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HALO Talks Fast Break: Navigating Franchise Growth-Greenfields, Acquisitions, and Scaling Fitness Brands with Private Equity

HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness

Release Date: 07/17/2025

Episode #575: Scaling Planet Fitness-Lessons in Execution and Growth from CJ Bouchard show art Episode #575: Scaling Planet Fitness-Lessons in Execution and Growth from CJ Bouchard

HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness

In this episode of HALO Talks, industry veteran CJ Bouchard opens up to host Pete Moore about the realities of entrepreneurship in the fitness industry, sharing candid stories of risk, resilience, and what it really means to build from the ground up. From betting his savings on a fledgling franchise in North Carolina and initially making daily two-hour commutes, to pivoting and learning tough lessons about club size, site selection, and market expansion, CJ reveals how grit, adaptability, and a clear mission have fueled Excel Fitness’s phenomenal growth. Planet Fitness (NYSE:PLNT) is one of...

info_outline Episode #574: Elevate Fitness Evolution-Real Estate, Recovery, and Community Impact With Tom Muller show art Episode #574: Elevate Fitness Evolution-Real Estate, Recovery, and Community Impact With Tom Muller

HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness

In this episode of HALO Talks, host Pete Moore sits down with long-time friend and industry veteran Tom Muller, owner of Elevate Fitness in Syracuse, NY. With roots that stretch back to the Gold's Gym days, Tom shares his journey through decades of shifting trends, club expansions, and the pivotal decision to rebrand and tech-enable his business for the modern member experience. From innovative fitness programming and thriving tennis and swim programs to the impact of major local investments like Micron and Amazon, Tom reveals the strategies that have kept Elevate thriving in a stable,...

info_outline HALO Talks Fast Break: Pickleball Consulting, Court Installs, and Industry Trends With Kaitlin Miller from Court Kings show art HALO Talks Fast Break: Pickleball Consulting, Court Installs, and Industry Trends With Kaitlin Miller from Court Kings

HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness

Excited to share highlights from this week’s HALO Talks FastBreak featuring Kaitlin Miller from Court Kings. A level 5 player herself, Kaitlin and Pete dive deep into the rapid growth of pickleball and how Court Kings innovative court solutions are shaping the industry—especially for health and fitness facilities. 3 key takeaways: Booming Demand: Pickleball courts in NYC (especially at ) are booked solid from open to close—sometimes with waitlists to join! If your facility hasn’t added pickleball yet, now is the time. Turnkey Court Solutions: Court Kings was recently named the...

info_outline Episode #573: How LightStim Revolutionized LED Beds and the Med Spa Industry with Steve Marchese show art Episode #573: How LightStim Revolutionized LED Beds and the Med Spa Industry with Steve Marchese

HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness

Welcome to another episode of HALO Talks! In today’s episode, Integrity Square Founder and host Pete Moore sits down with Steve Marchese, the founder of LightStim, to dig into the transformative power of LED light technology and its growing role in med spas and wellness centers across the country. Steve shares the LightStim origin story, which was born out of a personal mission to help his own son combat dangerously high blood pressure when traditional medicine offered no solutions. What started as a family "Hail Mary" turned into years of rigorous innovation, FDA collaboration,...

info_outline Episode #572: Building Hone Fitness-Jim Solomon’s Urban Strategy and Lessons from Toronto’s Fitness Scene show art Episode #572: Building Hone Fitness-Jim Solomon’s Urban Strategy and Lessons from Toronto’s Fitness Scene

HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness

Welcome to HALO Talks, where we dive into the entrepreneurial journeys and strategic insights shaping the HALO sector! (Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoors.) In this episode, host Pete Moore sits down with longtime friend and industry veteran Jim Solomon, founder of Hone Fitness. Broadcasting on location from Toronto, Jim shares his story of more than 26 years in the fitness space, from his early days as a senior associate at Gold’s Gym to building and selling clubs in Toronto’s unique urban neighborhoods. They talk candidly about the “puzzle” that is site selection in metropolitan...

info_outline Episode #571: Why Personalized Men’s Health Is the Future-Insights from MNLY's Founder, Luke Hartelust show art Episode #571: Why Personalized Men’s Health Is the Future-Insights from MNLY's Founder, Luke Hartelust

HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness

Welcome to another episode of HALO Talks! Today, host Pete Moore sits down with Luke Hartelust--a dynamic entrepreneur and now the founder of MNLY--who made the leap from the oil and gas rigs off the coast of Australia to California’s innovative health tech scene. Luke shares his journey from the grueling world of offshore drilling to launching and scaling fitness businesses, including his instrumental role in bringing F45 Training to Southern California.  The conversation dives deep into his latest venture, a groundbreaking men’s health platform that uses AI, cutting-edge blood...

info_outline Episode #570: Lessons from Three Decades in Fitness-Rick Dennis’s Approach to Member Experience and Club Operations show art Episode #570: Lessons from Three Decades in Fitness-Rick Dennis’s Approach to Member Experience and Club Operations

HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness

Welcome to HALO Talks! In today’s episode, host Pete Moore sits down with Rick Dennis, Co-Founder of Bakersfield’s Body Xchange and a definite "OG" in the HALO sector. With over 30 years of experience—including a storied career at Family Fitness, 24 Hour Fitness, and launching successful clubs with longtime partner John Ovanessian—Rick shares insights on evolving gym models, member experience, and responding to changing trends. Rick and Pete chat about how Body Xchange became a place “where everybody trains,” adapting to the post-COVID demand for more strength training, flexible...

info_outline Episode #569: Essence Over Analytics: Duff McDonald Explores Purpose, Presence, and People in Entrepreneurship show art Episode #569: Essence Over Analytics: Duff McDonald Explores Purpose, Presence, and People in Entrepreneurship

HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness

Welcome to another episode of HALO Talks! Today, host Pete Moore sits down with Duff McDonald, former investment banker and well known business journalist, for a fantastic chat. Duff, whose career has spanned investment banking, business journalism, and bestselling books like “The Golden Passport” and “Tickled,” shares insights on how numbers and data have come to dominate our understanding of business and life—but why they often fail to capture what really matters. In this episode, you’ll hear Duff break down the difference between “experts” and “specialists,” challenge...

info_outline Episode #568: Scaling Physician's Choice From Startup to $250M-Logan Chierotti on Smart Growth and Supplements show art Episode #568: Scaling Physician's Choice From Startup to $250M-Logan Chierotti on Smart Growth and Supplements

HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness

On this episode of HALO Talks, host Pete Moore sits down with Logan Chierotti, founder of Physician’s Choice supplements, to dig into the in's and out's of building a high-growth company in the HALO space. Logan discusses his journey from working in digital marketing to launching what is now the top probiotic brand on Amazon, with annual revenues approaching $250 million. He opens up about the importance of focusing on value and science-backed products, the challenges of navigating both e-com and retail distribution, and the lessons learned in building a top-tier executive team. Whether...

info_outline Episode #567: The Shift to Turnkey Fitness Tech: Spren’s Evolution in a Demanding Market with Jason Moore show art Episode #567: The Shift to Turnkey Fitness Tech: Spren’s Evolution in a Demanding Market with Jason Moore

HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness

In today’s episode, host Pete Moore sits down with returning guest Jason Moore, CEO and founder of Spren (formerly Elite HRV.) Jason shares the journey of his company’s cutting-edge technology, which transforms any smartphone into an advanced biomarker and body composition analysis tool. With over a million users and thousands of coaches trained, Spren’s platform is accelerating how gyms, coaches, and fitness enthusiasts track results and stay motivated. Pete and Jason dive into the evolution of Spren’s technology, lessons learned from the pandemic, and how partnerships with industry...

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In today's Fast Break we're excited to bring you (a snippet) of our panel discussion at the recent Athletech Innovators Summit held in NYC, July 2025. Integrity Square Founder and HALO Talks host Pete Moore moderated a panel with Mark Federico (CEO of Fitness Holdings/Crunch Fitness) and Terry Blachek (Orange Theory Fitness) for a deep dive into the real-world challenges—and strategies—of scaling fitness franchises.

Mark Federico’s Growth Playbook

  • Mark walked us through his journey, from running a nine-club independent brand to leading a 50+ club Crunch Fitness operation across 10 states.
  • He shed light on the big question: Build new locations (greenfields) or buy existing ones (acquisitions)? He shared the calculus behind each approach, breaking down real cost factors and explaining why “development space” is critical for franchisees.

Franchise Valuation—Not All Clubs Are Created Equal

  • Many single-gym owners want “big company” multiples, but Mark explained why scale, growth runway, and strategic value make a huge difference in valuation.
  • Pro tip: Buying a single club isn’t the same as absorbing a whole region. If you want premium pricing, bring growth potential to the table.

Financing Franchise Expansion

  • Terry opened up about the risks and strategies he used to finance Orange Theory locations, including SBA loans, finding investor partners, and personally guaranteeing leases.
  • They discussed what it really takes to stand behind a business—sometimes with tens of millions in personal guarantees—long before private equity gets involved.

The Realities (and Rewards) of Entrepreneurship

  • Both guests emphasized the massive personal and financial risks entrepreneurs take to build these fitness empires. Pete made an important point: These risks deserve respect and reward, not scorn.

Bonus Insight: The "Microwave vs. Crockpot" Growth Model

  • Terry shared Orange Theory’s approach to expansion, balancing rapid growth with careful, sustainable development. If you're a franchisor or area developer, this is a must-hear perspective.

Want to learn more? (You should. Otherwise you're playing checkers while the rest of the industry plays chess.) 

Give us 10 hours of your time at the next HALO Academy starting Sept 8, 2025. Register at https://www.thehaloacademy.com now for $495 and earn a $100 gift card from our friends at Promotion Vault.  Testimonials at https://www.thehaloacademy.com/testimonials 

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