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.
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.
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.
"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
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.
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.
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.
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.
"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
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.
For episode 29, we're talking about medical fitness and its impact on our industry. This is an advanced model of personal training that is yielding an massive opportunity that fitness clubs will be able to capitalize on, and get people more healthy than ever before through referral networks for physicians.
We're learning from the CEO of Rejuv Medical, JR Burgess, about how the entrepreneurial minded fitness facility or studio, that can understand how to partner with doctors, will thrive in this new medical and fitness landscape.
Listen as we explore both the advantages and challenges of trainers becoming medical fitness specialists, and what the next couple of years will mean to our space with the passage of a 2018 Diabetes Prevention Program that will partner with insurance companies to subsidize preventative wellness services through medically supervised fitness and wellness programs.
Whether you're a club owner operator or fitness professional working in a small medium or large facility, this episode will deliver the practical and actionable resources and inspiration to begin thinking outside the box and serving more customers towards better health through technology and specialized training.
Be sure to listen until the end of the show to hear from JR in our "Fit Six Round" about the action steps that leaders in the fitness industry are now taking, as well as what's coming next for the growth of medical fitness.
J.R. Burgess is the CEO of Rejuv Medical and MedFit. 7 years ago, he partnered with Dr. Joel Baumgartner (bam-greener) MD with the purpose to change the direction of the current healthcare crisis. Together they developed a successful medical practice that utilizes medical fitness as medicine to restore health and vitality to their patients.
J.R. Burgess joined the Rejuv Medical Team in September of 2009 to assist with the development of the Weight Loss and Performance Center. Born and raised in Keewatin, Minnesota, J.R. started his career in the medical fitness industry after his successful career as an athlete led him to a passion for personal training. I help get people started on their journey of a healthier lifestyle.
"We must create the standards for trainers to begin integrating their services into medical facilities. What does a medical fitness specialist or certification really entail? What are the qualifications they need to work with people that have chronic disease? In personal training, there is no standard across the board, and anybody can get a weekend certification. There is no governance, so when were dealing with having to really be the best and try to take care of people with progressive injuries, there must be a training or certification the trainers will have to go through." - JR Burgess on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
"MEDFIT's goal and aim is to help doctors and preventative lifestyle medicine to reverse chronic disease and degeneration while building their bottom line. Most doctors don't know how to make this business model work, and a lot of the hospitals don't know how to do what we've created. Our model is profitable, and grows our clinic while having amazing community impact." - JR Burgess on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
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.
For part two of our special two part episode we're exploring building a company culture in a digital world with sought after speaker, influencer, and fitness industry icon Bobby Cappuccio.
A lot of what we've been uncovering in our podcast is around the technology, wearables, and virtual platforms that are helping facilities and fitness professionals deliver exceptional service and value, but what has been a hot topic recently among trade magazines, industry shows, and in round tables is a looming question:
How can teams come together to form a culture that adopts new technology to deliver phenomenal client and customer experiences, and what is the mindset and best approach that really works from leadership?
If you've been curious about connecting the dots between data and customer engagement, our first half of this two part episode is teeing up Bobby's story of learning to use psychology and social media to deliver on culture, and in our second half, he'll bring it all together to provide more clarity on what leadership and culture means to the club in this digital world.
Robert Cappuccio, aka Bobby Cappuccio, stands at the forefront of a life altering and ever evolving industry: wellness. He has spent the last two decades of his life pushing for not only an industry-wide but an individual to individual shift in perspective, from a solely outward focused goal oriented approach to health and fitness to a more holistic approach centered on behavioral change. A phenomenon that has helped position PTA Global (a company he co-founded) as a leader in professional fitness development.
A best-selling author, sales, leadership, and cultural development consultant for various companies including Hilton Hotels, Virgin Active, Equinox, David Lloyd Leisure and multiple businesses nationally and abroad, Bobby travels the world impacting lives, inspiring positive change and growth in individuals and companies alike.
"As a coach, presenter, and consultant of both sales management and training across our industry, I know the technology we need is out there. What will make the difference is when a new member comes in to try the facility and we give them a program with an app downloaded from your club where every single day for 30 days (knowing that 30 to 90 days is our most precarious timeframe for losing members) we walk them virtually, step-by-step through a discovery of a real conversation. This is where we can use technology to truly help them identify what they really want." - Bobby Cappuccio on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
"Technology has changed the way we have to sell, for the better, forever. You cannot get away with some of the complete and utter rubbish we got away with 20 years ago." - Bobby Cappuccio on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
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.
