Episode #610: Navigating Legal Challenges in Fitness-Cory Sterling on Waivers, Compliance, and Scaling Safely
HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness
Release Date: 08/11/2026
Episode #615: Inside Austin Pickle Ranch with Tim Klitch-Growth, Community, and Private Equity in Pickleball
HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness
In this episode, host Pete Moore sits down with Tim Klitch, a former D1 tennis player, "Chief Fun Officer" and co-founder of Austin Pickle Ranch. Pete and Tim talk about everything from how pickleball skyrocketed from a niche sport to a 40-million-player phenomenon, the blend of social energy and accessibility that fuels its growth, and what it really takes to make money in this space. You’ll hear how Austin Pickle Ranch’s beginnings from a rooftop to a 50,000-square-foot facility, the data-driven logic behind scaling courts and optimizing member experience, and why the intersection of...
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Episode #614: Building Sweathouz (SWTHZ)-Nico Varano on Scaling, Unit Economics, and Operational Excellence
HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness
In this episode of HALO Talks, host Pete Moore sits down with Nico Varano, CEO of SWTHZ who initially started as a franchisee and went on to help built the company into a fast-rising player in the contrast therapy and workout recovery space. Nico talks about his fairly unconventional path from finance into to the HALO sector, reveals why focus and simplicity drive SWTHZ's unit economics, and explains how a data-driven approach helps franchisees scale profitably. With over 100 studios and private equity backing, the company is redefining the recovery sector. Listen to learn more about how the...
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Episode #613: SoulFire’s Formula-Blending Brand Identity, Community, and Profitability in Boutique Fitness
HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness
Welcome to HALO Talks! In this episode, we sit down with Kat and Brooke Wyman, the co-founders behind SoulFire Collective Yoga, a rapidly growing boutique fitness concept in the D.C. metro area. What began as a smaller, community-driven studio at Rehoboth Beach in Delaware, quickly blossomed into a thriving brand with locations in Bethesda and Arlington, thanks to a blend of deep-rooted passion for wellness and sharp operational backgrounds . . . Kat from Lululemon and Brooke from the restaurant industry. Kat and Brooke talk about their path from various side-hustles (and doing literal...
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Episode #612: Building Community Through Contrast Therapy-Carrie Bacon’s Vision for 180 Degree Bathhouse
HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness
In this episode, host Pete Moore sits down with Carrie Bacon, a classically trained acupuncturist and co-founder of 180 Degrees Bathhouse in Kansas City. With decades of experience in acupuncture, bodywork, and holistic wellness (sparked by her own journey to recovery) Carrie talks about the intersection of contrast therapy, sauna culture, and acupuncture in building healthier communities. She shares her vision for micro bathhouses as hyper-local hubs combating the epidemic of loneliness and chronic health issues through social wellness, and her perspective on why mainstream medicine is poised...
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Episode #611: Outpatient Innovation-Dr. Munir Ghesani Discusses Theranostics, Expansion, and Clinical Trials
HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness
In this episode, we sit down with Dr. Munir Ghesani, Chief Medical Director at United Theranostics, to explore the cutting edge of personalized cancer treatment and the business of scaling innovative healthcare delivery. Dr. Ghesani discusses his three decades long path in New York’s academic medicine scene to leading a fast-growing outpatient theranostics group, detailing why he left academia, what makes theranostics uniquely effective for patients, and how United Theranostics is building a national footprint through a decentralized, community-based model. We’ll unpack how their...
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HALO Academy Two Minute Financial Drills: The Three Strategic Buyers Circling Independent Operators Right Now
HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness
It's Thursday and that means a 2 Minute Financial Drill! Now that we're slowly creeping into the fall and the pending restart of the HALO Academy in a new format (more on that later) keep an eye out for these. This one is clipped from 's panel with at Piper Sandler at this past ATN Summit in NYC. ● PureGym US, Crunch area developers, and Planet Fitness area developers are the three strategic buyers actively circling independent clubs right now. ● These buyers are contractually obligated, through franchise development milestones, to open in a market whether or not an independent...
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Episode #610: Navigating Legal Challenges in Fitness-Cory Sterling on Waivers, Compliance, and Scaling Safely
HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness
Welcome back to HALO Talks! In today’s episode, host Pete Moore sits down with Cory Sterling, founder of Conscious Counsel, legal advisor, and entrepreneur dedicated to the health, active lifestyle, and outdoor (HALO) sectors. After starting his career in professional sports marketing and feeling uninspired by traditional corporate law, Sterling pivoted to blend his passion for movement and wellness with legal expertise, serving gym owners, studio operators, and wellness entrepreneurs across North America. In this episode, Cory explores the changing landscape of proactive legal strategies,...
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Episode #609: Building a Fitness Empire-Tony Scrimale Talks Growth, PE Strategy, and the Crunch Brand
HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness
Welcome to HALO Talks, where we take deep dives into the minds behind the most dynamic brands in the health, active lifestyle, and outdoors space. In this episode, we're joined by Tony Scrimale, CEO of CR Fitness and a true industry operator whose path took him from upstate New York to the heart of Florida’s gym scene. Starting as a young gym enthusiast, Tony’s grass-roots experience paved the way for an entrepreneurial ride . . . moving from walking the floor early on, to eventually leading a powerhouse Crunch franchise group with over 100 locations. Tony opens up about the value of...
