In this episode of The Future of Fitness, Eric sits down with Krissy Van to uncover the diverse world of fitness content creation. Krissy shares her journey from television to the fitness industry, highlighting a shift from competition to collaboration and the importance of tackling public scrutiny. Together, they address misinformation and fitness's critical role in healthcare today. Key topics include mental health integration, ethical questions surrounding GLP-1 drugs, and bridging generational perspectives in the industry. With insights into authentic influencer marketing and effective use of LinkedIn for meaningful connections, this conversation promotes a supportive, inclusive, and evolving fitness ecosystem.
Links:
Connect with Krissy: https://www.instagram.com/vanninvancity/
[00:00:02] Hey everybody, welcome to the Future of Fitness, a top rated fitness industry podcast for over 40 years and running.
[00:00:09] I'm your host, Eric Malzone, and I have the absolute pleasure of talking to entrepreneurs, executives, thought leaders, and cutting edge technology experts within the extremely fast paced industries of fitness, wellness, and health sciences.
[00:00:23] Please stop by futureoffitness.co to subscribe and get our interviews with summaries delivered straight to your inbox.
[00:00:29] You'll also find our free industry report on artificial intelligence.
[00:00:34] Five industry experts, five different opinions, and tons of valuable insights for free at futureoffitness.co.
[00:00:42] Thanks for listening and on to the show.
[00:00:48] Hey friends, Eric Malzone here.
[00:00:50] I've had the honor of interviewing over 750 professionals across the fitness, health, and wellness industries.
[00:00:57] There's one thing I know for sure.
[00:00:58] Without a doubt, there is a tremendous opportunity to leverage a highly valuable and relatively untapped network of independent podcasters and content creators.
[00:01:07] Traditional advertising isn't what it used to be.
[00:01:10] Costs are high.
[00:01:11] Consumer trust is low.
[00:01:13] I've seen the results firsthand and can assure you there's a much better way to connect with your target audience and emerge as a thought leader in our industry.
[00:01:20] That's exactly why I've launched a podcast collective, the ultimate solution designed to empower executives, founders, and thought leaders in the fitness, health, and wellness sectors.
[00:01:30] Our mission?
[00:01:31] To help you leverage the extraordinary opportunities within our handpicked network of independent podcasts.
[00:01:36] We don't just place you on podcasts.
[00:01:38] We make you unforgettable.
[00:01:41] One-on-one coaching ensures that you show up the right message for the right audience with confidence and swagger.
[00:01:46] We create eye-popping digital assets and social media overhauls to ensure that you are optimizing each and every appearance.
[00:01:54] Key introductions to strategic partners and potential enterprise clients provide unparalleled value that only a professional network like ours can offer.
[00:02:02] We work with a very limited number of clients to ensure the highest level of service, so please don't hesitate to reach out and learn more.
[00:02:09] Go to podcastcollective.io to learn more and contact me directly.
[00:02:14] That's podcastcollective.io.
[00:02:19] All right, we are live.
[00:02:21] Christy Vann, welcome to the Future of Fitness.
[00:02:23] Thank you so much for having me, Eric.
[00:02:25] It's a pleasure.
[00:02:26] I love kind of connecting with and supporting the ecosystem of content that we have within the industry.
[00:02:34] And I think it's really important.
[00:02:35] I think there's a lot of really, really great talent creating content within our industry.
[00:02:40] It's hard to kind of break through and get into the mainstream.
[00:02:46] But I've been following what you've been doing for a while.
[00:02:48] I know it's, you know, you're still emerging within the industry, you know, two years of content creation, but steady.
[00:02:56] Like you've created an impressive amount of content, Christy.
[00:03:00] Don't sleep.
[00:03:00] No.
[00:03:01] Yeah.
[00:03:02] But like to your point, Eric, I agree so much on, and it's like this in so many different industries as well, and even the fitness industry as a whole, how collaborative that itself has become versus competitive a couple of years ago.
[00:03:15] And I think the same in the content creation space.
[00:03:18] At the end of the day, there's important messages that are trying to be elevated in this industry.
[00:03:22] And the more voices that we have tackling that and providing platforms to do so, I think even better.
[00:03:28] And I know you do because Podcast Collective is what you brought to life.
[00:03:32] So thank you for that.
[00:03:33] Yeah.
[00:03:33] Yeah.
[00:03:34] Yeah.
[00:03:34] Yeah.
[00:03:34] My pleasure.
[00:03:35] Yeah.
[00:03:35] It's been an interesting, I mean, I talk about like competition, how I've addressed it in the past.
[00:03:41] Like when you first talked to me as an early gym owner, especially because I was a CrossFit gym owner, everybody was competition.
[00:03:47] I was out for blood, right?
[00:03:49] Like I would like, whatever, like I would, and then I kind of matured and it actually is quite tiresome to have that mindset.
[00:03:55] I think it's exhausting.
[00:03:56] And then, so I think it may be, you know, as I've just matured into my mid late forties here, I'm like, you know what?
[00:04:02] Like everybody can be a partner.
[00:04:03] You can collaborate with everybody.
[00:04:05] Life's much more fun and enjoyable to do it that way.
[00:04:07] So, uh, yeah, it's, it's, uh, it's really, really excellent point.
[00:04:11] You know, to your point on that shared interests, right?
[00:04:14] Yeah.
[00:04:14] At the end of the day, it's like, why would you want to be against sides where you're clearly passionate about the exact same things?
[00:04:21] Yeah.
[00:04:21] And I think if you look at the gym owner, um, example really well, and you know, so I was a CrossFit guy and you know, there's CrossFit popping up everywhere at that timeframe, but you can, if you actually support each other, like it would have been so much easier and better and more effective if I had a mindset of like, well, you know, let's get together for like a quarterly event.
[00:04:40] Right.
[00:04:40] Maybe we all kind of pick a specialty that we can refer to.
[00:04:44] Right.
[00:04:44] And like a lot of things like that, it would have risen, you know, the tide for everybody in a much more effective way, versus like.
[00:04:50] Like people talking smack about another gym, which is, you know, very CrossFit-y, especially in the early days.
[00:04:55] But I think, you know, it's just, there, there's a mindset there.
[00:04:57] And, uh, I, I've read a book, um, oh, it's gonna, it's gonna come to me in about five minutes, but about collaboration, why it's just a better way to live your life.
[00:05:08] And I think that's something to me is like, I just don't need that extra stress or extra let mine, that, that space it takes up in your mind is just not productive.
[00:05:17] So, um, yeah, there's a healthy percentage to have that competitive mindset because it's a motivator for you and keeps you going.
[00:05:24] But I don't think it should be the ruler of making things happen.
[00:05:28] Yeah.
[00:05:28] Amen.
[00:05:29] Um, let's get into your background, Christy.
[00:05:31] It's interesting, uh, you know, how you kind of got into this.
[00:05:34] So yeah, if you don't mind, give us kind of your, your origin story.
[00:05:38] Um, I love to learn more about it from what I know at a high level.
[00:05:41] Yeah.
[00:05:42] I mean, me sitting in front of a microphone is not too much of a surprise.
[00:05:46] I was the kid that would create their mixtapes, but also DJ on their mixtapes.
[00:05:51] So it was like pause and play.
[00:05:53] And I was going to narrate in between without questions.
[00:05:55] So my most likely to in high school was to be a reporter on CNN at the time.
[00:06:00] I had a really one track career path and I knew that I wanted to get into the broadcasting field.
[00:06:06] If you reverse talking about competition 10, 15 years ago, breaking into that space, really
[00:06:13] exceptionally competitive, especially in Canadian media.
[00:06:17] We have three conglomerates that you could work for.
