Pete Moore on fitness trends, member relationships, and building a legacy in the HALO sector
Pete Moore’s journey into fitness began serendipitously. In 1999, he joined a Boca Raton private equity firm, and immediately gravitated toward Gold’s Gym International. “I was the only person in the room with a Gold’s Gym tank top,” he recalls. "So I raised my hand and haven't left the fitness industry since 1999."
This marked his entry into what he later coined the ‘HALO sector’ (Health, Active Lifestyle, Outdoors), driven by a mission to combat obesity, loneliness, and diabetes. “If people had an active lifestyle and started to become members of health clubs, that would eradicate part of the problem,” he explains. “Only 20% of the population went to a health club back then - so I basically dedicated my life to bringing capital into the sector.”
Now, in 2025, Pete Moore's firm Integrity Square (which he leads as Founder, Managing Partner and Chief Dream Architect) has raised $1.1 billion in total capital into the HALO sector. Integrity Square also runs HALO Talks, the leading B2B podcast in the sector, with 500+ interviews and over 100,000 downloads, and the HALO Academy, which has provided executive education to 250+ executives at all levels in the industry.
The power of data-driven relationships in fitness franchises
For Moore, success lies in knowing members beyond their credit card info. He urges gyms to adopt a hospitality mindset and use CRM systems to track member preferences and assign staff “ownership” of members. That accountability means each employee is responsible to build real relationships and understand the needs of their assigned members. “Your member database is your golden goose. Treat it like one.”
"I feel like sometimes people hide behind technology instead of using technology as a weapon. Hapana is a technical weapon. That's the central nervous system of a club, the brain. But I can't run the brain without data." That data could include passions, goals, and event plans. Do they like pickleball? Do they have kids? Are they training for an event? These are all crucial data points that employees can log. Moore uses a company called Promotion Vault, which uses gift card rewards to incentivise employees that survey members and stay on top of people.
“When a member cancels, they’re breaking up with you. That’s on your business, not them.”
The four pillars of modern fitness
Moore breaks down today’s fitness landscape into four segments, mirroring hospitality’s evolution:
- Low-Cost, High-Volume (e.g. Planet Fitness): “ROI hinges on parking and marketing. It’s about moving masses efficiently. Annual fees fuel the model.”
- Mid-Market (e.g. LA Fitness): “ROI is relationships. Staff must build connections and deliver results to retain members.”
- Luxury (e.g. Equinox, Lifetime): “ROI is capital. These are trophy assets with premium amenities and experiences.”
- Boutiques (e.g. SoulCycle): “ROI is cult-like loyalty. You’re selling a lifestyle. I’m 52, and 40% of my wardrobe is SoulCycle gear - that’s cult status.”
He warns against franchisors prioritizing sales over unit economics: “If a US-based studio isn’t pulling $60K/month or $2000/day, I'd be highly concerned about the viability of your business. Franchisees need real playbooks, not dreams.” His book, Time to Win Again, stresses running franchises like sports teams: “Drive revenue while ensuring franchisees profit. There’s no success without a ‘special sauce’ - there needs to be an operating playbook, and the units below you have to be profitable.”
GLP-1 drugs: a net positive for fitness
Pete dismisses fears that weight-loss drugs like Ozempic will hurt gyms:“GLP-1 users need strength training to avoid muscle loss. Embrace it! Create ‘GLP-1 workouts’ and position gyms as essential partners in body recomposition. 50% of the population could be on these drugs in a decade - go into it, try to embrace it.”
The future of fitness: “department store” gyms
Pete predicts the health club of the future will be a more holistic layout: “Imagine a health club that co-locates boutiques, recovery zones (red-light therapy, saunas), doctor offices, and coworking spaces. Members could pay a premium for an all-in-one ‘department store’ experience.” Community-driven design is central; “Imagine offices inside clubs - you could work, workout, and network without leaving. You could have a pickleball court, or forty yards of turf to throw a football around. You could be around the community you want to be around every day, and you would never have an excuse for not working out."
He also sees hybrid models thriving: “42% of Orangetheory members also have a health club membership. Why not merge them under one roof?”
Pete Moore’s advice for new studio owners
- Presell aggressively: “Open your doors with 300+ presold members. Momentum attracts crowds.”
- Live in your studio: “Spend your first six months onsite. Know every role, hire empathetic staff, and build community.”
- Nail the first location before scaling: “Your first gym is your child. Master it before expanding.”
- Protect your database: “Your member list is gold. Treat it like a relationship portfolio.”
Ambition redefined
Reflecting on his Harvard days, Moore says ambition once meant excelling and moving up the ladder. Now, it’s about freedom and legacy-building.“I want freedom to catch footballs at noon if I feel like it. Now, my goal is empowering entrepreneurs to reduce stress and scale ethically.”
His Integrity Square advisory firm prioritizes founders with “integrity over profit,” helping them avoid predatory investors. “If you’re a viable company raising capital, I'll help protect your vision.”
His proudest achievement? Equipping every fire station in New York with gyms: “We were able to get over $3 million of fitness equipment donated to FDNY. I got my badge here, so they made me an honorary member."
On his career: "I got money for a thousand clubs with 6,000 members. There are about 6 million people in North America that work out because I was able to convince somebody to put money into that concept."
Thanks Pete!
Loved this interview? Get a hard copy for your records: