Colin Milner is the CEO of the International Council of Active Aging, and a leading authority on health and wellbeing for adults 49 years old and above. He has been recognized by the World Economic Forum as one of the most innovative and influential minds around aging-related topics, and has many insights to share on the topic of supporting and catering to the needs of the active aging community.

Active aging is not about age — it is for anyone who is looking to live a healthier, fuller life. Colin shares more about the 9 Principles of Active Aging that form the foundation of his message to influence government policy and international communities on this topic. He explains the untapped potential that lies within the active aging community in terms of catering to their needs, and how the fitness industry needs to adjust their messaging and advertising to capture their attention. We need to change how we view the aging population — Tune in to find out more about this booming market with great potential!

Key Takeaways:

[:50] Kelly introduces her guest for this episode — Colin Milner.

[2:28] What has Colin's journey in the fitness industry been like, and what is driving his efforts around active aging?

[9:16] Active aging is not about age — it is for anyone who is looking to live a healthier, fuller life.

[11:42] What are the principles that are core to the ICAA messaging that Colin uses to influence government policies and countries around the world? He shares more about the 9 Principles of Active Aging.

[17:35] Colin shares three simple statistics that illustrate the potential of the market.

[19:03] There has been a shift in spending towards products that help people age better rather than prescription drugs — fitness centers need to be shifting to cater to this market.

[24:04] Colin explains the importance of creating places that cater to everybody.

[26:42] Policies and programs are a crucial part of the 9 Principles of Active Aging.

[30:13] Getting to the specifics of active aging, how can health clubs, training gyms and commercial fitness boutiques best address the dimensions of wellness and wellbeing?

[34:39] Colin and Kelly discuss how the spiritual, social, intellectual and fitness aspects can be incorporated into multi-faceted offerings.

[36:41] How do health clubs need to approach the active aging market segment in terms of advertising?

[40:55] What is Colin's recommendation for trial length?

[42:11] What is Colin's one piece of advice for fitness industry professionals?

[44:24] Find out more about Colin at the ICAA website.

ABC Financial Services

Kelly Card

Colin Milner on LinkedIn

International Council on Active Aging

9 Principles of Active Aging

Chris Rondeau is the CEO of Planet Fitness. As one of the most inspirational entrepreneurs and one of the most successful operators in the history of the fitness industry, he shares more about how he helped to pioneer the low-cost gym model by offering memberships at $10 a month and catering to the first-time health club goer. Today, Planet Fitness is one of the most well-known brands, with 13.6 million members and over 1,800 outlets.

How does a gym brand transition to become an industry sensation? Chris shares more about how he was inspired to revolutionize the fitness industry by lowering membership fees and creating gyms that were catered to the everyday individual who wanted to get fit, instead of top fitness enthusiasts. He reveals the streamlining of the Planet Fitness model to focus on very specific member experiences, as well as why it’s so important to always keep the customer front and center. Tune in to find out more about this incredible fitness brand and the man behind it.

Key Takeaways:

[:47] Kelly introduces her guest for this episode - Chris Rondeau.

[1:57] What is Chris' background and how has that contributed to the rise of Planet Fitness?

[4:12] How did Planet Fitness transition from a gym brand to an industry sensation?

[9:16] Planet Fitness became so successful with its low prices that they needed to expand. Chris explained how the services offered changed.

[11:32] Chris and Kelly discuss how the Planet Fitness model is very streamlined to focus on a specific member experience.

[12:29] What is important to get right when it comes to serving the first-time health club goer?

[14:07] Chris is breaking the rules in a way that enhances customer engagement and member experience.

[14:48] How does technology play a role in the ultimate customer experience?

[17:13] What are Chris' thoughts on experience changing as there is increased segmentation in the market among the different generations and changing perceptions of health and fitness?

[19:38] What are the symbiotic advantages between the partnership between Kohl's and Planet Fitness?

[20:26] What does the future look like for Planet Fitness?

[22:29] What is Chris' strategy when it comes to reaching out to teens and what does he hope to inspire?

[24:16] Where does Chris get his inspiration?