For part one of our special two part episode we're exploring building a company culture in a digital world with sought after speaker, influencer, and fitness industry icon Bobby Cappuccio.
A lot of what we've been uncovering in our podcast is around the technology, wearables, and virtual platforms that are helping facilities and fitness professionals deliver exceptional service and value, but what has been a hot topic recently among trade magazines, industry shows, and in round tables is a looming question:
How can teams come together to form a culture that adopts new technology to deliver phenomenal client and customer experiences, and what is the mindset and best approach that really works from leadership?
If you've been curious about connecting the dots between data and customer engagement, our first half of this two part episode is teeing up Bobby's story of learning to use psychology and social media to deliver on culture, and in our second half, he'll bring it all together to provide more clarity on what leadership and culture means to the club in this digital world.
**Be sure to listen to episode 028 right after this show to hear our Fit Six round where Bobby shares his perspective on what our space needs most right now and how to make the most out of new opportunities created by technology and neuroscience.
Robert Cappuccio, aka Bobby Cappuccio, stands at the forefront of a life altering and ever evolving industry: wellness. He has spent the last two decades of his life pushing for not only an industry-wide but an individual to individual shift in perspective, from a solely outward focused goal oriented approach to health and fitness to a more holistic approach centered on behavioral change. A phenomenon that has helped position PTA Global (a company he co-founded) as a leader in professional fitness development.
A best-selling author, sales, leadership, and cultural development consultant for various companies including Hilton Hotels, Virgin Active, Equinox, David Lloyd Leisure and multiple businesses nationally and abroad, Bobby travels the world impacting lives, inspiring positive change and growth in individuals and companies alike.
"As a coach, presenter, and consultant of both sales management and training across our industry, I know the technology we need is out there. What will make the difference is when a new member comes in to try the facility and we give them a program with an app downloaded from your club where every single day for 30 days (knowing that 30 to 90 days is our most precarious timeframe for losing members) we walk them virtually, step-by-step through a discovery of a real conversation. This is where we can use technology to truly help them identify what they really want." - Bobby Cappuccio on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
"Technology has changed the way we have to sell, for the better, forever. You cannot get away with some of the complete and utter rubbish we got away with 20 years ago." - Bobby Cappuccio on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
Marty Regan is Vice President of Sales for Club OS, the leading sales and retention tool in the fitness industry. He has been in the fitness industry for nearly 10 years, working with clients to bring them best in class software solutions to best serve their business. Prior to fitness Marty's diverse past included Stand Up Comedy and even a stint as a tow truck driver.
Club OS is an all-in-one health club platform. It's built to be fully customizable and allows all types of business models to be configured within. We leverage the best partners in the health club industry to create a seamless workflow between your billing system, and the Club OS sales CRM and PT management system. The software provides real time reporting and analysis for our customers so they can make informed decisions. We also automate many business processes that are typically done manually, allowing our customers to focus on running their business.
In this episode, we're exploring the nuances of technology and member attrition, what club owners and operators can do to let go of outdated systems and harness the power of detailed and actionable strategies for keeping more members happy, and what makes them tell their friends about your club.
Marty Regan, Vice President of Sales for Club OS, is taking us through what's really working when it comes to text, email, and phone correspondence that is making a difference as we ride this wave of technology adoption in our industry and how it relates to your fitness business.
"The more ingrained you can get that member into your club, the much more likely they are to stay. You can also use win-back offers, but those are fairly difficult to do once that person has decided to leave. What we're focused on this year from a retention standpoint is predictive behaviors. We're now understanding when to reach out from key behavioral data found in the club's CRM." - Marty Regan on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
"Those that go to the gym are inherently competitive. Members earning points and seeing where they stack up against other members while in the club or studio really drives retention. We see this a lot with the combination of fitness trackers and broadcasting fitness data on the walls during classes." - Marty Regan on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
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.
Across our industry space, we're well aware that new technologies including wearables, SaaS platforms, and connected fitness devices found across the world are collecting billions of data points. But the real question that is top of mind for operators, owners, and the industry as a whole, is what we do with all this data?
Specifically, how do we plug-in actionable coaching, marketing, and touch points to millions of health club members across the globe that will actually elicit sustainable behavior change?
