Mastering Content Production & Other Key Strategies With Bogdan Predusca

This week, on the Fitness + Technology podcast, host Bryan O'Rourke welcomes founders Ben Brand & Chris Windram of Quoox to the show. Ben has over 25-years as a facility owner & trainer, and Chris has over 25-years experience in architecting leading cloud-based CRM and business management systems. Ben and Chris have consolidated their expertise to develop a product that would meet the needs of training gym and studio owners both for now and the future. Quoox is designed to meet the needs of the modern training gym/studio, delivering a single, cohesive platform upon which facility owners can effectively and efficiently run their fitness businesses. Quoox is built upon the bedrock of using technology to deliver the very best in customer service and quality of product to members and to provide facility owners with effective tools and workflows where they can efficiently & profitably operate their business, all in one place. Today, Bryan, Ben, & Chris discuss the challenges in software technology adoption for business models in the brick and mortar space. One Powerful Quote: 8:11: "When we talk about collaboration, I think the first hurdle we need to overcome with this amongst operators, we see this nationally, is there is a fear mindset, very much, and they need to get the abundance mindset. They need to getaway from this scarcity. There is enough for everyone, and it's only through working together that the strength and collaboration is going to drive the industry forward on a professional level as well. They need to look beyond themselves and their localized communities I think." 4-10 Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed: 3:37: Bryan opens the show by asking Ben & Chris about what collaboration means to them amongst operators. 7:05: Bryan asks Ben & Chris about fitness accreditations and the gap in the marketplace for operators to provide this. 9:47: Ben & Chris share their insights in member experience and inclusion from the clients they serve. 13:49: Ben & Chris articulate on Bryan's commentary on the pain points and fear across the industry space. 16:03: Ben & Chris talk about ease in the method of payment systems and how the industry will become a hybrid model. 18:48: Bryan, Ben, & Chris discuss the danger in not providing frictionless user experiences to the ecosystem. 22:10: Bryan asks Ben & Chris to explore misnomer "all in one" solutions for executing automation and personalization. 29:24: Ben & Chris delve into legacy system issues for larger players in the space. 34:34: Bryan wraps up the show by asking Ben & Chris to share their final pearls of wisdom to the listeners. Bullet List of Resources: https://quoox.com Guest Contact Information: https://www.facebook.com/ben.brand.71 https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-brand/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-windram/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/ http://www.fittechcouncil.org/ https://www.youtube.com/user/bko61163

17 Juni 202137min

This week, on the Fitness + Technology podcast, host Bryan O'Rourke welcomes colleague and newest FITC member Annie Fältman to the show. Annie is the owner of 360 Träningscenter in Sweden. Within the last year, technology has always played an important role in their clubs with memberships, onboarding, and stay connected through the member journey. They recently joined FIT-C to get the inspiration they need to keep staying relevant and to be part of a great network of best practice. Today, Annie joins Bryan to discuss all things related to inventful solutions, retention, and the customer journey. One Powerful Quote: 6:20: "The challenge has been to be very inventful in many ways…you're forced to invent something to make it work there and then. And there's no room for thinking about it, and trying it, and testing it. And you just push it out there." 4-10 Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed: 4:30: Bryan opens the show by asking Annie on her background and how 360 Träningscenter was formed. 6:53: Bryan inquires with Annie about her most inventful solution at 360 Träningscenter. 8:12: Annie describes when 360 Träningscenter deployed their app to measure retention and support their business model. 9:44: Bryan and Annie discuss customer experience and NPS as an ongoing engagement strategy. 11:40: Bryan and Annie discuss Sweden as an early adopter of technology. They touch on SMS marketing and other touchpoints that have helped their customer journey. 15:31: Annie talks about other technology adoptions, membership base, and creative design at 360 Träningscenter. 18:21: As Bryan wraps up the show, Annie shares her final insights to the listeners. Bullet List of Resources: https://www.360tc.se Guest Contact Information: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annie-fältman-4196b4a6/ https://twitter.com/AnnieFaltman https://www.facebook.com/AnnieFaltman https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/ http://www.fittechcouncil.org/ https://www.youtube.com/user/bko61163

