Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer

Today, I’m joined by Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer, CEO of EGYM, a provider of smart workout solutions and equipment for health and fitness facilities. After initially focusing on connected gym equipment, Munich-based EGYM has emerged as a leading fitness technology company delivering equipment, software, and programming to health clubs operators and employers worldwide. Through cutting-edge technology, data-driven fitness experiences, and principles of movement as medicine, Philipp’s goal is to help make humanity healthier. In this episode, we talk about how the company’s smart equipment and software has evolved along with the fitness industry, including the role of technology, expanding the market, and integrating with healthcare. In this episode, you’ll learn: • How EGYM weathered the pandemic and came out stronger on the other side • Phillipp’s views on the fitness and gym industries past, present, and future • What’s next for EGYM after landing a recent $225M round Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider EGYM’s Website: https://egym.com/us Dana Milkie’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-milkie-38ab47/ - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at https://fitt.co/jacktaylor  Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:47) Philipp’s background (04:09) Overview of EGYM (08:28) Providing a personalized fitness experience (10:01) Different segments of EGYM’s business (13:47) User engagement and use of connected products (17:14) How their technology impacts trainers and physical therapists (20:05) Growth of the fitness industry (23:32) Aligning incentives to make people healthier  (31:34) EGYM’s product building philosophy (34:26) Challenges faced connecting gyms and healthcare  (37:14) Convincing partners to invest in EGYM (40:18) At home fitness vs. going to the gym (44:21) Future roadmap (48:15) Conclusion

Today, I’m joined by Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer, CEO of EGYM, a provider of smart workout solutions and equipment for health and fitness facilities. After initially focusing on connected gym equipment, Munich-based EGYM has emerged as a leading fitness technology company delivering equipment, software, and programming to health clubs operators and employers worldwide. Through cutting-edge technology, data-driven fitness experiences, and principles of movement as medicine, Philipp’s goal is to help make humanity healthier. In this episode, we talk about how the company’s smart equipment and software has evolved along with the fitness industry, including the role of technology, expanding the market, and integrating with healthcare. In this episode, you’ll learn: • How EGYM weathered the pandemic and came out stronger on the other side • Phillipp’s views on the fitness and gym industries past, present, and future • What’s next for EGYM after landing a recent $225M round Subscribe to the podcast → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/podcast</a> Subscribe to our newsletter → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/subscribe</a> Follow us on LinkedIn → <a href="http://linkedin.com/company/fittinsider" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">linkedin.com/company/fittinsider</a> EGYM’s Website: <a href="https://egym.com/us" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://egym.com/us</a> Dana Milkie’s LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-milkie-38ab47/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/dana-milkie-38ab47/</a> - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at <a href="https://fitt.co/jacktaylor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://fitt.co/jacktaylor</a> Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:47) Philipp’s background (04:09) Overview of EGYM (08:28) Providing a personalized fitness experience (10:01) Different segments of EGYM’s business (13:47) User engagement and use of connected products (17:14) How their technology impacts trainers and physical therapists (20:05) Growth of the fitness industry (23:32) Aligning incentives to make people healthier  (31:34) EGYM’s product building philosophy (34:26) Challenges faced connecting gyms and healthcare  (37:14) Convincing partners to invest in EGYM (40:18) At home fitness vs. going to the gym (44:21) Future roadmap (48:15) Conclusion

198. Philipp Roesch-Schlanderer, CEO of EGYM

Today, I’m joined by Kyriakos Eleftheriou, co-founder &amp; CEO of Terra, an API unifying health and fitness data from apps and wearables. After developing an obsession with wearables and health data to improve his performance in the armed forces, Kyriakos realized there wasn’t a solution to connect all his metrics in one place. Incubating the concept through Y Combinator and raising fresh funding, Terra’s software now enables interoperability for numerous top brands. In this episode, we discuss the company’s mission to increase the utility of health data. Plus, we talk about what it takes to build a world-class team, culture, and product. In this episode, you’ll learn: • How Terra helps wearable companies develop an app using its API • Wearables’ evolving use cases in performance, fitness, and healthcare • Why Kyriakos spends the majority of his time interviewing and hiring new team members Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Terra’s Website: https://tryterra.co/ Terra’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/TerraAPI Terra’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/terraapi/ Terra’s Podcast: https://tryterra.co/podcast - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at https://fitt.co/jacktaylor  Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:51) Origin story of Terra (03:22) What Terra is and how it works (06:34) Creating value and scale  (08:05) Utility of data collected using Terra (10:24) How company’s use Terra’s API to build health apps  (12:16) Accessing dynamic data and integration of AI   (14:40) Surprising use cases of Terra (18:31) Smartphone industry analogy (19:47) Utilizing wearable and health sensor data (23:52) Future of sensors in the market (27:16) Improving lives with health data and technology (29:30) Future roadmap of Terra (33:11) Identifying and hiring the best talent in the world (38:40) Having a consistent philosophy works (40:48) Focus areas of Terra: Revenue, Engagement, and Evolution (46:42) Conclusion 

Today, I’m joined by Kyriakos Eleftheriou, co-founder &amp; CEO of Terra, an API unifying health and fitness data from apps and wearables. After developing an obsession with wearables and health data to improve his performance in the armed forces, Kyriakos realized there wasn’t a solution to connect all his metrics in one place. Incubating the concept through Y Combinator and raising fresh funding, Terra’s software now enables interoperability for numerous top brands. In this episode, we discuss the company’s mission to increase the utility of health data. Plus, we talk about what it takes to build a world-class team, culture, and product. In this episode, you’ll learn: • How Terra helps wearable companies develop an app using its API • Wearables’ evolving use cases in performance, fitness, and healthcare • Why Kyriakos spends the majority of his time interviewing and hiring new team members Subscribe to the podcast → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/podcast</a> Subscribe to our newsletter → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/subscribe</a> Follow us on LinkedIn → <a href="http://linkedin.com/company/fittinsider" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">linkedin.com/company/fittinsider</a> Terra’s Website: <a href="https://tryterra.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://tryterra.co/</a> Terra’s Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/TerraAPI" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/TerraAPI</a> Terra’s LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/terraapi/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/company/terraapi/</a> Terra’s Podcast: <a href="https://tryterra.co/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://tryterra.co/podcast</a> - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at <a href="https://fitt.co/jacktaylor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://fitt.co/jacktaylor</a> Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:51) Origin story of Terra (03:22) What Terra is and how it works (06:34) Creating value and scale  (08:05) Utility of data collected using Terra (10:24) How company’s use Terra’s API to build health apps  (12:16) Accessing dynamic data and integration of AI   (14:40) Surprising use cases of Terra (18:31) Smartphone industry analogy (19:47) Utilizing wearable and health sensor data (23:52) Future of sensors in the market (27:16) Improving lives with health data and technology (29:30) Future roadmap of Terra (33:11) Identifying and hiring the best talent in the world (38:40) Having a consistent philosophy works (40:48) Focus areas of Terra: Revenue, Engagement, and Evolution (46:42) Conclusion

197. Kyriakos Eleftheriou, Co-founder & CEO of Terra

Nick Allen

Today, I’m joined by Nick Allen, co-founder &amp; CEO of Sunnyside, a mindful drinking app. Solving his own problem, Nick created the Sunnyside platform and SMS service to achieve a healthier relationship with alcohol. For users trying to get sober, drink less, or be more aware of their intake, Sunnyside acts as a digital accountability partner to improve people’s attitude toward drinking.  In this episode, we discuss the rise of mindful drinking and how using technology can help users form healthier habits. We also explore alcohol’s impact on culture, relationships, and well-being. In this episode, you’ll learn: • How Nick and his family’s experience with alcohol led to creating Sunnyside  • Why a majority of drinkers are seeking moderation as opposed to sobriety • The behavioral science that goes into Sunnyside’s strategy Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Try Sunnyside: https://get.sunnyside.co/fitt/ - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at fitt.co/jacktaylor Chapters: (00:00) Nick’s background (01:45) Sunnyside’s mission (03:48) Nick’s experience with alcohol and his transition to mindful drinking (05:13) Origin of Sunnyside and its purpose (08:31) How Sunnyside works (10:57) Helping to avoid unplanned overconsumption of alcohol (13:05) Designing the program (14:41) Maintaining mindful drinking habits long term (17:13) Sunnyside’s business model (23:11) Alcohol’s impact on wellness (25:54) Cutting back on drinking vs. sobriety (27:04) Embracing mindful drinking with Sunnyside (28:19) Tapping into community as a mindful drinking strategy  (30:50) Data shows the impact of drinking (31:36) Interoperability strategy (34:50) Building awareness around alcohol consumption (37:37) Consumer behavior around mindful drinking (40:38) Conclusion

Today, I’m joined by Nick Allen, co-founder &amp; CEO of Sunnyside, a mindful drinking app. Solving his own problem, Nick created the Sunnyside platform and SMS service to achieve a healthier relationship with alcohol. For users trying to get sober, drink less, or be more aware of their intake, Sunnyside acts as a digital accountability partner to improve people’s attitude toward drinking.  In this episode, we discuss the rise of mindful drinking and how using technology can help users form healthier habits. We also explore alcohol’s impact on culture, relationships, and well-being. In this episode, you’ll learn: • How Nick and his family’s experience with alcohol led to creating Sunnyside  • Why a majority of drinkers are seeking moderation as opposed to sobriety • The behavioral science that goes into Sunnyside’s strategy Subscribe to the podcast → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/podcast</a> Subscribe to our newsletter → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/subscribe</a> Follow us on LinkedIn → <a href="http://linkedin.com/company/fittinsider" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">linkedin.com/company/fittinsider</a> Try Sunnyside: <a href="https://get.sunnyside.co/fitt/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://get.sunnyside.co/fitt/</a> - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at <a href="http://fitt.co/jacktaylor" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">fitt.co/jacktaylor</a> Chapters: (00:00) Nick’s background (01:45) Sunnyside’s mission (03:48) Nick’s experience with alcohol and his transition to mindful drinking (05:13) Origin of Sunnyside and its purpose (08:31) How Sunnyside works (10:57) Helping to avoid unplanned overconsumption of alcohol (13:05) Designing the program (14:41) Maintaining mindful drinking habits long term (17:13) Sunnyside’s business model (23:11) Alcohol’s impact on wellness (25:54) Cutting back on drinking vs. sobriety (27:04) Embracing mindful drinking with Sunnyside (28:19) Tapping into community as a mindful drinking strategy  (30:50) Data shows the impact of drinking (31:36) Interoperability strategy (34:50) Building awareness around alcohol consumption (37:37) Consumer behavior around mindful drinking (40:38) Conclusion

196. Nick Allen, Co-founder & CEO of Sunnyside

Kiva Dickinson

Today, I’m joined by Kiva Dickinson, founder &amp; managing partner of Selva Ventures, a VC firm dedicated to CPG brands in health, wellness, and self-care. Backing brands like MUD\WTR, Mid-Day Squares, Kinship, Native Pet, and more, Selva Ventures invests in concepts that make their consumers' lives better. After closing $34M for its second fund, Kiva and team continue to seek out brands with better ingredients, better function, and greater connection to the consumer. In this episode, we discuss megatrends across health &amp; fitness. Plus, Kiva shares his framework for investing in CPG brands and hints at plans for Selva’s second fund. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Kiva’s investing philosophy that led him to starting Selva Ventures • Investor insights from its first fund and promising trends to follow • About the importance of building a team with varied professional and personal interests Subscribe to the podcast → https://insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → https://insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → https://linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Selva Ventures Website: https://selvaventures.com Kiva’s LinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/kiva-dickinson Kiva’s Twitter: https://twitter.com/kivadickinson Kiva’s Medium: https://kivadickinson.medium.com - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at https://JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:22) Kiva’s background  (03:36) Founding Selva Ventures (08:37) Frameworks and metrics Selva uses to analyze CPG brands (10:02) 5M framework: Megatrend, Matter, Management, Momentum and Market  (13:59) The best investments are never obvious (15:12) Selva’s decision making model (16:54) Conviction in the investment process (20:17) Learnings from the book Crossing the Chasm (26:20) Investing in companies that make healthier living more accessible (28:56) Creating products people self identity with (32:29) Similarities between first and second fund (34:45) Differences between first and second fund (37:08) Future roadmap (42:46) Challenges faced by entrepreneurs (44:00) Important KPI’s for CPG brands (45:03) Health &amp; wellness market sentiment (49:23) Conclusion 

