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Tough times 2024
Life lessons

Industry leaders share insights into the moments that changed them in HCM’s Tough Times series. We round up their life lessons


In HCM HOT 2025 we look back at the life lessons industry leaders have shared with us over the past year.

You can read Tough Times 2024 in the digital edition here or see below for links to the original articles.
Victor Brick
CEO, Brick Bodies and John W Brick Mental Health Foundation
photo: BRICK BODIES

"In that moment, I changed my mindset from being an impossibility thinker to a possibility thinker"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 1 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Huw Edwards
CEO, UK Active
photo: carmen valino

"It was a hugely challenging taking on a project of unparalleled size against a backdrop of collective distrust and even hostility"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 2 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Sondré Gravir
CEO, SATS
photo: SATS / Anita Arntzen

"I tried to play the role of this theoretical version of a leader I’d made up, but I ended up behaving more like a cartoon character"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 3 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Steve Schwartz
CEO, Midtown Athletic Clubs
photo: Midtown Athletics Club

"I thought, if I’m going down, I’m going to burn all the way!"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 4 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Sarah Luna
Partner and chair, Formerly president, Xponential Fitness
photo: Xponential Fitness

"Either get on and do the job you’ve signed up for and deal with the good, the bad and the ugly, or get out of the way"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 5 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Neil Randall
CEO, Urban Gym Group
photo: Urban Gym Group

"The rejections were a small part of my career, but taught me resilience and accountability"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 6 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Jonathan Fisher
CEO, Holmes Place
photo: holmes place brands

"My body was telling me that if I continued to do what I was doing the way I was doing it, I’d be dead within 10 years"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 7 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Ty Menzies
CEO, Lift Brands
photo: Lift Brands

"I thought it was going to be a walk in the park, but it almost broke me"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 8 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Marc Diaper
Formerly CEO, Gymbox
photo: GymBox / JON PAYNE PHOTO

"It feels like the one that got away and in hindsight I should have found a way to make it work"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 9 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Liz Clark
CEO, HFA
photo: IHRSA / STEPHEN GOSLING

"It was all about staying alive"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 10 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Hagen Wingertszahn
Joint CEO, RSG Group
photo: RSG GROUP

"I had to make a name for myself again and prove myself. It felt as though I was basically starting from scratch"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 11 2024 here

Read the full article online here

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Get HCM digital magazine and ezines FREE
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Jobs    News   Products   Magazine
Tough times 2024
Life lessons

Industry leaders share insights into the moments that changed them in HCM’s Tough Times series. We round up their life lessons


In HCM HOT 2025 we look back at the life lessons industry leaders have shared with us over the past year.

You can read Tough Times 2024 in the digital edition here or see below for links to the original articles.
Victor Brick
CEO, Brick Bodies and John W Brick Mental Health Foundation
photo: BRICK BODIES

"In that moment, I changed my mindset from being an impossibility thinker to a possibility thinker"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 1 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Huw Edwards
CEO, UK Active
photo: carmen valino

"It was a hugely challenging taking on a project of unparalleled size against a backdrop of collective distrust and even hostility"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 2 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Sondré Gravir
CEO, SATS
photo: SATS / Anita Arntzen

"I tried to play the role of this theoretical version of a leader I’d made up, but I ended up behaving more like a cartoon character"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 3 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Steve Schwartz
CEO, Midtown Athletic Clubs
photo: Midtown Athletics Club

"I thought, if I’m going down, I’m going to burn all the way!"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 4 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Sarah Luna
Partner and chair, Formerly president, Xponential Fitness
photo: Xponential Fitness

"Either get on and do the job you’ve signed up for and deal with the good, the bad and the ugly, or get out of the way"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 5 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Neil Randall
CEO, Urban Gym Group
photo: Urban Gym Group

"The rejections were a small part of my career, but taught me resilience and accountability"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 6 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Jonathan Fisher
CEO, Holmes Place
photo: holmes place brands

