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BFS Events Past Speakers

 Industry leaders FROM THE BOUTIQUE FITNESS SOLUTIONS ERA WHO SHAPED OUR STAGE

During our active events years, BFS convened founders, executives, investors, operators, and strategic voices across fitness.

 This archive highlights the leaders who contributed to BFS events and helped advance conversations around growth, leadership, capital, franchising, operations, brand strategy, and business performance.

Mark Fisher

Mark Fisher

Founder & Owner, Mark Fisher Fitness and Business for Unicorns

BFS Event
The Summit by BFS · 2023
Session
One Unicorn at a Time: A Marketing Case Study
Theme
Marketing
Role
Speaker

Mark Fisher is an international speaker, consultant, and entrepreneur.

Through keynotes, courses, and coaching, Mark helps training gym owners achieve financial success and personal freedom. He’s also excellent at playing with puppies, though to date, he has not been paid for this skillset.

Mark and his “non-sexual life partner” Michael Keeler founded Business for Unicorns in 2016 and have since worked with many of the leading fitness studios across the US, the UK, and Australia. Past non-fitness clients include Sony Music, Sylvan Learning, Novus Surgical, and Security Scorecard.

Mark has given keynotes and spoken at events all over the world, including: IDEA World, IDEA Club & Studio Summit, IDEA PTI, Perform Better, FILEX, Anytime Fitness Australia, The Summit by BFS, Lift the Bar, the IFBA, the Fitness Business Summit, the Strong Pro Summit, Vigor Ground Summit, Mike Boyle Strength & Conditioning, Fitness Revolution, and many, many others.

In addition to consulting through BFU, Mark is the co-founder of Mark Fisher Fitness, one of the most unusual gyms in the fitness industry. MFF operates a physical location in midtown Manhattan and an online “virtual” location. MFF was recognized as #312 on the 2015 Inc. 500 fastest growing companies in America, as well as one of Men’s Health’s “Top 20 Gyms in America.”

With a reputation as the fitness home of choice for the Broadway community, Mark and MFF have been featured in Forbes, the NY Times, the NY Post, the Huffington Post, and the Wall St. Journal, among others. MFF has made waves in the fitness industry for its unprecedented success and unique approach to culture. Living their mantra of “Ridiculous Humans, Serious Fitness,” MFF provides progressive fitness protocols in a delivery system of subversive humor, fantastical imagery, and outrageous antics. They also inexplicably talk about unicorns, call their clients Ninjas, and treat fun, community, and personal growth as core values.

Mark’s newest company, Unicorn Wellness, is an investor in an emerging fitness franchise brand Alloy Personal Training. The first unit is targeting an open date in 2023.

Outside of his fitness business adventures, Mark is a proud alumni speaker of TEDx Broadway, avid Burner, and lover of books, coffee, and cocktails. He currently lives half-time in NYC and half-time in the Hudson Valley with his wife, Broadway actress Shina Morris-Fisher, their daughter Celestia, and their dog Gizmo.

Like most successful gym owner-consultant-investors, he holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Musical Theatre from Syracuse University.

About the BFS Speaker Archive

What is the BFS Past Speakers archive?

The BFS Past Speakers archive is a curated record of founders, executives, investors, operators, and industry leaders who participated in BFS events during our active events years. 

What industries are represented in the BFS speaker archive?

The BFS speaker archive primarily represents leaders from the fitness industry, including operators, franchisors, investors, technology providers, marketers, real estate experts, and business strategists who contributed to BFS events during our active events years. 

Why did BFS create this archive?

BFS created this archive to document the leaders, conversations, and business themes that shaped its event history and continue to inform its work with growth-oriented operators. 

How are featured speakers selected?

Featured speakers are selected based on their industry relevance, leadership experience, connection to BFS event themes, and contribution to operator-level conversations. 

Where can I find past BFS events?

 You can explore the broader history of BFS events through the Past BFS Events archive. 

Were these speakers part of the Boutique Fitness Summit?

 Yes. These speakers participated in events hosted by BFS, which was founded in 2018 as the Boutique Fitness Summit, operated as Boutique Fitness Solutions, and hosted its flagship event as The Summit by BFS. The organization is known today as The BFS Network. 

 The conversations have evolved.
The founder lens remains. 

BFS began by creating space for the fitness business conversations the industry was missing.

Today, that work continues through peer networks, advisory, executive training, and proprietary market intelligence for successful multi-location founders building the next stage of growth.