[00:06:19] So I just started banging down doors and applying every four months in creative ways.
[00:06:24] When you're very green, starting in an industry, you get a lot of nose to start off because
[00:06:29] you just don't have that behind you.
[00:06:31] But eventually someone gave me a chance.
[00:06:33] So I spent about the last decade working in live television in a couple of capacities.
[00:06:39] The most exercise I was doing on the job was chasing storms.
[00:06:42] I worked for the Weather Network.
[00:06:44] So for the U.S. listeners, the Weather Channel, the kind of those people that are out there
[00:06:49] saying don't go outside while you're outside getting pelted by all the things.
[00:06:53] And then eventually transitioned into being a video journalist, which is what allowed me to
[00:06:58] move from the East Coast to the West Coast of Canada.
[00:07:00] So I'm based in Vancouver, B.C. now.
[00:07:03] And from there, I started on morning show television.
[00:07:06] And to me, that kind of set the stage a little bit for this transition.
[00:07:11] I was working in branded sponsored content.
[00:07:14] So it was the first time in a news wheel that they were selling advertising organically
[00:07:19] within news programming.
[00:07:21] So there would be for sure because church and state, you really have to balance that in
[00:07:26] a newsroom.
[00:07:27] However, it would be highly disclosed.
[00:07:30] But I would basically take clients that wanted to translate their brand messaging, figure out
[00:07:35] a way editorially to make that sound as smooth and organic as possible.
[00:07:39] And we'd make live TV together.
[00:07:41] I did that for five years.
[00:07:42] And it was through that we started doing Fitness Fridays.
[00:07:46] And my background and my personal life on that side, I did bodybuilding competitions at the
[00:07:51] bikini level merely because I love a good challenge.
[00:07:54] And I loved the gym.
[00:07:55] And I was like, the gym is my sport.
[00:07:58] And I was terrible at sports in my life.
[00:08:01] I collected participation ribbons like a champ.
[00:08:04] So I was like, finally, I've found something that I'm not absolutely atrocious at.
[00:08:09] And so it was a great way to channel that energy.
[00:08:11] But through Fitness Fridays is essentially how I met Chris Smith, who's the CEO of Fitness
[00:08:16] World Canada.
[00:08:17] And so it was interesting because my media career was my dream.
[00:08:22] I worked hard.
[00:08:23] I had a lot of success.
[00:08:24] A typical day at the office could be skydiving out of an airplane or getting in a plane to
[00:08:30] take in the Aurora lights.
[00:08:32] Like I've had a lot of unique experiences because of that job.
[00:08:36] And it was no ordinary day at the office.
[00:08:39] But post pandemic and even going through it, I mean, I understand this is an industry that's
[00:08:45] like, don't mention the P word because we saw how devastating it was for so many.
[00:08:49] But someone in my position quite literally was walking through picketers that were telling
[00:08:54] you to die because of what you did for a living and saying, you're a paid actor.
[00:09:00] And to me, I was like, where's my paid actor paycheck?
[00:09:02] If that was true.
[00:09:05] But it just really shifted the energy in the space because you can imagine reporting on all
[00:09:11] of that all the time.
[00:09:13] I really think how we ingest a mental diet has a profound impact on our overall well-being.
[00:09:20] And I was ingesting all this negativity and so was the whole newsroom.
[00:09:24] And so eventually I was like, this doesn't quite align anymore.
[00:09:28] What do I do with that?
[00:09:30] This is my dream that I worked so hard for and have constantly had to hustle.
[00:09:36] What's next?
[00:09:38] And that's where it organically happened, where Chris Smith entered the equation and basically
[00:09:43] presented me this idea.
[00:09:45] And I had been looking lightly for about a year and a half of what my transition was going
[00:09:50] to be.
[00:09:51] And I was like, that, that is something that I can walk in every day and have a ton of integrity
[00:09:57] and stand behind.
[00:09:58] And then the entire industry blew me away from there.
[00:10:01] Yeah.
[00:10:02] Can we back up on one of those things?
[00:10:04] So you, you mentioned the picket lines and people talking about the pandemic.
[00:10:07] Is that, um, is that because they, they thought that you were, uh, just intentionally giving
[00:10:14] misinformation that it was like some big charade?
[00:10:18] Exactly.
[00:10:19] I mean, we know that the entire experience was highly politicized and fair.
[00:10:23] Everyone was operating in fear.
[00:10:25] Whatever side of the coin or equation you fell on, you have people whose livelihoods we know
[00:10:31] and this industry especially had been threatened.
[00:10:34] There are people that lost everything and collectively on the internet, they had platforms to unite.
[00:10:40] And I, I don't want to fault or really like put myself on either side of the equation either.
[00:10:47] But what I don't think is okay is having groups of people like it.
[00:10:53] I, I had to be escorted in with security sometimes and having your, right?
[00:10:58] It is very wild.
[00:10:59] And I'm like, at no point, it was like humanity lost their minds a little bit.
[00:11:03] And when you're at the receiving end of that, and also on social media too, my DMs would be filled
[00:11:08] just basically saying you are a horrible person because of who you get your paycheck from.
[00:11:13] Um, it takes its toll no matter how you feel about the situation.
[00:11:18] Yeah.
[00:11:18] The whole world lost its mind.
[00:11:20] We, we really did.
[00:11:21] Yeah.
[00:11:22] You know what?
[00:11:22] Why, but when that wouldn't have happened, if gyms were open and people could have got a workout in.
[00:11:27] I agree.
[00:11:27] Yeah.
[00:11:28] Yeah.
[00:11:29] Yes.
[00:11:30] Yes.
[00:11:30] Um, okay.
[00:11:31] So, uh, you met Chris and he kind of, uh, presented some thoughts, some ideas, some concepts,
[00:11:38] like walk us through that.
[00:11:39] Like what's, what was the original vision for, for what you guys are doing all things fitness
[00:11:43] and wellness?
[00:11:44] The amazing thing about Chris Smith is he is someone who will plant a seed and then actually
[00:11:52] not really give you many bumpers within that seed to run with.
[00:11:55] So he knew what my skillset was and was just kind of like high level idea off you go.
[00:12:02] And so I quit my career.
[00:12:04] And then I remember distinctly the first three weeks kind of entering the space being like,
[00:12:10] well, now what do I do here?
[00:12:12] So I just started ingesting as much as I could.
[00:12:15] Obviously I have a journalistic background.
[00:12:17] I have a passion for storytelling.
[00:12:19] And so it was really starting to dig my heels in of what is this industry all about and where
[00:12:24] are the stories to tell?
[00:12:26] And for me, the personal motivator to even make the switch in the first place was because
[00:12:32] of what we saw happen over those last couple of years, because as much as we just joked
[00:12:36] and laughed, there is a huge disconnect in the population.
[00:12:41] And it's terrifying.
[00:12:42] We talk about the statistics all the time over how many people do not move their bodies.
[00:12:48] And I grew up with a very ill parent and saw somebody whose body never was able to work
[00:12:56] to its capacity and witnessing individuals completely negate what they could be doing for themselves
[00:13:05] and preventing for themselves in the long term and the ripple effect of how that impacts
[00:13:10] families when there's illness and families.
[00:13:12] I was just kind of like, no.
[00:13:13] If we can amplify an industry that at the time, if you even reverse two years ago, was very
[00:13:18] much in recovery.
[00:13:19] I want to use my talents and skill sets to do that.
[00:13:22] So it really was about propelling that exercise's medicine mantra.
[00:13:27] And from there, it's just kind of unfolded into these different subsets.
[00:13:31] Because for me, I love people's stories.
[00:13:33] I'm like, why are you even here?