This is one of my favorite episodes we've had on the podcast, and I know you're going to love the insight and expertise of today's guest Jan Middelkamp from Europe Active. If you've been curious or hungry for the information that's going to impact your fitness business from a virtual or face-to-face coaching standpoint, this is going to be a powerful episode for you because were diving into the topics and coaching models that will impact both your ROI and club operations.
Jan Middelkamp is Development Director at HDD Group and the CEO of BlackBoxPublishers. With over 35 years of high level experience in the fitness industry, Jan is now working on a PhD in exercise behavior of members in fitness clubs at the Behavioral Science Institute of the Radboud University in the Netherlands.
He also is a board member of EuropeActive in Brussels and the author of over 10 books, including The state of research in the global fitness industry (2012); Member retention in fitness clubs (2013); EuropeActive retention reports (2013, 2014, and 2015); Essentials of motivation and behavior change (2015).
"Technology is great for measuring the base situation and in measuring a client's current status. However, I see a huge advantage of measuring something that is out of your sight as a coach. If you're a trainer working with the client a couple times a week and you also want to positively impact their other lifestyle factors, there are now many wearable technologies to monitor them which I strongly believe in." - Jan Middelkamp on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
"People are not only going to a gym, so if you are a health club owner or operator, we believe at Europe Active that the health club should be the hub of fitness technology. From there, you can coach people in different settings which becomes pivotal. If you only want to pull members into the club you are missing a big part of the health and fitness picture." - Jan Middelkamp on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus 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
For the second half of our featured series "LIVE from IHRSA 2017," we're learning from two fitness technology professionals in different parts of our industry spectrum. In this doubleheader episode recorded live after the FIT-C roundtable session, we explore two important topics that make a direct impact to your fitness business.
First up is Geoffrey Little, President of GSL Consulting, to learn about the fast growing segments in both group and boutique fitness operations; specifically the opportunities for monetization and service in the youth market and sports performance.
Geoffrey worked at MINDBODY for 11 years, from early days through the 2015 IPO and is now a consultant to both vendors and operators in the fitness, wellness and education sectors and works with clients such as Virtuagym, who are exhibiting here at IHRSA.
Prior to MINDBODY, he worked in television documentary and media, covering naGo eight sorting out 50ture, science and technology, working with Time magazine, National Geographic, IMAX, and public TV.
"In the FIT-C Roundtable, I shared how I've been waiting for over a decade to see this growth. I've been anticipating some of the giants to come into the business, which is going to continue to grow in both the studio and boutique, and this has now picked up the attention of Google and other big players. They are going to make the ground shake." - Geoffrey Little on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
"The youth market is almost completely separate from the health club market, however, health clubs could benefit with younger children as members. When we look across the data, a youth market that's really booming and getting the investment money right now is sports performance." - Geoffrey Little on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
With the mass of technology solutions now available for clubs, what customized software solutions will really help fitness facilities maximize the use of applications and mobile in both new member integration and in providing unforgettable member experiences?
In supporting and servicing over 4000 facilities, Kalen Pino, the US Sales Manager of VirtuaGym, unpacks the common approaches, best practices, and experience from thousands of conversations with club owners about what’s really working from a technology perspective. He also shares how to create the right ecosystem that incorporates both a real benefit for the club while taking into account the functionality that the member actually wants.
"Business within the fitness space is and always has been all about the people. The secret sauce of an organization and what they've done in order to be successful must now understand what new technology can amplify where they have already done an incredible job." - Kalen Pino on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
"It all comes down to creating the right ecosystem. Whatever it is that you choose as your technology strategy, you must make sure that it's part of who you are as an organization and part of your DNA." - Kalen Pino on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus 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
On episode 21 we're spotlighting a few exceptional conversations with some of the top influencers at the crossroads of fitness and technology, live after the FIT-C roundtable meeting during IHRSA 2017 in Los Angeles.
With the options and choices of club software systems on the rise, how do APIs and the ability for cross communication between platforms benefit the health club?
In this first segment, were talking with fitness technology expert, Karl Etzel, about APIs (application program interfaces) and how they can help in both monetization and in serving the customer. For health club executives and owners, API functionality is an important topic to consider when purchasing technology systems.
Karl Etzel is a Transformation Catalyst, Strategic Decision-Maker, and Technical Expert in fitness technology known for his entrepreneurial drive in developing vision and setting strategic direction in the face of fast-changing technology and market dynamics through effectively aligning products/channels/end-users. With a deep background in health and fitness, cloud services / PaaS, online marketing, and SMB enablement, Karl brings a strong professional expertise to the industry space around program management and product management roles.
