Fitness + Technology

This week, on the Fitness + Technology podcast, Host Bryan O’Rourke welcomes Cory Brightwell, co-founder and CEO of Chuze Fitness, a low cost – high value business model that started in California and has expanded into multiple states. Cory has been in the company for over a decade, and he talks with us about hospitality and the challenges of technology adoption.

This week, on the Fitness + Technology podcast, Host Bryan O’Rourke welcomes Dean Giamundo, the national director of sales at Jonas Fitness, Inc., which recently joined the Fitness Industry Technology Council. Dean has a background in the technology industry and at Jonas Fitness he helps teach management and facility owners how to apply technology to the industry.

Host Bryan O'Rourke welcomes the Retention Guru, Dr. Paul Bedford, to the Fitness + Technology Podcast. Dr. Bedford is the leading expert on retention in the world, and they waste no time delving right into Paul's area of expertise. How do gyms and health clubs regard their members, how can they use technology and analytics to customize and enhance member experience, and how can they retain members while maximizing their bottom line? Paul, who is based in London, travels the world sharing his passion and keeping up with breaking industry trends, and we're glad for the opportunity to welcome his wisdom.

On this week's Fitness + Technology Podcast, host Bryan O'Rourke shares a webinar he presented to the International Council on Active Aging: “What are the future trends and current possibilities in technology.” Regular listeners will remember a recent podcast with Colin Milner, founder and CEO of the ICAA. Bryan spends time discussing technological breakthroughs in robotics and artificial intelligence and describes not only how technology is more relevant and beneficial to active agers than most people might realize, but also how these technological developments will provide further business opportunities for entrepreneurs.

This week, on the Fitness + Technology Podcast, Host Bryan O'Rourke welcomes David Minton, founder and director of The Leisure Database Company, purveyors of customer profiles, market data and site analysis for the fitness industry . The pair speak to us from the Grand Majestic Hotel in Bologna, Italy, where they have just spoken on a panel at ForumClub entitled “New consumers, new tools, new businesses” with other industry leaders, and they share their key takeaways from this star-studded panel.

On this week's Fitness + Technology Podcast, Bryan discusses the Fitness Industry Technology Council's 2019 Tech Trend Report. Established in 2008 as a nonprofit membership organization, FIT-C's mission is to promote the responsible and effective adoption of technology in order to enhance user experience and improve business models for operators. Their annual trend report is a great way to keep an eye on the trends that will impact the market for years to come.

On this week's Fitness + Technology Podcast, Bryan welcomes veteran Australian fit-tech entrepreneur Deborah Goldberg to the podcast. Deborah came into the fitness industry ten years ago, with a focus of bringing Zumba to Australia, a nation with one of the world's worst obesity levels. Today, she works with AirFitness, designing tech products specifically for the fitness industry. She also launched Sub A Class, a free app that connects fitness instructors with one another to fill in or cover other instructor absences, as well as Morfis, an app that promotes business for fitness professionals.

This week, Bryan welcomes Australian fitness leader, Justin “JT” Tamsett, Managing Director of Active Management.  Bryan first interviewed JT seven and a half years ago, at the FILEX 2011 Fitness Convention in Sydney, Australia.  Despite the time that has elapsed, the pair find that many of the subjects they discussed then are still relevant today, from exploring ways to modernize the fitness industry, to how exercise can be used to tackle disease head-on, and why JT believes the fitness industry should come together to get people moving.

This week, Bryan welcomes to the podcast Sharad Mohan, co-founder and CEO of fitness company Trainerize. Founded in 2008 as a consumer fitness app, Trainerize has pivoted to become an industry leader in fitness technology, allowing trainers to more easily find clients and provide them with custom meal plans, exercise routines, and much more. With three-hundred thousand active users and more than seventy-five thousand fitness businesses using Trainerize, Mohan shares his thoughts on what it takes to be successful and to truly engage with clients using technology in the fitness industry.

This week, Bryan serves as a panelist at CanFitPro's World Fitness Expo. He is joined by CEOs and other industry leaders to discuss the future of fitness technology. Discussion topics include how technology can be used to improve peoples’ lives and how it can be used to entice people to exercise and embrace wellness. The experts share their insights from decades of work in the field and what they believe the future holds for the industry. Panelists include Bryan O'Rourke, CEO of Vedere Ventures and founder and CEO of Integerus; Paul Bowman, CEO of Wexer Virtual; Mike Leveque, COO of MYZONE; John Ford, CEO of eGym North America; and Len Fridman, co-founder and CEO of WellnessLiving. Steve Groves, CIO & VP at GoodLife Fitness, hosts.

This week, on the Fitness + Technology podcast we welcome Rasmus Ingerslev, chatting to us from Stockholm, Sweden. He is the Chairman of REPEAT in addition to IHRSA and Executive Vice Chairman of Wexer. Co-founder of the Danish Fitness & Health Organization, Rasmas has been noted as one of Denmark’s top CEOs and has a formidable reputation in the global fitness + tech innovation space. Building on Rasmus’s two decades in fitness entrepreneurship, REPEAT is the next generation of gym club. REPEAT is a urban brand designed with millennials in mind--more like a nightclub than a YMCA. It’s bigger and better than exercise; it’s about lifestyle--that, with world-class technology, seamlessly folds in with customers’ pre- and post-workout lives.

This week, on the Fitness + Technology podcast, Bryan O'Rourke welcomes Colin Milner, CEO of the International Council on Active Aging.  A leading expert on the health and well-being of older adults, Colin debunks myths surrounding the 50 and over crowd, particularly when it comes to tech savvy and their economic potential: Not only do adults over 50 make up half the number of all total adults, they also spend half of the money spent by adults altogether. ICAA, in addition to challenging preconceived notions about aging, works to connect like-minded organizations and professionals who share the same beliefs. They are also the driving force behind Active Aging Week, which occurs during the last week of every September and encourages older adults to stay active, healthy and engaged.