ABC Financial Services

Kelly Card

Chris Rondeau

Planet Fitness

Kohl's

Boys & Girls Clubs of America

John Ford is the CEO of eGym North America and was prior the CEO for Netpulse. eGym takes a modern approach to fitness by incorporating technology that can track and present compelling data to its users. By understanding the data and how each person improves week over week, it encourages them to keep going on their fitness journey.

John and Kelly sit down to talk about how eGym works and why it’s become so effective for beginners to get hooked. John is highly focused on those who are just starting their fitness journey because he understands that it can be wildly intimidating for a beginner, who has no clue what they're doing, to get started. Not everyone understands the importance of a personal trainer to help keep you motivated and this is one of the reasons why you often see a high turnover right after the month of January. What we really have is not an exercise problem, but a behavioral science problem, and John explains how eGym can fix that.

Key Takeaways:

[:52] Kelly introduces her guest for this episode — John Ford.

[2:51] How did John go from accounting to the fitness industry?

[4:54] What was the transition from NetPulse to eGym like?

[6:15] Where does John see eGym headed?

[7:55] It’s tough for new beginners to get familiar with a gym. It’s intimidating.

[9:25] How does eGym work?

[12:35] People can now see their progress in real-time through the eGym Fitness App instead of just guessing, which inspires them to keep going.  

[14:58] The machine can sense when you’re fatiguing and your muscles are starting to fail.

[16:39] John is working towards partnerships with equipment manufacturers. What has that process been like?

[22:07] Where does John see where the future of fitness equipment is headed?

[26:19] The unhealthy 50% of Americans are driving the entire cost structure of the healthcare industry, which is why it’s critical to make the beginner process super simple.

[27:04] Unfortunately, giving everyone a personal trainer doesn’t scale.

[28:08] Users don’t have to be tech savvy to use eGym’s equipment.

eGym

John on LinkedIn

Matrix Fitness

Life Fitness

Netpulse

ABC Financial

Virtual Active

Dave Dos Santos is the CEO of Best Fitness and BFitt60, and is commonly known as the specialist in the fitness experience. He started off as a personal trainer at Gold's Gym back in 2001, before starting his own big box fitness center focused on customer experience. In recent years, he has branched out into the boutique fitness industry, launching BFitt60 to cater to a different demographic.

Dave is a true member experience practitioner and always considers the nuances of human behavior and human nature to craft incredible experiences in his brands. He and Kelly dive into the theme of community and authenticity in the fitness industry — now more than ever, club owners need to find new and innovative ways to stay connected to their clients and provide them with unique member experiences. Dave also shares more about how he has applied technology in context to create authentic member experiences, as well as his predictions for the future of the fitness industry. Tune in to find out more!

Key Takeaways:

[:54] Kelly introduces her guest for this episode — Dave Dos Santos.

[2:51] What is Dave's history in the fitness industry, and how has he become known as the specialist in the fitness experience?

[5:50] What led Dave away from the big box commercial facilities and toward the training gym model with BFitt60?

[7:50] Themes of community and authenticity seem to be more important than ever in the broader fitness industry. What do community and authenticity mean for Dave's different brands?

[10:35] How does Dave stay connected to his clients inside and outside of his fitness spaces?

[11:39] Kelly and Dave discuss how he has implemented the concept of late fees.

[13:04] How does a member of best fitness feel different from members of other club brands?

[14:48] How does Dave use data to build experiences, drive revenue and motivate his team?

[19:22] What kind of activity does it prompt in Dave's clubs when he sees that members aren't utilizing certain classes?

[21:53] What is the correlation to attrition in clubs where Dave has high class attendance?

[22:58] What are Dave's predictions for the future of the fitness industry?

[25:40] Dave shares his outlook for himself in the fitness industry.

[27:39] What are some actionable steps listeners can take to authentically connect with their members?

ABC Financial Services

Kelly Card

Dave Dos Santos on LinkedIn

Best Fitness Inc.

Best Fitness on Facebook

BFitt60

BFitt60 on Instagram

Gold's Gym

Orangetheory Fitnes

Frank Nash is the owner of Stronger Personal Training and co-Founder of the Secret Trainer Society. He is an international speaker, consults and works with gyms all over the globe, and is also a best-selling author. He always brings a fresh and authentic perspective to the fitness industry, and is also a brand guru when it comes to fitness brands.