Today, I’m joined by Kiva Dickinson, founder &amp; managing partner of Selva Ventures, a VC firm dedicated to CPG brands in health, wellness, and self-care. Backing brands like MUD\WTR, Mid-Day Squares, Kinship, Native Pet, and more, Selva Ventures invests in concepts that make their consumers' lives better. After closing $34M for its second fund, Kiva and team continue to seek out brands with better ingredients, better function, and greater connection to the consumer. In this episode, we discuss megatrends across health &amp; fitness. Plus, Kiva shares his framework for investing in CPG brands and hints at plans for Selva’s second fund. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Kiva’s investing philosophy that led him to starting Selva Ventures • Investor insights from its first fund and promising trends to follow • About the importance of building a team with varied professional and personal interests Subscribe to the podcast → <a href="https://insider.fitt.co/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://insider.fitt.co/podcast</a> Subscribe to our newsletter → <a href="https://insider.fitt.co/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://insider.fitt.co/subscribe</a> Follow us on LinkedIn → <a href="https://linkedin.com/company/fittinsider" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://linkedin.com/company/fittinsider</a> Selva Ventures Website: <a href="https://selvaventures.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://selvaventures.com</a> Kiva’s LinkedIn: <a href="https://linkedin.com/in/kiva-dickinson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://linkedin.com/in/kiva-dickinson</a> Kiva’s Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/kivadickinson" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/kivadickinson</a> Kiva’s Medium: <a href="https://kivadickinson.medium.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://kivadickinson.medium.com</a> - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at <a href="https://JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt</a> Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:22) Kiva’s background  (03:36) Founding Selva Ventures (08:37) Frameworks and metrics Selva uses to analyze CPG brands (10:02) 5M framework: Megatrend, Matter, Management, Momentum and Market  (13:59) The best investments are never obvious (15:12) Selva’s decision making model (16:54) Conviction in the investment process (20:17) Learnings from the book Crossing the Chasm (26:20) Investing in companies that make healthier living more accessible (28:56) Creating products people self identity with (32:29) Similarities between first and second fund (34:45) Differences between first and second fund (37:08) Future roadmap (42:46) Challenges faced by entrepreneurs (44:00) Important KPI’s for CPG brands (45:03) Health &amp; wellness market sentiment (49:23) Conclusion

195. Kiva Dickinson, Founder & Managing Partner of Selva Ventures

Phil Wagner

Today, I’m joined by Phil Wagner, founder &amp; CEO of Sparta Science, a movement health intelligence platform for organizations. Sparta Science specializes in using data and analytics to optimize human performance and reduce the risk of injuries in athletes, the military, and healthcare. Using his experience as a physician and strength coach, Dr. Phil Wagner and team are revolutionizing training and injury prevention with help from physical biomarkers and artificial intelligence. In this episode, Phil details Sparta’s evolution from training facility to software solution, and we talk about challenges and opportunities in working with sports teams, military operators, and healthcare organizations.  In this episode, you’ll learn: • How Phil’s own recovery from an injury inspired him to start Sparta • The major differences between starting a B2B and DTC company in the health space • How Sparta Science’s innovative process reduces injuries and improves movement health Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Sparta Science’s Website: spartascience.com Sparta Science’s LinkedIn: linkedin.com/company/spartascience Sparta Science’s Twitter: twitter.com/spartascience - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:45) Phil’s journey to founding Sparta Science (03:05) From training facility to SaaS business  (06:28) Performance and medical assessments (08:21) Sparta Science’s technology (09::31) Who Sparta Science works with (11:30) Reducing asymmetry to improve movement health (13:24) Data assessment process (15:40) Using AI to analyze movement health data (18:18) Choosing B2B model over DTC  (24:44) Consumer and practitioner feedback (28:14) Concept of balance approach (30:42) Integrating Sparta Science with wearables  (32:32) Future roadmap and obstacles (35:32) Growth strategies (38:11) Evolving from screening tool to movement health platform (40:01) Conclusion

Today, I’m joined by Phil Wagner, founder &amp; CEO of Sparta Science, a movement health intelligence platform for organizations. Sparta Science specializes in using data and analytics to optimize human performance and reduce the risk of injuries in athletes, the military, and healthcare. Using his experience as a physician and strength coach, Dr. Phil Wagner and team are revolutionizing training and injury prevention with help from physical biomarkers and artificial intelligence. In this episode, Phil details Sparta’s evolution from training facility to software solution, and we talk about challenges and opportunities in working with sports teams, military operators, and healthcare organizations.  In this episode, you’ll learn: • How Phil’s own recovery from an injury inspired him to start Sparta • The major differences between starting a B2B and DTC company in the health space • How Sparta Science’s innovative process reduces injuries and improves movement health Subscribe to the podcast → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/podcast</a> Subscribe to our newsletter → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/subscribe</a> Follow us on LinkedIn → <a href="http://linkedin.com/company/fittinsider" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">linkedin.com/company/fittinsider</a> Sparta Science’s Website: <a href="http://spartascience.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">spartascience.com</a> Sparta Science’s LinkedIn: <a href="http://linkedin.com/company/spartascience" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">linkedin.com/company/spartascience</a> Sparta Science’s Twitter: <a href="http://twitter.com/spartascience" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">twitter.com/spartascience</a> - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at <a href="http://JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt</a> Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:45) Phil’s journey to founding Sparta Science (03:05) From training facility to SaaS business  (06:28) Performance and medical assessments (08:21) Sparta Science’s technology (09::31) Who Sparta Science works with (11:30) Reducing asymmetry to improve movement health (13:24) Data assessment process (15:40) Using AI to analyze movement health data (18:18) Choosing B2B model over DTC  (24:44) Consumer and practitioner feedback (28:14) Concept of balance approach (30:42) Integrating Sparta Science with wearables  (32:32) Future roadmap and obstacles (35:32) Growth strategies (38:11) Evolving from screening tool to movement health platform (40:01) Conclusion

194. Phil Wagner, Founder & CEO of Sparta Science

Meridith Cass

Nix Biosensors

Today, I’m joined by Meridith Cass, founder &amp; CEO of Nix Biosensors, creators of a biometric patch that extracts real-time hydration data from human sweat. Through a reusable wearable device, Nix gives individuals the access and tools to understand their health in terms of sweat rate, electrolyte loss rate, and sweat composition. Its flagship product helps endurance athletes track, analyze, and strategize hydration, optimizing performance with a recommended combination of fluids and fuel. In this episode, Meridith details the technology behind the company’s sweat-tracking patch and why Nix is focused on endurance athletes before expanding into new markets. In this episode, you’ll learn: • How Meridith’s background in VC is guiding her development of Nix • How the Nix Hydration Biosensor captures electrochemical biomarkers • Nix’s initial GTM strategy and its surprise organic growth across additional markets Nix Biosensor’s Website: nixbiosensors.com Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/ - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:41) Meridith’s background (03:23) Launching Nix Biosensors  (05:28) The product and platform (06:24) Nix’s value proposition (07:51) Hydration management (11:41) Real time hydration notifications and suggestions  (14:42) Customer use cases (18:15) Recommendations based on personalized data (21:03) The Nix team and current state of the business (24:28) Hydration tracking: From athletes to general consumers  (27:17) Focusing on endurance athletes first (30:58) Potential opportunities and markets (33:31) Future roadmap and upcoming product updates  (35:28) Improving the product through feedback (37:42) Conclusion

Today, I’m joined by Meridith Cass, founder &amp; CEO of Nix Biosensors, creators of a biometric patch that extracts real-time hydration data from human sweat. Through a reusable wearable device, Nix gives individuals the access and tools to understand their health in terms of sweat rate, electrolyte loss rate, and sweat composition. Its flagship product helps endurance athletes track, analyze, and strategize hydration, optimizing performance with a recommended combination of fluids and fuel. In this episode, Meridith details the technology behind the company’s sweat-tracking patch and why Nix is focused on endurance athletes before expanding into new markets. In this episode, you’ll learn: • How Meridith’s background in VC is guiding her development of Nix • How the Nix Hydration Biosensor captures electrochemical biomarkers • Nix’s initial GTM strategy and its surprise organic growth across additional markets Nix Biosensor’s Website: <a href="http://nixbiosensors.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">nixbiosensors.com</a> Subscribe to the podcast → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/podcast</a> Subscribe to our newsletter → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/subscribe</a> Follow us on LinkedIn → <a href="http://linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/</a> - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at <a href="http://JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt</a> Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:41) Meridith’s background (03:23) Launching Nix Biosensors  (05:28) The product and platform (06:24) Nix’s value proposition (07:51) Hydration management (11:41) Real time hydration notifications and suggestions  (14:42) Customer use cases (18:15) Recommendations based on personalized data (21:03) The Nix team and current state of the business (24:28) Hydration tracking: From athletes to general consumers  (27:17) Focusing on endurance athletes first (30:58) Potential opportunities and markets (33:31) Future roadmap and upcoming product updates  (35:28) Improving the product through feedback (37:42) Conclusion

193. Meridith Cass, Founder & CEO of Nix Biosensors

Adam Bornstein

Today, I’m joined by Adam Bornstein, author &amp; founder of Born Fitness, a health &amp; fitness media platform and coaching program. Through expert-backed articles, a newsletter, and personalized coaching, Born Fitness makes building healthier habits around nutrition and exercise simple. Best-selling author of nutrition-focused book You Can’t Screw This Up, Adam shares his personal insights to living well with client and reader alike and has become a trusted health advisor for LeBron James, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Lindsey Vonn. In this episode, we discuss the power of storytelling with Adam’s learnings from two decades creating content in the fitness industry. We also get a sneak peek of his new book that aims to dismantle diet culture. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why diets rarely work in the long run • What learning from top performers can do for your personal skill set • How changing your self-perception can lead to sustainable healthy habits Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/ You Can’t Screw This Up Book: https://www.cantscrewthisup.com/ Born Fitness: https://www.bornfitness.com/ Pen Name Consulting: https://penname.co/ - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (02:01) Adam’s background (02:58) Power of storytelling (05:18) Adam’s passion for health and fitness (06:53) Everyone cares about their health (08:23) Wellness is a trillion dollar industry (11:52) Don’t replicate other’s solution (12:23) Focus on your pain point (13:27) Building your skill set to find a solution (14:10) Patience and timing is key  (15:38) Entrepreneurial journey (17:33) Adam’s obsession with fitness (20:38) 3 C's (24:58) Don’t copy others blueprint, take clues for success (25:31) Understand your audience (26:48) Focus on super consumers (31:51) Writing and marketing his book (32:42) Dieting cycle of hell (36:14) Building stable foundations to reach health goals (39:40) Fitness and healthy behaviors (40:45) Changing people’s self-perception  (42:17) Stress and anxiety affects performance  (43:20) Expand your comfort zone (44:38) Confidence and control (48:03) Conclusion

