The Society Pod

Less than a year and a half after exiting his hyper wellness franchise, Restore, Jim Donnelly has launched his latest health optimization project: Humanaut Health. In this episode, Jim emphasizes the importance of expert guidance and support in achieving health goals and the need for a comprehensive approach to health that goes beyond traditional metrics like weight. Jim also addresses the competi...

Alicia Miller literally wrote the book on Private Equity and franchising: Big Money in Franchising (linked below). We discuss the intersection of these two fields, the importance of unit level economics for franchisors, and the current trends in franchising. Alicia shares insights from her book on preparing for private equity deals, the challenges faced by franchisors, and the significance of buil...

Becky Cerroni has been a founder, CEO and advisor in the fitness space for the last 10 years. She currently serves as the President & COO of GoSaga, which is a conglomerate of health, fitness & beauty brands. We discuss the evolution of the fitness industry, the impact of COVID-19, and the future of wellness and recovery. Becky shares insights on consumer behavior, the importance of techni...

If you work in the fitness industry, this is a must-listen episode! Mohammed Iqbal has shared his tech prowess with the fitness industry for the past 13 years. He is the founder and CEO of Sweatworks, a digital agency offering innovation and solutions in artificial intelligence, hardware, software, wearables and apps. In this conversation, Iqbal shares his perspective on the evolving fitness marke...

Rachel Hirsch, founder and managing partner of Wellness Growth Ventures, lives and breathes the wellness sector. Her well-rounded experience in the health & wellness industry makes her uniquely qualified to guide fund-raising efforts in the space. Rachel's work currently resides at the intersection of finance, fitness, and female health. She shares her insights on fundraising for wellness star...

This episode is a conversation with Jim Crowell, co-founder of proof3 and Co-Founder of The SageHouse, a holding company that offers funding and advisory support to early stage brands in the fitness and wellness space. proof3 is a fitness and wellness concept focused on strength and longevity. Jim discusses the core offerings of proof3, which include a comprehensive fitness assessment and a blend...

In this episode of The SocietyPod, Tori Johnston talks about her new role as President of goGLOW, a beauty brand specializing in spray tanning. Tori shares her journey from fitness and wellness to beauty, discussing her experiences in franchising, product strategy, and customer engagement. We also discuss the challenges of leadership during COVID-19, the importance of team dynamics, and the future...

J.J. Creegan is a legend in the fitness industry. Not just because he's spent his whole career working with big box brands and now Orange Theory Fitness, but because he drives culture while driving revenue. In this episode, we talk about opportunities for the fitness industry to meet members where they are and exceed expectations while remaining true to brand values. We explore the impact of COVID...

"In order to have what you really want, you must first be who you really are." - Tim Grover This quote hit me so hard as I listened to it, I had to stop the audio book and record a voice memo with some initial thoughts for me to come back to. My thinking kept on swirling down this rabbit hole, so much so that I figured I would put the maze together into a solo episode. I've never pushed a solo epi...

When you're a serial entrepreneur, you can take the skills you've built and apply them to different industries. Matt Goebel, a serial entrepreneur and founder of multiple technology-enabled companies, discusses his journey as an entrepreneur and his current venture, Woven, a platform that helps unify multi-unit franchise frontline systems. He shares his perspective on entrepreneurship, the differe...

Brian Von Ancken, founder of the Wellness Growth Mastermind, discusses his career spanning all edges of the fitness industry (with Tough Mudder, Barry's & Othership) and the evolving landscape of wellness. He emphasizes the importance of holistic wellness, including physical, mental, and social well-being. Von Ancken highlights the need for fitness facilities to offer a variety of amenities an...

Ryan Wimpey, founder of Tip Top K9 Dog Training, shares his journey in dog training and franchising. He discusses the importance of passion in entrepreneurship, the support systems in place for franchise owners, and the significance of branding and marketing in a competitive landscape. Ryan highlights success stories of franchisees, the challenges of delegation, and the role of continuous learning...