[00:13:35] Why do you do what you do?
[00:13:36] So getting to sit down with these incredible brains and minds and what threw me the most
[00:13:41] that I did not expect, because in my career, I've interviewed a ton of C-suite
[00:13:45] executives, especially in branded content.
[00:13:47] And you can tell, I mean, paychecks are big.
[00:13:51] And for a lot of them, the title and the paychecks, what matters.
[00:13:55] Whereas in the fitness industry, I am astounded every time how rooted these people are to their
[00:14:03] whys, even still at the top of the success pillar.
[00:14:07] And like, I don't know if I can swear, but I'm like, they actually give a shit.
[00:14:11] Yeah.
[00:14:13] And you go like I covered the fly in last time on Capitol Hill and they do the morning
[00:14:18] workout on Capitol Hill.
[00:14:19] These people aren't just showing up for a photo op.
[00:14:22] They're talking about competition.
[00:14:24] They're crushing the goal.
[00:14:25] And they're also all goading on each other kind of thing to push harder and harder because
[00:14:29] it's a pillar that they practice in their lives.
[00:14:31] So creating an ecosystem to celebrate all of that, that was kind of the big vision.
[00:14:37] And then, you know, you have these little spider webs that start to filter off in a creative
[00:14:41] endeavor from there.
[00:14:42] Yeah.
[00:14:43] Yeah, it is interesting.
[00:14:44] I, uh, I've been in this industry now for 17 years and there's many times I've been like,
[00:14:49] you know, that's it.
[00:14:50] I'm done.
[00:14:51] I'm moving on.
[00:14:52] You know, I'm going to go do something where I can probably make a lot more money.
[00:14:54] Uh, but I'm here and I think a lot of it is the, the people in the community, you know,
[00:15:01] kind of starting off more in like the coaching community and having, um, spent a lot of time
[00:15:04] with people who are very purpose-driven, very, um, you know, uh, dedicated to their craft,
[00:15:10] right.
[00:15:11] In the, in the world of coaching and training and being a practitioner and then kind of,
[00:15:14] you know, evolving more into the, um, I guess the, uh, executives and talking to more,
[00:15:21] it hasn't changed a whole lot.
[00:15:23] You know, it hasn't changed or just, you know, the paychecks do increase and people,
[00:15:27] you know, have different problems, but, um, it's been, uh, it, it's true.
[00:15:31] And it doesn't even take me to step out to, to realize how, how fun it is.
[00:15:37] I talk about golfing last night with a bunch of friends and they asked me what I do and,
[00:15:40] um, new friends obviously.
[00:15:43] And, uh, you know, tell them in the fitness industry and, you know, I, sometimes I'm like,
[00:15:47] yeah, you know, I, I just like the people.
[00:15:49] Yes.
[00:15:49] I really do.
[00:15:50] I just like the people.
[00:15:51] It's not that complicated.
[00:15:52] I like the people that, when I go to a conference or a workshop or something like that, I generally
[00:15:57] like the people and I don't, you know, in the industries I was in before that, I can't really
[00:16:00] say I enjoyed everyone's company.
[00:16:03] Um, but for the most part I do.
[00:16:04] And I think that's pretty special.
[00:16:06] Yeah.
[00:16:06] I agree with that so much.
[00:16:07] And even for myself, obviously when you're starting something like this, it's fair to say, I didn't
[00:16:13] grow up in this industry.
[00:16:14] I've also, I always been, I mean, fitness has been a pillar of my life in tremendous fashion.
[00:16:21] However, when you are new to an industry, you're kind of like, how will I be received?
[00:16:26] Do I, do I have a place here?
[00:16:28] And the more events that I went to every single time, people more than willing to share, more
[00:16:35] than willing to be welcoming.
[00:16:36] It's, it's like fitness people just get it because we know what it does for us.
[00:16:43] And I think that's where it's really easy to see barriers come down much faster and build
[00:16:48] rapport with people compared to other times where I think walls are up for a lot of individuals.
[00:16:54] Yeah.
[00:16:55] Yeah.
[00:16:55] Well, awesome.
[00:16:56] Now that we've given ourselves a collective pat on the back, uh, we're awesome.
[00:17:00] Way to go people.
[00:17:02] Uh, tell me like, what was it, what's the mission?
[00:17:04] Like when you look at all things, fitness and wellness, uh, what you're doing, like you
[00:17:08] have a little bit of consumer based content.
[00:17:10] You have some content that's, you know, obviously deep industry stuff.
[00:17:13] Um, so what is like, who are you guys looking to serve?
[00:17:16] What's the value you want to bring to the, to the industry?
[00:17:19] Definitely leaning into the B2B side, the consumer driven content is really because certain
[00:17:25] social platforms.
[00:17:26] I don't, I noticed that executives aren't hanging out necessarily on Instagram all day or scrolling
[00:17:33] through YouTube shorts.
[00:17:35] Let's face it.
[00:17:36] Lives are busy.
[00:17:37] That's not where, I mean, we preach it all the time when you can talk about distractions
[00:17:41] in life.
[00:17:42] That's not where they're hanging out.
[00:17:44] However, I do think it's important to build content in those spaces.
[00:17:47] And I kind of view that consumer driven content as the bridge because we hear it often, the
[00:17:54] sins of the fitness industry's past, right?
[00:17:57] So from the consumer side, wasn't that many years ago, I'm a child of growing up in the
[00:18:02] nineties, diet culture, get shredded.
[00:18:05] There was a lot of shaming for individuals to even walk in the door in the first place.
[00:18:10] Like when we talk about that 80% that's not walking in the door, I think a lot of those
[00:18:14] people kind of grew up and ingested that the gym space was not for them.
[00:18:18] And what I've noticed entering the space, obviously, is this tremendous shift of messaging,
[00:18:24] mental health, social health, physical health, that whole preventative healthcare trifecta
[00:18:29] coming together.
[00:18:30] So when it comes to the consumer content that I generate, I really feel like it's building
[00:18:35] the bridge of what's actually taking place in the industry and helping deliver that to
[00:18:40] the consumer, kind of this offshoot amplification of this is what we're all about.
[00:18:46] For the B2B content, I really, the mission itself in the weekly podcast that I do is getting
[00:18:53] to the heart of the industry.
[00:18:54] When you talk about something that you notice when you enter a new industry, it is quite
[00:18:59] male dominated.
[00:19:01] I like the fact that I'm a woman in the podcast space.
[00:19:04] And I think that we can just have a different approach and kind of add that feminine energy
[00:19:08] to the conversation.
[00:19:10] And then what we've really been working on building out, because at the end of the day,
[00:19:14] I'm not having a whole conversation about SaaS with an individual.
[00:19:17] There's people that do that already.
[00:19:19] What I really have been focusing on is building out these quarterly panels and making those very
[00:19:25] niche down when we do them.
[00:19:27] So, so far we have our fitness finance quarterly panel.
[00:19:32] Mark Mastroff's joined us on those on several occasions.
[00:19:35] We're doing market fit now to have the more marketing focus.
[00:19:39] So kind of building those out so that those are available, because at the end of the day,
[00:19:42] it is B2B and people do want the information of how to grow and what are the latest trends.
[00:19:47] So it's been a really fun adventure because learning an industry in real time and then getting
[00:19:53] to connect with these incredible minds and idea makers, what an adventure.
[00:19:59] Yeah.
[00:19:59] Yeah.
[00:20:00] Is there, yeah, of the interviews, how many like interviews have you done so far in the
[00:20:06] last two years?
[00:20:07] Definitely over a hundred.
[00:20:09] Yeah.
[00:20:09] Nice clip.