Karl is talking with us on the show about API's, or application program interfaces. Simply put, an application programming interface allows software systems to talk to one another. When you as a human being sit down to use a piece of software you use a user interface (UI), and when one piece of software wants to use another piece of software, they use an (API).
"For the club operator, the question you want to ask is, does your solution vendor have an API that makes it easier for me to integrate my system with other solutions? If you are a technology company executive, you should be thinking about how APIs plug into your business at the strategy level. APIs are not just a technical detail that you can leave to engineering." - Karl Etzel on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
"APIs make it really easy to innovate and build things quickly. The old-school engineering model of software development is gone and agile development, two week release cycles, live beta testing and rapid iteration are now the norm. For the club owner, you don't necessarily want to share your data outward, but you do want to share it among your own systems until you get to a certain scale where population data could make things interesting. The real key with API integrations is to understand your segment in entirety and have a clear picture of what problem you're trying to solve." - Karl Etzel on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
In this featured segment we're talking with the Owner of GIVE Fitness in Atascadero, CA Josh Donovan about technology focused member sales and engagement approaches that are changing the way for-profit and nonprofit businesses interact in health and fitness.
Josh is a U.S. Marine Corps veteran and 13-year fitness industry professional who years ago was looking for a way to use his experience and understanding of the fitness industry to “create a different type of fitness product” with a focus on using technology. After meeting Matt Holguin, the founder of Working to Give (WTG), a for-profit company with a singular purpose-driven business model, together, Donovan and Holguin created WTG’s Fitness Division and in 2013, launched GIVE Fitness.
With Working To Give, 50% of its profits are reinvested in the firm to sustain growth, and the other 50% is contributed to the local community. Since its opening, the GIVE Fitness club has acquired over 3,000 members and donated more than $50,000 to Atascadero-area initiatives. A member of the Fitness Industry Technology Council, Josh Donovan believes it’s important for the industry to integrate technology into the prospect and member experience to truly connect with consumers to understand them at their deepest needs and desires.
"The heart of our business at GIVE Fitness is giving. We give 50% of our profits back to the community where we do business, so in order for that to happen we have to be a profitable fitness center first. Hitting member expectations and exceeding them becomes paramount because that has to happen before we have any funds to give. The obesity epidemic is real and it's something that I'm really passionate about. This is why I want to provide an accessible fitness center for people to better their lives, add years to their lives, and truly participate." - Josh Donovan on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
"In using new technologies, we had the unique opportunity in starting from the ground up to be intentional around creating our culture and to have it be something very specific. We all live in a world that's real time, so if I post something on Facebook about the gym and then post something about my personal life, our members don't see any differentiation around that." - Josh Donovan on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus 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
021 #IHRSA2017 LIVE: The Importance of APIs, Using Fitness Technology To Give
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."
"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
Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus 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
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.
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.
"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
Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus 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
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.
"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
Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus 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
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.
"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
Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus 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
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.
"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
Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus 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
Dave Wright is the CEO & owner of Creative Fitness Marketing, a global company with offices in the UK, Australia and North America that has served the international fitness community since 1990, specifically helping people be more and stay more physically active.
He is also the CEO and creator of MYZONE® - a cloud based and wearable technology "Physical Activity Heart Rate Monitor & Fitness Tracker," used to monitor and increase exercise adherence. As a health club operator with 10 health clubs, and a board director of the UK’s Fitness Industry Association, an international presenter, Dave is featured regularly in international trade magazines.
"The struggles that club owners have is the intimidation factor of any new form of technology. It's one thing to have someone with wearable device, but it's another to be able to analyze the data. That's both the real key and opportunity. Doing nothing is no longer a solution for operators; they don't want to be another blockbuster or Kodak while sitting back to watch." - Dave Wright on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
"What are the limitations and why is it, as an industry, that for the best part of 50 years that 50% of all the people that join clubs now in January actually leave by November, or even stop exercising for April and May? It fascinates me as a business that it costs seven times more money to get a new member to your club then to keep an existing one, yet so much of the membership campaigns in health clubs around the world are just focused on filling the top end of the bucket, rather than asking how can we stop the flow of members out the back door." - Dave Wright on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus 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
With the swell of technology growth in or industry, what does the IOT mean for fitness in 2017? Listen to Michael Piermont and Dave Johnson from ECOFIT Networks uncover the details in this featured episode.