Today, I’m joined by Adam Bornstein, author &amp; founder of Born Fitness, a health &amp; fitness media platform and coaching program. Through expert-backed articles, a newsletter, and personalized coaching, Born Fitness makes building healthier habits around nutrition and exercise simple. Best-selling author of nutrition-focused book You Can’t Screw This Up, Adam shares his personal insights to living well with client and reader alike and has become a trusted health advisor for LeBron James, Arnold Schwarzenegger, and Lindsey Vonn. In this episode, we discuss the power of storytelling with Adam’s learnings from two decades creating content in the fitness industry. We also get a sneak peek of his new book that aims to dismantle diet culture. In this episode, you’ll learn: • Why diets rarely work in the long run • What learning from top performers can do for your personal skill set • How changing your self-perception can lead to sustainable healthy habits Subscribe to the podcast → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/podcast</a> Subscribe to our newsletter → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/subscribe</a> Follow us on LinkedIn → <a href="http://linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/</a> You Can’t Screw This Up Book: <a href="https://www.cantscrewthisup.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.cantscrewthisup.com/</a> Born Fitness: <a href="https://www.bornfitness.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.bornfitness.com/</a> Pen Name Consulting: <a href="https://penname.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://penname.co/</a> - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at <a href="http://JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt</a> Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (02:01) Adam’s background (02:58) Power of storytelling (05:18) Adam’s passion for health and fitness (06:53) Everyone cares about their health (08:23) Wellness is a trillion dollar industry (11:52) Don’t replicate other’s solution (12:23) Focus on your pain point (13:27) Building your skill set to find a solution (14:10) Patience and timing is key  (15:38) Entrepreneurial journey (17:33) Adam’s obsession with fitness (20:38) 3 C's (24:58) Don’t copy others blueprint, take clues for success (25:31) Understand your audience (26:48) Focus on super consumers (31:51) Writing and marketing his book (32:42) Dieting cycle of hell (36:14) Building stable foundations to reach health goals (39:40) Fitness and healthy behaviors (40:45) Changing people’s self-perception  (42:17) Stress and anxiety affects performance  (43:20) Expand your comfort zone (44:38) Confidence and control (48:03) Conclusion

192. Adam Bornstein, Author & Founder of Born Fitness

Today, I’m joined by Mélanie Masarin, founder &amp; CEO of Ghia, makers of a nonalcoholic apéritif. Ghia creates an elegant and inclusive drinking experience, redefining alcohol culture with its balanced and flavorful concoction. The spirits-free apéritif crafted with natural botanicals, fruits, and herbs offers a sophisticated alternative to the traditional cocktail. In this episode, we discuss the rise of alcohol alternatives, and Mélanie explains what sets Ghia’s apéritif apart from other alcohol-free options. In this episode, you’ll learn: • How Mélanie’s transitioned her career from Dig Inn and Glossier to founding Ghia • What creating a small group of brand advocates means for a growth strategy • How Ghia’s target audience was different than originally anticipated Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/ Ghia’s Website: drinkghia.com Use code Melanie15 for 15% off - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:30) Mélanie’s background (02:46) About Ghia, a non-alcoholic apéritif (05:12) Inventing a new category of drink (09:23) Journey to creating Ghia (12:20) Impact on the brand from growing traction of alcohol alternatives (15:25) Educating people about the product (try it three times!) (20:12) Branding and messaging of Ghia (24:52) Setbacks while starting (28:03) Delayed launch during COVID (29:44) Initial marketing and distribution phase (32:55) Current state of Ghia (34:55) Experience as CEO (37:13) Future roadmap (37:57) Conclusion

Today, I’m joined by Mélanie Masarin, founder &amp; CEO of Ghia, makers of a nonalcoholic apéritif. Ghia creates an elegant and inclusive drinking experience, redefining alcohol culture with its balanced and flavorful concoction. The spirits-free apéritif crafted with natural botanicals, fruits, and herbs offers a sophisticated alternative to the traditional cocktail. In this episode, we discuss the rise of alcohol alternatives, and Mélanie explains what sets Ghia’s apéritif apart from other alcohol-free options. In this episode, you’ll learn: • How Mélanie’s transitioned her career from Dig Inn and Glossier to founding Ghia • What creating a small group of brand advocates means for a growth strategy • How Ghia’s target audience was different than originally anticipated Subscribe to the podcast → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/podcast</a> Subscribe to our newsletter → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/subscribe</a> Follow us on LinkedIn → <a href="http://linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/</a> Ghia’s Website: <a href="http://drinkghia.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">drinkghia.com</a> Use code Melanie15 for 15% off - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at <a href="http://JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt</a> Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:30) Mélanie’s background (02:46) About Ghia, a non-alcoholic apéritif (05:12) Inventing a new category of drink (09:23) Journey to creating Ghia (12:20) Impact on the brand from growing traction of alcohol alternatives (15:25) Educating people about the product (try it three times!) (20:12) Branding and messaging of Ghia (24:52) Setbacks while starting (28:03) Delayed launch during COVID (29:44) Initial marketing and distribution phase (32:55) Current state of Ghia (34:55) Experience as CEO (37:13) Future roadmap (37:57) Conclusion

191. Mélanie Masarin, Founder & CEO of Ghia

Kari Saitowitz

Today, I’m joined by Kari Saitowitz, chief marketing &amp; creative officer of New York Sports Club and founder of Fhitting Room. After founding and operating NYC-based boutique HIIT and functional fitness studio Fhitting Room, Kari joined New York Sports Club upon its acquisition of her brand in late 2022. Now, she’s merging Fhitting Room’s programming while working to redefine the health club experience. In this episode, we discuss the evolution of boutique fitness, Kari explains the club-in-club concept that led to Fhitting Room’s acquisition, and we talk about how demand for strength training and functional workouts is reshaping gyms. In this episode, you’ll learn: • About Kari’s 10-year journey at the helm of Fhitting Room • How boutique fitness has evolved over the past decade • How health clubs and boutique studios can work together Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/ - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:29) Kari’s Background (02:41) Observing consumer behavior (03:16) Fhitting Room’s origin story (08:39) Growth strategy (15:02) Fhitting Room's @ strategy (17:44) Creating a financially sustainable business  (23:37) Journey to getting acquired by New York Sports Club (33:34) Reasons for the acquisition (35:29) What to expect post-acquisition and Kari’s new role (41:48) NYSC’s main objectives (42:51) Conclusion

Today, I’m joined by Kari Saitowitz, chief marketing &amp; creative officer of New York Sports Club and founder of Fhitting Room. After founding and operating NYC-based boutique HIIT and functional fitness studio Fhitting Room, Kari joined New York Sports Club upon its acquisition of her brand in late 2022. Now, she’s merging Fhitting Room’s programming while working to redefine the health club experience. In this episode, we discuss the evolution of boutique fitness, Kari explains the club-in-club concept that led to Fhitting Room’s acquisition, and we talk about how demand for strength training and functional workouts is reshaping gyms. In this episode, you’ll learn: • About Kari’s 10-year journey at the helm of Fhitting Room • How boutique fitness has evolved over the past decade • How health clubs and boutique studios can work together Subscribe to the podcast → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/podcast</a> Subscribe to our newsletter → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/subscribe</a> Follow us on LinkedIn → <a href="http://linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/</a> - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at <a href="http://JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt</a> Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:29) Kari’s Background (02:41) Observing consumer behavior (03:16) Fhitting Room’s origin story (08:39) Growth strategy (15:02) Fhitting Room's @ strategy (17:44) Creating a financially sustainable business  (23:37) Journey to getting acquired by New York Sports Club (33:34) Reasons for the acquisition (35:29) What to expect post-acquisition and Kari’s new role (41:48) NYSC’s main objectives (42:51) Conclusion

190. Kari Saitowitz, Chief Marketing & Creative Officer of New York Sports Club

Andrew Brandeis

Today, I’m joined by Dr. Andrew Brandeis, co-founder &amp; CEO of OK Capsule, a private-label supplement manufacturer and distributor for DTC wellness brands. Meticulously formulated and scientifically backed, Dr. Brandeis and team have developed 70+ supplements that prioritize quality, transparency, and efficacy, providing companies and their clientele with a custom wellness solution through daily vitamin packs. In this episode, we discuss OK Capsule’s B2B platform for performance nutrition and how technology can disrupt the traditional supplement industry. We also talk about how wellness brands can use personalization, convenience, and design to stand out. In this episode, you’ll learn: • How Andrew’s B2B approach plays to his strengths • How OK Capsule’s tech streamlines manufacturing, packaging, and distribution • Andrew’s perspective on AI and how it will affect the future of medicine Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/ OK Capsule Website: okcapsule.com Andrew’s Email: andrew@okcapsule.com - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt   Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:31) Andrew’s background (01:57) The power of supplements (02:57) Challenges in the supplement industry (05:20) Current state of the industry (07:49) Personalized supplement experience (09:16) OK Capsule’s business and strategy (12:17) Future of personalization in the supplement market (13:16) Scaling personalization (16:44) Supplement industry misconceptions (17:35) Compliance and regulation (18:54) Importance of customer experience (21:45) OK Capsule vs. other supplement companies (24:28) Future roadmap (26:15) Growth strategies (27:26) Integrating AI (31:48) Brand loyalty is losing to convenience (32:34) Online sales process for supplements (35:11) Potential opportunities and product expansion (40:37) Conclusion

Today, I’m joined by Dr. Andrew Brandeis, co-founder &amp; CEO of OK Capsule, a private-label supplement manufacturer and distributor for DTC wellness brands. Meticulously formulated and scientifically backed, Dr. Brandeis and team have developed 70+ supplements that prioritize quality, transparency, and efficacy, providing companies and their clientele with a custom wellness solution through daily vitamin packs. In this episode, we discuss OK Capsule’s B2B platform for performance nutrition and how technology can disrupt the traditional supplement industry. We also talk about how wellness brands can use personalization, convenience, and design to stand out. In this episode, you’ll learn: • How Andrew’s B2B approach plays to his strengths • How OK Capsule’s tech streamlines manufacturing, packaging, and distribution • Andrew’s perspective on AI and how it will affect the future of medicine Subscribe to the podcast → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/podcast" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/podcast</a> Subscribe to our newsletter → <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/subscribe" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">insider.fitt.co/subscribe</a> Follow us on LinkedIn → <a href="http://linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">linkedin.com/company/fittinsider/</a> OK Capsule Website: <a href="http://okcapsule.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">okcapsule.com</a> Andrew’s Email: andrew@okcapsule.com - The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at <a href="http://JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt</a> Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:31) Andrew’s background (01:57) The power of supplements (02:57) Challenges in the supplement industry (05:20) Current state of the industry (07:49) Personalized supplement experience (09:16) OK Capsule’s business and strategy (12:17) Future of personalization in the supplement market (13:16) Scaling personalization (16:44) Supplement industry misconceptions (17:35) Compliance and regulation (18:54) Importance of customer experience (21:45) OK Capsule vs. other supplement companies (24:28) Future roadmap (26:15) Growth strategies (27:26) Integrating AI (31:48) Brand loyalty is losing to convenience (32:34) Online sales process for supplements (35:11) Potential opportunities and product expansion (40:37) Conclusion

189. Dr. Andrew Brandeis, Co-founder & CEO of OK Capsule

Fitt Insider is the show where we talk with the entrepreneurs, executives, and investors who are redefining the business of fitness and wellness.