[00:20:10] Okay.
[00:20:11] Yeah.
[00:20:13] Is there any standout that were surprising to you?
[00:20:15] Maybe caught you off guard in a good way or a bad way?
[00:20:18] I mean, yeah.
[00:20:19] Anything that stands out?
[00:20:21] I mean, the biggest thing, and I know we kind of chatted about this before we even dove
[00:20:26] in here, but my entry into this field was kind of just as the GLP-1 conversation was emerging.
[00:20:35] And I really disagreed with the whole idea at first.
[00:20:42] Not from the obesity perspective, to be very clear, because I do think, well, not even I
[00:20:47] think, we know this is a groundbreaking opportunity for individuals to have tremendous change in
[00:20:54] their lives.
[00:20:54] It's effective.
[00:20:55] It's getting more people in the gym doors.
[00:20:58] But where I had the issue, as I know, once you see all these jillions of celebrity endorsements,
[00:21:04] I was like, cool.
[00:21:05] So this is going to be a vanity industry.
[00:21:07] And I don't know how I feel about somebody going this route to lose 10 or 15 pounds before
[00:21:12] their daughter's wedding.
[00:21:14] And so I'll loop into the interviews that have impacted me in a moment, but I feel like
[00:21:18] I should back up why I had this stance.
[00:21:21] And really, it's kind of why this industry was important to me.
[00:21:24] My dad was a type 1 diabetic.
[00:21:26] He had it since he was the age of 2.
[00:21:28] To a lot of people hearing that, you hear diabetes, eh, no big deal.
[00:21:32] People think it's manageable.
[00:21:33] There's insulin.
[00:21:34] You live your life.
[00:21:35] At the end of the day, there's very real complications that can happen for diabetics.
[00:21:40] And my dad was an individual that unfortunately, if you were to list what could potentially happen
[00:21:45] to you, we lived it all.
[00:21:47] Kidney failure, heart attacks, stroke.
[00:21:50] To put it in perspective, I'm not a religious person now, but I grew up Catholic.
[00:21:54] There is a sacrament called the last rites.
[00:21:56] Basically, you get absolved of your sins.
[00:21:58] It's only done at the end of your life.
[00:22:00] My dad had his last rites read 21 times.
[00:22:04] Oof.
[00:22:05] Yes.
[00:22:06] So that was a rocky ride.
[00:22:09] He passed when I was 17.
[00:22:11] And I think I started to understand, once I was taking my own health and wellness into my hands,
[00:22:16] you hear about type 2 diabetes.
[00:22:18] And you understand that this is a preventable illness.
[00:22:24] Really.
[00:22:25] It's a lifestyle for a lot of individuals.
[00:22:28] And that's where the fitness industry side, where I was like, I can really get behind this message,
[00:22:33] is because of the fact that we're preventing chronic disease largely.
[00:22:38] And one that I've seen somebody have to deal with the worst of it.
[00:22:41] It's like diabetes is not something to just shrug off as something that we can treat with insulin in the world as well.
[00:22:47] So GLP-1s, we know originally, type 2 diabetes is why it was put together.
[00:22:53] And then we find out weight loss is a side effect.
[00:22:55] Everybody wants to be on it.
[00:22:56] And I had this kind of gross feeling about it because I was like, it's not for you.
[00:23:01] And also, like, I just hated the idea as a whole.
[00:23:05] And so I've interviewed several individuals.
[00:23:09] Dr. Michael Hoskins was the one quite recently where the conversation, A, he was so, like, heartfelt on the matter,
[00:23:17] but so passionate about the education piece.
[00:23:19] And you connected me with Eric Durack.
[00:23:22] His episode just went up.
[00:23:23] And it was that same thing of driving home that there actually couldn't be a better industry to be aligned with this.
[00:23:30] Because at the end of the day, these weight loss journeys are a huge lifestyle shift for these individuals.
[00:23:37] Adherence is a problem.
[00:23:39] We are the destinations that really can solve a lot of the issues that are coming up with the utilization of these.
[00:23:46] And at the end of the day, we can't fight.
[00:23:48] It's where it's going.
[00:23:49] So I think that's what surprised me most was having guests on the podcast to talk about it
[00:23:55] that actually completely shifted my perspective from being really against it to championing the fact that I think we couldn't be a better destination to do it.
[00:24:04] I don't love it because I'm just kind of like, I'm never going to be team pharma, no matter how you slice it.
[00:24:10] But I was like, if this is something that's going to exist in our ecosystem, hearing people's very valid reasons why it matters and why we should be the place.
[00:24:20] It's I mean, that's kind of the beauty of conversation, right?
[00:24:24] You can come in with two opposing opinions.
[00:24:26] And if you take the time and space to allow people to share their perspective and you allow your own brain to be malleable and not fixed, it can really turn how you feel about something.
[00:24:38] Or you may keep your stance.
[00:24:39] Absolutely.
[00:24:40] Which there's certain pillars of it.
[00:24:41] I definitely do.
[00:24:42] But yeah, that was kind of one that surprised me because based on my background.
[00:24:47] Hey, friends, this episode of The Future of Fitness is proudly brought to you by TeamUp.
[00:24:52] Since launching in 2012, they've consistently had one mission.
[00:24:55] Again, facilitate the best customer experiences with the most cutting edge solution for franchises, studios, gyms, and boxes.
[00:25:04] At its core, TeamUp is a tech solution for businesses looking to unlock their next phase of growth with the most reliable partner in technology on the market.
[00:25:14] Spanning over 4,000 clients in 40 plus countries, TeamUp has a vast global network with its roots right here in North America.
[00:25:22] Whether it's AI, new features, new partnerships, and new markets, TeamUp's sites are set on raising the bar of the industry to enable their customers to perform and operate at the highest level locally, nationally, and overseas.
[00:25:36] Powered by the most reliable APIs on the market, you can deliver premium customer experiences and scale your fitness enterprise with the strongest technological infrastructure our industry has to offer.
[00:25:48] Empower your staff.
[00:25:50] Engage your members.
[00:25:51] And unlock your next chapter of growth with software design for you.
[00:25:55] Learn more at GoTeamUp.com.
[00:25:57] That is G-O-T-E-A-M-U-P.com.
[00:26:06] As these conversations were happening, I was kind of like, oh, try me.
[00:26:09] I really think this is a bit gross.
[00:26:11] Yeah.
[00:26:12] Yeah.
[00:26:13] It's a tough one to get 100% behind or 100% against.
[00:26:18] It just is.
[00:26:20] And I've talked about this on, like you.
[00:26:22] I've talked about it on numerous podcasts.
[00:26:24] I've gone on other podcasts to give my insights and my thoughts.
[00:26:27] I've been fairly bullish about it from the beginning just because, but then it bothered me.
[00:26:32] I'm like, why?
[00:26:33] I'm like, something's wrong.
[00:26:34] And then it's just, it boiled down so simply.
[00:26:36] I was like, the thing that's bothering me is that we are now taking an industry that got paid massive amount of money to make us fat and sick, the food industry.
[00:26:48] But now we're shifting that, which was completely unnecessary.
[00:26:52] Right?
[00:26:52] And now we're shifting boatloads of money to the pharma industry to fix the problem that never should have existed in the first place.
[00:26:59] And like, that's fundamentally what irks me so much about it.
[00:27:02] And I want to fight it.
[00:27:04] Like, I want to fight it with everything.
[00:27:05] I want to be like, no, we shouldn't allow this to happen.
[00:27:07] We can do this naturally.
[00:27:08] Like, I think that's where a lot of people, maybe they, whether they know it or not, in the industry who, you know, are saying, no, we got to do it the old fashioned way.
