HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness

Just as Kenny Rosenzweig thought he had found the perfect formula for success with CLMBR's very aggressive launch and subsequent expansion, an unexpected twist forced him to shift gears in a way he never could have predicted. What happened next will leave you wondering what's next for this innovative entrepreneur . . . and for CLMBR, the fantastic company he's now overseeing as COO. Kenny brings a...

From struggling to justify the expense of two gym memberships, to attempting to revolutionize the fitness industry, Borislava Baeva's unexpected twist on a traditional model is changing the game. But what surprises lie ahead for this innovator and her growing platform? Changing the way "things have always been done" is--putting it mildly--a challenge for any entrepreneur. Baeva is a finance expert...

If you own a boutique or big box fitness club in a mall, you're good to go, right? Everything will be perfect moving forward, right? Maybe not so much, according to Francine Miley , Founder of WELLthmanager, head of Partnerships & Business Developments for Honeycomb , and real estate veteran specific to the HALO sector.  In our latest episode, we'll explore the direction of retail, the advantages...

Our guest for this episode is Brendan Sullivan , co-founder of ZAMA Health , a sports psychology SaaS platform for the athletic community which provides access to digital tools and clinical support to help improve physical and mental health outcomes. Sullivan shares his passion for mental wellness and how ZAMA can help improve exercise adherence and member engagement outcomes. He also discusses th...

What if everything you thought you knew about happiness was wrong? Follow the journey of a former private equity professional who discovered the shocking truth behind proactive health and how to truly find meaning in life. But, as he navigates this new path, he's faced with difficult questions and challenges that leave him with no easy answers. In this episode, Pete and Ted discuss:  Recognizing t...

From former NFL quarterback to business leader, Christian Ponder's journey took an unexpected turn when he realized the lack of community for athletes in their post-sport lives. With his new venture The Post , he's created a space where athletes can thrive once again. And--perhaps not coincidentally--he finds that the same soft skills that made them successful on the field are now driving their su...

Perhaps you've heard that  The Little Gym is "only about sports and games," and that it does not foster social development, or that it does not promote cognitive development? Nancy Bigley will be here to bust these myths and share the truth about the franchisors comprehensive, holistic approach to development! Nancy is a highly experienced, dedicated franchising expert who brings her passion for h...

At the height of her career in Manhattan advertising, Francesca Sipma began to feel burnt out and unfulfilled. She had no idea this restlessness would eventually end up being the catalyst for an unexpected journey: Her discovery of an immensely powerful practice, one that would lead her to leave her career and start her own business,  Mastry . Through this groundbreaking modality, she now works wi...

Rachel Begun , a respected nutritionist and dietitian, has a wealth of experience in the food and nutrition industry. With her Master's in Nutrition Education and background in PR, Rachel has developed a unique skill set that blends science-based nutrition knowledge with powerful communication strategies. Her expertise has led her to work with global food service manufacturers, food and wine retai...

After being diagnosed with Crohn's disease,  Celina Semente , a stubborn yet determined (former!) fashion major, decided to take matters into her own hands, changed her field of study, and embarked on a journey of self-discovery to heal her gut and help others as a holistic health coach. With a hat tip to Mike Pesca, host of the Gist podcast for the initial intros--and a happy client himself--Celi...

After her husband and son became ill, Michelle Zipper (practicing out of the Well Center in Westchester, NY ) fiercely pursued a career in Functional Diagnostic Nutrition, determined to find answers and help others, unlocking a powerful inner strength and courage as she faced the challenges of balancing her business ambitions with her family's needs. Michelle has spent over a decade exploring the...

Mark Moyer is (clearly!) our long lost, Brother from Another Mother! He is the Founder and CEO of the Win Again Academy and the author of  Win Again: Turn Athletic Success Into Business Success . He shares our desire to help provide athletes with the resources and connections they need to transition to a life outside of sports when that time comes. His ecosystem will help current and former athlet...

