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BFS Fireside Chats

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Fireside Chat
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From Studio to Brand:

Using PR as a Growth Lever in Boutique Fitness

WITH Nicole Dunn

May 20, 2026 AT 03:00 PM EST

As boutique fitness operators expand beyond a single location, the conversation shifts from running a strong studio to building a brand that can scale. While most operators rely on performance marketing and referrals to drive growth, fewer understand how strategic PR can shape market perception, strengthen positioning, and create long-term enterprise value.

In this Fireside Chat, Nicole will break down how high-performing operators can use PR not as a marketing expense, but as a strategic growth lever. We'll discuss how operators can intentionally shape their brand narrative to support expansion, increase pricing power, and unlock higher-quality opportunities over time.

Discussion Topics

  • Positioning a studio as a scalable brand rather than a single-location business
  • Using PR to support pricing strategy, talent acquisition, and long-term credibility
  • The difference between short-term visibility and sustained market momentum
  • Turning each new location into part of a broader, national brand narrative
  • Common misconceptions about PR and how they lead to wasted time and resources
  • Integrating PR into multi-location expansion, from founder visibility to national positioning

Through real-world case studies, including boutique studio launches, founder exits, and national brand expansion, this session will provide a practical perspective on what drives meaningful visibility and how PR can compound as an asset over time.

Nicole Dunn brings a unique perspective to this conversation, with experience spanning media production, brand storytelling, and wellness-focused public relations.
Nicole’s background includes:

  • CEO of Dunn Pellier Media, a PR firm dedicated to health, wellness, fitness, beauty, and lifestyle brands
  • Former senior-level television producer with over 14 years of experience, including a Daytime Emmy-nominated project
  • Contributor and Los Angeles Chair for Forbes Business Council
  • Award-winning PR leader, with recognitions including the Bulldog PR Award and Telly Award for social and influencer campaigns
  • Advisor to brands across boutique fitness, wellness, and lifestyle sectors, supporting national visibility and brand positioning
Members receive a private invitation
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Fireside Chat
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Engineering Hospitality:

Building a Culture of Excellence That Scales

WITH Matthew Lavender

June 10, 2026 AT 12:00 PM EST

Across fitness, wellness, and recovery, hospitality is becoming a defining factor in client retention, brand differentiation, and long-term business performance. While many operators recognize its importance, fewer have successfully translated hospitality into a consistent, scalable system that shapes team behavior and elevates the client experience across every touchpoint.

As competition increases and client expectations continue to rise, the ability to engineer hospitality into daily operations is no longer optional. It is a critical lever for building a culture of excellence that drives both loyalty and growth.

In this Fireside Chat, Matthew will share how hospitality principles from the world’s leading luxury brands can be translated into the fitness industry to create more intentional, consistent, and impactful client experiences. The conversation will explore both the strategic and practical side of hospitality, from frameworks and evaluation systems to simple actions operators can implement immediately. 

Matthew Lavender brings a unique and highly specialized perspective to this conversation, with over two decades of experience in luxury hospitality, service evaluation, and training at the highest level.

Discussion Topics

  • The Fit Guide framework: methodology, evaluation process, and key findings across global fitness studios
  • What the data reveals: where studios are performing well and the biggest opportunities to elevate service standards
  • Core hospitality principles that drive exceptional experiences (genuine interest, anticipatory service, personalisation, first and last impressions)
  • Translating hospitality into operations: applying proven frameworks like “Mind the GAP” in a fitness environment
  • Practical implementation: simple, high-impact actions operators can take to improve service, consistency, and client connection

Matthew’s background includes:

  • Former Director of Evaluations at Forbes Travel Guide, the originators of the five-star rating system
  • Experience developing and refining brand standards for global hospitality leaders such as Four Seasons, Mandarin Oriental, and Six Senses
  • Founder of Enlites, a consultancy focused on service culture transformation, quality assurance, and learning and development
  • Co-founder of The Fit Guide, an independent rating system for boutique fitness studios, with over 400 evaluations conducted across eight global cities
Members receive a private invitation
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Fireside Chat
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Organizational Design: Building Teams That Scale Without You

WITH Bill Stauffer

July 22, 2026 AT 01:00 PM EST

As studios grow, many operators find themselves increasingly pulled into day-to-day operations, limiting their ability to focus on higher-value decisions. Organizational design becomes a critical lever at this stage, not just in hiring more people, but in structuring teams, roles, and systems in a way that supports scale, efficiency, and long-term profitability.

In this Fireside Chat, Bill will share practical perspectives on how operators can think about organizational design as a driver of performance and scale. The conversation will explore how to identify gaps in your team, when to invest in talent, and how to structure roles and responsibilities so the business can operate more independently of the founder. Bill Stauffer brings a unique perspective to this conversation, with more than two decades of experience building and scaling teams across high-growth consumer and wellness brands. 

