Fitness Business Asia Podcast

Jack talks to Owen Bowling of FourD Media on why video marketing is king and your best options if you're on a tight budget, or if you've got unlimited funds. Owen is great at breaking down marketing principles in an easy to understand and powerful way which makes for an interview with lots of actionable take homes. Starting a video content agency for the fitness industry Why video marketing is kin...

Owen Bowling has built 3 companies in the wellness and fitness space and is making waves with his new fitness video content company, FourD Media. Today he shares some of his biggest lessons and insights of his journey. Whatever your space is in the industry, there's something to take home from this episode. In this episode… How he set up 3 companies Making a product and bringing it to market - how...

Jack talks to the head of Les Mills APAC on how they've kept their brand and offering so strong and relevant for over 20 years.  We also dive into technology and how that's changing the fitness scene and what steps gyms need to take to ride the wave of change rather than be wiped out by it. In this episode… How Les Mills started The 'secret sauce' of Les Mills success Building a tribe of 130,000 i...

Jack goes through his top 5 tips for how to attract, hire and retain coaches and instructors that will lead the industry. In our industry it's important we have the right people, so this episode is a must for anyone who works with or hires coaches. In this episode we cover: Make the hiring process tough See them in action Show staff you really care Use your vision and mission to inspire and retain...

Danny Yeung's story is as inspiring as it is powerful. Danny went from selling baseball cards aged 12, to founding a company that was acquired by Groupon, to starting a leading genetics testing company in Asia. Danny is a true entrepreneur making big inroads into an exciting and new industry – DNA and genetic testing. In this episode…  Danny's journey: from selling baseball cards to being acquired...

Anabel Chew is the co-founder of WeBarre, a barre concept with studios in Singapore and Hong Kong. With an original vision to become Singapore's leading Barre brand, Anabel and the team have certainly achieved this with big plans for their future. In today's episode we discuss… How WeBarre started What is Barre? How Anabel has combined music with barre How to create a great client experience Maint...

In the last of our birthday celebrations, we look at episodes 32-48 and recap the BIG take homes from each episode. You'll learn a lot from this episode alone, but if you want to learn more about any particular topic, revisit the podcast in question. Here are links to episodes 32-48… 7 Common Fitness Business Mistakes An inspirational take home over the science with Bobby Cappuccio Part 2 with Bob...

We are celebrating hitting 50 episodes on the podcast with our BIG take homes from FBA podcasts number 16 up to 31. There are some real gems in there so if you want to dive deeper, click on the links below and if you have any friends or colleagues in the industry that might benefit, please do share. Hear me being interviewed for the Glofox Fitness Founders Podcast In this podcast, we recap episode...

We've reached 50 episodes! We've had so many great guests and covered a lot of important topics, so in this episode we recap the first 15 episodes with one big take home message from each one! Please feel free to go back and download any episodes that sound interesting and useful to you and share any episodes with friends or work colleagues that could benefit. We look at the big take homes from FB...

Tracy Minnoch-Nuku is Asia's ambassador for WIFA (The Women In Fitness Association) and co-founder for FIRE in Malaysia. We talk about opportunities for women in Asia and breaking barriers, as well as a deeper dive into what it means to recruit, develop and build Rockstar instructors  Women in Fitness and what WIFA do Why we all need support Instead of being fragmented, we can be stronger together...

Tracy is the co-founder of Fire Fitness in KL, Malaysia and has 30 years of experience in the fitness industry (20 years in Asia). Having first entered the scene here to help set up Les Mills in APAC, Tracy has gone onto big things in the scene including setting up FIRE and becoming a global ambassador for WIFA (The Women in Fitness Association)  In today's episode Setting up FIRE How is running u...

In this episode Jack covers types of marketing content you SHOULD NOT be posting or putting out there. We see these things everyday but don't worry - we've all been guilty of a few of these – let us know if we missed any out! On episode 46 we cover: No one likes an empty gym Why group pictures aren't exciting for most people Why aspirational shots don't always work When to use stock photos Invest...

