On Startups and Restarts

Do fitness operators ever stop thinking like entrepreneurs? Not if they want to stay relevant, they don’t.

Is there a more fickle consumer than the fitness consumer? Or, at least the 80% of the customer base the industry keeps chasing.

The other 20% of this customer group isn’t going anywhere. These are the diehards, the men and women who show up every week, dedicated to their routines. They may have their occasional lapses, but they always come back. We love them.

The rest of the fitness customer group is a moving target. Always has been. You would think pursuing this group would exhaust fitness professionals, as they introduce multiple programming concepts year after year to find the sweet spot for an audience aged eight to 80.

Sometimes it’s a tweak of an old discipline (e.g., Power Yoga) or adopting an activity that catches fire out of nowhere (e.g., pickleball). Whatever drives trends, you never hear fitness operators complaining that another programming concept is taking hold of the audience they want to attract and it’s time to get onboard. They just get to it.

Fitness entrepreneurs are fueled by commercial and financial interests, of course … but the extra resilience and the entrepreneurial mindset they maintain even after becoming a success is fueled by their mission to help people live healthier, happier lives.

That’s what we’re seeing in the Pilates market now. While studios, both established and brand new, are thriving, HVLPs are adding reformer Pilates to their clubs. It’s not just a few; it’s nearly every budget brand you can think of: Planet Fitness, Crunch, Snap, Amped, EōS, LA Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness, VASA—probably more have jumped in by now.

We spoke with three leaders from these brands: Andy Peat, chief product and brand officer for Snap Fitness; Joella Hopkins, EōS Fitness executive vice president of group fitness; and Travis LaBazzo, CEO of Amped Fitness.

What you sense when speaking with these three executives about introducing Pilates into their clubs is boundless enthusiasm, Making a high-risk, expensive investment (commercial reformers are sophisticated, costly items) is igniting their entrepreneurial spirit. They’re years away from working for startups, but they’re excited to embrace the challenge and take the leap.

In our piece on Pilates, you’ll see exactly how these three clubs weighed the opportunity, anticipated costs and challenges, and created a rollout plan, some more ambitious than others. No big deal. Just another day at the office.

Battle Tested—and Loving It

This resilience is baked into the industry, and it faced the ultimate stress test during the pandemic. But underneath the drive to survive tough times, even if it means starting over with a new concept or brand, is passion—and the opportunity to change lives.

In our feature article, “5 Principles for New Fitness Entrepreneurs to Keep in Mind,” Amber Martinez, chief operating officer and partner at JEM Wellness Brands, says: “Consumers aren’t looking for another gym. They’re looking for a partner in their health. People want solutions that fit into their lives, not just a place they visit a few times a week.”

Fitness entrepreneurs are fueled by commercial and financial interests, of course—they want to make a good living, grow their business, and scale it as much as possible—but the extra resilience and the entrepreneurial mindset they maintain even after becoming a success is fueled by their mission to help people live healthier, happier lives.

As the industry moves closer to being accepted as part of the healthcare infrastructure, this goal will become even more meaningful and impact more lives. It’s—as some business guy once said—win-win. Maybe he was on to something.

Contributors

Patricia Amend

Patricia Amend, who holds an M.A. in journalism from New York University, has been a writer, editor, and author for 30+ years. She took up long-distance running, which piqued her interest in healthy lifestyles and the fitness industry. She also specializes in financial health—small business and personal finance.

In addition to writing some 600 articles about the industry—mostly for HFA—Ms. Amend served as Executive Editor of Health & Fitness Business (formerly Club Business International) and Managing Editor of Club Business Europe, and she produced research reports, newsletters, program guides, and marketing materials for HFA.

Other stories have appeared in Club Industry, ACE Fitness Matters, USA Today, Inc. Magazine, Money.com, AARP.org, and AARP The Magazine. One of her books, The 30-Minute Fitness Solution, published by Harvard University Press, received an Award of Excellence from the American Medical Writers Association. She can be reached at patriciaamend2@gmail.com.

Jon Feld

Jon Feld has been writing for four decades. He has a diverse and varied background: editor for Club Industry magazine, publications director at Boston University, director of Content Development at Inc. Magazine, media business owner, and more. One thread has been a near constant for most of his career: He’s been writing for HFA since 1987. He can be contacted at jfeld@oncoremedia.net.

Julie King

Julie King is a freelance writer with more than 30 years of experience in the fitness industry. She’s worked as a content creator, personal trainer, group fitness instructor, fitness director, fitness/wellness coordinator, and health club manager. Since 2002, King has been a contributing writer to Health & Fitness Business. Her work has also appeared in the Journal on Active Aging, Club Solutions, Recreation Management, Campus Recreation, National Fitness Trade Journal, and Fitness Management. Holding a B.S. in journalism and an M.S. in kinesiology, King was a contributing author to The Fitness Handbook, published by Stairmaster Sports/Medical Products. She can be contacted at julie.king1@comcast.net.

Health & Fitness Business is a publication of

Health & Fitness Business (HFB) is the leading health and fitness industry publication. Published monthly by the Health & Fitness Association (HFA) and distributed free to the industry, HFB offers analysis of the opportunities, challenges, issues, and news that impact the industry.

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