[00:27:16] And they're resisting.
[00:27:16] You hear that a lot.
[00:27:18] I think in their hearts, that's what they're thinking.
[00:27:21] That's what they're, they just can't quite say it.
[00:27:24] Right?
[00:27:24] No, I agree.
[00:27:26] And just to your point about the food industry, I've said this a couple times, but I thought it was so funny because I always look at the press wires.
[00:27:32] What's the latest coming down the pipe?
[00:27:34] And it was like, Nestle hopped on board so fast to create their GLP-1 food line.
[00:27:39] I was just kind of like, oh, there it is.
[00:27:41] There it is.
[00:27:42] I mean, there it is.
[00:27:43] There it is.
[00:27:44] There's already supplements being made.
[00:27:46] I mean, there's going to be like, you know, the shovels and, is the shovels and picks?
[00:27:50] Picks and axes?
[00:27:51] Whatever it is.
[00:27:53] I'm like, forks and pitchfork.
[00:27:54] You know, we're doing this early.
[00:27:56] Coffee hasn't quite percolated through this.
[00:27:58] Yeah, yeah.
[00:27:58] People know what I mean.
[00:28:00] Right?
[00:28:00] Just the secondary market that will be created around GLP-1 is going to be tremendous.
[00:28:04] Um, and there's no reason that the fitness and wellness industry can't be that because you're
[00:28:09] right.
[00:28:09] I mean, if there's anybody more perfectly, uh, you know, positioned to help people fight
[00:28:14] muscle loss, nutrition, you know, makes things sustainable with habits, like all this stuff,
[00:28:19] like we have, we have the perfect package for that.
[00:28:21] And I think people who have that knee jerk reaction up front, the old school fitness are
[00:28:25] like, no, no, you got to do it the hard way.
[00:28:26] There's no shortcuts.
[00:28:27] There's no magic pills.
[00:28:28] We're like, no, but there's a magic injection now.
[00:28:32] Yeah, exactly.
[00:28:33] Kind of works.
[00:28:34] And it's shocking.
[00:28:35] To your point as well, I think the approach the industry is taking, I mean, obviously we've
[00:28:40] seen the leaders enter the space, Miura, Equinox kind of dabble their toes.
[00:28:45] But when you reverse it back and see how they did it, they made sure that they had really
[00:28:50] strong players from the medical side to be like, how do we do this right?
[00:28:55] And there's bravery in the choice to do so.
[00:28:57] And obviously they have the capital to invest in and create this blueprint, but it's going
[00:29:03] to be really fascinating because I feel like all these minds are coming together to your
[00:29:07] point on collaboration at the beginning to actually not fuck this up.
[00:29:13] Because I think we realize there's a lot of responsibility in entering this space and
[00:29:19] it is so new and it is shifting all the time and there is new research all the time.
[00:29:23] And I feel as though everyone's kind of coming together to idea share from the medical community,
[00:29:30] from even on the psychological side.
[00:29:33] And so it's going to be really fascinating because as we say, I don't think there's a
[00:29:38] better industry to actually walk alongside this journey.
[00:29:41] And even the conversation with Eric yesterday where it's like, yeah, the medical community
[00:29:45] referring out to the fitness industry makes it.
[00:29:49] I mean, it made sense so many years ago too.
[00:29:51] I'm just kind of like, how is it 2024 and we're just getting here?
[00:29:54] Come on.
[00:29:55] Yeah.
[00:29:56] I mean, we've been talking about the integration of healthcare, fitness into healthcare for
[00:30:00] a long time.
[00:30:01] It's just, we haven't had the mechanisms.
[00:30:02] We haven't had the mutual respect amongst the professionals.
[00:30:05] We haven't had the right language to share.
[00:30:07] There's been a lot of obstacles to it, which are not by any means insurmountable.
[00:30:12] It just takes like the right, I guess, initiative.
[00:30:16] And this could be it.
[00:30:17] This could be that thing that bridges it.
[00:30:18] And I think we're just starting to see, in full disclosure, like I bought stock in Eli
[00:30:22] Lilly almost right away.
[00:30:23] As one should.
[00:30:24] You know?
[00:30:25] And I'm like, I don't know.
[00:30:27] Sure.
[00:30:28] But like, I think we're just getting started.
[00:30:30] Like there's a lot of research that seems to be coming out about its effects on addiction,
[00:30:35] right?
[00:30:35] And a lot of other things that GLP ones could address.
[00:30:38] Yeah.
[00:30:38] So I think as we refine it, hopefully in the right way.
[00:30:41] And, you know, people say it's, well, it's unnatural.
[00:30:43] It's not, we should be doing things the right way, but quote, quote, the right way.
[00:30:46] Well, it's like, you know, nothing we have in life right now is really natural.
[00:30:49] Like I spend the majority of my time in a 10 by 10 foot box.
[00:30:54] That's not natural.
[00:30:56] Right.
[00:30:56] And then.
[00:30:56] I'm in a room with foam padding.
[00:30:58] Yeah.
[00:30:59] Right.
[00:30:59] Natural lighting, which great lighting.
[00:31:01] I'm like, I'm taking notes.
[00:31:02] I'm like, wow, her background's really cool.
[00:31:04] Um, but I think that's the other thing is like, we don't live in a natural world.
[00:31:07] We don't need natural food.
[00:31:08] We don't move naturally.
[00:31:09] So it's like, you know, sometimes maybe we have to combat that with a little bit of technology
[00:31:12] if we're going to, you know, make this thing work.
[00:31:15] So yeah, really, really exciting time.
[00:31:17] I'm glad you met with Derok too.
[00:31:18] He's been doing this for, he's devoted his life for over 30 years to, to medical fitness.
[00:31:23] And there's a lot of people out there who are finally getting some shine after, you know,
[00:31:27] the work they're doing because it's been kind of seen as maybe like clandestine or boring
[00:31:31] or, you know, not sexy.
[00:31:33] Right.
[00:31:33] Because the sexy stuff is the stuff you see on Instagram or the fat loss, the Jacqueline
[00:31:37] Lane, these big characters within the industry.
[00:31:39] And now, um, you know, these, these real deep knowledge professionals are starting to show
[00:31:43] up.
[00:31:44] Um, yeah.
[00:31:45] And he was one that surprised me.
[00:31:47] We hopped on the podcast and I love when it happens.
[00:31:50] Normally you have a little chit chat and then you start the recording.
[00:31:53] We got on instantly.
[00:31:56] And all of a sudden I was like, Oh, I have to hit record now.
[00:31:58] Like the conversation just started so organically, but it's, it's exactly to your point where
[00:32:03] it's like, he's excited about the space too.
[00:32:05] And he fascinated me in the fact that it wasn't even really his wheelhouse not that long ago.
[00:32:10] And now he's quite literally writing the book on it.
[00:32:14] Yeah.
[00:32:15] Yeah.
[00:32:15] The GOP one, I think it's like a hundred, he's up to like 130 pages or something like
[00:32:20] that.
[00:32:20] So it's already addition to, yeah, very comprehensive.
[00:32:23] Um, what else is, uh, what else is hot in your mind right now with the industry?
[00:32:29] What gets you excited?
[00:32:30] I mean, to be honest, I've been on the Hill a couple of times and I would just say the
[00:32:36] advocacy work, that's a huge pillar of what I try and amplify at ATFW because we have
[00:32:43] similar issues here in Canada for us.
[00:32:45] It's a particular tax line that they quite literally, the wording is in there that we
[00:32:51] could write off memberships, but it's a ineligible instead of eligible.
[00:32:56] They have to cross off an I and an N.