In episode 69 we invite President and CEO of Athlete Intelligence, Jesse Harper to join the podcast and discuss his unique perspective on how IOT has impacted sports today. Jesse has had numerous roles with Polar and within the fitness space. Now since 2012 he has been with Athlete Intelligence, the leading sports technology and data analytics company. In this episode we will discuss trends within athletics, data and coachable moments. Athlete Intelligence focuses on athlete performance and safety with a particular focus on head injuries and concussions. With some hesitations to change, sports and coaches are starting to adopt the new technologies. These technologies and tools are still new to this industry so it can be challenging. Listen in as Jesse shares his insights on the dynamic of athletic performance. Where the focus is today and where the industry will take it. What data is being collected and how it applies to their performance, safety and winning.    

For episode 68 we are grateful to talk with the former Netpulse President and now CEO of eGym North America, John Ford.   We pick the brain of John and discuss what's happening in the industry, what does technology really mean, where are we going and what are the pain points and opportunities.   Most of the focus in our industry has been focused on the people that are already part of our facilities, but there hasn't been nearly enough focus on the other 80% of the population who aren't successful today with fitness or involved with a gym.   Listen in as John expresses his insights on technology and how it helps motivate those that are fit to get more fit and to get those that aren't fit today, fit. Simplicity for user experience is key and eGym has broken their workouts down to provide this experience in the most motivating way.   John shares his thoughts on the current key trends within the fitness space that will be keeping our eye out on! Thank you Mr. Ford for being such a valuable guest. See you at can

On episode 67 we visit with the SVP of Partner Relations at ABC Financial and FIT-C Board Member, Kelly Card. What is the gap or opportunity of terms like data? Kelly shares her views on data and how data is coming into the fitness industry. It has operators frozen in fear so what can we do to work together to utilize these tools and create tangible business results? Operators are getting an incredible opportunity to utilize data for the first time to create a new and exciting experience for their customers. Listen in as Kelly explains how we use this data to create actions. There are challenges that come with opportunity. Technology solutions and integration can be tough but if it's cohesive for the member, can create a phenomenal experience. Data and the new era of designing an experience for the member bring light to the process. Kelly shares her insights on how these can be applied to your own operations and cater to your own brand.   

On episode 66 we invite both Jessie Ehren and Al Marez to join the podcast as we recap one of the worlds largest fitness convention, EuropeActive and FIBO 2018. Human Capital (the skills, knowledge, and experience possessed by an individual or population, viewed in terms of their value or cost to an organization) was the topic of this year's EuropeActive event and the perfect relation to Jessie's professional experiences. Jessie, a consultant within the fitness industry, highlights the benefits in attending EuropeActive, a non-for-profit organization representing the whole of the European health and fitness sector in Brussels. The European health & fitness sector serves over 60 million consumers, generates 26.6 billion Euro in revenues, employs 650,000 people, and consists of 59,055 facilities. An experience to connect, learn and network with some of the most influential leaders in the fitness industry. FIBO, the leading international trade show for fitness, wellness and health is an expo for sports, nutr

For episode 65 we invite Dave Tillman to join the podcast and discuss service automation and how Service Channel's new partnership with Ecofit can explore a whole new level of customer support. What's going to separate the guru genius brands from others, execution engines. Collection of data, enterprise platforms, automation (AI) and human capital will be key differentiators.  Listen in as David shares the experiences that other industries have implemented and how it has created efficient operations and reduce costs for their businesses. Along with IOT providing data for owners to better manage their customer experience.

For episode 64 we recap IHRSA 2018 and listen in to the Round Table discussion on Artificial Intelligence - The Future is Here. The round table panel consisted of Jeff VanDixhorn, Bryan K. O'Rourke and Victor Belfor while moderated by Delphine Carter and sponsored by Daxko.  Listen as the panel shares their thoughts on AI. Where has Artificial Intelligence come from, how does it relate to today's world and where is it going in the near future. AI is here, what does this mean to your business and how will you adjust? Use the tools to customize your business and keep your connections personal and scaleable. Enjoy the listen to the live Round Table from IHRSA 2018!  

For episode 63 we sit down with CEO of Motosumo, Kresten Juel Jensen. Technology in the Group Fitness space has recently been a big trend. How do we address the challenges in this space and address the changes?   Group Fitness has the potential to create a community where members stay with a facility for years. There is a whole new level to this community and engagement that fitness technology can provide.   Catering to the variety of goals to those that attend classes is challenging. On Episode 63 we discuss how you can individualize, personalize or identify the common drivers that all groups have to motivate them and get them to come back. Kresten explains how we use the data to get that effect through technology in the most positive and successful manner. About Motosumo Motosumo is one network connecting people participating in group training. One that makes people come back and invite others to adopt the good habit of training together. 2018 will be yet a very interesting year with the recent investm

For episode 62 we sit down with Co-Founder of Moon Mission Media, Brandi Bergeron. As a Social Media Practitioner, Digital Business Strategist and Marketing Enthusiast Brandi helps people, businesses and brands develop and promote elevated marketing messages to engage, delight and convert current and future clients. There are changes in the social world and we need to think about how we adjust. Facebook threw us a curve and Brandi has a new outlook on the process. Listen in to learn and understand what relates to today's world in the social media and marketing industry. Don't undervalue engagement.  Just because you are on social media, are you actually maximizing your time with people and conversations you want your business to be a part of? Engage, connect and listen. Thanks Brandi for being such a wonderful thought leader, mentor and insightful guest!