Michael Piermont has been starting businesses since he was 7 years old and is a consummate “connector.” Prior to starting amSTATZ, an app for personal trainers and their clients, Michael was the VP of Business Development for GoHealth, an internet marketplace for buying and selling health insurance. Since amSTATZ, Michael has co-founded FANCHEST, a subscription gift box company for sports fans. Currently, he is the CEO of ECOFIT Inc, one of Vedere Venture's portfolio companies.
As the CEO of ECOFIT, the industry leader in networking cardio fitness equipment, Michael supports a technology solution for club operators to help maximize their club floor space.
The foundation of their ECOFIT system is a specialized wireless technology enabling extreme equipment densities with cross brand compatibility. Building on this foundation, Micheal and the team have used ECOFIT technology to respond to the industry need for an enterprise level cross brand cardio management solution.
This closed system allows viewing the health of all your cardio equipment from anywhere which gives club operators deep analytics to help better manage purchasing decisions that are based on real and relevant data through one platform that works with all of your cardio brands, old and new.
During the last 4 years Dave Johnson have been operating in a development role at ECOFIT Networks. With a deep background in both fitness and technology, Dave brings a substantial knowledge of connected fitness to the industry both inside and outside club walls.
During his time working with ECOFIT Dave has have helped build the industry's open network wireless platform and has come to understand this space and the requirements of delivering a successful networked strategy.
Before ECOFIT, Dave was a representative for many leading equipment manufacturers developing strong commercial sales channels to military and government organizations across Canada. His time in the fitness industry has created very close senior-level relationships with major equipment manufacturers and fitness facilities alike.
Dave is also the owner and operator of West Coast Recreation, which provides amateur and professional sporting events to thousands of fitness enthusiasts in the Pacific Northwest since 1994.
Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus 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
For episode 13 we’re coming to the end of our featured series, LIVE from #CES2017 at the #FitTechCES summit bringing the top speakers and brands from Las Vegas right to your audio player.
From heart rate to gamification, nutrition tracking and beyond, this episode is highlighting the cutting edge of innovation and product development for fitness in the new year.
Our first guest is Michael Herlihy, the Regional Account Manager at Polar Electro. A lot of athletes and coaches around the world know Polar for the heart rate sensors that made it famous since 1977, but over the past few years, we’ve seen some incredible products for lifestyle and health and wellness come out from Polar.
On this podcast we're learning from one of the most famous companies in our industry about advanced training with wearable technology. With a recent partnership teaming up with Les Mills to create a fitter and healthier planet, you’ll learn about the virtual and cloud-based fitness tracking systems and devices that will bring meaning and relevancy to your club’s bottom line.
You’ll definitely want to stay tuned for our second feature guest Kevin McCoy from Lose It!
With early success from a 2008 partnership with Apple and over a million downloads in their first year, Kevin is sharing wth us why what started out as the most successful calorie tracker application became a comprehensive and gamified health program. we’’ll a;also discover the strategy behind how losit is making mindful eating accessible to all people- inside the fitness industry and globally.
"To be honest, anybody can build a watch. It's hard however to develop a system that actually allows you to analyze information that's beneficial to you. It's great that you walked those 10,000 steps today but what does that mean for you physically? That is really how we separate ourselves from the competition by delivering the precise analysis that we can provide to the user." - Michael Herlihy on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
Kevin McCoy is the SVP of Business Development at Lose It! and is sharing with us how from early success in 2008 in partnership with Apple and over a million downloads in their first year, why what started out as the most successful calorie tracker application became a comprehensive and gamified health program. Kevin is also also discussing the strategy behind how Lose It! is making mindful eating accessible to all people, both inside the fitness industry and globally.
Kevin joined Lose It! in 2009 and leads all strategic partnerships for the company including corporate sponsorships, technology partners, health professionals and coaches and affiliates. Kevin works with all of Lose It's partners and potential partners to ensure the brand is the right fit for Lose It! and the members. His key focus is working with well-aligned partners where the partnership brings value to their members and helps them along their journey of living a healthier life.
From Josh Trent's discussion in 2016 with Charles Teague, CEO of Lose It! you'll learn the new changes over the past year for the award-winning application that now serves over 3 million people a month and which helped it's users lose over 45 million pounds on the platform.