In Frank’s fitness business, he sees the gym as a place for creating community and family. He shares more about how he grew his gym from its humble beginnings in 2002 to the power-packed Stronger Personal Training brand today. Frank also reveals how he built up a reputation for being a social media guru in the industry, his strategy for building a sense of community among his gym members, and reveals his secrets for making an impact on social media. Tune in to find out more!

Key Takeaways:

[:49] Kelly introduces her guest for this episode — Frank Nash.

[2:14] What was Frank's journey in the fitness industry?

[4:32] Where does Frank draw his inspiration from?

[6:00] Frank talks about the brand journey of Stronger Personal Training from its humble beginnings to where it is today.

[11:10] What are some of Frank's tactics to deliver a sense of community to the modern fitness consumer?

[15:00] How has Frank built his reputation as the social media guru in the fitness industry?

[18:39] What is Frank's recommendation for people to find their inner cool?

[20:14] How does Frank use social media tactically?

[22:47] What inspired Frank to create the Secret Trainer Society?

[25:02] Where does Frank see the fitness industry going in the future?

[26:26] What is some of Frank's advice for trainers or club owners to stop doing and / or start doing right now?

[28:38] Find out more about Frank on social media or meet up with him at one of his upcoming speaking engagements.

ABC Financial Services

Kelly Card

Frank Nash

Frank Nash on Instagram

Stronger Personal Training

Stronger Personal Training on Instagram

Stronger Personal Training on Facebook

Secret Trainer Society

Gold's Gym

Frank Nash's Speaking Events

Thomas Plummer is the Founder of the National Fitness Business Alliance, an industry thought leader, author of ten books, speaker and ultimate fitness business guru. He has been in the industry for over 40 years, and shares his wealth of information and experience in the business of fitness with others through his books, workshops and coaching sessions.

A brutally honest advisor and a true visionary in the fitness industry, Thom sheds light on leading numerous controversial movements in the fitness space, and how he has managed to do so time, and time again. He shares why using the same methods of previous years will no longer be sufficient to gain and retain modern fitness consumers, and how clubs need to adapt to the changing times. Thom also explains why the race to the bottom is not a sustainable model for clubs, and why the layering process he teaches leads to far greater success. Tune in to find out more!

Key Takeaways:

[:50] Kelly introduces her guest for this episode - Thomas Plummer.

[1:28] Kelly shares how she first met Thom, and some of her memories of Thom.

[4:25] What led Thom into the fitness space 40 years ago?

[7:10] Thom has led a lot of controversial movements in the fitness space. What has been the evolution of the fitness industry over the last 40 years?

[11:09] What are some of the things that are working right now, today, in clubs?

[16:40] What is the training gym experience?

[19:37] What role does Thom see technology playing in delivering these experiences to customers?

[24:34] Kelly and Thom discuss the idea that if technology is not enabling or enhancing human experience, it shouldn't be in the club.

[27:35] Thom explains more about the layering process he teaches and why that's a successful model for club operators.

[33:15] What's the problem with the race to the bottom?

[36:27] What is Thom's hope for the fitness industry?

[39:42] Thom currently doesn't see the leadership necessary to take the fitness industry to the next level.

[41:34] The future is purpose-driven profitability in delivering experience that is going to cultivate a community, and not just commoditize fitness.

[48:51] How can you find out more about Thom and his work?

ABC Financial Services

Kelly Card

Thomas Plummer

Thomas Plummer on Medium

How to Make More Money in the Fitness Industry by Thomas Plummer

Thomas Plummer on Facebook

Perform Betters Summits

National Fitness Business Alliance

Books by Thomas Plummer

Nautilus Home Fitness Solutions

Gold's Gym

World Gym

Powerhouse Gym

CrossFit

Planet Fitness

The Club Insider Magazine

Curves circuit training

One Hundred Thirteen Million Markets of One - How The New Economic Order Can Remake The American Economy by Chris Norton and Ross Honeywill

The Experience Economy, by Joseph Pine and James Gilmore

MYZONE

The Mirror

Lifecycle bike

Peloton

SoulCycle

Eric Casaburi, Retro Fitness

Alwyn and Rachel Cosgrove

Rick Mayo is the Founder of Alloy Personal Training Systems, which was started in 1992, and was the first ever fitness center dedicated to personal training in his area. He is one of the greatest presenters and tactile deliverers of personal training and team training systems that the fitness industry has ever seen, and is the leading subject matter expert on training. He is also a featured speaker who has presented at many international conferences, and has written countless articles on the business of fitness, while also operating Alloy Training Systems all over the globe.