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Jon Canarick

Today I’m joined by Jon Canarick.    Jon is the Managing Director at North Castle Partners, a leading private equity firm focused on the healthy living sectors.    In today’s episode, we discuss the evolving fitness landscape, why Jon doesn’t buy into the gympocalypse, and we explore North Castle's investments in Barry's, Echelon, Crunch Fitness, and more.    Let’s get into it.    More from Jon &gt;&gt;    Jonathan (“Jon”) Canarick is a Managing Director with 18 years of consumer private equity investment experience. Since joining North Castle in 2001, Jon has actively managed North Castle’s investments across a variety of Healthy, Active, and Sustainable Living sectors and across all job functions at North Castle.    Having started his career at NCP as an Associate out of investment banking, Jon has played a crucial role in the development of North Castle and many of its portfolio companies. Jon currently sits on the Board of Directors of Echelon Fit, CR Fitness, Encore Vet Group, Kettlebell Kitchen, The Escape Game, Barry’s Bootcamp, Brooklyn Boulders, Curves, Jenny Craig, Palladio, and SLT. Previously, Jon served on the Board of Directors of Mineral Fusion, gloProfessional, Flatout, International Fitness, Enzymatic Therapy, Performance Bicycle, Avalon and DDF and was actively involved in the Firm’s investment in Grand Expeditions.    Prior to joining North Castle, Jon worked in the Financial Sponsors Coverage and Leveraged Finance groups of Bear, Stearns &amp; Co., where he executed leveraged buyout transactions and provided advisory services for financial sponsors. Jon earned a B.B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School.   More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;    Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.    Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing.       http://insider.fitt.co 

Today I’m joined by Jon Canarick.  Jon is the Managing Director at North Castle Partners, a leading private equity firm focused on the healthy living sectors.  In today’s episode, we discuss the evolving fitness landscape, why Jon doesn’t buy into the gympocalypse, and we explore North Castle's investments in Barry's, Echelon, Crunch Fitness, and more.  Let’s get into it.  More from Jon &gt;&gt;  Jonathan (“Jon”) Canarick is a Managing Director with 18 years of consumer private equity investment experience. Since joining North Castle in 2001, Jon has actively managed North Castle’s investments across a variety of Healthy, Active, and Sustainable Living sectors and across all job functions at North Castle.  Having started his career at NCP as an Associate out of investment banking, Jon has played a crucial role in the development of North Castle and many of its portfolio companies. Jon currently sits on the Board of Directors of Echelon Fit, CR Fitness, Encore Vet Group, Kettlebell Kitchen, The Escape Game, Barry’s Bootcamp, Brooklyn Boulders, Curves, Jenny Craig, Palladio, and SLT. Previously, Jon served on the Board of Directors of Mineral Fusion, gloProfessional, Flatout, International Fitness, Enzymatic Therapy, Performance Bicycle, Avalon and DDF and was actively involved in the Firm’s investment in Grand Expeditions.  Prior to joining North Castle, Jon worked in the Financial Sponsors Coverage and Leveraged Finance groups of Bear, Stearns &amp; Co., where he executed leveraged buyout transactions and provided advisory services for financial sponsors. Jon earned a B.B.A. from the University of Michigan and an M.B.A. from Columbia Business School. More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing.   <ul> <li> <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a></li> </ul>

#22: Jon Canarick, Managing Director, North Castle Partners

Ethan Agarwal

Today I’m joined by Ethan Agarwal.    Ethan is the founder and CEO of Aaptiv.    In today’s episode, we talked to Ethan about building an executive team as a solo founder, how Aaptiv creates community among its users, and the role of personalization in the future of fitness.    I had a great time chatting with Ethan and I hope you enjoy listening.    Let’s get into it.   More from Ethan &amp; Aaptiv &gt;&gt;    Aaptiv Founder and CEO Ethan Agarwal first thought of Aaptiv while working as a business consultant – tired, traveling, and 30 pounds overweight. During this time, he realized there was no product on the market that removed all of the barriers he and so many others were up against when trying to make fitness a priority.   He set out to transform the way everyone works out and founded Aaptiv in 2016. Three years later, the company – backed by leading venture capital firms and top companies including the Amazon Alexa Fund and Disney – is a leader in the digital health space with over 230,000 paying members who have taken more than 30 million Aaptiv classes.   Prior to launching Aaptiv, Ethan spent three years at McKinsey &amp; Co, advising clients in the technology, media, and financial industries. He was previously an investor at LionEye Capital, a $2.5B AUM hedge fund, focused on a merger arbitrage strategy across energy, tech, and healthcare. Ethan began his career as an investment banker at Lehman Brothers, focused on healthcare M&amp;A.   Ethan holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and political science from The Johns Hopkins University, with a minor in entrepreneurship. He earned his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania.   Get in touch &gt;&gt;    https://aaptiv.com/   https://www.instagram.com/aaptiv/   More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;    Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.    Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at http://insider.fitt.co. 

Today I’m joined by Ethan Agarwal.  Ethan is the founder and CEO of Aaptiv.  In today’s episode, we talked to Ethan about building an executive team as a solo founder, how Aaptiv creates community among its users, and the role of personalization in the future of fitness.  I had a great time chatting with Ethan and I hope you enjoy listening.  Let’s get into it. More from Ethan &amp; Aaptiv &gt;&gt;  Aaptiv Founder and CEO Ethan Agarwal first thought of Aaptiv while working as a business consultant – tired, traveling, and 30 pounds overweight. During this time, he realized there was no product on the market that removed all of the barriers he and so many others were up against when trying to make fitness a priority. He set out to transform the way everyone works out and founded Aaptiv in 2016. Three years later, the company – backed by leading venture capital firms and top companies including the Amazon Alexa Fund and Disney – is a leader in the digital health space with over 230,000 paying members who have taken more than 30 million Aaptiv classes. Prior to launching Aaptiv, Ethan spent three years at McKinsey &amp; Co, advising clients in the technology, media, and financial industries. He was previously an investor at LionEye Capital, a $2.5B AUM hedge fund, focused on a merger arbitrage strategy across energy, tech, and healthcare. Ethan began his career as an investment banker at Lehman Brothers, focused on healthcare M&amp;A. Ethan holds bachelor’s degrees in economics and political science from The Johns Hopkins University, with a minor in entrepreneurship. He earned his MBA from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Get in touch &gt;&gt;  <a href="https://aaptiv.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://aaptiv.com/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/aaptiv/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/aaptiv/</a> More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a>.

Episode #4: Ethan Agarwal, founder & CEO of Aaptiv

Aarti Kapoor

Today I’m joined by Aarti Kapoor.    Aarti is an investment banker at Goldman Sachs covering Consumer &amp; Retail clients, including high-growth health, wellness &amp; lifestyle companies.    In today’s episode, Aarti and I discussed the evolution of the wellness market, the filters she uses to access deals, and the impact of digital and connected fitness on the future of the industry.    About Aarti &gt;&gt;    Aarti Kapoor covers Consumer &amp; Retail clients at Goldman Sachs in the Investment Banking Division in New York. While active across all major industry verticals, Kapoor specializes in covering high-growth health, wellness &amp; lifestyle companies – an area in which she has received significant recognition from publications spanning Forbes (“30 Under 30”), Business Insider (“Rising Stars of Wall Street”), Bloomberg, Yahoo! Finance, espnW, and more. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Kapoor spent 9 years in Consumer &amp; Retail investment banking at Moelis &amp; Company, after starting her career at Citigroup in New York. Kapoor graduated with a BA Honors in Economics from Harvard University. Outside of the office, Kapoor is a fitness &amp; wellness junkie, foodie and travel enthusiast.   More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;    Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.    Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing.       http://insider.fitt.co 

Today I’m joined by Aarti Kapoor.  Aarti is an investment banker at Goldman Sachs covering Consumer &amp; Retail clients, including high-growth health, wellness &amp; lifestyle companies.  In today’s episode, Aarti and I discussed the evolution of the wellness market, the filters she uses to access deals, and the impact of digital and connected fitness on the future of the industry.  About Aarti &gt;&gt;  Aarti Kapoor covers Consumer &amp; Retail clients at Goldman Sachs in the Investment Banking Division in New York. While active across all major industry verticals, Kapoor specializes in covering high-growth health, wellness &amp; lifestyle companies – an area in which she has received significant recognition from publications spanning Forbes (“30 Under 30”), Business Insider (“Rising Stars of Wall Street”), Bloomberg, Yahoo! Finance, espnW, and more. Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Kapoor spent 9 years in Consumer &amp; Retail investment banking at Moelis &amp; Company, after starting her career at Citigroup in New York. Kapoor graduated with a BA Honors in Economics from Harvard University. Outside of the office, Kapoor is a fitness &amp; wellness junkie, foodie and travel enthusiast. More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing.   <ul> <li> <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a></li> </ul>

#19: Aarti Kapoor of Goldman Sachs on the evolution of fitness and wellness.

Sadie Kurzban

Today I’m joined by Sadie Kurzban.    Sadie is the founder and CEO of 305 Fitness.    On today’s episode, we talked to Sadie about her journey from winning a pitch competition to scaling a boutique fitness business, her mission to democratize fitness, and the importance of staying true to who you are.    I had a great time chatting with Sadie and hope you enjoy listening.    Let’s get into it.    More from Sadie &amp; 305 Fitness &gt;&gt;    Sadie Kurzban is the 29-year old founder and CEO of 305 Fitness. Named "the next fitness cult leader," by the New York Observer, Kurzban, a graduate of Brown University, has been featured in numerous media outlets like Good Morning America, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, the TODAY show, Vogue, Refinery 29, and Fast Company for her unique ability to turn painful workouts into outrageous fun.    Just months out of college, Kurzban launched 305 Fitness, a dance cardio workout with a live DJ. She won Brown University's prestigious Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition and took her $25,000 prize to launch 305 Fitness in New York City. In seven years, Kurzban has grown a tremendous following. Over 100,000 clients have experienced the brand, which boasts a family of 100 instructors and 50 DJs. 305 Fitness currently has 6 locations in New York, Washington D.C., and Boston, with weekly pop-up experiences in Los Angeles and Chicago and San Francisco. 305 Fitness has certified hundreds of dancers around the country to teach their method as licensed 305 instructors.    Get in touch &gt;&gt;    https://305fitness.com   https://www.instagram.com/305fitness/   More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;    Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.   Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at http://insider.fitt.co. 

Today I’m joined by Sadie Kurzban.  Sadie is the founder and CEO of 305 Fitness.  On today’s episode, we talked to Sadie about her journey from winning a pitch competition to scaling a boutique fitness business, her mission to democratize fitness, and the importance of staying true to who you are.  I had a great time chatting with Sadie and hope you enjoy listening.  Let’s get into it.  More from Sadie &amp; 305 Fitness &gt;&gt;  Sadie Kurzban is the 29-year old founder and CEO of 305 Fitness. Named "the next fitness cult leader," by the New York Observer, Kurzban, a graduate of Brown University, has been featured in numerous media outlets like Good Morning America, Harper's Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, the TODAY show, Vogue, Refinery 29, and Fast Company for her unique ability to turn painful workouts into outrageous fun.  Just months out of college, Kurzban launched 305 Fitness, a dance cardio workout with a live DJ. She won Brown University's prestigious Entrepreneurship Pitch Competition and took her $25,000 prize to launch 305 Fitness in New York City. In seven years, Kurzban has grown a tremendous following. Over 100,000 clients have experienced the brand, which boasts a family of 100 instructors and 50 DJs. 305 Fitness currently has 6 locations in New York, Washington D.C., and Boston, with weekly pop-up experiences in Los Angeles and Chicago and San Francisco. 305 Fitness has certified hundreds of dancers around the country to teach their method as licensed 305 instructors.  Get in touch &gt;&gt;  <a href="https://305fitness.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://305fitness.com</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/305fitness/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/305fitness/</a> More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a>.

