EōS Fitness is one of the bellwether brands in the HALO space, and for good reason! Listen now to today's HALO Talks Fast Break as Integrity Square Managing Partner & Founder, Pete Moore talks about the history of the brand, where it came from, what the name means, and how this all led up to a pending sale from BRS Capital Partners to TSG Consumer. 🎉

This is a huge testament to the power of a strong team, innovative business model, and a relentless drive for growth. 🏋️‍♂️✨

A few key takeaways:

• Scalable Business Models Attract Investment: EoS’s ability to prove their unit economics and success in multiple states made them highly attractive to investors and real estate partners, facilitating rapid expansion beyond their own balance sheet.

• Executing on Vision Creates Value: Achieving 10x growth and delivering consistent member experiences built a brand worthy of a $1.5bn+ valuation, supported by more than $100M in EBITDA.

• Strategic Partnerships Accelerate Growth: Collaborating with top industry leaders and real estate developers enabled EoS to scale efficiently and set the stage for potential IPO ambitions.
  
  Resources:

• BRS Aquires EoS: https://brs.com/news/brs-and-performance-equity-management-announce-acquisition-of-eos-fitness/
  
  
• Sales of EoS to TSG: https://www.tsgconsumer.com/news/tsg-consumer-to-acquire-eos-fitness

Today, host Pete Moore sits down with Michael Pesta, a veteran in the HALO space whose career has bridged the fitness, entertainment, and tech industries. Michael shares his journey from his beginnings at AFAA—where he played a key role in pioneering fitness education and telemarketing globally—to an unexpected pivot into film and music production.

Mike's story started in the mid-1980s, when, as a struggling actor, he agreed to help move boxes at an organization he hadn't heard of—never suspecting it would literally change his life. Michael quickly found himself drawn into the organization’s mission and over time, rose from a casual volunteer to become the director of membership.

Michael is now back in the HALO sector with an innovative focus on telefitness, aiming to bridge the longstanding gap between the fitness and healthcare industries. Pete and Michael discuss the evolution of fitness education, the changing landscape of personal training, the integration of technology, and Pesta's vision for a new era where trainers, healthcare professionals, and clients all connect seamlessly.

Key themes discussed

• Evolution of fitness industry education and certification.
• Partnerships between fitness brands and major companies (e.x., Reebok.)
• Transition from fitness to entertainment and back.
• The rise of telefitness and telehealth platforms.
• The challenges and benefits of online personal training.
• The importance of connecting fitness with healthcare services.

A few key takeaways:

1. AFAA’s Early Days and Industry Impact: Pesta entered the fitness space by chance with AFAA (Aerobics and Fitness Association of America), which at the time was a key player in fitness education and certifications. He helped develop their telemarketing division and played a major role in expanding programs globally, including strategic partnerships like outfitting instructors worldwide with Reebok shoes.

2. Adaptation and Collaboration Are Key in Fitness Partnerships: Michael highlighted the importance of partnerships between leading fitness brands and educators. Collaborations with companies like Reebok brought vast exposure and validation to AFAA’s education programs. However, he also notes that how big brands like Nike and Reebok interact with the sector continues to evolve, and education may not always be their current focus, despite massive historical investments.

3. Career Shifts Bring Transferable Skills: After a successful run in fitness, Pesta took a leap into the entertainment industry, producing films and learning every facet of the production business. This gave him valuable skills in production, marketing, and distribution—skills he would later apply upon returning to the fitness and telehealth sectors.

4. The Next Big Thing-Telefitness as an Extension of Telehealth: Michael’s current focus is to create a trusted, HIPAA-compliant platform that not only vets the best personal trainers but also positions them for direct referrals from healthcare providers. This effort aims to solve the industry’s historical inability to connect personal training with mainstream healthcare.

5. Support and Upskilling for Personal Trainers: Telefitness will provide personal trainers with new opportunities for entrepreneurship, offering lead generation, business-building support (like webinars specifically for virtual training), and potential client referrals sourced from both healthcare and consumer channels. Trainers won’t be charged upfront SaaS fees; instead, the model will center on revenue-sharing. The emphasis is on elevating trainers’ roles, including launching specialties like the “medical personal trainer.”

Resources:

• Michael Pesta: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-h-pesta-satori-1a9776a5/
• AFAA: https://www.afaa.com
• Classroom Trainer: https://www.classroomtrainer.com
• Prospect Wizard: https://www.theprospectwizard.com
• Promotion Vault: http://www.promotionvault.com
• HigherDose: http://www.higherdose.com