Discussion Topics

  • Designing an organization that allows the founder to step out of day-to-day operations
  • Identifying gaps, redundancies, and “hidden roles” within your current team
  • When and how to invest in experienced talent to support the next stage of growth
  • Balancing people and technology to reduce operational load and improve efficiency
  • Building a structure that supports execution, accountability, and long-term scalability

Bill’s background includes:

  • Former leadership roles across brands such as Equinox, SoulCycle, Juice Generation, and EHE Health
  • Experience working with founders, executive teams, boards, and private equity sponsors across growth stages
  • COO, Head of Operations, Recruiting, and Training roles focused on building high-performance organizations
  • Co-Founder & Managing Partner at Flatiron Search Partners, specializing in executive recruitment and talent strategy
Members receive a private invitation
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High Performance Through Happy People

Why Culture and Results Are Not a Trade-Off

WITH Elaine Jobson

August 05, 2026 AT 01:00 PM EST

Balancing good culture and high performance is never easy. Leaders want their people to be happy and engaged, but they also need them to deliver results. Many still believe that achieving both is unrealistic, that performance comes at the cost of culture. Elaine Jobson challenges this thinking. Drawing on the principles from her book High Performance Through Happy People, Elaine’s approach is built on a simple but powerful idea: high performance and a strong, positive culture are not in conflict; they are mutually reinforcing and essential for long-term success. With over 30 years of global executive experience, Elaine has led high-growth, multi-site businesses and helped transform workplace cultures into award-winning environments. Her leadership philosophy focuses on creating organisations where people thrive and performance follows. 

In this fireside chat, Elaine will explore how leaders can move beyond the false trade-off between culture and results, and instead build environments where both can thrive. The conversation will centre around a practical framework for creating sustainable high performance, grounded in five core pillars, from understanding the relationship between culture and performance, through to leading, designing, and embedding lasting cultural change. This session will challenge traditional views on performance and offer a clear, actionable approach for leaders looking to elevate both their people and their outcomes. 

Discussion Topics

  • The relationship between culture and performance, and why one cannot succeed without the other
  • Leading a high-performing, happy culture in fast-paced, results-driven environments
  • Building high-performance teams that are both engaged and accountable
  • Designing a culture that supports consistent, sustainable performance
  • Making lasting culture change and why most transformation efforts fail
  • The role of leadership in shaping both behaviour and results
  • Moving beyond short-term performance fixes to long-term, sustainable success.

Elaine’s background includes:

  • CEO and senior executive leadership across global, high-growth franchise and consumer brands
  • Over 30 years’ experience building and scaling multi-site businesses with a strong focus on people, culture, and performance
  • Proven track record of transforming workplace cultures into award-winning, high-performing environments
  • Performed a Management Buy-Out of Jetts Fitness, one of Australia’s leading fitness franchise brands
  • Author of High Performance Through Happy People and a sought-after keynote speaker on leadership, culture, and sustainable performance

 

Members receive a private invitation

BFS Past Events

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Fireside Chat
Past Event

Instructor Talent Systems:

Hiring, Development, and Culture

WITH Marion Roaman

Marion will share practical perspectives on building instructor teams that remain strong over time. The conversation will explore hiring and identifying talent, developing instructors through structured training and mentorship, shaping team culture, and creating pay and progression systems that support both performance and longevity.
This event was member exclusive.
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Fireside Chat
Past Event

Profit Engineering:

How You Protect Margin While You Scale

WITH Jay Galluzzo

We move beyond cost-cutting and into the strategic levers that truly build durable margin: pricing discipline, revenue focus, and smart capacity decisions. This session will unpack why sales growth must lead the margin conversation and where operators often misread the signals. We’ll also explore how to avoid reactive cuts and race-to-the-bottom dynamics as you scale.
This event was member exclusive.
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All Member Meeting
Past Event

2024 Closeout:

With Guest Speaker Bryan Myers

WITH Bryan Myers

We’re excited to invite you to an exclusive members-only Fireside Chat with Bryan Myers, President & CEO of Solidcore, on December 11th at 3 PM. Hear firsthand from a visionary leader as he shares insights on leadership, growth, and building a successful brand. Don’t miss this unique opportunity to engage with Bryan in an intimate and dynamic conversation designed to inspire and empower you.
This event was member exclusive.
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Fireside Chat
Past Event

Fireside Chat with Rick Caro, Founder of Health & Fitness Assn (formerly, IHRSA)

WITH Rick Caro

Join this conversation to hear Rick's insights, observations and trends into the fitness industry.
This event was member exclusive.

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