Skip to content
BFS White logo

About BFS

The BFS Network is an independent advisory and peer-based organization serving founders and executives across beauty, fitness, and self-care.

BFS operates as a connective layer between operators, advisors, partners, and industry stakeholders, supporting leaders who are making decisions with material impact on growth, structure, and long-term value.

 

 

Why BFS Exists

As businesses scale, leadership becomes less about execution and more about judgment.

At this stage, founders are no longer choosing between obvious options. They are weighing tradeoffs across people, capital, operating models, and risk, often without enough external perspective to validate those decisions.

BFS exists to bring credible, peer-validated perspective into those moments.

BFS Over Time

  1. 2018-2019

    BFS convenes boutique fitness owners through five industry conferences in NYC, Chicago, and Washington, DC, and produces the inaugural State of the Industry insights through participant benchmarking.

  2. 2020

    Peer networks are formalized, providing vetted, confidential environments for founders navigating leadership, scale, and structural decisions during a period of rapid change.

  3. 2022

    BFS produces its first post-pandemic industry conference and is retained by SoulCycle for a strategic advisory engagement.

  4. 2023

    BFS expands its convening and leadership footprint through the CEO Summit at IHRSA (HFA), the IDEA Club & Studio Summit, the BFS Members Retreat, and The Summit by BFS.

  5. 2024

    The organization is rebranded as The BFS Network for Beauty, Fitness & Self-Care, reflecting the expanded scope of its community, research, and advisory work.

  6. 2025

    BFS deepens its institutional role through:

    • The inaugural Global Leadership Council Retreat for Beauty, Salon, and MedSpa leaders
    • The most comprehensive State of the Industry research to date, including dedicated sub-reports for Pilates and Strength studios
    • Launched the Franchise Business Accelerator program.
  7. TODAY

    BFS operates as a peer, advisory, and intelligence network supporting founders and executives making consequential decisions across beauty, fitness, and self-care.

 Explore our IRL events era (2018–2023) in the BFS Industry Leadership Archive>>

BFS is built as a network,
not a personality-led firm.

Across fitness, wellness, beauty, recovery and self-care industries, the ecosystem includes:

BA Video Graphs

Because BFS sits across these roles and conversations, it surfaces patterns and risks that are rarely visible from within a single company or advisory relationship.

The people behind the network, and how they engage, are central to how BFS creates value.

Who BFS is for

BFS works with founders and executives who are making consequential decisions and value independent perspective.

They are not seeking motivation or tactics.

They are looking for better judgment, clearer tradeoffs, and peer-level context.

For some founders, the clearest way to sense the environment is through how peers describe the experience

BFS Membership Snapshot

[LP] Member Headshots

Pathways to learn More

Those interested in BFS can explore several paths:

[LP] About Us - BFS Team

The People Behind THE BFS NETWORK

Meet the founders, advisors, and contributors shaping the network.

[LP] About Us - Peer Network

Programs & Advisory

Learn how BFS supports leaders through peer networks, advisory work, and executive education.

[LP] About Us - Reports

Industry Research & Insights

Explore independent data, benchmarking, and State of the Industry reports. 

[LP] About Us - Media

Media & Industry Contributions

Access speaking engagements, podcasts, and published perspectives.