"We're always focused on making mindful eating accessible to people, and tracking your food we know is the best way to actually lose weight, but has difficulty. When we originally started Lose It!, we knew we could make it easier to make people figure out what healthy food they wanted to eat." - Kevin McCoy on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus 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
For episode 12 we’re continuing our featured series, LIVE from CES 2017 bringing the top speakers and brands from Las Vegas right to your audio player.
Our first guest is Dr. Steven Leboeuf from Valencell. You won’t want to miss our second featured guest, Joni Kettunen, CEO of Firstbeat, and pioneer in physiological analytics and their applications for fitness. His vision for incorporating heartbeat analytics and wearable technology has placed Firstbeat at the cutting edge of the industry.
About Dr. Steven
As co-founder and President of Valencell, Inc., Dr. LeBoeuf has developed ongoing strategic partnerships between Valencell and leaders in industry and academia. He has raised more than $10M in funding for Valencell and is the inventor/co-inventor of more than 50 granted patents, including dozens of foundational patents in the field of accurate wearable sensors. Prior to Valencell, LeBoeuf led the optoelectronic biosensor program at GE Global Research, where he managed the development and productization of biosensor systems and developed cutting-edge nanosensor technology. Before joining GE, LeBoeuf developed optoelectronic solid-state materials and devices while researching at North Carolina State University. Dr. LeBoeuf holds a Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from N.C. State and a B.S. in Mathematics and Electrical Engineering from Louisiana Tech University.
With fitness wearables, apps, and devices of the rise, Dr. Steven is talking with us about a flourishing segment in our industry called, “hearables.” These are connected devices worn at the ear, typically functioning as an audio earbud, biometric monitor, and can also be used as an augmented hearing device.
The hearables segment is projected to have a compound growth rate of over 170% in the next 4 years, and Dr. Steven’s insight and expertise on how this tech will impact the fitness industry will uncover the changes we’re seeing in the way fitness professionals will collect heart rate, blood pressure, perform health and fitness assessments and much more.
"At Valencell, we want you live your life well, with whatever wearable you like, and we'll help collect the data you generate to uniquely guide you in your lifestyle to better health." - Dr. Steven LeBoeuf on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
"We're seeing that sensor use case validation is often not done well. What companies must do now is work together to test out these cutting edge technologies to meet the demands for seamless functionality and accuracy during real life situations." - Dr. Steven LeBoeuf on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
Mr. Joni Kettunen, PhD, is a pioneer in physiological analytics and its applications. He is leading Firstbeat at the cutting edge of heartbeat analytics for wearables, fitness devices, wellbeing services and professional sports. As of today, Firstbeat analytics is used by hundreds of elite sports teams, thousands of corporations, and millions of consumers to improve their performance and wellbeing.
Before founding Firstbeat in 2002, Joni has done and published research in the areas of psychophysiology, behavioral medicine, autonomic nervous system function and stress quantification. Joni received his PhD from the Department of Psychology at the University of Helsinki in 1999.
His vision for incorporating heartbeat analytics and wearable technology has placed Firstbeat at the cutting edge of the industry. On this show, you’ll learn about how coaches and trainers are using Firstbeat’s technology to train clients with precision heart rate variability, otherwise known as HRV. Joni is going to share with us how GARMIN is using this technology combined with virtual coaching for athletes and everyday fitness users to support wellbeing and superior performance by tracking much deeper than just steps and sweat.
"At any given time there are 15 to 20 different processes in our body that influence our heart rate. We detect those, and out of that we can compose a model of the physiology itself. Once we know what's happening in the body, we can provide much more actionable and insightful feedback for stress, training, fitness level, or sleep recovery." - Joni Kettunen on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
"It's no longer enough to simply capture and measure data. Whatever you are doing with the wearable needs to provide accurate, consistent, and meaningful feedback that is actually useful. It is now understood by our peers that in the fitness, wellness, and corporate wellness settings we must come together to do better." - Joni Kettunen on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus 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
We're excited to bring you some of the most cutting edge information in fitness technology right from the 2017 CES show floor that directly relates to your fitness business. First up on today's show is Amy McDonough from Fitbit.
Amy McDonough is the VP of Group Health at Fitbit. She works with employers, health plans and others in the corporate wellness space who are passionate about creating a culture of health within an organization or community. Amy oversees new and creative ways to bring consumer wearable technology into the corporate sphere with a goal of supporting as many individual’s as possible in their journey towards optimal health.