"My body was telling me that if I continued to do what I was doing the way I was doing it, I’d be dead within 10 years"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 7 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Ty Menzies
CEO, Lift Brands
photo: Lift Brands

"I thought it was going to be a walk in the park, but it almost broke me"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 8 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Marc Diaper
Formerly CEO, Gymbox
photo: GymBox / JON PAYNE PHOTO

"It feels like the one that got away and in hindsight I should have found a way to make it work"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 9 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Liz Clark
CEO, HFA
photo: IHRSA / STEPHEN GOSLING

"It was all about staying alive"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 10 2024 here

Read the full article online here

Hagen Wingertszahn
Joint CEO, RSG Group
photo: RSG GROUP

"I had to make a name for myself again and prove myself. It felt as though I was basically starting from scratch"

Read the full article in the digital edition of HCM 11 2024 here

Read the full article online here

LATEST NEWS
Industry veterans partner to launch women-only strength brand, LiftHer
An ambitious women’s-only strength and lifting studio concept is set to launch in Dallas this September, with a wider US rollout already in active development.
Omnigym collaborates on an outdoor gym for homeless people
Finnish outdoor fitness equipment specialist, Omnigym, has partnered with charity, Emmaüs Solidarité, to launch an outdoor gym installation at a homeless shelter in Paris.
Virgin Active opens social wellness club in London's Mayfair
Basic-Fit expands German footprint with €52m Wellyou acquisition
Europe’s largest low-cost operator Basic-Fit has agreed to acquire 41 Wellyou clubs in Germany for €52m.
Myzone report shows importance of longevity and social connection
Longevity is the most important motivator for today’s exercisers and social connection is key, according to a report by Myzone.
Until combines multiple disciplines at new Canary Wharf club
Until has opened its fourth club at Canary Wharf, in the iconic YY London building.
Ben Allen appointed managing director at Common Bond
Ben Allen has been appointed managing director at Common Bond. Having set the company up for growth, Robert Rowland now steps into an advisory role.
Industry mourns the loss of Les Mills, a founding father of fitness
Les Mills, whose name became synonymous with one of the world's leading fitness brands, has passed away peacefully at the age of 91.
HCM News: Taking GLP-1s is linked to a decline in physical activity
People taking GLP-1 weight loss medications such as Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro and Zepbound may be losing weight, but they’re also becoming less physically active, according to new research presented at the ENDO 2026 annual meeting of the Endocrine Society
PureGym pilots touchless Recovery Zones in London and Manchester
Low-cost gym operator, PureGym, is trialling recovery zones at two of its UK sites, democratising what was previously a premium experience.
New CIMSPA standards upskill coaches and swimming teachers in mental health
In a milestone moment, mental health has become a core part of CIMSPA’s occupational professional standards.
EoS Fitness is the next budget chain to offer reformer Pilates
US high-value, low-price chain, Eos Fitness, has announced plans to pilot reformer Pilates in three locations this year.
+ More news   
 
FEATURED SUPPLIERS

Cornerstone Connect helps Active Blackpool tackle health inequalities
Active Blackpool is deploying Cornerstone Connect, a new digital interface allowing disparate information from multiple systems to be aggregated into one dataset, to support its focus on reducing health inequalities and improving healthy life expectancy. [more...]

CoverMe extends matching service to personal training, rewriting how members and personal trainers connect
CoverMe, the global leader in fitness workforce management, today launches CoverMe PT, an on-demand personal training platform that connects the right personal trainer to the right client in under 10 seconds. [more...]
+ More featured suppliers  
COMPANY PROFILES
Orbit4

With Orbit4, you’ll always have full visibility of your equipment inventory, the true market value [more...]
+ More profiles  
CATALOGUE GALLERY
+ More catalogues  

DIRECTORY
+ More directory  
DIARY

 

03-05 Jul 2026

World Championship in Massage

Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark
23-26 Aug 2026

Elevate Spa Riviera Maya Edition

The Riviera Maya Edition Kanai, Playa del Carmen, Mexico
+ More diary  
 


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