HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness

"If you do it because you see value or you do it because it's intrinsic . . . it's sustainable. If you do it because you feel guilty, obligated, for the reward or the money, or you're coerced, it ends as soon as that reinforcer goes away," states Matt Richter, 25+ year management consultant, industry expert, keynote speaker and author of The Leadership Story. Why do some go to the gym and others don't? What are some steps the HALO sector can consider applying to the latest in research in motivation and self-determination theory to better serve our clientele? Listen now to this wide ranging, and thought provoking discussion backed by the latest research in the learning and development field.

"I want to be the first globally recognized, fully franchisable corporation owned by a woman of color," states Hodges (an incredible entrepreneurial powerhouse!) when asked about future plans. As a seasoned fitness entrepreneur and global learning manager, she created her first class in her grandmother's backyard in June 2016. Classes are a mix of HITT, traditional aerobics, and ZUMBA to trap music with a focus on women of color. It quickly skyrocketed and she began teaching at Facebook, Tumblr and other major clients. Listen now to this wide ranging discussion on scaling, the beginnings of an instructor training program, operational "nut and bolts" and more!

"If you govern your decisions by what's in the best interest of your members, while it may more difficult in the near term, I fundamentally believe it'll benefit you in the longer term," states CEO Bill Davis. With 38 years in business, ABC Financial supports nearly 40% of all fitness clubs in the USA. Now owned by private equity firm Thoma Bravo, Bill discusses the role of ABC in the HALO sector, what owners should consider in the current COVID-19 climate, hints at big changes coming to ABC in the next few months (that were initially going to be introduced at IHRSA 2020!) and much more.

A classically trained research scientist with a Doctorate in Motor Learning, Dr. Paul Juris is a seminal figure in the HALO sector. He was a Professor of Human Movement Studies at Columbia University and later went on to construct the (then new) Equinox Fitness Training Institute to a level never seen before.

"We wanted to bring as much scientific rigor into the program as possible. . .I introduced movement science to that program, which at the time really didn't exist in the fitness industry," he states. In this wide ranging discussion, Paul offers his thoughts on what needs to be looked at more closely in our "typical" model, the evolution of education in the industry, discussion of fitness tech's pros and cons, and much more!

"Our whole goal is to help build community within buildings, to help people get to know each other better, and to make the city feel a little smaller, and a little less lonely," states Ryan Freed. With hOM currently in over 100 buildings in NYC and Toronto, this life long entrepreneur started in the HALO sector by offering meditation classes in a residential building. He then pivoted into a much larger variety of classes for commercial office spaces and residential multi-family landlords. This wide ranging discussion touches on everything from commercial and residential real estate, to scaling a business, to thoughts of going "deeper" versus going "wider" and more.