Libsyn Directory

LIFTS Episode 45 - L Catterton Investment EGYM/ Solid Core | Alex Alimanestianu

Release Date: 10/13/2024

LIFTS Episode 56 - From Boutique Gyms to Social Sports | 2024 ClassPass Look Back Report with Kinsey Livingston

Escape Your Limits

Welcome to the latest episode of L.I.F.T.S – your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. Today, hosts Matthew Januszek, Co-Founder of Escape Fitness and Mo Iqbal, Founder & CEO of SweatWorks, are joined by Kinsey Livingston, VP of Sales at Mindbody and ClassPass. This LIFTS episode covers: Overview of the ClassPass annual report and its importance in understanding fitness industry trends. The merger between ClassPass and Mindbody, including the acquisition and service integration. Rise of Pilates as the top workout, with an 84% increase over the...

LIFTS Episode 55 - AI in Fitness: The Future is NOW | Lauren Shroyer of ACE Fitness

Escape Your Limits

Welcome to this episode of LIFTS, your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. Today, hosts , Co-Founder of and , Founder & CEO of , are joined by Lauren Shroyer, VP of Product Development and Innovation at ACE (American Council on Exercise), the leading non-profit organisation certifying health coaches and exercise professionals which seeks to get people moving worldwide. This episode focuses on the huge impact that AI is going to have on the fitness industry, and in particular, the frontline fitness professionals. This LIFTS episode covers: ...

LIFTS Episode 54 - Fitness Industry Growth Drivers: GLP-1s, Strength Training and Personalized Healthcare

Escape Your Limits

Welcome to this extended episode of LIFTS, your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. Today, hosts , Co-Founder of and , Founder & CEO of , are joined by Anthony Vennare, the founder of pioneering news aggregator Fitt Insider and Wellworthy to reflect on how predictions made about 2024 played out and to look ahead at the trends and innovations driving the future direction of the fitness and wellness industries. This LIFTS episode covers: A review of 2024 predictions and how they played out. Trends and predictions for fitness brands, tech products and...

LIFTS Episode 53 - Shaping the Industry: Key Themes for 2025 at PerformX Live | Giles Denning

Escape Your Limits

Welcome to the last episode of LIFTS in 2024, your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. Today, hosts , Co-Founder of and , Founder & CEO of , are joined by Giles Denning, Head of Marketing, PerformX. Matthew and Mo are on the advisory board of PerformX Live, an event that is the business of fitness, a powerhouse environment and is taking place at the NEC, Birmingham on 26th & 27th February 2025. The conversation in this episode introduces listeners to the themes that will be discussed on the main stage at the event. Bringing in thought leaders from...

Ep 340 - Digital Marketing Hacks That Drive Community Engagement | Dennis Yu

Escape Your Limits

In this special mid-week podcast, brought to you by Escape Fitness, we delve into the strategies that amplify a gym's digital presence and drive real business results with today’s guest, Dennis Yu, one of the world’s foremost authorities on leveraging digital marketing for success. Here, Dennis shares his decades of expertise, delivering actionable insights on how gyms can build stronger community connections by collecting, curating, and sharing hyper-localized digital content. Whether you’re a gym owner or operator, this conversation is packed with invaluable advice to attract more...

Ep 339 - From Grit to Glory: Rick Valente’s Journey from $400 to Gold’s Gym Icon

Escape Your Limits

On this week’s episode of the Escape Your Limits Podcast, we are joined by Rick Valente, a legendary figure in the bodybuilding and fitness industry, best known as the co-host of ESPN's BodyShaping. Born and raised in Connecticut, Rick discovered his passion for fitness early on, driven by a love for sports, martial arts and a determination to build a bodybuilder’s physique. Leaving behind a challenging upbringing surrounded by drugs, he made the life-changing decision to move to California in the early 1980s and train at the iconic Gold’s Gym. His dedication led him to win Mr. Los...