Sam and I launched SizzleSociety in the fall of 2023. They say you're supposed to find partners with opposite functional backgrounds. File that as the first rule we break in agency life. While we both have a background in marketing, Sam's superpowers are completely different than mine. She is our team mom, guided by intuition, empathy, love and light. She is the ultimate hype woman and will say "L...

Crystal Wheeler is the most well-connected person in the fitness industry! She knows EVERYONE. But it didn't happen overnight. Listen in as the Director of Operations at Athletech News discusses her career in the fitness industry and her superpower of relationship building. She shares her journey from being a participant in fitness to working in the industry, and emphasizes the importance of makin...

In this conversation, Jessica Thornton, a senior financial analyst at European WAC Center, shares her experience in the franchising world. We discuss topics such as the challenges and benefits of franchising, the differences between restaurant and beauty franchises, and the importance of supporting franchisees. We also discuss the role of women in franchising and the need for more female franchise...

Andrew Lachlan, founder of Sauna House, shares all of the insider information about his fast-growing franchise (recently ranked #838 on the Inc 5000 list: https://www.inc.com/inc5000/2024). He also shares his mindset hacks as a fast-moving entrepreneur. He discusses the benefits of contrast therapy and the importance of community and connection in the wellness space. Sauna House empowers disconnec...

Jeff Fenster is the founder & CEO of the popular acai bowl franchise, everbowl. To support the growth of his franchise, he launched a construction arm of his eco-system called WeBuild. He also runs an import business to keep everbowl costs down. Additionally, he is a best-selling author, podcast host and expert in relationship capital. His entrepreneurial success is vast-ranging in many differ...

This conversation with serial entrepreneur, Nick Berry, reviews all aspects of entrepreneurship: the highs, the lows and the need for an unflappable mindset. With over 30 businesses formed, Nick shares lessons from the trenches of entrepreneurship. We also discuss the importance of mentorship for the next generations of entrepreneurs. There is a value in sharing knowledge and lessons learned with...

This is a special Q&A Day conversation between two Jessica's who played soccer together over 20 years ago! Jessica Byrne discusses her desire to pursue fitness modeling and the challenges she faces in breaking into the industry. She emphasizes the importance of authenticity and finding the right content creation method, leaning towards writing as her preferred medium. Jessica also explores the...

Katharine Campbell Hirst, an entrepreneur, strategist, and coach, discusses her work with women entrepreneurs and the importance of aligning heart, mind, and vision in business. She shares her journey from working in strategy consulting to running a startup and working for Tory Burch. Katharine also introduces her current project, The Baubo Project, which aims to bring the conversations happening...

Matt Wright, Vice President of Growth and Development at Healthtrax Fitness and Wellness, breaks down trends in the fitness industry and how leaders in the space need to adapt. We talk about his fitness program, Earn Your Stripes, and the importance of motivation and accountability in the boutique fitness space. Matt shares his insights on bridging the gap between different generations in the work...

Mona Sinha is on her 3rd start-up as a 22 year old entrepreneur. She started her first business at the age of 11, creating and selling dog accessories. She learned to figure things out as she went along and embraced the mindset of taking action and iterating. Mona's entrepreneurial endeavors continued throughout high school and college, where she managed multiple clients in the entertainment indus...

Joe Chura, the president and founder of Go Brewing, shares his journey from working on the assembly line at Ford to diving into entrepreneurship with Dealer Inspire and Launching Digital Marketing. He shares the challenges he faced, including back surgery and cash flow issues, and how he overcame them. Joe also explains the creation of two separate entities, Launch Digital Marketing and Dealer Ins...

Kat Zander is a marketing expert turned entrepreneur and consultant. This conversation weaves through resilience, personal growth, being a woman in a male dominated industry and being a working mom. After surviving a brain hemorrhage and facing significant cognitive challenges, Kat experienced the difficulty of being misunderstood and not seen for who she truly was. This led her to start her own c...

In this conversation, Colette Beyer & I discuss the overlap between high-performance athletics and high-performance executives. We explore topics such as mindset, athletics, parenting, and entrepreneurship. And we also delve into the traits and characteristics of driven individuals and the importance of finding a passion to channel one's intensity. The conversation covers my journey from being...