Today, I’m joined by Kari Saitowitz, chief marketing & creative officer of New York Sports Club and founder of Fhitting Room.
After founding and operating NYC-based boutique HIIT and functional fitness studio Fhitting Room, Kari joined New York Sports Club upon its acquisition of her brand in late 2022. Now, she’s merging Fhitting Room’s programming while working to redefine the health club experience.
In this episode, we discuss the evolution of boutique fitness, Kari explains the club-in-club concept that led to Fhitting Room’s acquisition, and we talk about how demand for strength training and functional workouts is reshaping gyms.
In this episode, you’ll learn:
About Kari’s 10-year journey at the helm of Fhitting Room
How boutique fitness has evolved over the past decade
How health clubs and boutique studios can work together
The Fitt Insider podcast is brought to you by Jack Taylor, our exclusive PR partner. More than just PR, they’re creative storytellers and brand builders who actually understand the health and wellness industry. Learn more and get in touch at JackTaylorPR.com/Fitt
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(01:29) Kari’s Background
(02:41) Observing consumer behavior
(03:16) Fhitting Room’s origin story
(08:39) Growth strategy
(15:02) Fhitting Room @ strategy
(17:44) Creating a financially sustainable business
(23:37) Journey to getting acquired by New York Sports Club
(33:34) Reasons for the acquisition
(35:29) What to expect post-acquisition and Kari’s new role
(41:48) NYSC’s main objectives
(42:51) Conclusion
We break down how fitness, wellness, and healthcare are converging — and what it means for business, culture, and capital.
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