9 Juni 202121min

This week, on the Fitness + Technology podcast, host Bryan O'Rourke welcomes Nick Hahn to the show. Nick is the VP of Product for ASF Payment Solutions and Club OS. ASF Payment Solutions is a technology company that provides software, complete payment solutions, and customer support to the fitness industry. By offering integrated software services, as well as flexible payment options, ASF gives clients the ability to generate more revenue through member engagement and grow their business. ASF and Club OS have recently joined FIT-C as part of a commitment to delivering on the needs of the fitness industry and developing products that will help their clients be more successful. Today, Nick joins Bryan in a great conversation on healthcare and the parallels on data, marketing, and automation. One Powerful Quote: 15:50: "You need technology that's going to show you the relevant comparisons, not just the random, agnostic comparisons." 4-10 Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed: 3:42: Bryan opens the show by asking Nick to opine on the realm of digitization and the trends on healthcare and technology. 4:40: Bryan and Nick openly discuss the conflict in owning consumer data by vendors. 7:05: Bryan inquires with Nick about the interoperability and data standards in the healthcare industry. 9:04: Bryan and Nick talk about why there has not been greater disruption and open standards for best in breed service in healthcare service. 10:33: Nick explains how his platform can benefit operators in regards to data-driven decision making. 12:46: Bryan and Nick discuss why operators should focus on objective data and contextual information. 16:31: Nick shares his thoughts on automation. 18:41: Nick delves into scaleability and quality control of technology that can automate and centralize efforts to drive consistency. 20:42: Nick articulates on the greatest opportunities and barriers in the industry with combining utilization and engagement with analytics. 23:02: Bryan wraps up the show by asking Nick his final thoughts. Bullet List of Resources: https://www.asfpaymentsolutions.com Guest Contact Information: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-hahn/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/ http://www.fittechcouncil.org/ https://www.youtube.com/user/bko61163

8 Maj 202125min

This week, on the Fitness + Technology podcast, host Bryan O'Rourke welcomes Mike Kelly to the show. Mike is the Director of Distribution Partnerships at Atmosphere TV. Atmosphere is a streaming TV service for businesses that offers original, audio-optional TV channels that fill the void for businesses in a world dominated by linear cable TV. With Atmosphere TV, businesses can run their own marketing promotions and house ads by utilizing a simple digital signage feature and keep the content fresh with custom playlists. Today, Mike joins Bryan in a fascinating discussion around distributing content as a point of differentiation for brand experience. If you would like to learn more, visit their website at: https://atmosphere.tv. For those interested in signing up with Atmosphere TV, use code: FITTECH to have your setup fee waived. For more information on the IHRSA 2021 Convention, visit their website at: http://hub.ihrsa.org/ihrsa-2021-request One Powerful Quote: 11:52: "You want to show that when people come back, they're not walking into what they left and that's super important." 4-10 Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed: 4:12: Bryan opens the show by asking Mike to describe his perspective on what's happening around content for user experience and why Atmosphere TV helps create the best possible customer experience. 6:30: Bryan and Mike talk about the abundant application of screen content that is building on brand experience as a point of differentiation. Mike delves into what kind of content Atmosphere TV has distributed. 9:20: Mike further discusses Atmosphere's digital signage feature that integrates with their content for businesses as a revenue stream with partnered vendors. 11:50: Bryan inquires with Mike on the implications of innovating in the post-COVID era. 16:18: Mike explains Atmosphere's business model and how they work with partners. Bullet List of Resources: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeaustinkelly/ https://atmosphere.tv Guest Contact Information: mike.kelly@atmosphere.tv https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeaustinkelly/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/ http://www.fittechcouncil.org/ https://www.youtube.com/user/bko61163

29 Apr 202118min

This week, on the Fitness + Technology podcast, host Bryan O'Rourke welcomes back Tom Johnston to the show. Tom is currently the CEO of TJ Coaching & Consulting which helps leaders align business strategy with people strategy to build high performance teams, increase employee engagement, and grow revenue. Today, Tom joins Bryan in a conversation around human capital and aligning organizational leadership with people's strategy. One Powerful Quote: 8:09: "Even the term leader is probably becoming one of the most overused business nomenclature terms today." 4-10 Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed: 5:28: Bryan opens the show by asking Tom what he is seeing in the realm of organizational leadership and culture today. 8:09: Bryan and Tom discuss the notion of leadership and what it means to be in command. 11:30: Bryan inquires with Tom about hard skills in legacy organizations and the heightened problem of job protection. 13:49: Bryan and Tom talk about the inefficiency of human resources and how culture breeds strategy. 18:38: Tom articulates on managing the workforce and burnout. 22:32: Tom describes implementing technology as tools to help guide leadership to make strategic decisions. Bryan argues with Tom on why this isn't the case. 36:31: Tom gives his final advice for listeners on enhancing culture and organization by having a people's strategy. Bullet List of Resources: https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomassjohnston/ https://tjcoaching.com Guest Contact Information: tom@tjcoaching.com https://www.facebook.com/tom.johnston.33886 https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomassjohnston/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/ http://www.fittechcouncil.org/ https://www.youtube.com/user/bko61163