[00:32:59] And it's been so fascinating to actually fly out to DC and see the work that is actually
[00:33:06] happening on Capitol Hill.
[00:33:08] And just that whole experience in action.
[00:33:11] It's neat because every single time I've gone, there's either been players in the industry
[00:33:16] where they have done this many times, but the bulk and the majority, it's their first
[00:33:21] time going through an experience like that.
[00:33:23] And the thing that's so fascinating is almost every conversation, and it's really the one
[00:33:29] frustration as you rarely get in front of the actual person or Congress person that you
[00:33:34] would like to speak with.
[00:33:35] A lot of times it is the assistant where they're getting the information delivered to, but when
[00:33:41] they are actually able to have those face-to-faces, it's like no one can argue with what is being
[00:33:47] communicated, that exercise is the solution for much of our mental health crisis, our social
[00:33:54] health crisis, because we know it was last May, the U.S.
[00:33:57] Surgeon General declared a loneliness epidemic.
[00:34:01] Gyms are fantastic destinations to create third spaces for communities to come together.
[00:34:06] That is happening in the industry now.
[00:34:09] And then add to that physical inactivity, which is a gross problem.
[00:34:14] And I mean that in the large-scale term of gross, from childhood obesity right to our aging
[00:34:20] population, where we don't really have a lot of advertised solutions for them of being like,
[00:34:27] these are spaces that you could be sending individuals to that would improve their lives
[00:34:31] and ultimately save the economy boatloads of money.
[00:34:34] So I would say that entire advocacy space, because for myself, from my perspective, coming into
[00:34:41] the industry, I was aware a little bit of what was happening in Canada, even as like a consumer
[00:34:46] layperson before I was there, because the FIC was doing some work and working in the newsroom.
[00:34:51] I was a little bit more privy to if releases came down the line and if it was in health and
[00:34:56] wellness, I was intrigued in probably reading it.
[00:34:59] But to see what then what was happening in the U.S.
[00:35:02] And I was just kind of like, whoa, OK, this is a collective movement.
[00:35:05] And then you look and everything's happening in the U.K.
[00:35:09] And you're like, OK, so every country pretty much has the same problem.
[00:35:12] And then learning a little bit in just recent conversations, because I was chatting with Joe
[00:35:16] DeSena and then again with Eric and they were with Ross Campbell, rather, with Beyond Active
[00:35:22] and talking about the Saudi market and how it's a completely different perspective there and
[00:35:26] how they're actually trying to make health, fitness, wellness a pillar for their population.
[00:35:31] And you're just kind of like, OK, so where where are the disconnects?
[00:35:35] Where is it not actually happening?
[00:35:37] And I'm just kind of like if this to your point earlier, the more platforms that we have that
[00:35:42] are amplifying that work that's being done here, because I get that, you know, the FIT
[00:35:47] Act, for example.
[00:35:48] Yes, they've been trying to do it for decades.
[00:35:49] And there's a lot of people that are like, good luck.
[00:35:52] You're basically wasting air.
[00:35:54] But I don't know about that because I'm just kind of like I do sense and I've heard it so
[00:36:00] many times that prior to 2020, like it is a different ballgame for people coming together
[00:36:04] and willing to stand up and say this is what we stand for as a fitness industry.
[00:36:09] Whereas I really think that there was an identity crisis before that.
[00:36:15] Everyone was talking, but nobody was speaking the same language.
[00:36:19] Yeah.
[00:36:20] I mean, the FIT Act is something I've been following for a long time.
[00:36:23] I remember when I first heard about it.
[00:36:24] I'm like, this is amazing.
[00:36:25] When's this going to pass?
[00:36:25] Like six months from now?
[00:36:26] And that was like 12 years ago.
[00:36:28] So it's hard.
[00:36:30] Like I compliment their resiliency in continuing to push this forward.
[00:36:37] I do believe that there's a lot of hurdles to that because there's a lot of powers to be
[00:36:42] with a lot of money and backing that have seen no incentive to having that.
[00:36:46] And that's sad.
[00:36:47] It's just true.
[00:36:48] Yeah.
[00:36:49] It's just, you know, one of the darker parts of our country in particular.
[00:36:52] But I think, you know, the good news is that I think that there's a ground up movement swelling
[00:36:59] now where it's like the consumer wants this.
[00:37:01] People want better health.
[00:37:02] People are starting to demand it.
[00:37:03] They're starting to see it.
[00:37:04] And I think the pandemic was a huge, you know, just a spark really for that.
[00:37:10] So I still believe like this kind of stuff has to come up.
[00:37:13] Like it has to be demanded by the communities locally.
[00:37:15] And that starts to spur up.
[00:37:16] But I don't know if the top down effect is doable.
[00:37:20] I want to be wrong on that.
[00:37:22] Like, I want to be completely wrong on that.
[00:37:25] But I think everyone does.
[00:37:26] But the sentiment makes sense.
[00:37:28] And like also the other thing that I've noticed at being at different events, and it's not
[00:37:34] a slight on the industry because it's a solvable problem.
[00:37:36] But you have a lot of legacy players, a lot of people with incredible decades behind them
[00:37:44] that have truly been the trailblazers in this industry.
[00:37:48] But on the flip side, there's a lot of young guns that have grown up in Gen Z culture and
[00:37:55] have these incredibly different perspectives.
[00:37:58] And I don't see a lot of those necessarily talking to each other.
[00:38:03] The worlds are so similar and different at the same time.
[00:38:08] And any time I've kind of sat down with somebody that is of that Gen Z, and I'm a millennial,
[00:38:14] so I'm like, I have things to learn from these individuals in great ways.
[00:38:18] Their perspectives, their life experiences in business are so different, how they operate
[00:38:22] are so different.
[00:38:23] And I think there's actually much to be learned about both sides.
[00:38:27] But when you go to a lot of the events, there just seems to be a certain demographic.
[00:38:32] And not everyone necessarily playing all in the same spaces.
[00:38:37] And I think there could be a huge advantage as that shifts.
[00:38:41] You know what I mean?
[00:38:43] I do.
[00:38:43] My first thought is like, well, we should do a content series, get people from different
[00:38:47] generations talking with different modalities and different ideas and just see what happens.
[00:38:52] Right?
[00:38:52] Yeah.
[00:38:52] Okay.
[00:38:52] No, everybody get in the room.
[00:38:54] Just get in the room.
[00:38:55] Lock the door.
[00:38:56] You guys have to talk.
[00:38:57] Let's figure this out.
[00:38:58] Because I agree.
[00:38:58] And I don't think it's just fitness.
[00:38:59] I think it's just that generational gap.
[00:39:01] Absolutely.
[00:39:01] You see the millennial versus boomer thing has been around for quite some time.
[00:39:05] And you can see both sides, but both sides are like, oh, come on.
[00:39:10] Yeah.
[00:39:10] Both sides are like, we're better.
[00:39:11] No, we're better.
[00:39:12] Yeah, exactly.
[00:39:13] And I mean, hey, the boomers had a nice run.
[00:39:16] They really did.
[00:39:17] They really did.
[00:39:18] Like they got to sometimes just be super grateful for the run they've had.
[00:39:23] But anyway, one of the things I want to ask you about, because you're coming from a more,
[00:39:28] I guess, mainstream or traditional media background into this.
[00:39:31] And when you look at the media landscape within, especially the B2B within fitness and wellness,
[00:39:37] is like you have Fit Insider has been around.
[00:39:39] Those guys have been doing great work for a long time.
[00:39:41] Kind of the flagship.
[00:39:42] Right?
[00:39:42] But it really provided a lot of value and still do.
[00:39:47] Then you get kind of the rise of Athlotech.
[00:39:49] And then you know you're coming on scene.
