Fitt Insider Joe Vennare

Today, I’m joined by Rebecca Parekh, co-founder & CEO of The WELL.
Burned out by a career on Wall Street, Rebecca had a personal wellness epiphany. Now, she’s helping others relieve stress at The WELL, a health-focused members club and lifestyle brand.
In this episode, we discuss the company’s integrated approach to wellness.
We also cover:
• Healthy third spaces
• Entering real estate and hospitality
• Unmet consumer needs across the industry
Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast
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Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider
The WELL’s Website: https://www.the-well.com/
The WELL’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/thewell/
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The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart workout solutions for fitness and health facilities. 
Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/
Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/
Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(03:13) East meets west medicine
(05:12) The journey to founding The WELL
(10:35) Inflection point to start The WELL
(15:42) Adapting to challenges and evolving the business
(17:56) Expanding wellness offerings
(19:59) The vision for integrated wellness
(22:54) Partnerships
(25:33) Future growth and expansion
(27:26) Global product and integrated tech
(29:04) Rebbeca’s views on the evolving wellness industry
(32:46) Challenges of scaling preventative health
(35:25) Customer-led change and collective care
(38:31) Evaluating business metrics and societal impact
(40:32) Conclusion

Today, I’m joined by Eric Litman, Founder and CEO of Aescape.
Underwhelmed by traditional massage therapy, Eric created Aescape. Using AI robotics, the company provides a precise, consistent, fully automated bodywork experience. 
In this episode, we discuss Aescape’s seven-year journey to launch.
We also cover:
• Partnering with Equinox
• The future of human-robot interactions
• Creating an on-demand massage marketplace
Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast
Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe
Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider
Aescape’s Website: https://www.aescape.com/
Become an Aescape Partner: https://www.aescape.com/partner
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The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart workout solutions for fitness and health facilities. 
Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/
Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/
Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:22) Why AI robotics and massages?
(03:21) Challenges in developing Aescape 
(08:10) How the robotic massages work
(12:26) Designing the robotic arms  
(17:05) Safety and user comfort  
(19:25) Business model 
(22:15) Rollout and partnerships
(25:27) Future of human-robot interactions  
(27:11) Roadmap 
(28:34) Conclusion

Today, I’m joined by Cheryl Sew Hoy, Founder & CEO of Tiny Health.
Designed for moms and infants, Tiny Health’s comprehensive microbiome tests aim to improve immune systems and prevent chronic disease. In growth mode, it secured $8.5M last month.
In this episode, we discuss the company’s family-focused approach to gut health.
We also cover:
• How the gut impacts infant well-being
• Tiny’s future plans for pet microbiome tests
• The relationship between daily environment and microbiome
Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast
Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe
Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider
Tiny Health’s Website: https://www.tinyhealth.com/
Tiny Health’s B2B Website: https://www.poweredbytiny.com/
Tiny Health’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/tiny.health/
-
 
The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart workout solutions for fitness and health facilities. 
Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/
Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/
Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:18) Microbiome testing for babies
(03:33) Cheryl's personal journey and motivation for starting Tiny Health
(08:00) Initial due diligence process
(12:06) Challenges in developing the microbiome test
(15:57) Democratizing access to health data
(20:30) Measuring gut health improvements
(21:03) Baby gut types
(23:14) Timing and frequency of testing
(27:03) Environmental impact on gut health
(28:37) Transparency and science in microbiome testing
(32:09) Building trust with consumers
(37:13) Company vision
(40:23) Upcoming roadmap
(41:24) Conclusion

Today, I’m joined by Krystal Zell, CEO of Tonal.
After raising $130M last year, Tonal is recalibrating. Doubling down on hyper-personalized at-home fitness, it's leveraging AI to make its hardware smarter than ever.
In this episode, we discuss the company’s intelligent strength training system in depth.
We also cover:
Bringing strength training to new audiences
Building a profitable and sustainable business
Creating and scaling truly personalized workouts

Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast
Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe
Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider
Tonal’s Website: https://www.tonal.com/
Krystal’s Email: kyrstal@tonal.com
Tonal’s FB: https://www.facebook.com/TonalStrong
Tonal’s IG: https://www.instagram.com/tonal
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The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart workout solutions for fitness and health facilities. 
Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/
Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/
Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(02:05) Krystal’s experience at Tonal
(03:27) Balancing growth and profitability
(08:47) Motivation for joining Tonal
(12:39) Expanding into new audiences
(16:29) Partnerships and distribution strategy
(18:16) Messaging and branding evolution
(20:43) Changing perceptions about strength training
(24:12) AI, personalization, and data-driven experience
(28:34) Interoperability and data integration
(30:38) Future roadmap
(32:31) Consolidation in the industry
(35:06) Building a profitable and sustainable business
(37:58) Conclusion

Today, I’m joined by Samantha Citro Alexander, co-founder & CEO of bitewell.
Streamlining food as medicine, bitewell combines nutrition education with insurance-subsidized grocery shopping and delivery. Partnering with employers and providers, the company is on a mission to make healthy eating healthcare’s first line of defense.
In this episode, we talk about the company’s digital food “farmacy.”
We also cover:
• Food insecurity vs. nutrition insecurity
• bitewell’s approach to making food as medicine mainstream
• How employers, health plans, policymakers, and startups can transform well-being
Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast
Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe
Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider
bitewell’s Website: https://www.bitewell.com/
Samantha’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanthacitro/
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The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart workout solutions for fitness and health facilities. 
Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/
Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/
Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:57) bitewell’s origin story
(04:05) Employer and health plan involvement
(08:36) Food as medicine
(16:56) Customizable engagement program
(20:29) Food Insecurity vs. Nutrition Insecurity
(25:24) Logistics and infrastructure
(27:22) Challenges with the food system and healthcare
(30:28) Influencing change and bitewell’s mission driven work
(33:23) Shifting incentives and teaming up as an industry
(35:59) Future Plans and Partnerships
(37:36) Conclusion

Today, I’m joined by Brian Kirkbride, co-founder & co-CEO of FitLab.
An experienced founder, Fortune 500 exec, and investor, Brian oversees the company’s 11-brand portfolio of studios, equipment, and experiences — including Assault Fitness, XPT, Ragnar, and McGregor FAST. Scaling up FitLab is pushing expansion.
In this episode, we discuss the company’s integrated lifestyle platform.
We also cover:
• Acquiring vs. building companies 
• Partnering with Nike to launch boutique studios
• Uniting memberships and experiences across portfolio brands
Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast
Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe
Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider
FitLab’s Website: https://www.fitlab.com/
-
 
The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart workout solutions for fitness and health facilities. 
Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/
Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/
Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(00:40) The FitLab state of the union
(02:04) FitLab’s vision
(11:53) Decision-making processes for acquiring, partnering, or building new brands
(16:53) Progress towards achieving a fully integrated system
(19:05) Fitness industry future and challenges
(24:02) Consolidation, integration, scaling, and execution
(27:36) Partnership with Nike
(34:15) Nike's training and running studios
(37:31) Nike's digital fitness initiatives
(40:12) Wearable data and integration
(43:52) Holistic health and preventative care
(46:11) Future roadmap
(48:47) Conclusion