In this episode of the Fitness + Technology Podcast, Bryan O’Rourke shares his webinar with Hilary McGuckin and Sarah Harris from Keepme.ai as they explore how the modern fitness sales funnel is evolving—and what that means for fitness operators, marketers, and tech providers alike. In their conversations, they unpack:

• The biggest challenges fitness businesses face today with consumer acquisition and retention.
• Surprising insights from Keepme’s latest research on changing consumer behaviors.
• How AI, personalization, and automation can reshape the funnel.
• Real-world success stories and future-proof strategies you can apply now.

Whether you’re a gym owner, supplier, or fit tech innovator, this discussion is packed with insights to help you stay ahead in a fast-changing landscape.

To view the slideshow, visit: https://www.slideshare.net/slideshow/the-sales-funnel-consumer-behaviors-challenges-opportunities/278835947

One Powerful Quote:

6:56: “Humanize and futurize simultaneously.”

4-10 Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:

4:21: Bryan opens the webinar with Hilary and Sarah discussing the landscape.

7:38: Sarah and Hilary discuss the key challenges, opportunities, and pain points a part of the modern sales journey.

11:28: Sarah and Hilary share their findings on changing consumer behaviors.

16:09: Sarah and Hilary speak on the top of the sales funnel as a result of changing consumer behaviors.

19:47: Sarah and Hilary speak on technology and automation for successful future-proof strategy. Bryan gives his feedback.

25:23: Sarah and Hilary talk about real-world success stories.

28:05: Bryan inquires with Sarah and Hilary on the gap in adoption between competitors.

30:39: Bryan asks Sarah and Hilary on their future predictions.

38:01: Sarah and Hilary respond to the key friction point to operations adopting these tools.

40:35: Sarah and Hilary respond to first engagement with a new client.

42:56: The three answer a question on community based and hyper-localized marketing assets for individual locations.

Bullet List of Resources:

https://www.keepme.ai/

Guest Contact Information:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hmcguckin/

https://x.com/McguckinHi67189

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahharris33/

https://www.bryankorourke.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/

http://www.fittechcouncil.org/

https://www.youtube.com/user/bko61163

In this episode of the Fitness + Technology Podcast, host Bryan O’Rourke welcomes back Garrett Marshall, a distinguished leader with over 22 years of experience driving growth in the wellness industry. Garrett’s expertise spans strategy and innovation, executive leadership, business development, strategic partnerships, and technological product development. He has notably served as CEO of Fitness On Demand and President of Xponential Fitness. Today, he is the Founder and Chief Growth Officer of Wellbuilt Ventures, helping clients scale revenue through data-driven strategies, and serves as an advisor to Vi, assisting leading health organizations in maximizing member health outcomes and financial returns. In this conversation, Garrett shares insights from his career, discusses his latest business ventures, and offers his perspective on emerging trends shaping the future of fitness and wellness.

One Powerful Quote:

30:01: “If you want to continue to be able to deliver as a best in class provider of fitness, you need to be able to at least have exposure to these other things that are hyper relevant to their overall health.”

4-10 Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:

3:48: Bryan and Garrett talk about discerning great ideas and execution with technology.

12:41: Bryan and Garrett discuss how to successfully augment business product with a service.

25:24: Bryan asks Garrett about the most appealing wellness categories.

31:56: Garrett shares his pearls of wisdom to the listeners.

Bullet List of Resources:

https://www.wellbuilt.ventures/

https://www.vi.co

http://www.TheCompoundHQ.com

https://www.xponential.com/

Guest Contact Information:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrettmarshall/

https://www.bryankorourke.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/

http://www.fittechcouncil.org/

https://www.youtube.com/user/bko61163

In this episode of the Fitness + Technology podcast, Bryan O’Rourke joins an exclusive panel live from FIBO to explore the future of the fitness industry through the lens of technology, innovation, and digital transformation.

Featuring global industry leaders:

• Bryan K. O'Rourke – President, Fitness Industry Technology Council | Chairman, Vedere Ventures | CEO, Core Health & Fitness
• Hugo Braam – CEO & Co-Founder, Virtuagym
• Magdalena Szwed – Product Director, Benefit Systems Oddział Fitness
• Henrik Gockel – Founder, Prime Time Fitness GmbH

Moderated by Hans Muench, FITC International Ambassador, this dynamic discussion dives into the trends and technologies shaping the next generation of fitness—from AI-powered personalization and connected ecosystems to evolving business models and digital wellness strategies.