Episode #3: Sadie Kurzban, CEO of 305 Fitness

Amanda Eilian

Today I’m joined by Amanda Eilian.    Amanda is a co-founder of Able partners.    In today’s episode, we talked about Amanda’s experience as an investor in the positive living space, her take on the future of the wellness industry—including mental health and psychedelics, and her advice for founders looking to break into the space.    I had a great time chatting with Amanda and hope you enjoy listening.      More from Amanda Eilian &amp; Able Partners &gt;&gt;    Amanda Eilian is the co-founder of __able Partners, a venture capital fund focused on early-stage companies in the positive living space. With over 40 companies in the portfolio, investments include Goop, The Wing, Daily Harvest, and Bulletproof.    Amanda was also the Co-Founder and President of Videolicious, an enterprise video creation platform backed by Amazon and acquired by a strategic buyer in 2019. Amanda was instrumental in the launch and growth of Videolicious to over 5,000,000 users in 103 countries, including Fortune 500 companies such as IBM, Walmart, SAP, Verizon and GE. Prior to forming Videolicious, Amanda was a founding partner of Capitol Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition vehicle (SPAC) that completed a $265 million initial public offering and closed a merger that led to the formation of Two Harbors Investment Corp., a $3 billion NYSE listed REIT (TWO) and Silver Bay Realty Trust (SBY). Amanda previously worked in private equity and mergers and acquisitions.    Amanda is a Truman Scholar and received her MBA from Harvard Business School where she was a Baker Scholar, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service with Honors in Economics. Amanda serves on the Board of Directors of Juice Beauty, the largest organic skincare brand in North America, and on the Board of Directors of the Melanoma Research Alliance, the largest private funder of melanoma research with more than $100 million in grants awarded to date. She is also a member of the Tech:NYC Leadership Council. Amanda resides in New York City with her husband and four children. Get in touch &gt;&gt; https://ablepartners.nyc/     More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;     Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.    Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at http://insider.fitt.co

Today I’m joined by Amanda Eilian.  Amanda is a co-founder of Able partners.  In today’s episode, we talked about Amanda’s experience as an investor in the positive living space, her take on the future of the wellness industry—including mental health and psychedelics, and her advice for founders looking to break into the space.  I had a great time chatting with Amanda and hope you enjoy listening.  More from Amanda Eilian &amp; Able Partners &gt;&gt;  Amanda Eilian is the co-founder of __able Partners, a venture capital fund focused on early-stage companies in the positive living space. With over 40 companies in the portfolio, investments include Goop, The Wing, Daily Harvest, and Bulletproof.  Amanda was also the Co-Founder and President of Videolicious, an enterprise video creation platform backed by Amazon and acquired by a strategic buyer in 2019. Amanda was instrumental in the launch and growth of Videolicious to over 5,000,000 users in 103 countries, including Fortune 500 companies such as IBM, Walmart, SAP, Verizon and GE. Prior to forming Videolicious, Amanda was a founding partner of Capitol Acquisition Corporation, a special purpose acquisition vehicle (SPAC) that completed a $265 million initial public offering and closed a merger that led to the formation of Two Harbors Investment Corp., a $3 billion NYSE listed REIT (TWO) and Silver Bay Realty Trust (SBY). Amanda previously worked in private equity and mergers and acquisitions.  Amanda is a Truman Scholar and received her MBA from Harvard Business School where she was a Baker Scholar, and graduated Magna Cum Laude from Georgetown University School of Foreign Service with Honors in Economics. Amanda serves on the Board of Directors of Juice Beauty, the largest organic skincare brand in North America, and on the Board of Directors of the Melanoma Research Alliance, the largest private funder of melanoma research with more than $100 million in grants awarded to date. She is also a member of the Tech:NYC Leadership Council. Amanda resides in New York City with her husband and four children. Get in touch &gt;&gt; <a href="https://ablepartners.nyc/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://ablepartners.nyc/</a> More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;   Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a>

Episode #2: Amanda Eilian, co-founder of Able Partners

Lauren Foundos

Today I’m joined by Lauren Foundos  Lauren is the founder and CEO of FORTË   In today’s episode, I talked with Lauren about using content to scale beyond the four walls of a studio or gym, how the company created a turnkey solution for live streaming classes, and the company’s new plan to go beyond a marketplace and become the technology infrastructure for streaming fitness content.  More from Lauren &amp; FORTË Lauren Foundos, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of FORTË since 2015. FORTË streams live and on-demand, cutting-edge fitness classes from well-known boutique studios worldwide directly to you. FORTË is a tech company (b2b) and a subscription based fitness streaming platform (b2c).  FORTË builds hardware and software that is installed into their partner studios, which enables them to seamlessly live stream classes directly to the FORTË platform. Their Netflix-style hub showcases leading boutique fitness studios and coaches worldwide with a variety of classes ranging from meditation, to boxing, yoga, HIIT, and more.   Before launching her own company, FORTË, Lauren spent a decade working on Wall Street, with  the last five years in finance on the trading floor as an Institutional US Government Bond Broker at Whitaker Securities where she helped to dramatically increase UST Short Coupon and Bill desk revenues. Prior to that she worked at Deutsche Bank in Synthetic Equities and Cloudview Capital Management, a global-macro hedge fund, on their trading desk. Lauren graduated from the University of Maryland in 2006, with a BA in communications and concentration in business. She earned ACC Academic Honor Roll, and Intercollegiate Athletic Honor Roll during her time at Maryland. Lauren is a two-time all-American field hockey player, she played in the Junior Olympics, and went on to play Division I at the University of Maryland, the nation’s top ranked program. She plays the piano, violin, has two older brothers, adores her parents, and loves to ski. Lauren won the NBC/Comcast Innovation Award at the NAMIC National Conference for her FORTË pitch presentation. She also spoke at the Collision Conference, CES, MotionSoft, the Club Industry Show, as well as, appeared on Verizon’s GO90 TV Show. https://www.forte.fit/   More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at http://insider.fitt.co.

Today I’m joined by Lauren Foundos  Lauren is the founder and CEO of FORTË   In today’s episode, I talked with Lauren about using content to scale beyond the four walls of a studio or gym, how the company created a turnkey solution for live streaming classes, and the company’s new plan to go beyond a marketplace and become the technology infrastructure for streaming fitness content.  More from Lauren &amp; FORTË Lauren Foundos, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of FORTË since 2015. FORTË streams live and on-demand, cutting-edge fitness classes from well-known boutique studios worldwide directly to you. FORTË is a tech company (b2b) and a subscription based fitness streaming platform (b2c).  FORTË builds hardware and software that is installed into their partner studios, which enables them to seamlessly live stream classes directly to the FORTË platform. Their Netflix-style hub showcases leading boutique fitness studios and coaches worldwide with a variety of classes ranging from meditation, to boxing, yoga, HIIT, and more.   Before launching her own company, FORTË, Lauren spent a decade working on Wall Street, with  the last five years in finance on the trading floor as an Institutional US Government Bond Broker at Whitaker Securities where she helped to dramatically increase UST Short Coupon and Bill desk revenues. Prior to that she worked at Deutsche Bank in Synthetic Equities and Cloudview Capital Management, a global-macro hedge fund, on their trading desk. Lauren graduated from the University of Maryland in 2006, with a BA in communications and concentration in business. She earned ACC Academic Honor Roll, and Intercollegiate Athletic Honor Roll during her time at Maryland. Lauren is a two-time all-American field hockey player, she played in the Junior Olympics, and went on to play Division I at the University of Maryland, the nation’s top ranked program. She plays the piano, violin, has two older brothers, adores her parents, and loves to ski. Lauren won the NBC/Comcast Innovation Award at the NAMIC National Conference for her FORTË pitch presentation. She also spoke at the Collision Conference, CES, MotionSoft, the Club Industry Show, as well as, appeared on Verizon’s GO90 TV Show. <a href="https://www.forte.fit/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.forte.fit/</a> More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry. Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a>.

Episode #13: Lauren Foundos, founder & CEO of FORTË

Will Ahmed

Today I’m joined by Will Ahmed   Will is the founder and CEO of WHOOP.   On today’s episode, we talk with Will about unlocking human performance, how alcohol affects recovery, and the difference between wellness and what Will refers to as a Performance Lifestyle.    I had a great time chatting with Will and I hope you enjoy listening.   Let’s get into it.    More from Will and WHOOP &gt;&gt;    Will Ahmed is the Founder and CEO of WHOOP, which has developed next generation wearable technology for optimizing human performance. WHOOP today works with professional athletes across every sports league, college athletes across every conference, Olympians and the U.S. military; the company more recently released its first consumer product.    Ahmed has raised more than $50 million from top investors and has an active advisory board that consists of some of the world’s most notable cardiologists, technologists, marketers, and designers. Ahmed wrote “The Feedback Tool: Measuring Fitness, Intensity, and Recovery,” which sparked the underlying physiology and engineering for his work today.    Ahmed was named a 2011 Harvard College Scholar for finishing in the top 10% of his class and a CSA Scholar Athlete; he captained the Harvard Men’s Varsity Squash Team. Ahmed was recently named to Forbes 30 Under 30 and Boston Business Journal 40 Under 40.   More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;    Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.    Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at http://insider.fitt.co. 

Today I’m joined by Will Ahmed Will is the founder and CEO of WHOOP. On today’s episode, we talk with Will about unlocking human performance, how alcohol affects recovery, and the difference between wellness and what Will refers to as a Performance Lifestyle.  I had a great time chatting with Will and I hope you enjoy listening. Let’s get into it.  More from Will and WHOOP &gt;&gt;  Will Ahmed is the Founder and CEO of WHOOP, which has developed next generation wearable technology for optimizing human performance. WHOOP today works with professional athletes across every sports league, college athletes across every conference, Olympians and the U.S. military; the company more recently released its first consumer product.  Ahmed has raised more than $50 million from top investors and has an active advisory board that consists of some of the world’s most notable cardiologists, technologists, marketers, and designers. Ahmed wrote “The Feedback Tool: Measuring Fitness, Intensity, and Recovery,” which sparked the underlying physiology and engineering for his work today.  Ahmed was named a 2011 Harvard College Scholar for finishing in the top 10% of his class and a CSA Scholar Athlete; he captained the Harvard Men’s Varsity Squash Team. Ahmed was recently named to Forbes 30 Under 30 and Boston Business Journal 40 Under 40. More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a>.

Episode #6: Will Ahmed, founder & CEO of WHOOP

Rick Stollmeyer

Today I’m joined by Rick Stollmeyer.  Rick is the co-founder and CEO of MINDBODY.  In today’s episode, I talked with Rick about the 20-year history of Mindbody. His take on the evolution of the wellness industry — including a growing opportunity in India and the future of boutique studios. And Rick's advice for entrepreneurs raising capital.  I had a great time chatting with Rick and I hope you enjoy listening. More from Rick &amp; MINDBODY &gt;&gt; Rick Stollmeyer co-founded MINDBODY in his garage in 2001. He serves as the company’s CEO and principle visionary, ensuring that everything MINDBODY undertakes—from product line to business development to team member enrichment—serves the company’s purpose to help people lead healthier, happier lives by connecting the world to wellness. In 2005, Rick transformed the industry when he migrated the company’s business management software to the cloud. Today, MINDBODY remains the leading software-as-a-service platform for the wellness services industry, streamlining business management for wellness practitioners and making it easier for them to do what they love—improve the lives of their customers. MINDBODY now powers fitness, wellness, and beauty businesses worldwide. Rick lives with his wife, Jill, near the company headquarters in San Luis Obispo, California. More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at http://insider.fitt.co.

