HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness

"When you start with dance, people aren't victims anymore. . .their full potential is reached," states Vandana Hart, creator of the highly regarded Netflix show, We Speak Dance. As a lifelong dancer trained with Alvin Ailey, Vandana's desire to effect greater change moved her into working with the UN on various humanitarian efforts all over the world, during which, her self-financed "Anthony Bordain" style show was born. Among many other things, future plans include launching a We Speak Dance Method which will benefit local dancers around the world, aid in solving the ecosystem of dance not being valued as an art form, educate dancers on how valuable it is to own your own IP, and much more!

FlextIt allows users to work out at thousands of fitness clubs across the US at affordable, by-the-minute rates. They're now in 20 states and recently hit their 1000th club to join the platform. "We're not a discounting service. We're not the cheapest option on the market, and everything we do is owner or operator-centric. Everything is up to their discretion," states CEO Austin Cohen. Listen now to learn more from this seasoned entrepreneur and the incredible growth of FlexIt!

"We have a baby. . . and its name is Brrrn," laughs Co-Founders Jimmy and Johnny. The initial idea started back in 2013 and, after many iterations and "hundreds" of no's, they ended up testing their cold weather workout idea at the SixPoint Brewery in Brooklyn. After some tweaks, the (now 50 degree) workout landed (with incredible press!) in the Flatiron district in NYC-the epicenter for all things fitness. Listen now to learn about the challenge of starting concept which was (extremely) non-traditional at the time, debunking the myth saying workouts must be hot and sweaty to be effective, the how's and why's of needing to switch your brand messaging and more!

With a recent raise of $300 million, Gympass has been making big waves in the HALO sector since they've entered the US market just a few years ago. Simply put, their goal is to, "Help get people active who weren't active before," states CEO of the US Market, Marco Crespo. And with partners like CVS on the corporate side and marquee names like Lifetime Fitness and Soul Cycle on the provider side, they're well on their way. Gympass is a company provided benefit which gives employees access to thousands of gyms, studios and fitness centers. In the USA, they currently have 10,000 fitness partners already on the platform and 90% of the users they bring to any gym are completely new. Listen now to learn the challenges of navigating notoriously long corporate sales cycles, the differences and (similarities) of the HALO sector in other countries, and much more!

GymWisely is a game changing new platform that maximizes the number of visits someone can make to [more than one] gym, at their convenience, makes it economical for them to expand the amount of time they can devote to a club, and from a business owners standpoint, provides incremental revenue. "These members are serious about their health, fitness, and trying new things. They're the kind of people you want in your door. They are not going to be in and out." Currently, 20 partners are going live with another 50 ready to on board. Listen now to learn more about this fantastic software that's long overdue!