As more and more clubs start including personal training as part of their gym or club offerings, it is also easier to see that some of them just don’t get it. Rick and Kelly discuss where clubs fail when it comes to training, and how Rick has managed to set the Alloy Personal Training system apart from his competitors. They also dive into the topic of the modern training consumer, and what it takes to cater to their purchasing and fitness preferences. Tune in to find out more about the consumer megatrends that are impacting the fitness industry, and how you can harness the power of technology to create better consumer experiences.

Key Takeaways:

[:49] Kelly introduces her guest for this episode — Rick Mayo.

[1:59] What is Rick's story in the fitness industry? What led him to create Alloy Personal Training?

[7:29] What is the state of training, and how does it differ if you're running a training gym or a mainstream commercial fitness club?

[12:08] Rick comments on the importance of customer experience vs price as a differentiating factor.

[14:02] Why do so many clubs get training wrong?

[16:58] How much do clubs have to take into account who the modern training consumer is, and what their purchasing considerations are, in order to be successful?

[19:08] There is a massive market opportunity for clubs to take advantage of all the data that is being collected about consumers as that data becomes more and more easily accessible. Rick and Kelly discuss what that data shows us and how we can capitalize on that to drive consumer experience.

[23:43] Kelly brings up the idea of consumer mega-trends, and things that are happening in the world that are impacting the industry.

[25:03] How do gyms and health clubs compete with digital training tools and other competitors that offer a similar experience?

[27:24] The role of technology is to connect and deliver better human experiences. What role does Rick see technology playing with training experience?

[28:47] What role does Rick see training playing in the fitness industry in the next 5-10 years?

[31:28] What was Rick's experience being Madonna's trainer back in the day?

[32:55] Get more information about Alloy and Rick by visiting his website or on social media.

ABC Financial Services

Kelly Card

Rick Mayo

Rick Mayo on LinkedIn

Rick Mayo on Facebook

Rick Mayo on Instagram

Rick Mayo on Twitter

Alloy Personal Training

Team Alloy

Gold's Gym

Planet Fitness

Peloton

Mirror

NFBA Tour

Perform Better Summit

JJ Creegan is the Chief Operating Officer of YouFit, and was recently named as one of the IHRSA 2019 Rising Stars. He is one of the most innovative purpose-to-profit thinkers in the fitness industry, someone who has mastered scaling operations, and has grown with the industry from a teenager with a part-time job at YouFit, to running over 100 locations.

The modern fitness consumer is increasingly moving toward feeling better and living better, rather than just looking better. YouFit is a company that has aligned itself with this trend with its holistic approach to health and wellness, not just in the programs that they offer, but also from a branding perspective. JJ shares more about how and why YouFit always puts its customers first, and has focused on being customer-centric. He also explains the role of technology in creating better member experiences, and how he is helping the fitness industry evolve in different areas. Tune in to find out more!

Key Takeaways:

[:48] Kelly introduces her guest for this episode - JJ Creegan.

[1:19] What is it like to go from a teenage part-time employee at YouFit, to now running over 100 locations?

[2:35] What drives JJ in this space? He shares more about his personal journey in the fitness space.

[5:46] YouFit has a drive around a holistic approach to health and wellness. JJ explains what that means, and what "member victories" are.

[8:33] Kelly and JJ discuss how the YouFit model of personal victories matches with the modern fitness consumer.

[10:01] From a branding perspective, how is the message of holistic health and wellness conveyed?

[14:31] How does YouFit employ technology to create innovative solutions to revolutionize member experience?

[17:51] JJ is helping the industry evolve in areas like platform integration, corporate wellness, and class pass. He shares his thoughts around that.

[19:40] How has JJ arrived at the point of having a healthy relationship with what technology is about and its application to the fitness industry?

[24:26] Why are technology and innovation so important right now, and how does JJ see technology looking in the fitness industry in the next 5-10 years?

[28:28] Connect with JJ on LinkedIn and learn more about YouFit on their website.