[00:39:50] Like there's a lot of different people now from different aspects of media.
[00:39:53] And there's always like this.
[00:39:54] And I was talking to another podcaster right before this meeting who's in the collective.
[00:39:57] And he was asking me, he's like, what's your take on sponsorships?
[00:40:02] I'm like, what do you mean?
[00:40:03] He's like, well, is it like, does it make people question the integrity of your show?
[00:40:08] I'm like, why would it?
[00:40:10] And so there's like this weird, like, I want to get your take.
[00:40:13] Like content, listen, content takes a lot of time.
[00:40:16] It takes a lot of energy.
[00:40:18] It takes some capital.
[00:40:19] Right?
[00:40:20] So content creators, especially in the B2B space, should be able to make a living, I believe.
[00:40:25] So when you look at like what kind of morals or guidelines do you bring from other industries
[00:40:32] as far as content goes that you can kind of bestow upon us?
[00:40:35] Yeah.
[00:40:36] I mean, I remember a lot of these discussions happening when I did work in traditional media.
[00:40:42] And when I did branded sponsored content on the morning show, that was quite literally
[00:40:48] the first time that my company and conglomerate had ever done that in a news wheel.
[00:40:54] And to your point, when you talk about morals or ethics, especially in the newsroom, it was
[00:40:59] like that church and state balance.
[00:41:01] Is this actually OK?
[00:41:03] But newsroom revenues and it really used to be a service and then it became a business
[00:41:10] and then revenues really mattered and shareholders stocks really mattered.
[00:41:15] And so needing to make more money means you need to have sponsors and sponsorship.
[00:41:19] And we really took a lot of integrity in the process of finding the right sponsors.
[00:41:26] I think no matter what content creation industry that you are in, making sure that you're not
[00:41:34] just saying yes or making the ask from everything and everyone.
[00:41:39] It could be really tempting to want to hit the gas pedal and ask for money from all sorts
[00:41:47] of different individuals.
[00:41:48] But I truly feel that there is absolutely nothing wrong if they align with your mission and your
[00:41:54] content strategy.
[00:41:55] It's really about finding people that are partners in the content that you, yes, you as an individual
[00:42:03] are taking in charge of creating.
[00:42:05] But you want to find individuals that really resonate with what you're actually putting
[00:42:10] out there.
[00:42:11] And so from the traditional media side, we would have a full pitch process where either our
[00:42:18] sales team had been out, had potential clients.
[00:42:20] You can imagine a salesperson being like, I want to make this sale.
[00:42:24] And then it comes down to the content team that's like, sorry, no.
[00:42:28] Because it wasn't just about the dollars in the bottom line.
[00:42:31] I think that's where, I mean, let's look at the influencer economy, for example.
[00:42:36] And I get that word gets a bad rap, but influencers have incredible power.
[00:42:39] That is why they are called influencers.
[00:42:42] What are the ones that resonate with you?
[00:42:44] Are they the ones that all of a sudden their platforms have grown and they're selling you
[00:42:49] a hairbrush one day and then a pharmaceutical the next day?
[00:42:53] And at the end of the day, you start to question, what do you stand for?
[00:42:57] Right?
[00:42:57] Their authenticity and their credibility then goes right out the window.
[00:43:02] And so I think being really conscientious, yes, make the ask.
[00:43:07] Absolutely make the ask.
[00:43:08] To your point, when you talk about all these players bubbling up in the space that you and
[00:43:13] I play in, it's happening because what's happening in this industry matters.
[00:43:18] But if you do not have voices that are going to amplify and elevate what is happening in
[00:43:23] the industry and putting the effort into that content, no one is going to know what this
[00:43:28] industry is doing.
[00:43:29] And as you further out the point that I said earlier about the disconnect with consumers
[00:43:34] for years or when you look at the change of what we want to happen in policy and government,
[00:43:39] you need to have platforms that are amplifying the message.
[00:43:42] And so finding sponsors that are going to help you do that, absolutely.
[00:43:48] But definitely make sure that they authentically align with what you're trying to do or else
[00:43:53] I think that you're going to bust your credibility right out the window.
[00:43:56] Yeah.
[00:43:57] Yeah.
[00:43:58] It's really, I appreciate that perspective.
[00:44:00] And I think integrity with the content, especially if you position yourself in a way where you're
[00:44:06] trusted to provide good information, you know, is really critical.
[00:44:10] You know, I'll give a shout out.
[00:44:11] I just signed an annual sponsorship with TeamUp.
[00:44:13] And part of the reason I did it is because we had dozens of conversations, right?
[00:44:19] And, you know, they see value in what I do.
[00:44:23] They're allowing me to do that well, right?
[00:44:26] And yeah, there's some things like I'm going to help them on the consulting side.
[00:44:29] So there's a lot of things you can tie into your content, but having the right partner
[00:44:33] and not just saying yes.
[00:44:34] And I've said yes to some sponsorship deals.
[00:44:35] I'm like, what am I doing?
[00:44:37] This doesn't even make sense.
[00:44:38] But I was like, you know, I was so excited.
[00:44:40] I'm like, someone's going to pay me for content.
[00:44:41] Holy cow.
[00:44:42] I never thought that would happen.
[00:44:44] But I think, you know, there's a lot of like, and it's just hard.
[00:44:47] Like I see a lot of platforms or event producers, like things like that.
[00:44:54] And they get blamed for being paid to play.
[00:44:56] And I'm like, yeah, it's tough.
[00:44:58] But it's like, God, but the show's got to go on.
[00:45:00] And like, unless you're going to stroke a big check and be like, but if you go to these
[00:45:04] events and you're ticked off, it's paid to play.
[00:45:06] Like, well, then there's a little bit of hypocrisy there because this is the day you're going
[00:45:10] to.
[00:45:10] So it's like, do you want your ticket to cost $5,000 or a thousand or 500?
[00:45:14] Like at the end of the day, exactly that.
[00:45:18] I'm like, there's value in the information being provided, but business is business.
[00:45:24] Like hours count in people's days.
[00:45:26] And I think that you absolutely have every right to say, I would like to be compensated.
[00:45:32] And there is absolutely nothing wrong in saying, I would like to be compensated.
[00:45:37] You and I align on our values and what we're trying to propel in this industry.
[00:45:42] Let's see if we can work together doing it that way.
[00:45:46] And I mean, I wouldn't fault yourself on those first few where you jump on because it's also
[00:45:50] right.
[00:45:51] And it's like, that's how you grow.
[00:45:53] Like at the end of the day, it's how you grow.
[00:45:55] And I mean, any, any business owner would kind of say the same thing.
[00:46:00] You wouldn't do things the way that you do now than you did five years ago.
[00:46:05] That's growth.
[00:46:06] Yeah.
[00:46:07] Oh yeah.
[00:46:07] All the time.
[00:46:08] And even now, like, uh, you know, with the podcast collective, which was only about a year
[00:46:12] old and you know, the PR on the paid side where our clients, um, pay us to do the media work.
[00:46:17] Even then I'm like, I'm still doing a lot of rookie mistakes.
[00:46:20] Like I'm 47 years old.
[00:46:22] This is like my fifth business I started.
[00:46:24] And like, it's just, it's constant.
[00:46:25] And you just recognize it early.
[00:46:27] You get to recognize it quicker and more clearly as, as your career goes on.
[00:46:32] But I don't think that ever ends.
[00:46:33] I hope I spent a whole lifetime making rookie mistakes because when I left my career, that
[00:46:40] was a huge thing of it as well.
[00:46:42] 10 years in traditional media.
[00:46:44] And again, on paper, people were like, what are you doing?
