When Costco announced it would begin offering GLP-1 prescriptions to its members, the fitness industry had to reckon with a new question: what happens when mainstream retail beats healthcare to the weight-loss medication conversation? Matthew Januszek and Mohammed (Mo) Iqbal tackled that question head-on in this episode of LIFTS, joined by Lise Kuecker — serial entrepreneur, public speaker, and founder of the boutique fitness consultancy Studio Grow — for a wide-ranging look at the trends reshaping both the gym floor and the business of fitness.

Beyond GLP-1s, the conversation moves through the merger of Orangetheory and Self Esteem Brands (parent of Anytime Fitness), the strategic calculus of franchise expansion, Technogym's impressive 2023 financial performance, and a compelling argument for the commercial opportunity hiding in plain sight: the resale market for used fitness equipment. The episode also zooms out to ask whether the hardware-centric model of fitness equipment companies needs to evolve into something service-led.

What This Episode Covers

Lise Kuecker is the founder of Studio Grow, an international consultancy that has worked with boutique fitness operators across multiple continents on everything from launch strategy to retention and scaling. Her reputation in the industry rests on a combination of hands-on studio-building experience and a systems-oriented approach to business development — making her an authoritative voice when the conversation turns to franchise models, consumer behavior, and the strategic decisions that separate thriving boutique operators from struggling ones.

Kuecker's perspective on GLP-1 medications is grounded in what they mean for boutique fitness specifically: she brings the consultancy lens, asking not just what these drugs do to the body but what they do to gym attendance patterns, programming demand, and the kinds of coaching relationships that members on medication will increasingly seek out. Her practical orientation distinguishes this discussion from more theoretical industry commentary.

LIFTS — the Latest Industry Fitness Trends and Stories — is the weekly show co-hosted by Matthew Januszek and Mo Iqbal of SweatWorks, available at liftspodcast.com. The show is designed to give fitness professionals a fast, well-sourced read on the stories that matter, and Kuecker's appearance exemplifies the caliber of practitioner the hosts bring to those conversations.

Key Moments from the Conversation

• Costco's entry into GLP-1 prescriptions represents a significant mainstreaming moment for weight-loss medications, raising immediate questions for gym operators about how to serve a growing segment of members who are using these drugs as part of their health journey.
• The episode explores evidence that exercise can meaningfully reduce the side effects associated with GLP-1 use, reinforcing the argument that fitness facilities are well positioned to become valued partners — rather than competitors — to the GLP-1 treatment pathway.
• The merger of Orangetheory and Self Esteem Brands (the parent group behind Anytime Fitness) is discussed as a landmark consolidation move, with the hosts and Kuecker examining what large-scale franchise mergers signal about where the industry's power and scale are concentrating.
• Franchise expansion strategies come under scrutiny, with the conversation looking at the conditions under which boutique and mid-market brands can grow successfully without diluting the member experience that made them worth scaling in the first place.
• Technogym's strong 2023 financial performance is highlighted as evidence that premium fitness equipment continues to command real market demand, and the discussion draws out what operators can learn from the company's positioning.
• A substantial part of the episode focuses on the used equipment resale market as an underappreciated commercial opportunity — one that benefits both operators looking to monetize outgoing kit and buyers seeking quality equipment at accessible price points.
• The hosts and Kuecker examine whether the traditional hardware-led model for fitness equipment companies is sustainable, or whether the real value in the next chapter lies in transitioning toward service, software, and ongoing operator relationships.

Why This Conversation Matters

This episode captures a particular inflection point in the fitness industry: the moment GLP-1 medications moved from specialist conversation to mainstream consumer product. For Matthew Januszek — whose work with Escape Fitness USA focuses on how fitness facilities can remain essential in a rapidly changing health landscape — Kuecker's practical, consultancy-level perspective on how boutique operators adapt is exactly the kind of intelligence LIFTS was built to deliver.

The Costco GLP-1 story, the Orangetheory merger, and the used-equipment opportunity are three very different headlines, but they share a common thread: the industry's center of gravity is shifting, and the operators, brands, and equipment companies best positioned for the next decade are the ones paying attention to all of it at once.

▶  Watch the full episode on YouTube

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