One Powerful Quote:

34:03: “When you do, even though you don’t understand, it forces you to understand and learn.”

4-10 Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:

2:09: Hugo speaks on the evolving demands of an increasingly tech-driven fitness landscape.

6:18: Henrik speaks on high quality, member-centric fitness experiences and how technology enhances gym operations without losing the premium, personal touch.

10:08: Bryan speaks on AI-driven platforms collecting vast amounts of user data and how the industry will manage innovation with ethical considerations and data privacy concerns.

15:14: Magdalena speaks on traditional gym operators adapting to the rise of hybrid fitness models.

18:30: Hugo speaks on how AI-driven insights and predictive analytics can help gyms improve member retention and experience.

24:41: The panel speaks on operators balancing automation and human interaction to retain their brand identity.

31:21: Bryan speaks on coming together to create a stronger, more inclusive industry.

35:11: Magdalena speaks on call to action challenges fitness and wellness leaders need to embrace with technology and innovation.

36:52: Henrik and Bryan speak on the industry working together to create a more connected and seamless user experience.

41:59: Hugo speaks on AI and fitness tech better serving corporate wellness initiatives to boost employee health and productivity.

45:13: Henrik, Bryan, and Magdalena address an audience question on tackling the motivation challenges faced by gym members, emphasizing the strategic role of technology in driving engagement and consistency.

Bullet List of Resources:

https://www.benefitsystems.pl/en

https://primetime-fitness.de/

https://virtuagym.com/

https://www.fibo.com/

Guest Contact Information:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-muench-653346a/

https://x.com/Lazarusmunich

https://www.hans-muench.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/magdalena-szwed-5504469a/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/henrik-gockel-6b234069/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hugobraam/

https://x.com/hugobraam

https://www.bryankorourke.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/

http://www.fittechcouncil.org/

https://www.youtube.com/user/bko61163

This week on the Fitness + Technology podcast, host Bryan O’Rourke welcomes Marco Benitez to the show. Marco is the CEO & Founder of ROOK, a wearable API that transforms health data and empowers apps and software with actionable insights. ROOK easily processes and embeds data from hundreds of wearables with single integration and shares access to deeper understanding and more actionable insights that allows users to make more informed decisions, find better solutions, and drive innovation. Today, Marco joins Bryan to talk about his business, data usage, and the implications on our industry.

One Powerful Quote:

15:36: “The alignment between healthcare and fitness is the new name of wellness. Wellness is prevention.”

4-10 Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:

2:50: Bryan asks Marco about his background and his business, ROOK.

10:34: Bryan inquires with Marco about unifying data standards as the biggest opportunity and challenge for health.

13:46: Bryan and Marco talk about the delivery system of healthcare and benefitting from data collection.

19:58: Bryan and Marco talk about ROOK.

22:25: Marco shares his pearls of wisdom to the listeners.

Bullet List of Resources:

https://www.tryrook.io/

https://beyondactiv.com/

Guest Contact Information:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcobzg/

https://www.bryankorourke.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/

http://www.fittechcouncil.org/

https://www.youtube.com/user/bko61163

This week on the Fitness + Technology podcast, host Bryan O’Rourke welcomes Mike Arce to the show. Mike is the CEO & Founder of Loud Rumor, which helps fitness studios dramatically increase membership by improving their marketing strategies through consulting. Today, Mike joins Bryan to talk about his business, lead generation marketing, implemented technology, and other implications around fitness operations.

One Powerful Quote:

34:57: “If you gamble, you’re just playing off feeling, but if you play the game, you do the right moves, and you live with the results.”

4-10 Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:

3:11: Bryan opens the show with Mike talking about his work experience.

7:31: Bryan and Mike talk about technology tools, changes in business development, and defining successful marketing.

30:37: Mike shares his thoughts on understanding contextual data for your business.