[00:46:47] Because it was a really cool job.
[00:46:49] Like it's far from the ordinary day at the office, but all of a sudden it's like year over
[00:46:53] year.
[00:46:54] Oh, I'm back at the sunflower festival and it's donut day and so on and so forth.
[00:46:59] And you're like, am I growing?
[00:47:01] No, then I got to go.
[00:47:02] Right.
[00:47:03] And I think just kind of rounding out what we said of this industry as a whole, this is
[00:47:09] an industry that really believes in growth mindset on all levels and the power of having
[00:47:14] a collective that shares that viewpoint.
[00:47:17] That's what creates positive change in the world.
[00:47:20] And that is why making a leap out of a little bit of a negative energy space into this positive
[00:47:26] space is one I personally am never going to look back on, even if you have to see me publicly
[00:47:31] make rookie mistakes as I foray into this world.
[00:47:35] Yeah.
[00:47:36] Well, you know, the good news about nowadays is like the news cycle lasts like 48 hours.
[00:47:41] So if you make a mistake, people forget about it within three days.
[00:47:44] That's just kind of worse.
[00:47:45] No doubt.
[00:47:47] I mean, it's not to get political.
[00:47:50] There's many celebrity mishaps or exactly political mishaps where they're like, thank God
[00:47:54] that's the case.
[00:47:55] Because I mean, let's face it, what's happening on the political stage really just makes me
[00:48:00] feel like I can do no wrong in the world.
[00:48:02] Just like a little mistake here and there.
[00:48:05] Oh, just a little dust off.
[00:48:07] And I'm just going to keep on walking.
[00:48:09] I mean, it's this last thing of political.
[00:48:12] But like, I was just talking to my friend and we're like, as the point of this recording
[00:48:17] today, it's like just a few weeks ago, someone tried to kill Donald Trump, but no one talks
[00:48:21] about it anymore.
[00:48:22] Like that was like, everyone's forgotten about it.
[00:48:24] It's just completely moved on.
[00:48:26] Like.
[00:48:27] And we didn't operate like that before.
[00:48:29] I can.
[00:48:30] No.
[00:48:30] Because I remember like even in weather network days, there'd be like Hurricane Patricia,
[00:48:34] largest category five in the Baja.
[00:48:35] And we would drill that stuff for months.
[00:48:38] It would have legs.
[00:48:39] Not anymore.
[00:48:40] I mean, we are a society of fast consumption, easy fixes.
[00:48:45] But again, to the point of why this industry matters is because if you don't take your health
[00:48:51] in your own hands, like there's no easy fix for that.
[00:48:54] What you think is easy is you choosing hard down the line.
[00:48:57] And I think we're an industry that can help prevent people from making that mistake.
[00:49:01] Yeah.
[00:49:02] Awesome.
[00:49:03] Awesome.
[00:49:03] Last question for you, Chrissy.
[00:49:04] As an industry, how can we help you if people are going to reach out?
[00:49:08] Who would you like to hear from and why?
[00:49:11] Yeah.
[00:49:11] Honestly, I just love the LinkedIn ecosystem, which is funny because I see it posted all the
[00:49:17] time where people are like, it's the most toxic positivity place on social media.
[00:49:23] I see that all the time.
[00:49:24] People hate playing in it.
[00:49:26] Personally, I'm like, please reach out to me on LinkedIn.
[00:49:29] I honestly just love meeting new people.
[00:49:32] I love storytelling.
[00:49:33] If you are listening and feel like you have a powerful story to share, I want to hear from
[00:49:40] you.
[00:49:40] Absolutely do not hesitate.
[00:49:42] And I'm always down.
[00:49:44] People reach out and I'm like, yes, let's hop on a Zoom.
[00:49:46] I know, Eric, you and I kind of started out that way where you're kind of like, I see this
[00:49:50] going on.
[00:49:50] Let's connect.
[00:49:51] And I think there's such a beauty in that.
[00:49:53] So that would be my main thing.
[00:49:55] Like I'm an open book.
[00:49:56] And also, if you do happen to be somebody from the marketing space or anything like that,
[00:50:01] feel free to connect with me.
[00:50:03] I would love to get your press releases because I'm hunting them down anyways.
[00:50:06] But you can save me some time if they just land in my inbox.
[00:50:09] Yeah.
[00:50:10] Awesome.
[00:50:11] Awesome.
[00:50:11] And you know what?
[00:50:12] The LinkedIn thing, I'm a huge fan.
[00:50:14] I mean, 97% of my social media time goes to LinkedIn.
[00:50:16] All I can say is like, if you can get past the spammy DMs, which are annoying and frustrating
[00:50:21] and irritating.
[00:50:22] And if you do that, please stop.
[00:50:24] You don't want help with your SEO, Eric?
[00:50:26] Yeah.
[00:50:27] Yeah.
[00:50:27] I was joking.
[00:50:28] Someone posted.
[00:50:29] I'm like, oh, I see we share a lot of common contact.
[00:50:32] You should buy my shit.
[00:50:33] Like that's basically what they're saying, right?
[00:50:35] It's like, it's ridiculous.
[00:50:36] If you can get past that, LinkedIn is really a place where you can get some genuine connection.
[00:50:40] If you're authentic with it, you can really expand your network.
[00:50:45] And it's very, very powerful.
[00:50:47] So Christy, thank you for doing this.
[00:50:49] Really, I like your stance on what's going on.
[00:50:53] Congratulations on all the hard work so far, getting where you are in the first two years.
[00:50:56] And yeah, just keep it up.
[00:50:58] Don't stop.
[00:50:59] Keep up the great work.
[00:51:00] Thank you so much, Eric.
[00:51:01] And huge shout out to yourself as well.
[00:51:03] I'm sure taking Podcast Collective under your belt, it's a big endeavor making those connections,
[00:51:09] putting pressers together.
[00:51:10] But for content creators, it is so exceptionally helpful to have individuals like yourself that
[00:51:16] are dedicating to that.
[00:51:17] And it's been really cool to watch it grow.
[00:51:19] So I appreciate you collectively.
[00:51:22] Like exactly that.
[00:51:23] We're all kind of on similar missions.
[00:51:25] Let's celebrate each other and keep going because what is happening in this industry is
[00:51:30] absolutely worth shouting from the rooftops.
[00:51:33] Awesome.
[00:51:34] Awesome.
[00:51:35] Ladies and gentlemen, Chrissy Bam.
[00:51:38] Hey, wait, don't leave yet.
[00:51:40] This is your host, Eric Malzone.
[00:51:42] And I hope you enjoyed this episode of Future of Fitness.
[00:51:45] If you did, I'm going to ask you to do three simple things.
[00:51:49] It takes under five minutes and it goes such a long way.
[00:51:52] We really appreciate it.
[00:51:53] Number one, please subscribe to our show wherever you listen to it.
[00:51:57] iTunes, Spotify, CastBox, whatever it may be.
[00:52:00] Number two, please leave us a favorable review.
[00:52:04] Number three, share.
[00:52:05] Put it on social media.
[00:52:07] Talk about it to your friends.
[00:52:08] Send it in a text message, whatever it may be.
[00:52:10] Please share this episode because we put a lot of work into it and we want to make sure
[00:52:14] that as many people are getting value out of it as possible.
[00:52:17] Lastly, if you'd like to learn more, get in touch with me.
[00:52:20] Simply go to the futureoffitness.co.
[00:52:23] You can subscribe to our newsletter there or you can simply get in touch with me as I
[00:52:27] love to hear from our listeners.
[00:52:29] So thank you so much.
[00:52:31] This is Eric Malzone and this is the future of fitness.
[00:52:33] Have a great day.