HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness

Live from the floor of the March 2023 IHRSA Trade Show in San Diego, Pete Moore sat with Yvette and Neal McGaffin , Co-Founders of Reform RX  to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the connected Pilates space, what it's like to get involved with manufacturing, and more!  They delve into strategies for the HALO sector during COVID, highlighting that partnerships with gyms and studios may be...

Live from the floor of the March 2023 IHRSA Trade Show in San Diego, Pete Moore sat with long-time fitness industry veteran Jarrod Saracco , Founder of the Health Club Doctor, to discuss the challenges and opportunities in the industry. This wide-ranging conversation touched on a ton including the importance of finding qualified and committed employees, and what are some of the key metrics to be a...

Garret Marshall has been in the fitness industry for 20 years, starting way back (kind of "falling into it") in 2003. His first job was teaching swimming lessons to kids at Lifetime Fitness where he stayed for five and a half years. Prior to that, he was heavily involved in athletics growing up and playing hockey after school.  Over the years he had "every job you can think of" in the health club...

Jason Crowe has had a varied career in healthcare, spending the first 15 years in what he calls "reactive healthcare" in various roles. Feeling a desire to make a difference in the healthcare system, he transitioned to the HALO sector (Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoor), joining  Precision Nutrition as part of the business development and partnership program for four successful years. Crowe's expe...

Aaron De Jong has always been passionate about fitness. He pursued a degree in Physical Education and Exercise Physiology and worked at his school's athletic training center and therapy clinic. It was during this time that he noticed athletes struggling with basic core exercises and experiencing injuries as a result of improper training. Aaron has since made it his mission to educate athletes (and...

Felipe Azenha is a former Peace Corps volunteer who discovered the benefits of using cinder blocks as fitness equipment during the pandemic lockdown. He and his friend started doing these (very unique!) workouts around their area and, with more people joining, they formed a crew and called their workouts " CinderFit ." Word quickly got around and news spread. Today, Felipe continues to lead the Ci...

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...