizations around the world must start to align how they deploy their teaching courses to simulate real-life scenarios dealing with business acumen, rather than just textbook examples of physiology. To lower industry churn, these CPT certification trainings in physiology must also incorporate simulations of how to manage a technology-focused fitness business.

  • For trainers to be successful, Jarron believes that defining a business model and payment structures first (before ever working with a client) is just as important as the technology they'll use. Understand that a trainer's business model will adapt over time, but they first need to sit down and actually design it. For long term success, trainers who match up clients with their business model, and ask themselves "is this client right for me?" will support better systems for enjoying their career and less trainer burnout. 

Power Quotes From Jarron

"We want to measure ultimately how many fitness professionals in the businesses that use One Fit Stop end up staying longer in the industry. The only real way to really measure that is if we are working with the certification companies and getting them at a grassroots level."  - Jarron Aizen on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"The technology is merely a facilitator of the trust between the trainer and the health club. It's a powerful tool that let's a trainer know that a health club truly cares about them by providing a solution to help them build and manage a successful training business." Jarron Aizen on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

Resources Mentioned From Jarron

Thanks To Our Outstanding Sponsors

AFTERSHOKZ has created cutting edge headphones, using bone conduction sound technology perfect for cyclists, fitness professionals, and fitness enthusiasts alike. With an open ear design focused on safety and comfort, AFTERSHOKZ is offering an exclusive bundle with a free gift for the Fitness + Technology audience. Pickup your free gift with purchase by heading over to FITC.AFTERSHOKZ.COM today. 

  • 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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