Since 2008 Amy has been an integral part of Fitbit’s growth alongside the founders, and her deep insights about using these devices will give both operators and trainers a valuable perspective on how this will impact the fitness business in the new year.
Fitbit met with us LIVE at CES to discuss the new landscape of corporate and large group health programs, the data around wearables, and their ecosystems that drive social connection and much more.
"What keeps me motivated every day is that Fitbit is in a very unique position to really look at consumers as individuals and help them on a personalized and guided journey to their health." - Amy McDonough on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
"While health can be serious business, we feel it doesn't have to be. We believe you’re more likely to reach your goals if you’re encouraged to have fun, smile, and feel empowered along the way." - Amy McDonough the Fitness + Technology Podcast
We're excited to be bringing you some of the most cutting edge information in fitness technology right from the CES show floor, that directly relates to your fitness business. Place your dial above at 22:33 to hear the feature with Tom.
Tom Cortese is the COO and co-founder of Peloton - Tom has built a career managing effective, hard-working teams. and has deep roots in product development and user interface design and recently co-founded and sold the award winning PROUST.
"We didn't set out to reshape a piece of fitness equipment. We set out to bring you a totally different experience. To bring that engaging, fun, exciting group fitness workout to the comfort and convenience of your home." - Tom Cortese on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus Advisors, Moon Mission Mediaand 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
Graham Melstrand develops opportunities and relationships that advance ACE health policy positions and fitness industry standards. He assesses legislative positions at all levels of government that align with the ACE mission, and he monitors existing and emerging legislation and regulatory policy, informing ACE of the potential impact they have on the exercise professional, the public, and other stakeholders. He creates relationships with key policymakers and collaborative organizations and serves in an advisory capacity on a number of boards and committees including: president of the board for the Coalition for the Registration of Exercise Professionals, within the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs and other regulatory agencies.
Melstrand holds a bachelor's degree in physical education/athletic training from California State University, Long Beach. As a competitive cyclist, he participated in the U.S. Olympic Trials (1984, 1988) and was a member of the U.S. National Team Development Program (1983 – 1990).
"Technology devices are not competition for the exercise professional, they are a tool that can be leveraged to help manage a larger client base, stay in contact with clients, and to manage a group of individuals towards better health." - Graham Melstrand on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
"We believe that health coaching is rapidly emerging in the health and fitness space while the non-member programs are becoming a lot more common. People are moving from early adopters and into the next group of facilities that want to build on the success that their peers have had." - Graham Melstrand on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
Dr. Michael Mantell earned his Ph.D. at the University of Pennsylvania and his Masters at Hahnnemann Medical College, where he wrote his thesis on the psychological aspects of obesity. His career includes serving as the Chief Psychologist for Children’s Hospital in San Diego, and as the founding Chief Psychologist for the San Diego Police Department. He served on the faculty of UCSD’s School of Medicine, Dept. of Psychiatry, and as an Senior Executive Organizational Leadership Consultant for many top-tier companies in the US and abroad.
He is the Director of Transformational Coaching at the Premier Fitness Camp at Omni La Costa, and previously was the Senior Fitness Consultant for Behavioral Sciences at the American Council on Exercise. As a member of the Science Advisory Board of the International Council on Active Aging, Dr. Mantell is a 3x best-selling author, an international behavior science presenter and keynote speaker, and Advisor to numerous fitness-health related organizations.
After more than 40 years of diagnosing and treating individuals and couples with mental illness, he now provides advanced transformational leadership and behavior agility coaching/mentoring for sustainable strategic outcomes in mindful, values driven and positively adaptive ways to business leaders, entrepreneurs, athletes, couples, individuals, families and organizations to reach breakthrough levels of success and significance in their professional and personal lives.
He is a regular contributor for many TV and radio programs and is a nationally sought after behavioral science coach for business leaders, athletes, individuals and families. He is listed in the greatest.com's 2013 “The 100 Most Influential People in Health and Fitness.”
"For health coaches, yesterday the gym was it. Today, it's the medical fitness center, but tomorrow, when everyone wakes up, the new model is going to be the optimal health center." - Dr. Michael Mantell on the Fitness + Technology Podcast
"For sustainable and successful behavior change using wearables, connected devices, and mobile apps, it isn't the technology, it's what the individual thinks about the technology. It's the individual's inner-stance about their digital circumstance." - Dr. Michael Mantell on the Fitness + Technology Podcast