Bullet List of Resources:

https://www.loudrumor.com/

Guest Contact Information:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikearcelive/

https://x.com/MikeArceLive

https://www.bryankorourke.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/

http://www.fittechcouncil.org/

https://www.youtube.com/user/bko61163

This week on the Fitness + Technology podcast, host Bryan O’Rourke welcomes back Hans Muench to the show. As the Director of International Development at FIT-C, he leads the council's efforts to grow the fitness industry, improve fitness user experience, and mature the collection of real-time wellness data through the creation of interoperability standards for technology-based fitness devices. With over 35 years of experience in the health and fitness sector, Hans has a deep understanding of the global trends, challenges, and opportunities in this dynamic and evolving industry. Today, Hans joins Bryan to talk about the industry’s upcoming events, European fitness trends, and using AI tools for presenting truthful information.

One Powerful Quote:

14:36: “Truth is much more difficult to present than fact and information in general because so much of it is junk.”

4-10 Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:

3:00: Bryan and Hans talk about upcoming industry events happening.

6:48: Hans shares his observations on European fitness trends. Bryan comments on the top operators marrying technology integration with super talent.

9:00: Hans shares an example on tech integration best serving customers, and Bryan gives his thoughts.

11:33: Bryan inquires with Hans about Google’s NotebookLM and other AI tools.

14:25: Bryan and Hans talk about using information networks to discern truth.

Bullet List of Resources:

https://hub.healthandfitness.org/hfa-show

https://www.fibo.com

https://www.europeactive.eu/ehff

https://fitchandfameetup.rsvpify.com

https://notebooklm.google/

Guest Contact Information:

https://www.hans-muench.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/hans-muench-653346a/

https://x.com/Lazarusmunich

https://www.bryankorourke.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/

http://www.fittechcouncil.org/

https://www.youtube.com/user/bko61163

This week on the Fitness + Technology podcast, host Bryan O’Rourke welcomes Ian Mullane to the show. Ian is the Founder & CEO of Keepme, an AI-powered sales and marketing CRM platform for the fitness industry. Launched in April 2019, Keepme has customers globally and assists hundreds of clubs with member acquisition and retention. Today, Ian joins Bryan to discuss AI tech adoption, his business, and operational insights across the industry.

One Powerful Quote:

26:43: “Every unique idea only becomes executed because of the team that surrounds you.”

4-10 Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:

3:00: Bryan and Ian talk about tech adoption barriers across the industry.

8:21: Ian highlights key misunderstandings about AI.

15:52: Bryan inquires about Keepme’s integration with their customers.

18:18: Bryan asks Ian about Keepme’s unique value proposition.

21:54: Ian further talks about Keepme’s interface and communication for potential prospects.

26:26: Ian shares his pearls of wisdom to the listeners.

Bullet List of Resources:

https://www.keepme.ai/

Guest Contact Information:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianmullane/

https://x.com/ianmullane

https://www.bryankorourke.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/

http://www.fittechcouncil.org/

https://www.youtube.com/user/bko61163

This week on the Fitness + Technology podcast, host Bryan O’Rourke welcomes Doug Miller to the show. With extensive experience as an industry advisor, including his role with IHRSA’s European Council, Doug brings valuable insights into the evolving fitness landscape. As the owner of Virtual Road Show, an innovative app providing transformational education to fitness professionals worldwide, he shares his perspective on industry trends and the future of fitness. Today, Doug joins Bryan to discuss his business, industry developments, and the impact of technology on fitness education.

One Powerful Quote:

27:38: "I think we run a chance of relying a little bit too much on everything artificial, and we lose the humanity of being a club.”

4-10 Bullet Points (w/ timestamps) - Highlighting key topics discussed:

4:20: Bryan opens the show by asking Doug about the early days of IHRSA and the European fitness industry.

18:12: Bryan and Doug discuss the competition in the European fitness market.

24:47: Doug shares his perspectives on how technology has changed in the European fitness market.

29:39: Doug talks about his business, Virtual Road Show.

39:18: Doug imparts his final pearls of wisdom to the listeners.

Bullet List of Resources:

https://www.salesmakers.com/

https://www.healthandfitness.org

Guest Contact Information:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/salesmakers/

https://x.com/salesmakers

https://www.facebook.com/salesmakers

https://www.bryankorourke.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/bryankorourke/

http://www.fittechcouncil.org/

https://www.youtube.com/user/bko61163