In this engaging podcast, our guest Brian Socolow from Loeb & Loeb, LLP shares his insights on the psychological and legal components to consider before jumping into a private equity deal in the "post-COVID new normal." With a focus on protecting and monetizing technology ideas in the sports and health and wellness industries, Brian reveals the checklist of factors to consider when seeking investm...

Mike Geenen is the Senior Director of Investments at  EPR Properties. EPR is a 25+ year old, publicly traded REIT with $6.5B in investments, 350+ assets across 44 states and Canada, with more than 200 partners and tenants. A REIT is a real estate investment trust which owns (and sometimes) operates income-producing real estate or related assets. These typically include things like office buildings...

With her unique perspective as a historian and deep roots in the fitness industry, Natalia Petrzela, Ph. D embarks on a mission to uncover how fitness has gone from a "suspect" activity in the early days, to an essential part of modern life, leading to the crucial question of how we as an industry can make it more accessible to all. "I think we've got to find a way to talk about obesity, health, a...

When Matan Gavish , a former Special Forces commander in charge of combat training, discovers the "silent pandemic" of rising sexual assault against women in urban areas, he repackaged his Krav Maga skill set to empower a reluctant and fearful audience to learn to take back their safety. He is the Founder of FITHIT in NYC and is passionate about solving this problem. Gavish states, "Somewhere alon...

Jarlo Ilano is a martial artist, physical therapist, and entrepreneur. He is the Managing Director of GMB Fitness , and has been at the forefront of the 'alternative fitness' movement for over two decades. At the age of twelve, Jarlo found himself in karate classes at the local community center. As he grew, he explored more martial arts and fitness-related activities. After his parents encouraged...

Eve Nasby   is the President of Band of Hands , a company now in 11 states with a disruptive business model that helps small business owners manage their staff without having to worry about the administrative burden of being the "employer of record." She has over 30 years of experience in the staffing industry and is passionate about helping businesses succeed.  98% of businesses in America are sm...

After decades of success in the fitness industry, George Jackson created  TG-The Gym in 2018. It represents the next step in his career and a distillation of all he has learned. TG is an umbrella organization offering a license to independent gym owners with a tremendous number of benefits and proven business model that's readily deployable.  George is a well known, long-time industry veteran who...

Dr. Sal Arria is one of the Founders of Lionel University (formerly ISSA College of Exercise Science), and an educational leader in the fitness industry. He's been around literally since the inception of the personal trainer education space. He continues his life-long mission of creating highly educated fitness professionals to help people change their lives. Sal had a serious wake up call many ye...

Taylor Stull , a former product manager for preventative health solutions, is the Co-Founder of Flowell, a platform that provides team-based experiences and lifestyle games to help clubs and coaches build communities and keep people healthy for life – all while navigating the challenges of helping them make good decisions for long-term success. "At the end of the day, we're working to try to keep...

Doug Young , currently the COO of Easalytics , faces the daunting task of leveraging technology and machine learning to help struggling fitness businesses maximize value from their existing members, and increase revenue retention - all while avoiding unintended consequences. Doug is a Connecticut-based software and AI expert who has been in the tech industry since the late 90's. He has a backgroun...

Growson Edwards is a software entrepreneur and founder of CIPIO.ai , a Community Commerce marketing platform that helps brands mobilize & monetize their brand communities. He has extensive experience in the SaaS space, having grown his last company to $100 million in revenue and sold it. After meeting his two partners, they took on the challenge of building a Community Commerce Marketing Platform....

"No matter what industry you're in, you need to find someone with the trait of being passionate about what they're selling, teachable, and who has naturally high energy - those are more important than anything else," states Jeff Sanders.  Jeff was 17 and, and at one point had to sleep in his truck. He literally had no place to go when he decided to take control of his life and "become teachable."...

Len Fridman was laid off from his corporate job in 2009 after nearly a decade, and upon doing a bit of soul searching, he decided to pursue his passion for fitness instead of continuing on in "corporate life." He started a small boot camp business in a local park which quickly went on to become the most successful outdoor program in Canada in multiple cities. Eventually, a need/business frustratio...