LIFTS Episode 52 - What Makes Australian Fitness Stand Out? Beyond Activ Unveiled

Escape Your Limits

Welcome to the latest episode of L.I.F.T.S – your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. This special episode was recorded live at Beyond Activ Australia APAC, where host Mohammed Iqbal attended to explore the cutting edge of fitness innovation. Hosts Matthew Januszek, Co-Founder of Escape Fitness and Mohammed Iqbal, Founder & CEO of SweatWorks, are joined by Aleksander Dahlberg- founder of Sahha, Aaron Verasammy- Vice President Sales - North America at ABC Fitness Solutions, and Emmett Williams- MD at Myzone (APAC). In this episode,...

LIFTS Episode 51 - The Future of Boutique Fitness | Kevin Yates

Escape Your Limits

Welcome to this week’s episode of LIFTS, your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. Today, hosts , Co-Founder of and , Founder & CEO of , are joined by , CEO EMEA. With more that 20 years-experience working in the fitness industry there are few individuals on the planet with more experience than Kevin Yates when it comes to building and operating boutique fitness brands. Currently heading up Lift Brands EMEA, which includes icon brands Snap Fitness and 9Round, Kevin also played a huge hand in the growth and success of European boutique brand,...

LIFTS Episode 50 - Sleep Better, Lift Stronger, Live Longer: Diving Deep Into Wellness

Escape Your Limits

Welcome to this week’s episode of LIFTS, a quick snapshot into the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. Today, hosts , Co-Founder of and , Founder & CEO of , get together to discuss recent health and biohacking trends, nutrition and supplements, strength training insights, tech and wellness integrations and emerging fitness trends including the latest from industry innovators Oura, F45, Samsung and Vasa Fitness. In this LIFTS podcast, topics include: Hostage tape; the viral sleeping trend. Repacking your pre/post workout supplements. Tips from Dr. Jim Stoppani on how to...

LIFTS Episode 49 - Sustainability & AI Workouts | The Gym of the Future with Yves Preissler

Escape Your Limits

Welcome to this week’s episode of LIFTS, your bite-size dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. Today, hosts , Co-Founder of and , Founder & CEO of , are joined by Yves Preissler, CEO of YP Fitness Consulting, an expert in turnkey and modular gym design solutions across global fitness, sport, wellness and recovery industries. With 40+ combined years’ experience, Yves and his team of professional consultants have a wealth of global expertise creating high end finishes to create tailor-made concepts that deliver results for investors, developers and business...

More Episodes

On this LIFTS podcast, Escape Fitness CEO, Matthew Januszek and Mo Iqbal, Founder & CEO of SweatWorks are joined by guest, Alex Alimanestianu, a seasoned executive and Angel Investor with significant experience in the fitness and wellness industry. He served for a long time as CEO of Talent Sports International, and in addition to his leadership there, Alex has been an active investor in the fitness technology space.

In this episode, the discussion centred on L Catterton’s recent investments in EGM and [solidcore]. Alimanestianu highlights the importance of early-stage investments in emerging markets and the advantages of being an early player in new concepts. He expressed concerns about the long-term viability of standalone boutique fitness studios, citing low entry barriers and increased competition. The conversation also covered the boom in Pilates and whether it had peaked, along with broader implications for valuation and investment trends in the fitness industry.

Key topics discussed include:

Opportunity vs. challenges in investing in start-ups.
L Catterton investing in Solid Core and EGYM.
Comparison with innovations across other industries.
Advantage of being the first of second player to a concept.
The shifting buying pattern of fitness equipment.
The boom of Pilates, but has it peaked?
Risk of boutiques only offering one modality.
The franchise model in boutiques.

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0:00 Intro

2:55 Alex’s opportunity to invest in Mirror

5:00 Investing in fitness industry start-ups

6:08 Advantage of being ‘the first or second player’ to new concepts

8:45 L Catterton’s investment in EGYM