HALO Talks

Dane McCarthy is a former rugby player who pursued a career in finance before joining salesforce.com. After several years in financial services, he was transferred to New York. During the pandemic, he quickly realized the different workout culture in the US compared to Australia, where people often train in groups. That eventually led him to start Village Athletic . . . which helped unite people in their fitness journeys and filling the absence of the social training element that he missed back home. He discusses the unique concept of squads, the importance of consistency in training, and the strong sense of community it fosters. Join us as we delve into Dane's entrepreneurial journey of building a fitness brand centered around building strong relationships and driving results. Regarding getting the venture off the ground, McCarthy states, "This was completely self-funded from initial Venmo payments. And given where we were in COVID, we had no equipment. When we first started, we just had square boxes basical

Laura Adelson is a yoga enthusiast and now a new business owner who credits her husband for encouraging her to take a chance, buy the business, and save her long-time yoga studio from closing permanently. Together, they turned the struggling business into a thriving community hub and a place of learning for both students and teachers.  She shares insights into the studio's brand identity, the process of saving the business, and the evolving landscape of yoga and fitness. From community building to pricing strategies and the importance of holistic health, this episode delves into the unique experiences and decision-making processes of a yoga studio owner. There are tons of valuable takeaways here for running a yoga studio, the new entrepreneurship journey, and maintaining a successful fitness business. When it comes to the pricing model in her studio, Adelson states, "We want people to feel like they have everything that need, that they're being taken care of once they pay for the class, that they know they're

Gary Kleinman is a seasoned marketer and former attorney who has always believed in the power of storytelling. After realizing the similarities between the marketing world and being a litigator, he decided to venture into a career that combined his skills in both fields. For years, Gary successfully ran an experiential marketing agency that specialized in organizing mobile tours for renowned organizations such as MLB, NFL, and Warner Brothers. Everything changed though after he stumbled upon an article about a 17-year-old female gamer participating in a League of Legends tournament attended by an astounding 17,000 people. Intrigued by this unexpected phenomenon, Gary was  determined to understand the allure of competitive gaming and began a new journey exploring the business possibilities in the thriving world of esports.   When it comes to marketing to a particular niche Kleinman states, "The challenge when you don't have a Gatorade budget or a Pepsi budget (who bought Prime the energy drink) is you have to

Bill Parisi is a former athlete who began his career over 30 years ago. As a Division 1 all American athlete in college, he quickly realized the lack of appropriate training for young athletes in field and court sports. In 1990, he began his entrepreneurial journey with a small 3,000 square foot facility, which quickly grew to multiple locations. With guidance from industry expert Tom Plummer, Bill focused on helping young athletes aged 7 to 18.  Pete and Bill dive deep into the world of youth sports training and how it can positively impact young athletes' lives. They also discuss the importance of creating a strong culture within a club, the value of technology in the fitness industry, and the future of training young athletes. Whether you're a gym owner, coach, or a parent interested in helping your child excel, this episode is full of insights and practical advice.  Regarding the evolution of athletic training, Parisi states, "The focus has always been from day 1 to help young athletes focus on youth spo

Steven Puri, along with his friend Ulf, embarked on a mission to address the growing problem of stress and overwhelm in today's (extremely) fast-paced world. Both experienced moments where they felt stressed out and unable to fully enjoy life, due to an almost overwhelming number of tasks to complete. (Sound familiar?)  Determined to find a solution, they decided to harness the wisdom of experts who had written about stress management and turn it into a user-friendly app. Their app not only includes music and timers like other focus apps but also introduces the innovation of real-life coaches powered by artificial intelligence. Steven's passion for helping others lead more intentional and fulfilling lives drove him to develop this valuable tool. On the work-life balance dilemma, Puri states, "If you just focus, you can knock out [most] work before lunch! And then the open question is, what will I do with the extra time? Do I want to go have human interactions I didn't have time for before? Those are the sort

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Jake Thomas began his career in the fitness industry immediately after college. With a background in athletic training and a strong passion for working with kids and training athletes, he joined Forward Fitness and Parisi Speed School. Here he tells the story of how he went from Fitness Manager to proud Owner! After gaining valuable experience, he moved on to MVP Sports Clubs in Michigan, where he spent five years overseeing sports performance programs within the clubs. Wanting to return home, he found Razor Sharp Fitness and joined as the fitness director in 2013. Within a year, he was promoted to the role of General Manager, which he held for eight and a half successful years. He takes us through his journey of inquiring about the future plans of the business owners and their gradual inclination towards selling the building and the business. It's a great story of curiosity, candid conversations, and unexpected opportunities. There's also an important takeaway regarding the involvement of Jacob in lease agre

Jane Curth is a passionate individual who has made a significant impact in the field of education and personal training. With a background as a professor in kinesiology, she specialized in online education and was recognized as a finalist for a state award for excellence in online teaching. It was during her teaching career that she identified a pain point in the industry and decided to take action. Jane's idea was to create a personal training course at the college level, allowing students to earn college credit while also providing them with a potential part-time job opportunity that offered a decent hourly wage. However, she faced numerous obstacles in getting the course approved, enduring months of red tape. Realizing that she needed to regain her personal training certification in order to teach the course effectively, Jane dedicated herself to retaking the exam. This experience further fueled her determination to address the pain point she had identified earlier. As a result, she founded FitFixNow, a co