Today I’m joined by Rick Stollmeyer.  Rick is the co-founder and CEO of MINDBODY.  In today’s episode, I talked with Rick about the 20-year history of Mindbody. His take on the evolution of the wellness industry — including a growing opportunity in India and the future of boutique studios. And Rick's advice for entrepreneurs raising capital.  I had a great time chatting with Rick and I hope you enjoy listening. More from Rick &amp; MINDBODY &gt;&gt; Rick Stollmeyer co-founded MINDBODY in his garage in 2001. He serves as the company’s CEO and principle visionary, ensuring that everything MINDBODY undertakes—from product line to business development to team member enrichment—serves the company’s purpose to help people lead healthier, happier lives by connecting the world to wellness. In 2005, Rick transformed the industry when he migrated the company’s business management software to the cloud. Today, MINDBODY remains the leading software-as-a-service platform for the wellness services industry, streamlining business management for wellness practitioners and making it easier for them to do what they love—improve the lives of their customers. MINDBODY now powers fitness, wellness, and beauty businesses worldwide. Rick lives with his wife, Jill, near the company headquarters in San Luis Obispo, California. More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a>.

Episode #11: Rick Stollmeyer, co-founder and CEO MINDBODY

Aly Orady

Today I’m joined by Aly Orady.   Aly is the founder and CEO of Tonal, the world’s most intelligent home gym.    In today’s episode, we discussed Aly’s plan to build a platform around strength training, how COVID-19 is impacting the fitness industry, and how personalization could transform at-home fitness.    More from Aly &gt;&gt;    Aly Orady is the CEO and Founder of Tonal, the world's most intelligent fitness system and the first truly personalized approach to strength training.    A 20-year silicon valley veteran, engineer and serial entrepreneur, Orady started his career at Hewlett-Packard’s Computer Systems Laboratory designing super-computers, followed by technical leadership roles at a series of startups, including Kealia, Inc. Armed with an M.S.E.E. from Stanford, and a B.Eng. from McMaster University, Orady founded Pano Logic, where he served as the company’s Chief Technology Officer and oversaw core technology development, architecture, and patents, as well as functional roles including product management, go-to-market planning, business development and manufacturing operations.    Orady has leveraged his extensive product and technology background paired with his own fitness journey and 70 lb weight loss to invent Tonal. His goal is to help enable people to lead healthier lives by providing them with the technology, guidance and support to effectively reach their fitness goal.    More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;    Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.    Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing.       http://insider.fitt.co 

Today I’m joined by Aly Orady. Aly is the founder and CEO of Tonal, the world’s most intelligent home gym.  In today’s episode, we discussed Aly’s plan to build a platform around strength training, how COVID-19 is impacting the fitness industry, and how personalization could transform at-home fitness.  More from Aly &gt;&gt;  Aly Orady is the CEO and Founder of Tonal, the world's most intelligent fitness system and the first truly personalized approach to strength training.  A 20-year silicon valley veteran, engineer and serial entrepreneur, Orady started his career at Hewlett-Packard’s Computer Systems Laboratory designing super-computers, followed by technical leadership roles at a series of startups, including Kealia, Inc. Armed with an M.S.E.E. from Stanford, and a B.Eng. from McMaster University, Orady founded Pano Logic, where he served as the company’s Chief Technology Officer and oversaw core technology development, architecture, and patents, as well as functional roles including product management, go-to-market planning, business development and manufacturing operations.  Orady has leveraged his extensive product and technology background paired with his own fitness journey and 70 lb weight loss to invent Tonal. His goal is to help enable people to lead healthier lives by providing them with the technology, guidance and support to effectively reach their fitness goal.  More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing.   <ul> <li> <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a></li> </ul>

#24: Aly Orady, CEO of Tonal

Jim Crowell

Today I’m joined by Jim Crowell.    Jim is the CEO of OPEX.    On today’s episode, we talk about Jim’s experience as a gym owner, his journey to becoming the CEO of a fast-growing fitness company, and his thoughts on the future of the fitness industry.    I had a great time chatting with Jim and hope you enjoy listening.    More from Jim &amp; OPEX &gt;&gt;    Jim is a CEO, a business investigator, and a communication strategist in the fitness industry. His work ethic, experience and vision allow him to help fitness businesses in multiple verticals grow and protect their businesses at scale.    Over his 15 year career, Jim has successfully traded energy commodities at $750M hedge fund, he's owned and sold 2 gyms with over 500 clients under his coaches' tutelage, and he's helped build and grow OPEX Fitness, Brand X, Big Dawgs Athlete and numerous other coaching companies within the chaos of the ever-changing fitness industry.    Along the way, he's never stopped learning. Jim graduated Harvard's Core Course with honors and then went on to earn his MBA from The University of North Carolina all while working full time with OPEX. He's got a ferocious interest in understanding how systems works, and he couples that with his love of simple communication to support his team, gyms, coaches, and clients.   Get in touch   opexfit.com jim@opexfit.com https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-crowell/ https://www.instagram.com/crowelljim/    More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;    Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.   Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at http://insider.fitt.co.

Today I’m joined by Jim Crowell.  Jim is the CEO of OPEX.  On today’s episode, we talk about Jim’s experience as a gym owner, his journey to becoming the CEO of a fast-growing fitness company, and his thoughts on the future of the fitness industry.  I had a great time chatting with Jim and hope you enjoy listening.  More from Jim &amp; OPEX &gt;&gt;  Jim is a CEO, a business investigator, and a communication strategist in the fitness industry. His work ethic, experience and vision allow him to help fitness businesses in multiple verticals grow and protect their businesses at scale.  Over his 15 year career, Jim has successfully traded energy commodities at $750M hedge fund, he's owned and sold 2 gyms with over 500 clients under his coaches' tutelage, and he's helped build and grow OPEX Fitness, Brand X, Big Dawgs Athlete and numerous other coaching companies within the chaos of the ever-changing fitness industry.  Along the way, he's never stopped learning. Jim graduated Harvard's Core Course with honors and then went on to earn his MBA from The University of North Carolina all while working full time with OPEX. He's got a ferocious interest in understanding how systems works, and he couples that with his love of simple communication to support his team, gyms, coaches, and clients. Get in touch  <ul> <li><a href="http://opexfit.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">opexfit.com</a></li> <li>jim@opexfit.com</li> <li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-crowell/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-crowell/</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/crowelljim/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/crowelljim/</a></li> </ul> More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a>.

Episode #10: Jim Crowell, CEO of OPEX

SCOTT MARCACCIO

Today I’m joined by Scott Marcaccio    Scott is the co-founder and CEO of Myodetox.    In today’s episode, I talked with Scott about reinventing recovery and physical therapy, his disciplined approach to growth, and the keys to building a strong company culture.   I had a great time chatting with Scott and I hope you enjoy listening.    Let’s get into it.    More from Scott and Myodetox &gt;&gt;    Scott Marcaccio is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Myodetox, a lifestyle physical therapy brand operating ten locations across Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Toronto.  The company offers a unique hands-on therapy system that focuses on resolving injuries and optimizing your body, delivered by best-in-class physical therapists.   Through the power of their brand-first approach and industry-leading social media strategy, Scott has led Myodetox to forge ongoing partnerships with global brands including Nike, Equinox, and Lululemon.  Myodetox is leading today's conversation on why taking care of your body is essential to your daily life.    https://www.myodetox.com/ https://www.instagram.com/myodetox/ https://www.instagram.com/scottmarkk/?hl=en    More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;    Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.    Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing.   http://insider.fitt.co

Today I’m joined by Scott Marcaccio  Scott is the co-founder and CEO of Myodetox.  In today’s episode, I talked with Scott about reinventing recovery and physical therapy, his disciplined approach to growth, and the keys to building a strong company culture. I had a great time chatting with Scott and I hope you enjoy listening.  Let’s get into it.  More from Scott and Myodetox &gt;&gt;  Scott Marcaccio is the Co-Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Myodetox, a lifestyle physical therapy brand operating ten locations across Los Angeles, Vancouver, and Toronto.  The company offers a unique hands-on therapy system that focuses on resolving injuries and optimizing your body, delivered by best-in-class physical therapists. Through the power of their brand-first approach and industry-leading social media strategy, Scott has led Myodetox to forge ongoing partnerships with global brands including Nike, Equinox, and Lululemon.  Myodetox is leading today's conversation on why taking care of your body is essential to your daily life. <ul> <li><a href="https://www.myodetox.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.myodetox.com/</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/myodetox/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/myodetox/</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/scottmarkk/?hl=en" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/scottmarkk/?hl=en</a></li> </ul> More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing.   <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a>

#16: Scott Marcaccio, co-founder & CEO of Myodetox

Today I’m joined by Nate Bosshard.    Nate is a consumer-oriented brand builder. Most recently, he was on the founding team at Tonal where he served as the CMO. But he’s also held roles at Burton, North Face, Nest, and GoPro.    In today’s episode, we talked about building an authentic network, taking a brand from zero to one, and how timing, adversity, luck and failure impact success.    It’s a wide-ranging conversation with a ton of unique insights that I think you’ll find valuable.    Let’s get into it.    More from Nate &gt;&gt;      Nate is an Entrepreneur, investor and brand builder of iconic, category-defining, multi-billion dollar consumer brands.  His superpower is brand creation, positioning, and go-to-market strategy. He's lead brand platform development and positioning, marketing strategy and planning, and consumer acquisition and engagement both on and offline.    He has been a marketing leader at every stage of company growth.  Nate has lead and re-positioning heritage brands through changing market dynamics, ridden the IPO rocketship, experienced being inside of a company acquisition and integration, and has witnessed spectacular company implosion and failure first hand. Nate has built and co-founded a company from scratch, helped raise hundreds of millions of venture capital, worked inside a blue-chip VC firm as a partner and personally angel invested in 30+ companies.  Separate of his bay-area entrepreneurial adventures he is an owner of the largest independent beverage co-packer in the country and has stakes in dozens of community banks in the midwest.    More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;    Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.    Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing.   http://insider.fitt.co

Today I’m joined by Nate Bosshard.  Nate is a consumer-oriented brand builder. Most recently, he was on the founding team at Tonal where he served as the CMO. But he’s also held roles at Burton, North Face, Nest, and GoPro.  In today’s episode, we talked about building an authentic network, taking a brand from zero to one, and how timing, adversity, luck and failure impact success.  It’s a wide-ranging conversation with a ton of unique insights that I think you’ll find valuable.  Let’s get into it.  More from Nate &gt;&gt;    Nate is an Entrepreneur, investor and brand builder of iconic, category-defining, multi-billion dollar consumer brands.  His superpower is brand creation, positioning, and go-to-market strategy. He's lead brand platform development and positioning, marketing strategy and planning, and consumer acquisition and engagement both on and offline.  He has been a marketing leader at every stage of company growth.  Nate has lead and re-positioning heritage brands through changing market dynamics, ridden the IPO rocketship, experienced being inside of a company acquisition and integration, and has witnessed spectacular company implosion and failure first hand. Nate has built and co-founded a company from scratch, helped raise hundreds of millions of venture capital, worked inside a blue-chip VC firm as a partner and personally angel invested in 30+ companies.  Separate of his bay-area entrepreneurial adventures he is an owner of the largest independent beverage co-packer in the country and has stakes in dozens of community banks in the midwest.  More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing.   <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a>

#18: Nate Bosshard, Co-Founder of Tonal & Investor

Ally Davidson

Today I’m joined by Ally Davidson.    Ally is the co-founder and co-CEO of Camp Gladiator.    In today’s episode, I talked with Ally about scaling Camp Gladiator from one class to 4,000 locations, increasing access to fitness, and the role of community and technology have played in growing the business.    I had a great time chatting with Ally and I hope you enjoy listening.    Let’s get into it.    More from Ally and Camp Gladiator &gt;&gt;    Ally Davidson, the co-founder and co-CEO of Camp Gladiator, has a passion for fitness and creating a one-of-a-kind, life-changing experiences for both campers and trainers. Ally was a collegiate athlete and graduated with an honors degree in exercise physiology and sports science from Texas State University. After becoming Grand Champion on the NBC TV show American Gladiators in 2007, she used the unique opportunity as a platform to launch Camp Gladiator. Ally was the first CG Trainer and grew the team from one trainer to over 1000 certified partner trainers nationwide. She has impacted more than 350,000 lives to date. In 2016, she was awarded EY Entrepreneur of the Year and won “Fittest CEO” in 2016 and 2017 in Austin Fit Magazine.  https://campgladiator.com/ https://www.facebook.com/CampGladiator/ https://www.instagram.com/campgladiator/ https://twitter.com/campgladiator  More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;    Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.    Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at http://insider.fitt.co.