Jack talks to Stuart about negotiations in Asia, with landlords, employees and partners. This episode is a must for anyone doing business in Asia, with Stuart building a strong picture of what it means to connect with the locals here. The importance of relationships in Asia The sensitivities of contract negotiation with landlords Negotiating with staff in Asia as a business owner Be careful about...

Stuart Jay Raj speaks 15 languages and has done TED talks in both Chinese and English. He helps many top companies across Asia run more efficient businesses and bridge the cultural divide between east and west, so there's perhaps no better person to talk to about doing business in Asia as a foreigner. In this podcast episode, we cover: The importance of speaking the local language Don't offend - l...

This episode will give you ideas and inspiration for the kind of content you can put out on your fitness business social media channels. On today's episode we cover:  Testimonials – the grand daddy of fitness marketing Profiling your team and how to do it Do motivational quotes the right way Action shots and videos that will appeal to your target market Reposting client's post - when to do this, w...

Jack welcomes back Noël Nocciolo of Boutique Fitness Talks to talk about the boutique indoor cycling scene in Asia. There's no better person to speak to about indoor cycling in Asia than Noel. Not only has she worked at the world's top indoor cycling studios, she's been immersed in the scene in this region since it all started and continues to consult with some of Asia's top players in cycling.  ...

In part 2 of our interview with Emma Harris, formerly of Asia's fitness tech startup Guavapass, we talk about ClassPass entering the Asian market, their acquisition of GuavaPass and the lessons learned from Emma's startup journey. We also touch on Emma's foray into studio creation and management, after she opened STILL, Singapore's first aqua bag boxing studio which started a huge trend there. "Yo...

Jack interviews Emma Harris, formerly of Guavapass which was one of Asia's most high profile tech startups and arguably the most disruptive and interesting fitness business in Asia during their time in business. ClassPass entered the Asian market in 2018 and after a brief territorial battle, Guavapass was acquired by ClassPass for $4.2m in early 2019. Emma talks about their incredible startup jour...

This podcast is required listening for anyone either in a business partnership or considering getting into one. If you go into business with the wrong partner, or don't build the right relationship with them, it can destroy your business. If you get the right partner and do things right and you can reach heights that you may never have been able to do alone. Listen to Jack's 8 tips on finding the...

Ultimate Performance is one of the worldwide industry leaders in personal training with private gyms in the UK, Spain, the US, Australia and Dubai. Chris heads their Singapore and HK gyms so it was kind of him to share his insights into the markets here and how he's built successful branches of their model in the region. In this episode we discuss… How UP coaches are incentivized by a unique model...

Our first ever questions and answers sessions tackling some of the queries that have been sent through to us at the Fitness Business Asia podcast. What did you think of today's show? Would you like more Q&A podcasts like this one? Please contact us with feedback, or better still, your own questions.   CONTACT US jack@basebangkok.com JACK THOMAS ON LINKEDIN FITNESS BUSINESS ASIA ON INSTAGRAM (Send...

We talk with MyZone's Asia Pacific Director Mike Beeney on heart rate monitor technology (HRM) and other fit-tech trends and products. Fitness technology is changing the industry and all fitness business owners need to be aware of the impact it's having on our industry. The history of wearable technology What is HRM? Why clients want data How tech becomes a retention tool How does gameification wo...

What opportunities are there in Asia's more developing and emerging markets? What should you consider if you're looking to open a fitness business in a country like Vietnam, Cambodia or Myanmar? Jack explores the opportunities and potential pitfalls of jumping into one of Asia's young fitness industries. In today's episode we discuss: How I almost opened a gym in Yangon The benefit of hindsight –...

Bobby Cappuccio overcame adversity to become one of the fitness industry's leading educators, speakers and coaches. Listen to Bobby's story, along with his thoughts and musings on our industry, in the second half of our two part interview In today's episode What is the perfect diet Understanding the psychology of coaching Firing your clients Meet people where they're at, not where you're at How a...

Bobby Cappuccio is one of the fitness industry's leading coaches and educators. Jack caught up with Bobby in Singapore to talk about his journey, what makes great and impactful coaching and why people don't change, even when facing death. Whether you're a coach, business owner, investor or even someone outside of the fitness industry, you'll take something away from our chat with Bobby. What is a...