meet Mitch McGinley & David Finnimore + when to break our own rules
Every once in awhile, I've found it to be ok to “break my self-imposed rule” for the bigger picture of helping others.
I started Boutique Fitness Talks back in 2018 after attending an IHRSA conference where I saw that boutique fitness studio owners were not seen nor served nor (for the most part) anywhere to be found on the expo floor of the mainstream fitness event.
I first envisioned, then brought to life with exceptional collaborators, a small niched-event where studio founders, managers & key-players could connect & learn from & with one another, with structured topics & great speakers, attend a class together, not race from one side of a sterile convention center to another & most importantly…if you weren't there, then you missed it. There was to be no IG livestream, no Zoom, no taping of sessions; a closed container of people who wanted the same things even with execution differences & cultural differences.
I had a blast collaborating with & facilitating great dialogue & implementation with smart studio owners & soon-to-be-owners doing their homework at Talks events in Berlin, Hong Kong, Bali & Bangkok from 2018-2020.
In finalizing the Agenda for Saigon 26-27 September, I've been thinking intently about what I see as viewing our boutique industry with 4 different outcomes to pursue, 2 of which can be uncomfortable but essential to speak about; to Sell or to Close.
I decided to break my own rule for a 100% in-person Talks…because you need to know Mitch McGinley.
Mitch is unable to attend in person & will be taping a session for us which is sure to be dynamic & insightful…about selling your fitness studio business & what that could look like.
Mitch is based in San Diego, California and is a former studio owner, licensed Business Broker and Exit Planning Advisor specializing in Boutique Fitness business sales and acquisitions. He originally worked in hotel management, and then with an investor who was buying boutique hotels, fixing them up, and then selling them. Shortly thereafter, he and his wife Karson bought their favorite yoga studio. During that time he began working as a Mindbody Certified Business Consultant, and Mindbody Education Faculty, teaching at Mindbody Universities all over the world. After successfully selling his studio in 2019, he was licensed as a Business Broker and merged all of his worlds to help other business owners in this industry maximize their biggest payday. He has helped facilitate over 50 transactions in the past five years.
If you attended the Talks in Bali in 2019 or Bangkok in 2020, you will remember our colleague David Finnimore, who will be speaking on closing a boutique fitness studio business.
David Finnimore is a marketing and operations leader with over 20 years of experience across Asia, North America, and Australia. Skilled in property, wellness and legal sectors with a results-driven, people-focused track record in each. He was the founder of Cycology Club, Sydney, Australia; a first-to-market boutique cycling concept from 2016-2024.
We'll be an intimate group & I look forward to seeing you in a few weeks.
In the meantime…whether you're Asia-based & can join us next month or not…I leave you with what I hope is an impactful question, due to something David said to me a few days ago: does continuing to own/run a boutique fitness studio fuel your purpose? Your ego? Your P&L?
Have a great rest of your week!