Today I’m joined by Ally Davidson.  Ally is the co-founder and co-CEO of Camp Gladiator.  In today’s episode, I talked with Ally about scaling Camp Gladiator from one class to 4,000 locations, increasing access to fitness, and the role of community and technology have played in growing the business.  I had a great time chatting with Ally and I hope you enjoy listening.  Let’s get into it.  More from Ally and Camp Gladiator &gt;&gt;  Ally Davidson, the co-founder and co-CEO of Camp Gladiator, has a passion for fitness and creating a one-of-a-kind, life-changing experiences for both campers and trainers. Ally was a collegiate athlete and graduated with an honors degree in exercise physiology and sports science from Texas State University. After becoming Grand Champion on the NBC TV show American Gladiators in 2007, she used the unique opportunity as a platform to launch Camp Gladiator. Ally was the first CG Trainer and grew the team from one trainer to over 1000 certified partner trainers nationwide. She has impacted more than 350,000 lives to date. In 2016, she was awarded EY Entrepreneur of the Year and won “Fittest CEO” in 2016 and 2017 in Austin Fit Magazine. <ul> <li><a href="https://campgladiator.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://campgladiator.com/</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CampGladiator/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/CampGladiator/</a></li> <li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/campgladiator/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/campgladiator/</a></li> <li><a href="https://twitter.com/campgladiator" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/campgladiator</a></li> </ul> More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a>.

#17: Ally Davidson, co-founder & co-CEO of Camp Gladiator

Strougo Frohlich

Today I’m joined by Debra Strougo Frohlich   Debra is one of the Founders of Row House   In today’s episode, I talked with Debra about what it takes to succeed in the fitness industry, her experience building and scaling a boutique concept, and why Row House stands out in a crowded studio landscape.   I had a great time chatting with Debra and I hope you enjoy listening.    Let’s get into it.    More from Debra &gt;&gt;    Debra Strougo Frohlich is the Founder of Row House, which she and her husband launched in 2014 with the intention of scaling.  Today that dream has been realized with close to 100 studio locations opened and about 300 studios committed to after just two short years of franchising.     Debra is a New York City native, and is fortunate to spend most of her time in Manhattan where she continues to own and operate Row House studios and her other brand, EVF Performance.     Debra began her career with a dual career: Business Development by day and fitness hustle by night.  With a background in digital analytics she worked for 5 years in content aggregation for an EW Scripps Company; launching subscription and advertising revenue.  Identifying that this could be the future of fitness, she launched Fitizens.com to aggregate Fitness Experts and Enthusiasts in 2007. Although this was a successful launch, it was before its time. While teaching fitness and doing various other biz dev projects in fitness, tech, publishing, etc Debra met her husband and business partner, Eric Von Frohlich and they proceeded to build two fitness studio based brands – Row House and EVF Performance.     As they were building those, Debra spent 5 years in NYC Tourism, under Mayor Bloomberg during his administration where the team was able to surpass tourism goals.  Debra’s direct contributions were in creating a million dollar business by generating revenue against NYC digital as well as hard assets. Partners included NYC businesses large and small, looking to reach NYC visitors from near and far.  She was also part of the original task force who created Broadway Week, which will persevere as Restaurant Week has as a NYC economic stimulus and mainstay. In 2014, Row House opened its doors to disrupt the fitness industry. Debra ran the studios and grew the brand until 2017 went she successfully created a partnership to expand Row House through franchising.  The company is now controlled by Xponential and Debra and Eric continue to operate Row House studios in NYC.    Debra  is a mom at 3. She loves to connect people and ideas - and is keeping her eyes out for her next big one!.   More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;    Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.    Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at http://insider.fitt.co.

Today I’m joined by Debra Strougo Frohlich Debra is one of the Founders of Row House In today’s episode, I talked with Debra about what it takes to succeed in the fitness industry, her experience building and scaling a boutique concept, and why Row House stands out in a crowded studio landscape. I had a great time chatting with Debra and I hope you enjoy listening.  Let’s get into it.  More from Debra &gt;&gt;  Debra Strougo Frohlich is the Founder of Row House, which she and her husband launched in 2014 with the intention of scaling.  Today that dream has been realized with close to 100 studio locations opened and about 300 studios committed to after just two short years of franchising.   Debra is a New York City native, and is fortunate to spend most of her time in Manhattan where she continues to own and operate Row House studios and her other brand, EVF Performance.   Debra began her career with a dual career: Business Development by day and fitness hustle by night.  With a background in digital analytics she worked for 5 years in content aggregation for an EW Scripps Company; launching subscription and advertising revenue.  Identifying that this could be the future of fitness, she launched <a href="http://Fitizens.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Fitizens.com</a> to aggregate Fitness Experts and Enthusiasts in 2007. Although this was a successful launch, it was before its time. While teaching fitness and doing various other biz dev projects in fitness, tech, publishing, etc Debra met her husband and business partner, Eric Von Frohlich and they proceeded to build two fitness studio based brands – Row House and EVF Performance.   As they were building those, Debra spent 5 years in NYC Tourism, under Mayor Bloomberg during his administration where the team was able to surpass tourism goals.  Debra’s direct contributions were in creating a million dollar business by generating revenue against NYC digital as well as hard assets. Partners included NYC businesses large and small, looking to reach NYC visitors from near and far.  She was also part of the original task force who created Broadway Week, which will persevere as Restaurant Week has as a NYC economic stimulus and mainstay. In 2014, Row House opened its doors to disrupt the fitness industry. Debra ran the studios and grew the brand until 2017 went she successfully created a partnership to expand Row House through franchising.  The company is now controlled by Xponential and Debra and Eric continue to operate Row House studios in NYC.  Debra  is a mom at 3. She loves to connect people and ideas - and is keeping her eyes out for her next big one!. More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a>.

Episode #14 - Debra Strougo Frohlich, co-founder of Row House

Lisa Blau

Today I’m joined by Lisa Blau.    Lisa is a co-founder of Able partners.    On today’s episode, we talked to Lisa about the boundless nature of the wellness industry, how startups can find success by breaking down land-held stigmas, and the importance of building a strong brand.    I had a great time chatting with Lisa and hope you enjoy listening.    Let’s get into it.    More from Lisa Blau and Able Partners &gt;&gt;    Lisa Blau​ has spent the last decade as an active angel investor focused on consumer businesses, often in the health, wellness and active lifestyle space with a particular interest in supporting women-led entrepreneurial ventures.    Together with Amanda Eilian, she is the founding partner of Able, an investment fund focused on funding early-stage startups in the healthy living and lifestyle space, with a focus on female founders. Some of their investments include Juice Beauty, Daily Harvest, The Wing, Primary Kids, Moon Juice, Goop and Chief. Previously, Lisa co-founded VitalJuice.com, a daily email newsletter on healthy living tips and trends that was acquired by Tasting Table. She also helped build and launch Portero, an online luxury goods auction platform sold to Richemont.    She has experience building businesses from the ground up with partners such as AOL, Amazon, Kleiner Perkins and The Pilot Group. Lisa started her career as a producer at CNN. She is a Board Member of The New York Public Library, KIPP New York, and The Mount Sinai Parenting Center. Lisa also chairs the Investment Committee of the Leadership Now Project, a membership organization of business professionals committed to renewing democracy. She has a B.A. from Duke University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Lisa lives in New York City with her husband and three children.   More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;    Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.   Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at http://insider.fitt.co.

Today I’m joined by Lisa Blau.  Lisa is a co-founder of Able partners.  On today’s episode, we talked to Lisa about the boundless nature of the wellness industry, how startups can find success by breaking down land-held stigmas, and the importance of building a strong brand.  I had a great time chatting with Lisa and hope you enjoy listening.  Let’s get into it.  More from Lisa Blau and Able Partners &gt;&gt;  Lisa Blau​ has spent the last decade as an active angel investor focused on consumer businesses, often in the health, wellness and active lifestyle space with a particular interest in supporting women-led entrepreneurial ventures.  Together with Amanda Eilian, she is the founding partner of Able, an investment fund focused on funding early-stage startups in the healthy living and lifestyle space, with a focus on female founders. Some of their investments include Juice Beauty, Daily Harvest, The Wing, Primary Kids, Moon Juice, Goop and Chief. Previously, Lisa co-founded <a href="http://VitalJuice.com" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">VitalJuice.com</a>, a daily email newsletter on healthy living tips and trends that was acquired by Tasting Table. She also helped build and launch Portero, an online luxury goods auction platform sold to Richemont.  She has experience building businesses from the ground up with partners such as AOL, Amazon, Kleiner Perkins and The Pilot Group. Lisa started her career as a producer at CNN. She is a Board Member of The New York Public Library, KIPP New York, and The Mount Sinai Parenting Center. Lisa also chairs the Investment Committee of the Leadership Now Project, a membership organization of business professionals committed to renewing democracy. She has a B.A. from Duke University and an M.B.A. from Harvard Business School. Lisa lives in New York City with her husband and three children. More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a>.

Episode #8: Lisa Blau, co-founder of Able Partners

Khalil Zahar

Today I’m joined by Khalil Zahar.   Khalil is the CEO and co-founder of FightCamp.    On today’s episode, we talk with Khalil about the evolving definition of wellness, the disruption taking place in the fitness industry, how FightCamp plans to own the boxing vertical, and what it takes to stand out in the connected fitness category.    I had a great time chatting with Khalil and I hope you enjoy listening.   More from Khalil &amp; FightCamp &gt;&gt;    An engineer by profession, Khalil Zahar was completing his master thesis in Microelectromechanical Systems when he discovered his passion for boxing. Training with some of the best boxing coaches in the region, Zahar realized that quantifying his progress in the ring was a near impossibility. He saw the need for an interactive device that would provide users real-time stats and accurate feedback on each of their punches, and it was then that the idea of FightCamp was born.    Zahar has since grown FightCamp from a tracking system loved by MMA and the UFC’s biggest stars into an at-home fitness experience that enables everyone, no matter where they are on their boxing journey, to enjoy the mental and physical effects of the sport.    In addition to creating FightCamp and its parent company, Hykso, Zahar is also a mentor at the Founder Institute, where he was a top graduate and was selected as the International Startup Festival’s Best On-Stage Pitch. Zahar is an alumnus of Y Combinator, a prestigious Silicon Valley startup incubator that accepts less than 1% of the hundreds of applicants that apply to its program.    With FightCamp, Khalil Zahar has grown the venture into an expansive and nurturing community and has made boxing an accessible and convenient workout for everyone.   Website &gt;&gt; https://joinfightcamp.com/   Instagram &gt;&gt; https://www.instagram.com/fightcamp_/   More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;    Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.    Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at http://insider.fitt.co. 