17 Apr 202140min

This week, on the Fitness + Technology podcast, host Bryan O'Rourke welcomes Ian Mullane to the show. Ian is the Chairman and CEO of KeepMe AI, an AI-powered sales and marketing CRM platform for the fitness industry. Today, Bryan and Ian discuss the latest publication, The Fitness Future: Rules of Engagement as overarching trends reshape the way modern consumers approach to health and fitness, along with six essential rules that operators must abide by to not only survive, but thrive, in the fitness future. If you are interested in downloading a copy, you can do so here: https://www.keepme.ai/blog/six-essential-rules-for-operators-in-new-white-paper-the-fitness-future-rules-of-engagement/ One Powerful Quote: 6:49: "I'm not suggesting that the increase in digital aspect or the arrival of the digital players is detrimental for our market or likely to decrease it. I think that there're going to increase the opportunity because they're going to bring the concept to fitness to cohorts of the industry we couldn't possibly reach." 4-10 Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed: 4:12: Ian articulates accepting a new type of reality for the fitness industry space. 5:41: Ian explains the differentiation between the terms "hybrid" and "ecosystem". 6:38: Bryan and Ian discuss controlling the ecosystem, and Ian highlights why he believes this consolidation will be an opportunity. 7:23: Bryan and Ian discuss the fundamental changes from digitization and how similar transformation occurred in the music industry. 9:59: Ian talks about why gyms are no longer the main source for consumer wellness. 11:11: Bryan and Ian discuss how will operators compete in the ecosystem and their role in the business model that fits. 14:40: Ian shares why operators should wise up on the competitive landscape and recognize the proliferation of advanced technologies. 16:23: Bryan and Ian talk about shifting the mindset of operators to anticipate the customer journey ahead. 19:38: Ian gives some examples of providing an automated digital experience that complements the right human touch points. 22:47: Bryan inquires with Ian on the market's reception to their publication. Bullet List of Resources: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianmullane/ https://www.keepme.ai https://www.keepme.ai/blog/six-essential-rules-for-operators-in-new-white-paper-the-fitness-future-rules-of-engagement/ Guest Contact Information: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianmullane/ https://twitter.com/ianmullane https://www.bryankorourke.com/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/ http://www.fittechcouncil.org/ https://www.youtube.com/user/bko61163

10 Mars 202127min

This week, on the Fitness + Technology podcast, host Bryan O'Rourke welcomes Paul Bowman to the show. Paul is the CEO of Wexer, which combines leading content and technology to make world-class exercise accessible to more people by providing a convenient and non-intimidating way to exercise. Today, Bryan and Paul discuss interesting subjects that are quite to germane to what is happening today. One Powerful Quote: 32:02: "You have to own your own platform… listen to the members, and listen to the data." 4-10 Bullet Points (w/ Timestamps) - Highlighting Key Topics Discussed: 2:26: Bryan opens the show and welcomes Paul to the podcast. 4:54: Bryan asks Paul about dispersion and what he thinks about brands extending their digital presence. 8:09: Bryan and Paul discuss the bigger challenges of adoption and execution of digital technology as a function of culture and mindset. 14:23: Paul articulates on Bryan's thoughts around why brands feel their digital content strategy has to be perfect. 19:17: Bryan and Paul discuss the nature of the content and why context to the interface is so important to the user experience. 23:59: Bryan inquires with Paul on how Wexer operates on the edge of the legacy players. 27:26: Paul surmises a few key points on what he believes will happen to suppliers as platforms become the center of the consumer space. 31:50: Bryan wraps up the show, and Paul shares his final words of wisdom to the listeners. Bullet List of Resources: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pbowman/ https://wexer.com Guest Contact Information: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pbowman/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/ http://www.fittechcouncil.org/ https://www.youtube.com/user/bko61163

27 Feb 202135min

This week, on the Fitness + Technology podcast, host Bryan O'Rourke welcomes Natalia Karbasova to the show. Natalia is the founder of the FitTech Summit, the leading conference in Europe devoted to fitness technology, wellbeing, and active lifestyle attracting many high-ranking industry executives, investors, and startups. Today, Bryan and Natalia discuss cutting edge technology that she is involved in and what's to come from these emerging platforms. One Powerful Quote: 30:03: "I believe this is now is the good time for it to understand where your assets are as a club for example or as a personal trainer of course as well and to understand how you can create a hybrid business models because just going to the digital space is super difficult. The willingness to be there is not as high or sometimes non-existent on this level, so I think the clubs have just to understand what the unique selling proposition is." 4-10 Bullet Points (w/ Timestamps) - Highlighting Key Topics Discussed: 4:10: Bryan asks Natalia about trends involving technology and what she finds most interesting in longevity. 8:54: Natalia shares her thoughts on embedded technology and why the internet of behaviors is indicative of a dystopian society. Bryan and Natalia further discuss monopolized competition, government regulation, and industries as an "arena". 15:43: Bryan inquires with Natalia if she believes augmented and virtual reality are the next big, competing platforms. 19:07: Natalia talks about gamification. 24:53: Natalia delves into cyborg technology in the sports and fitness space. 28:56: As Bryan wraps up the show, Natalia gives advice to listeners in how they should manage these emerging technologies. Bullet List of Resources: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karbasova/ https://fittechsummit.com https://techcrunch.com/2020/01/06/samsungs-gems-exoskeleton-is-now-an-immersive-workout-experience/ Guest Contact Information: https://www.linkedin.com/in/karbasova/ https://twitter.com/karbasa https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/ http://www.fittechcouncil.org/ https://www.youtube.com/user/bko61163

5 Feb 202133min