Welcome to the latest episode of L.I.F.T.S – your bite-sized dose of the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories. Today, hosts Matthew Januszek, Co-Founder of Escape Fitness and Mo Iqbal, Founder & CEO of SweatWorks, are joined by Julian Barnes, Co-founder and CEO of BFS.
Julian unpacks critical trends shaping boutique fitness—like the explosive growth of Pilates studios, the impact of tariffs on equipment pricing, and the secrets behind the most profitable studios. If you're a studio owner, investor, or just passionate about the business of fitness, this is an essential listen packed with actionable insights.
This LIFTS episode covers:
- The power of hiring a full-time manager.
- Studio profitability benchmarks and benchmarks.
- Tariffs, supply chains, and pricing strategy.
- The growing role of experience in member retention.
- Why Pilates is outperforming other modalities.
To learn more about the 2024 BFS State of the Industry Report, click here: https://main.bfsnetwork.com/state-of-the-industry-report
Use discount code "LIFTS" to get $50.00 off your copy of the report.
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Support fitness industry news by sponsoring future LIFTS episodes.
Contact us at wendy@escapefitness.com for advertising opportunities.
Subscribe to our YouTube channel and turn on your notifications so you never miss a new video when it’s published: https://www.youtube.com/user/EscapeFitness
Shop gym equipment: https://escapefitness.com/shop
View our full catalog: https://escapefitness.com/support/catalog (US) https://escapefitness.com/support/catalogue (UK)
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LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/escapefitness/
00:00 Welcome Back to LIFTS
02:00 Introducing Julian Barnes
03:30 The BFS Network & State of the Industry
05:10 Breaking News: Exponential Fitness & Sequel
08:45 Studio-Level Performance vs Portfolio Models
11:20 The Impact of Tariffs on Equipment Imports
16:15 Rethinking Global Manufacturing Strategies
19:40 How Operators Can Sell Outcomes, Not Features
21:00 Profitable Studios Have One Key Role…
24:00 Trainer vs. CEO: What Studio Owners Must Become
27:30 FER: Find, Enroll, Retain
30:00 Aggregators like ClassPass: Help or Hindrance?
33:00 Pilates Is Booming—Here’s Why
37:00 What Actually Works in Boutique Fitness
42:00 Raise Prices, Raise Value
45:00 Takeaways: Fundamentals Over Fads
48:30 Disney-Level Client Experience? Why It Matters
50:00 Wrap-up & How to Get the Report
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