Today I’m joined by Khalil Zahar. Khalil is the CEO and co-founder of FightCamp.  On today’s episode, we talk with Khalil about the evolving definition of wellness, the disruption taking place in the fitness industry, how FightCamp plans to own the boxing vertical, and what it takes to stand out in the connected fitness category.  I had a great time chatting with Khalil and I hope you enjoy listening. More from Khalil &amp; FightCamp &gt;&gt;  An engineer by profession, Khalil Zahar was completing his master thesis in Microelectromechanical Systems when he discovered his passion for boxing. Training with some of the best boxing coaches in the region, Zahar realized that quantifying his progress in the ring was a near impossibility. He saw the need for an interactive device that would provide users real-time stats and accurate feedback on each of their punches, and it was then that the idea of FightCamp was born.  Zahar has since grown FightCamp from a tracking system loved by MMA and the UFC’s biggest stars into an at-home fitness experience that enables everyone, no matter where they are on their boxing journey, to enjoy the mental and physical effects of the sport.  In addition to creating FightCamp and its parent company, Hykso, Zahar is also a mentor at the Founder Institute, where he was a top graduate and was selected as the International Startup Festival’s Best On-Stage Pitch. Zahar is an alumnus of Y Combinator, a prestigious Silicon Valley startup incubator that accepts less than 1% of the hundreds of applicants that apply to its program.  With FightCamp, Khalil Zahar has grown the venture into an expansive and nurturing community and has made boxing an accessible and convenient workout for everyone. Website &gt;&gt; <a href="https://joinfightcamp.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://joinfightcamp.com/</a> Instagram &gt;&gt; <a href="https://www.instagram.com/fightcamp_/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/fightcamp_/</a> More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a>.

Episode #7: Khalil Zahar, co-founder & CEO of FightCamp

Rishi Mandal

Today I’m joined by Rishi Mandal.    Rishi is the co-founder and CEO of Future — a digital personal training service that connects users with human coaches to create custom workout plans.    In today’s episode, Rishi and I talked about the power of high-touch personal coaching, Future’s commitment to retention, and creating a constellation of experts in your life.    More from Rishi &gt;&gt;    Rishi is the co-founder and CEO of Future (www.future.fit), which is backed by Kleiner Perkins and Founders Fund. Future is an online personal training experience that pairs clients 1:1 with their own world-class coach. Rishi was previously the CEO of Sosh (acquired by Postmates) and a product leader at Google. Prior to tech, Rishi was an astrophysics researcher at NASA and Stanford University.   More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;    Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.    Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing.   http://insider.fitt.co

Today I’m joined by Rishi Mandal.  Rishi is the co-founder and CEO of Future — a digital personal training service that connects users with human coaches to create custom workout plans.  In today’s episode, Rishi and I talked about the power of high-touch personal coaching, Future’s commitment to retention, and creating a constellation of experts in your life.  More from Rishi &gt;&gt;  Rishi is the co-founder and CEO of Future (<a href="http://www.future.fit/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">www.future.fit</a>), which is backed by Kleiner Perkins and Founders Fund. Future is an online personal training experience that pairs clients 1:1 with their own world-class coach. Rishi was previously the CEO of Sosh (acquired by Postmates) and a product leader at Google. Prior to tech, Rishi was an astrophysics researcher at NASA and Stanford University. More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing.   <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a>

#20: Rishi Mandal, CEO of Future

Ed Buckley

Today I’m joined by Ed Buckley.    Ed is  the Chairman and CEO of Peerfit.    In today’s episode, I talked with Ed about pioneering the concept of “fully-funded fitness”, building the billion-dollar bridge between fitness and healthcare, and what the significance of the name, “Peerfit”.    I had a great time chatting with Ed and I hope you enjoy listening.    Let’s get into it.    More from Ed &amp; Peerfit &gt;&gt;    Edward J. Buckley, III, PhD, is the CEO of Peerfit, the market leader in connecting employers and carriers with innovative fitness experiences. Ed leads Peerfit’s expansion strategy by driving national partnerships, business development, and fundraising. With nearly 10 years in the fitness industry, and a background in digital health behavior research, Ed continues to push the envelope on innovation in the fitness-technology space. He is passionate about designing new ways to drive engagement and help deliver flexibility and personalization to the health and wellness marketplace.    Ed holds a PhD in Digital Health Behavior, and a Master's of Public Health, from the University of Florida. He is also the co-founder and Vice-President of the Board of Governors for Balance180, a non-profit that encourages children with disabilities to be physically active.    More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;    Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.    Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at http://insider.fitt.co.

Today I’m joined by Ed Buckley.  Ed is  the Chairman and CEO of Peerfit.  In today’s episode, I talked with Ed about pioneering the concept of “fully-funded fitness”, building the billion-dollar bridge between fitness and healthcare, and what the significance of the name, “Peerfit”.  I had a great time chatting with Ed and I hope you enjoy listening.  Let’s get into it.  More from Ed &amp; Peerfit &gt;&gt;  Edward J. Buckley, III, PhD, is the CEO of Peerfit, the market leader in connecting employers and carriers with innovative fitness experiences. Ed leads Peerfit’s expansion strategy by driving national partnerships, business development, and fundraising. With nearly 10 years in the fitness industry, and a background in digital health behavior research, Ed continues to push the envelope on innovation in the fitness-technology space. He is passionate about designing new ways to drive engagement and help deliver flexibility and personalization to the health and wellness marketplace.  Ed holds a PhD in Digital Health Behavior, and a Master's of Public Health, from the University of Florida. He is also the co-founder and Vice-President of the Board of Governors for Balance180, a non-profit that encourages children with disabilities to be physically active.  More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a>.

Episode #12: Ed Buckley, Chairman and CEO of Peerfit

Dan Gluck

Today I’m joined by Dan Gluck.    Dan is a Managing Partner at PowerPlant Ventures —  a venture capital firm investing in better-for-you, plant-based food companies.    In today’s episode, we talked about Dan’s experience founding Healthwarrior and selling to Pepsi, emerging categories within plant-based foods like dairy, functional ingredients, and personalized nutrition, and why we’re still in the early stages of plant-based foods remaking our food system.    More from Dan &gt;&gt;   Dan is a Managing Partner at Powerplant Ventures, a Venture Capital fund investing in emerging consumer food &amp; beverage, foodservice and food-tech companies. Powerplant provides capital, strategic guidance and operating expertise to visionary teams leading disruptive plant-centric brands. The firm is on a mission to re-architect the global food system by advancing world-changing companies that deliver better nutrition in more sustainable and ethical ways.       Prior to Powerplant Ventures, Dan was the Co-Founder and Board Chairman of Health Warrior, a plant-based superfood company. Within the first year of launching, Health Warrior’s Chia Bar was the #1 best-selling new bar in the natural channel. Dan was involved in all aspects of the business, including ideation, incubation, financing, scaling, and it's eventual exit to Pepsi in 2018.  Today Health Warrior is a nationally recognized brand and is on a mission to make radically convenient, real food and positively influence the health habits of Western civilization.   Prior to diving into entrepreneurship, Dan spent 15 years working on Wall Street as a Partner at a large investment management firm. Dan has experience investing in a breadth of companies, up and down the capital structure, and across the globe from the United States to Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Asia.   When Dan is not investing, he can be found on the trails of Northern California mountain biking and trail running. Dan is a 2X Ironman, marathoner, and celebrated his 40th birthday by competing in a 24-hour Spartan Race in Iceland. He is also a proud 2X dad.   More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;    Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.    Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing.       http://insider.fitt.co 

Today I’m joined by Dan Gluck.  Dan is a Managing Partner at PowerPlant Ventures —  a venture capital firm investing in better-for-you, plant-based food companies.  In today’s episode, we talked about Dan’s experience founding Healthwarrior and selling to Pepsi, emerging categories within plant-based foods like dairy, functional ingredients, and personalized nutrition, and why we’re still in the early stages of plant-based foods remaking our food system.  More from Dan &gt;&gt; Dan is a Managing Partner at Powerplant Ventures, a Venture Capital fund investing in emerging consumer food &amp; beverage, foodservice and food-tech companies. Powerplant provides capital, strategic guidance and operating expertise to visionary teams leading disruptive plant-centric brands. The firm is on a mission to re-architect the global food system by advancing world-changing companies that deliver better nutrition in more sustainable and ethical ways.     Prior to Powerplant Ventures, Dan was the Co-Founder and Board Chairman of Health Warrior, a plant-based superfood company. Within the first year of launching, Health Warrior’s Chia Bar was the #1 best-selling new bar in the natural channel. Dan was involved in all aspects of the business, including ideation, incubation, financing, scaling, and it's eventual exit to Pepsi in 2018.  Today Health Warrior is a nationally recognized brand and is on a mission to make radically convenient, real food and positively influence the health habits of Western civilization. Prior to diving into entrepreneurship, Dan spent 15 years working on Wall Street as a Partner at a large investment management firm. Dan has experience investing in a breadth of companies, up and down the capital structure, and across the globe from the United States to Latin America, Europe, Middle East and Asia. When Dan is not investing, he can be found on the trails of Northern California mountain biking and trail running. Dan is a 2X Ironman, marathoner, and celebrated his 40th birthday by competing in a 24-hour Spartan Race in Iceland. He is also a proud 2X dad. More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing.   <ul> <li> <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a></li> </ul>

#25: Dan Gluck, PowerPlant Ventures

Soraya Darabi

Today I’m joined by Soraya Darabi   Soraya is the co-founder and managing partner of Trail Mix Ventures.    In today’s episode, I talked with Soraya about investing in the future of living well, her take on the current state of the wellness industry, and her advice for founders looking to start a company in the space.    I had a great time chatting with Soraya and I hope you enjoy listening.    Let’s get into it.    More from Soraya &gt;&gt;    Soraya Darabi began her career as Manager of Digital Partnerships and Social Media at The New York Times, and went on to co-found Foodspotting (acq. by OpenTable) and Zady. Soraya made Fast Company's Most Creative People, Inc.'s 30 Under 30, and Fortune’s 40 Under 40. She was twice named a Mentor of the Year by TechStars, is a YGL at The World Economic Forum, and serves as a NY State Trustee for The Nature Conservancy.   https://www.trailmix.vc/   https://www.instagram.com/trailmixvc/   More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;    Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.    From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.    Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at http://insider.fitt.co.

Today I’m joined by Soraya Darabi Soraya is the co-founder and managing partner of Trail Mix Ventures.  In today’s episode, I talked with Soraya about investing in the future of living well, her take on the current state of the wellness industry, and her advice for founders looking to start a company in the space.  I had a great time chatting with Soraya and I hope you enjoy listening.  Let’s get into it.  More from Soraya &gt;&gt;  Soraya Darabi began her career as Manager of Digital Partnerships and Social Media at The New York Times, and went on to co-found Foodspotting (acq. by OpenTable) and Zady. Soraya made Fast Company's Most Creative People, Inc.'s 30 Under 30, and Fortune’s 40 Under 40. She was twice named a Mentor of the Year by TechStars, is a YGL at The World Economic Forum, and serves as a NY State Trustee for The Nature Conservancy. <a href="https://www.trailmix.vc/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.trailmix.vc/</a> <a href="https://www.instagram.com/trailmixvc/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">https://www.instagram.com/trailmixvc/</a> More from Fitt Insider &gt;&gt;  Fitt Insider is a weekly newsletter and podcast about the business of fitness and wellness.  From product launches and funding news to game-changing innovation, Fitt Insider provides listeners with insights and analysis on this ever-evolving industry.  Join your peers and colleagues from companies like Equinox, lululemon, Peloton, Beyond Meat, Nike, and ClassPass by subscribing at <a href="http://insider.fitt.co/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://insider.fitt.co</a>.

Episode #15 - Soraya Darabi, co-founder and managing partner of Trail Mix Ventures

The Best Multi-Part Documentaries, with documentaries on Obama, Federer vs Nadal, the making of Star Wars, Netflix vs Blockbuster and more. Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!

Best Multi-Part Documentaries

The best podcast episodes on global issues affecting everyone. Covering topics such as the #metoo movement, climate change, the impact of technology and some of the biggest global issues facing us right now. For anyone interested in learning more about the world, and some of the issues we're facing, pick an episode below and start listening! Add episodes you're interested into your queue below!