As we fast-approach the one year anniversary next month for the fitness + technology podcast, today we're guided through some of 2017's most critical insights at the bleeding edge of trends and forecasts in our industry with the president of the Fitness Industry Technology Council, Bryan O'Rourke.

In this special 50th episode, we cover so much ground and discuss the pivotal fitness and wellness devices for the cloud so that our club operators, owners, and trainers can embrace the meaningful technologies and avoid falling behind the competition. We learn from Bryan about his take on the the way our 3 basic models in the commercial fitness space are being disrupted, how technology makes you the CEO of your own health, why more people die today from overeating than from famine, and the social and economic forces at play that have a direct impact on how all of us will do business in fitness in 2018 and beyond.

If you've been listening to the show for a while and have received value from one or many of our expert guests, simply leave us a five star review for the podcast. Your voice helps the show reach more leaders and savvy fitness-tech minded professionals like you find the show, and gives our industry what it needs most right now: the credible, trustable, and tactical information to thrive in this digital era.

Over the past 50 shows, we've made a big focus on simplifying a sometimes cumbersome job of finding the reliable and detailed information about the trends occurring in the industry so your business can make informed technology decisions, and in this powerful conversation, we also uncover with Bryan how the rising level of consumer expectation will impact the need for club owners and operators to both embrace and implement the key technologies that will make a difference.

With legacy technology systems in the United States driving risk aversion and slowing technology adoption in the fitness industry, what can we do as a fitness technology community to close the gap and serve more clients than ever before?

The answer to that question and much more takeaways for club owners, operators, and fitness pros in this episode with Bryan O'Rourke.

About Bryan O'Rourke

Bryan O'Rourke is an experienced CEO, strategist, investor and advisor who helps organizations and professionals realize their full potential and solve their biggest challenges.

With a track record of building teams and growing global brands, his network of associates and partners have served organizations large and small. His present focus is on fitness, wellness, health clubs, technology, innovation, finance, marketing and business development, but his expertise and consultancy extends to a number of disciplines and industries. As an executive and owner in multiple companies he is also President of the non-profit Fitness Industry Technology Council, driving innovation and collaboration the fitness space.

He is considered a leading expert on technology, consumer and business trends and his views have been published in periodicals like the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Inc. Magazine, CBI and many others. IHRSA named him one of 13 to watch in 2013. Bryan has contributed to two significant books on Innovation in the fitness sector. He delivers engaging customized keynotes and strategic working sessions and is a highly sought after speaker and facilitator who has delivered his message at industry conferences and organizational events on four continents.

Listen To Episode 050 As Bryan & Josh Uncover

How technology makes you the CEOP of your own health
How to use the tools and resources from the Fitness + Technology show to accelerate your businesses and career
Bryan's favorite interviews and insights from the past 50+ episodes
Blending the human aspect with technology to create an all-inclusive health, wellness, and training experience
How to find reliable and detailed information about the trends occurring in the industry so that businesses can make informed technology decisions
The gap between what's happening in the marketplace and how business owners are choosing to operate
The large number of businesses that don't have a reliable resource or means to analyze the data they collect
Connecting the dots between credible data and creating long-term behaviors changes for club members
The growth and collaboration we see with medical components and our health and fitness routines
How the CTA and Wellness Subcommittee are creating important standardizations for tracking and using data
The technology that may lead to a "dream dashboard" that will include activity and biosignature data
Why the U.S. is lagging in technological adoption compared to many Asian countries and the protocols that might help close the gap
How Apple's iOS 11 updates will allow for a more seamless club ecosystem
The need for club owners to embrace current technologies so they don't fall behind the competition
How the Fitness Industry Technology Council is supporting and mentoring new businesses and entrepreneurs
The ways that machine learning and AI may affect the health and fitness industries
The 3 basic models we see in the commercial fitness space
- Membership
  - This model is about selling first and lacks a focus and emphasis on the health outcomes of members.
- Community/Entertainment
  - People connect to their communities in a socialization construct with exercise being the main component. We are seeing this become more present with obstacle course races such as Spartan and Tough Mudder, and engaging group fitness activities such as Zumba.
- Outcomes
  - This is the smallest piece of what we see in today's marketplace, although Bryan feels it's where we will find the most growth in years to come. People are realizing that with the rising costs of health care and the wellness epidemics we are facing, there is a serious need for a more holistic, proactive, and results-focused approach from their trainers and facilities.

Top 3 Takeaways From The Show

As the speed of technology increases, it's more important than ever for club owners, operators, and fitness professionals to make it a priority and "bake" into their weekly calendar the job of seeking out reliable and detailed information about the trends affecting our industry. This habit will provide the ability to make informed technology decisions and ensure members and clients receive the user experience the market is demanding. The advancements in tech have created a seamless fitness experience at many leading facilities, and clubs that fail to stay on top of the current trends members want in today's marketplace will surely lead to falling behind the competition.
To succeed in this new era of the fitness industry, it's imperative that business models include an emphasis and focus on the health outcomes and results of their members - not just new business units. As our population is suffering from more disease and the rising cost of health care becomes unsustainable, people across our nation are now seeing that a proactive and results-oriented program is of extreme importance.
Bryan believes that in this age of over-information, it's imperative that we don't fall into paralysis by analysis and fail to implement new technology. We are reminded in a previous episode by Marty Weems from Team EXOS that we have to keep pushing forward in this regard. With Bryan's leadership and through this show, you can trust that the Fitness + Technology podcast will continue to seek out the most trustable information you depend on as we move faster towards wellness, fitness, and betterment technologies that are changing the landscape of how you run your fitness business.

Power Quotes From Bryan

"From a recent survey, two-thirds of businesses use digital marketing platforms, and one-third of those companies admit they don't know how to use it." - Bryan O'Rourke on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"In today's modern world, fitness is evolving into the larger space of overall physical and mental betterment." - Bryan O'Rourke on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"The greatest products and services of our fitness space have not been created yet." - Bryan O'Rourke on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

"Being proactive as the CEO of your own health is really important to both the quality of anyone's life in the long run and in the cost of maintaining your quality of life in a sustainable way. That dynamic is not going to go away, in fact it's going to become even more pronounced." - Bryan O'Rourke on the Fitness + Technology Podcast

Resources Mentioned From Bryan

Thanks To Our Outstanding Sponsors

Bryan O’Rourke and his family of companies including Vedere Ventures, Integerus Advisors, and many more. If you are looking for unmatched guidance, capital, insights or a great speaker or facilitator, Bryan and his partners are the go to resource for your organization. To learn more visit bryankorourke.com
The Fitness Industry Technology Council, your non-profit resource for reliable technology information supported by forward looking brands who are seeking to drive increased technology adoption in the fitness industry. Make a difference and join FIT-C at fittechcouncil.org today
Check out Bryan and his partner Robert Dyer's recent book "9 Partnership Principles: A Story of Life Lessons" which is available now on Amazon.com

Become A FIT-C Podcast Sponsor

Contact the Fitness Industry Technology Council to become a Podcast Sponsor
Review our various options for Sponsorship
Send us a Facebook Message

Fit-C Blog

Latest FitTech News & Info:

Fresh Tweets:

Subscribe to Blog

Bryan O'Rourke: How Technology Makes You The CEO of Your Own Health