033 Lifestyle Fitness & Technology

For episode 33 we're learning from the CEO of FitCloudConnect, Brad Weber, and exploring the rapid changes of how all size clubs are reaching consumers through "lifestyle fitness" including delivery of programming 24/7 365, through any mobile device.

Looking back on some of our previous interviews with brands like Wexer, MYZONE, and Under Armour, we know that our space is shifting quickly towards meeting millennial's and other demographics at their deepest needs which include tablets, mobile phones, and live streaming fitness experiences.

But the larger question that we're taking an honest look at today is around breakage.

How do some big-box clubs that sell essentially more memberships than they can support, knowing full well that members will drop off after EFT payments have been collected for months, continue to operate in this paradigm?

New technology can help to change this paradigm by adding revenue streams built for the club and so that members can begin to see the facility as the hub, the place where they feel at home, and so does their all their activity data.

In this episode, Brad is sharing with us his expertise around using smart cameras and content strategy, similar to the successful model of Peloton, that many clubs are starting to take a serious look at as the attention spans of members shorten, and the need for digital connection increases.

Brad also gives us some great tips on interoperability, how platforms must come together now more than ever, and why he believes that lifestyle fitness and the devices that support it across all verticals within the industry is now a driving force behind the future of sustainable fitness business operations.

How can technology-focused health clubs use lifestyle fitness to engage members inside and outside the club?

Answers to those questions and much more in this episode with Brad Weber.

About Brad Weber

Brad Weber is the Co-Founder & CEO of FitCloudConnect. He has spent over 15 years in numerous software and SaaS organizations, and has extensive experience in working with all sizes of companies across numerous industries in the U.S. and Canada in researching, designing and deploying enterprise-wide software solutions.

He has been a sought after consultant for many of the world's Fortune 500 companies in areas of enterprise software, and has spent much of his time as a key contributor to building startups in the enterprise and SaaS software industry.

Listen To Episode 033 As Brad Uncovers

• What is Lifestyle Fitness" and how does this relate to the growth in our space
• Understanding connected devices across iOS and Android
• The value of live-streaming content delivered to gym members across all devices
• Creating separate revenue streams for fitness facilities through smart cameras
• Understanding the future of connected fitness: "the gym taken home with the member"
• How to measure what members are "at risk" for cancelling memberships
• Impact: Direct to consumer offerings in the fitness space
• Exploring the interoperability between systems, and the closed systems that stay walled
• Understanding "smart cameras" that will serve the gym members of the future outside the 4 walls
• The paradigm shift: less about competition, more about collaboration in fitness technology

Top 3 Takeaways From The Show

• Brad believes that the "fitness lifestyle" experience that has been offered for so many years in our industry is now going through a massive change. To meet the needs of members who travel, who might be intimidated by coming into the club multiple times per week, or who might be a member solely based on class attendance, the delivery of a gym experience to wherever the consumer is 24/7, represents the next level of lifestyle fitness.

• Smart cameras and connected fitness are now allowing facilities to truly think "outside the box." By using quantifiable measurements of revenue generation that can be implemented and used across the organization (without having to manage that technology) operators are recognizing that a great fitness tech platform is one that does all the heavy lifting for club.

• The reality is that are some people who will never come into a club. With only 16% of the national population having memberships, 84% don't. Brad reminds us that many people who use the excuses of being too busy, embarrassed, or living too far away simply don't have to remain true. With lifestyle fitness being delivered to members 24/7, 365, this new technology is about extending the fitness experience to people who need it most, and is helping to address the breakage aspect of big-box clubs who sell more memberships than they can actually support.

Power Quotes From Brad

"When we looked at the market over two years ago for our strategy, we noticed there was many established players already delivering "celebrity fitness content" into the club. We knew that delivering an in-club experience outside the gym would be an exceptional away for a facility to establish and help build their brand beyond the four walls. We also knew that giving a virtual experience of instructors at the gym through a combination of prerecorded and live streaming experiences would be what members would want." - Brad Weber on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"The great thing about technology is it gives you deep insights on who your users actually are. Now we can start to understand user behaviors where previously a user would walk in and out of the club. Now we can use smart data to understand all the movements of a person on a virtual system and determine where best to put our resources and invest our time." - Brad Weber on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

Resources Mentioned From Brad

• FitCloudConnect on facebook
• FitCloudConnect on Twitter
• FitCloudConnect on Instagram
• FitCloudConnect on LinkedIn
• FitCloudConnect on the web
• FitCloudLite
• Active Aging Population
• Peloton Raises 325 Million Dollars for the live cycling experience
• Millennials + Attention Span
• Geotagging in the fitness industry
• 004 Daniel Waide: (Wexer) Omnipresence With Digital & Virtual Fitness
• 011 CES 2017: Virtual Cycling, Peloton, & Connected Fitness - Tom Cortese
• 015 Dave Wright: (MYZONE) The Current State of Wearables
• 024 Connected Fitness & Beyond - Dan McDonogh, Under Armour
• IHRSA Consumer Reports
• IHRSA
• The 2017 FIT-C Tech Trends Report

Thanks To Our Outstanding Sponsors

• Bryan O'Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus Advisors, and many more. If you are looking for unmatched guidance, capital, insights or a great speaker or facilitator, Bryan and his partners are the go to resource for your organization. To learn more visit bryankorourke.com
• The Fitness Industry Technology Council, your non-profit resource for reliable technology information supported by forward looking brands who are seeking to drive increased technology adoption in the fitness industry. Make a difference and join FIT-C at fittechcouncil.org today
• Check out Bryan and his partner Robert Dyer's recent book "9 Partnership Principles: A Story of Life Lessons" which is available now on Amazon.com