Charles Seltzer and his Co-Founder Brendan Doney shared a passion for team sports since childhood. From hockey, basketball, and soccer to football, lacrosse, and more . . . their lives revolved around sports. However, their competitive sports journey ended after high school, and college only offered the chance to play intramural. After graduating, both found it heard to find a reliable team to play on. They joined different leagues but often missed games and weren't particularly thrilled with their teams. Frustrated, they made the difficult decision to give up on sports altogether.  Eventually, they decided there was a business opportunity and formed a unique basketball-inspired social club called Crosscourt. Charles shares how they aim to make team sports as accessible and seamless as other fitness experiences. From pickup sessions to a membership-based community, Crosscourt offers a holistic approach to reigniting people's passion for team sports and the sense of connection it brings.  On the benefits of te

Dr. Bechara Saab is a classically trained chemist with a passion for understanding the intricacies of the human mind. After completing his Ph.D in neuroscience at Mount Sinai in Toronto, Dr. Saab pursued a career as a principal investigator at the University of Zurich, where he opened his own laboratory. Through his work, he made a groundbreaking discovery - a strong correlation between the lack of exploratory drive in individuals with mental illness and their symptoms. This revelation prompted him to delve deeper into the field of mental health. He faced a major obstacle in his journey however. Situated in a psychiatry hospital, he witnessed how his colleagues, despite their passion and dedication, lacked access to objective tools when delivering treatment. This limitation had hindered the progress of psychiatry for centuries. Determined to change the landscape of mental health treatment, Dr. Saab recognized the revolutionary potential of objective measurement in the field. The ability to treat the brain as

On today's episode we chat with Alex Peacock from Leisure Labs. He joins us from the UK to discuss the future of technology in the fitness industry, and how to prioritize your tech investments for maximum impact in 2023. With over 20 years of experience, he has witnessed the industry's shift toward embracing new technologies, but there's still work to be done, and Alex shares his insights on where we currently stand and what lies ahead. Pete and Alex dive deep into the top three technology priorities for fitness operators. They discuss the importance of operational foundations, choosing the right platforms, and how to leverage technology as an accelerator rather than a hindrance. They also touch on the challenges of change management and the role of employee training when implementing new technologies. On the role of tech Alex states, "I always view technology as an accelerator. It will accelerate things, but that can be good and that can be bad. So if you're doing things badly, if you have the wrong operatio

Udaiyan Jatar, born and raised in India, had a unique upbringing due to his father's career as a fighter pilot. He attended 13 different schools across 6 states and became proficient in 4 or 5 languages. Coming from a family with a strong military background, this played a significant role in shaping his life. After completing his education, Jatar started his career in door-to-door sales. He later pursued an MBA and joined Procter and Gamble, a major company in India during the time of the country's economic opening. In this role, he gained valuable experience working to take products to market from scratch. Later on, Jatar transitioned to Coca-Cola and played a pivotal role in helping the company expand into new categories within the Indian market. His significant contributions to Coke's growth in India showcased his strategic thinking, business acumen, and ability to identify unique market opportunities. Currently, Udaiyan Jatar is CEO and Co-Founder of Tecton, where he's working hard to move the needle on

HALO Talks, on behalf of Integrity Square, is pleased to share this podcast with our new client, HealthFitness Corporation. HealthFitness is committed to further expansion into facilities-based fitness management and has engaged Integrity Square to assist in outreach with prospective owners who are seeking a great home for their company and employees. If you are interested in exploring opportunities after hearing this podcast, please reach out to Rosa Alaimo-Quinn, our Chief of Staff, to arrange an introductory call with our team. (rosa@integritysq.com) Sean McManamy is a key figure in the fitness industry, with a focus on creating communities and a sense of belonging through the management of fitness programs and on-site facilities. He has been with Trustmark, HealthFitness’ parent company, since before their acquisition of HealthFitness in 2010. Trustmark is a benefits company that has supported employers and their teams for more than 100 years. Over the past decade, Sean has been instrumental in driving th

Eziah Syed is a former athlete with a background in fitness and health. He played basketball at a national level in Canada and also had some experience in the tech space. His life took a turn when his mother was diagnosed with cancer and his brother suffered a serious fall, resulting in multiple injuries. These personal experiences made Eziah reflect on the healthcare system and the care received. He noticed gaps and questioned why his own injuries were taking longer to heal than expected. This led him to explore the connection between nutrition and healing, realizing that the medical community was largely unaware of the impact of nutrition on the body's healing process. Eziah decided to take action and founded his own firm to bridge the gap between healthcare and nutrition, aiming to provide better guidance and resources for those in need. He states, "We developed our own formulations, and we go through a very rigorous pharma-like process, to develop what we call nutrapharma which lives in a class in between