James Hurlock (Fitura Brands Founder & CEO) on Scaling Padel and Pilates Franchises

James Hurlock went from professional rugby to founding Fitura Brands, the multi-concept franchise platform behind Padel SWT, Core Precinct, and ContrasTheory. He explains why he's betting on three categories at once, and why he's deliberately taking the slow, expensive route to franchising.

James Hurlock is the Founder and CEO of Fitura Brands, a Utah-based wellness holding company that launched in 2026 at a $20 million pre-money valuation. Before founding Fitura, Hurlock served as founding CEO of FS8, Chief Partnerships Officer at F45 Training, and Chief Brand Officer at The Picklr, where he helped grow the indoor pickleball franchise to roughly 70 locations across the US and abroad. In this conversation, he breaks down Fitura's three concepts, Padel SWT (big-box indoor padel), Core Precinct (hybrid reformer Pilates), and ContrasTheory (guided contrast recovery), and shares why Fitura spent 12 months building infrastructure before selling a single franchise.

James Hurlock, Founder and CEO of Fitura Brands, previously held leadership roles at F45 Training, FS8, and The Picklr, and played professional rugby for Northampton Saints Academy and London Saracens before captaining England Schoolboys.

Thanks to Our Sponsors
EGYM: Connecting smart strength equipment across the fitness floor with personalized, AI-powered training experiences: engage.egym.com
Perfect Gym: A leading fitness club management platform, part of Sport Alliance, now expanding across the U.S. market: PerfectGym