ABC Financial Services

Kelly Card

JJ Creegan on LinkedIn

YouFit.com

IHRSA 2019 Rising Stars

Youniverse, YouFit blog

Rick Berks, Founder, CEO and President of YouFit

An Inconvenient Truth Documentary

Amazon Alexa

Peloton

Orangetheory Fitness

Tom Wingert is the Vice President of Marketing at City Fitness in Philadelphia. He is a relative newcomer by fitness industry standards, but has created a tremendous amount of disruption in the past 4 years. He has helped grow City Fitness from 60 employees to 300+ employees, and from 6,500 members to 15,000 members in his short time there, by building and branding beautiful fitness facilities, and is disrupting what digital marketing means in the fitness industry to deliver ultra community-based, hyper-personalized experiences in all of his facilities.

Tom and Kelly discuss some of the innovative marketing strategies that he has implemented for City Fitness, from approaching digital marketing from a different angle to the way he took on his new health club pre-sales. Tom explains more about his inspiration behind being an industry innovator and marketing disruptor, as well as how he has helped transform City Fitness into a community brand that contributes to the lives of the people it serves. Tune in to find out more as Tom shares his insights about upcoming marketing trends in the fitness industry, and the role of technology in creating consumer experiences.

Key Takeaways:

[:49] Kelly introduces her guest for this episode — Tom Wingert.

[3:05] What is the City Fitness story, and how has Tom honed in on what it means to offer personalized experiences in the marketplace?

[11:15] What is Tom's approach to the club design process?

[15:22] How has Tom helped entrench City Fitness in the community as the community brand?

[18:50] Kelly and Tom discuss how City Fitness has focused on driving experience that is contributing to the lives of people in the community, outside the walls of the facilities.

[20:30] Tom took a really disruptive approach to his new health club pre-sales. He shares more about what inspired that, and what he did.

[24:55] Where does Tom get his innovative marketing inspiration?

[29:58] What role does technology play in helping Tom deliver that experience and grow City Fitness at the rate it's growing?

[35:22] What does Tom observe to be trending in terms of marketing within the fitness space? Where does he see marketing going in the future of the fitness industry?

[38:28] What is Tom's one piece of marketing advice for club operators?

[40:49] Get in touch with Tom on Instagram to connect with him.

ABC Financial Services

Kelly Card

Tom Wingert on LinkedIn

Tom Wingert on Instagram

City Fitness

Club Solutions Leadership Retreat 2019 in Scottsdale

Paul Schaller is the CEO of ABC Financial Services, which he has been a part of for the past 27 years. He is one of the greatest visionaries and connectors in the industry who helped pioneer health club payment processing and club management software for decades. His success comes from continually staying on the frontlines, and genuinely connecting to the pulse of the industry, while building impeccable, long-lasting meaningful relationships with partners and customers.

Paul draws on his years of experience to share his perspective on how the industry has changed over time, and why he continues to remain passionate about serving people in this space. He also provides some insights into the importance of creating great “member experiences” and the key factors that come into play on that front, particularly the connectivity and community aspect. Paul speaks about the trends that are playing out in the fitness industry, what it takes for ABC employees to be able to cultivate raving fans, and his hopes for the future of the industry. Tune in to find out more!

Key Takeaways:

[:48] Kelly introduces her guest for this episode - Paul Schaller.

[2:14] Where did Paul's passion for the industry begin 27 years ago? How has his commitment and hunger remained so unyielding today?

[6:13] In his time in the industry, how has Paul seen the industry evolve around the people and the expectations that members have today?

[9:26] Kelly and Paul discuss the need for the fitness industry to embrace the connectivity. community and social aspect that consumers are demanding.

[10:32] What does "member experience" mean and what steps do club operators need to consider when they think about providing a more meaningful experience for their members?

[14:31] Where does Paul see operators missing the basics?

[18:04] What are some other trends that are driving the fitness industry today?

[19:27] What are the "blocking and tackling" elements of creating raving fans that are important for every ABC employee to know?

[22:23] What gives Paul such contagious hope for what the industry is going to be in the coming years?

ABC Financial Services

Kelly Card

Paul Schaller on LinkedIn

Jim Bottin on LinkedIn