BFS Media Appearances

 The same habits that build a fitness or wellness brand are usually the ones that cap it. The founder becomes the system, every decision routes through one person, and growth stalls right when it should compound. This episode is about how to scale a multi-location brand without becoming the bottleneck, with an advisor who has spent eight-plus years in closed-door rooms watching exactly where it breaks and what buyers do once a brand goes to market. On The Owner Seat Podcast, host Albert Ramos sits down with Julian Barnes, Co-Founder and CEO of The BFS Network and one of the most connected advisors to founder-led fitness, wellness, and beauty brands, and goes behind the operator seat: 

Julian Barnes, Co-Founder and CEO of BFS Network, joins Rachael Nemeth to unpack what’s happening across the boutique fitness industry and why many of the challenges operators think are unique are actually shared by almost everyone trying to scale. With visibility across thousands of fitness, wellness, and self-care businesses, Julian brings a perspective few operators get to see. He explains why fitness is moving from a niche activity to a lifestyle category, how post-pandemic behavior shifts accelerated that change, and why the industry is still in the early innings despite the rapid growth surrounding wellness. But growth introduces a different challenge: people and systems. Julian shares why founders often become the biggest bottleneck in their own businesses, how hiring decisions shape long-term performance, and why operators consistently underestimate the impact of recruiting, onboarding, and ongoing development. They also explore the gap between identifying people problems and understanding how to solve them. From founder dependency and training blind spots to consistency across the customer experience, Julian breaks down why scaling is less about adding complexity and more about building repeatable systems that allow teams to execute at a high level every day. 

A conversation recorded at HFA 2026

In this webinar, gain a clear understanding of real industry pricing trends, a framework for evaluating your own pricing strategy, and confidence in your decisions for 2026. 

A conversation between Julian Barnes and host Michal Keeler

If you’ve ever thought, “I love what I do, but this has to make more money,” this is your playbook episode

Join Dr. Brent in conversation with Julian Barnes, CEO and founder of the BFS Network, the leading research and growth hub for boutique fitness and Pilates studios. Together, they’ll explore the latest industry trends, data insights, and why the future of our profession is brighter than ever.

They dive into what truly separates high-performing Pilates studios from the rest, including how smaller spaces, premium pricing, and dedicated management drive consistent growth and strong margins with Julian B.

with Jack Thompson & Julian Barnes

If you run a Pilates studio, this video is your data-driven blueprint for growing a profitable business.You’ll see exactly what the most successful Pilates studios are doing, based on real data from Julian Barnes & the BFS Network’s 2024 Industry Report, which analyzed nearly 400 studios.

In this episode of the Fitness + Technology Podcast, host ‪BryanORourke‬ is joined by Julian Barnes, Co-Founder and CEO of @thebfsnetwork a market intelligence and growth accelerator for beauty, fitness, and self-care businesses. In his role, Julian serves as a strategic growth advisor, helping BFS members enhance profitability and scale smarter.

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.

Drawing from BFS's latest annual report, Julian shares data-driven strategies that gym owners can use to improve profitability, streamline operations, and build sustainable businesses. The conversation covers everything from fundamental KPIs to surprising trends that challenge conventional wisdom in the fitness space.