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Episode #608: Dario Miceli-Making Padel Magazine and Championing a New Sport in America
HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness
In this episode, host Pete Moore sits down with Dario Miceli, the passionate founder of Padel Magazine, to explore the explosive growth and unique challenges of padel, one of the world’s fastest-rising racket sports. Dario shares his career path from real estate investor to becoming the unlikely publisher of a global magazine, revealing what makes padel so addictive, how it’s carving its own unconventional path in the U.S., and why the current market still feels like the Wild West. From navigating linguistic debates (is it “padel” or “paddle”?), to the complexities of building...
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Episode #607: Building EoS Fitness-Growth Strategies and Leadership Lessons from CEO, Rich Drengberg
HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness
Welcome to HALO Talks, where host Pete Moore sits down with Rich Drengberg, CEO of EoS Fitness and a seasoned leader in the fitness industry. In a rare podcast appearance, Rich shares his journey from Gold's Gym SoCal to transforming EoS into a powerhouse of high-value, low-price gyms across the Sunbelt. Listeners will get an inside look at EoS's disciplined growth, the importance of industry relationships, lessons from private equity partnerships, and why knowing your brand’s identity is crucial, straight from someone who’s helped steer one of the fastest-growing health club chains in...
info_outlineWelcome back to HALO Talks! In today’s episode, host Pete Moore sits down with Cory Sterling, founder of Conscious Counsel, legal advisor, and entrepreneur dedicated to the health, active lifestyle, and outdoor (HALO) sectors. After starting his career in professional sports marketing and feeling uninspired by traditional corporate law, Sterling pivoted to blend his passion for movement and wellness with legal expertise, serving gym owners, studio operators, and wellness entrepreneurs across North America.
In this episode, Cory explores the changing landscape of proactive legal strategies, the critical importance of customized waivers, and the pitfalls of cutting legal corners, especially in a sector known for its rapid innovation and ever-changing service offerings. From emerging liabilities in fitness centers offering pseudo-medical treatments to the impact of new click-to-cancel regulations and best practices for contract scalability, Sterling delivers actionable insight for operators looking to protect their business and reputation. If you’re building or scaling a business in the HALO sector, you won’t want to miss this conversation!
When it comes to using AI in place of real, boots-on-the-ground legal expertise Sterling says, "ChatGPT is helpful to some extent, but the thing is that AI doesn't have is the history or the experience of having done this very, very specific thing over and over again to understand what sort of problems will come up and to produce a document that, A, you understand, that has the things that you need, and B, proactively goes against the issues that a law practice that's been doing this for 10 years."
Key themes discussed
- Proactive vs. reactive legal strategies for fitness businesses
- Importance of industry-specific, customized legal documents
- Scaling legal services via referrals and word-of-mouth
- Impact of technology and AI on legal processes and pitfalls
- Evolving liability waivers due to new wellness services
- Click-to-cancel laws and compliance challenges
- Structuring agreements for med spas and new offerings
A Few Key Takeaways
1. Proactive Law Is Essential for Scaling and Protecting Your Business: Cory emphasized the critical distinction between “proactive law” and “reactive law.” Investing in legal documents and compliance up front empowers business owners to resolve issues quickly—sometimes with just a single email—rather than scrambling after a crisis hits 05:10.
2. Industry-Specific Legal Agreements Create True Protection: Sterling underscored that generic contracts, including those generated by AI tools like ChatGPT, are not sufficient. Only industry-specific, lawyer-drafted documents ensure full coverage for unique risks in the health, fitness, and wellness sectors. Customized waivers and agreements need to reflect actual operations, activities, and equipment used 19:19.
3. Rapid Industry Evolution Demands Ongoing Legal Updates: The sector’s expansion into new areas, such as hormone therapies, IV drips, contrast therapy, and recovery modalities, means that legal documents must be routinely updated to reflect expanding services and regulatory changes (e.g., ADA requirements now extending to online platforms, click-to-cancel laws).
4. Strong Relationships and Word-of-Mouth Drive Growth: Sterling built Conscious Counsel through deep niche expertise and authentic relationships in the HALO community. He highlighted that word-of-mouth and referrals, backed by stellar client experience and reviews, are the engines of scalable legal services in this space 04:10.
5. Cutting Corners in Legal Can Derail Your Brand and Exit Strategy: For executives with aspirations to scale or exit, Sterling’s advice is clear: legal is not the place to cut corners. “You can pay me now or you can pay me later,” he said, recounting common scenarios where avoidable legal oversights, like hiring misclassifications or poorly drafted waivers, led to major operational and reputational headaches 22:30.
Resources:
- Cory Sterling: https://www.linkedin.com/in/corysterling/
- Conscious Counsel: https://www.consciouscounsel.ca/
- Integrity Square: https://www.integritysq.com
- Prospect Wizard: https://www.theprospectwizard.com
- Promotion Vault: https://www.promotionvault.com
- HigherDose: https://www.higherdose.com