Strategic counsel
for the people
shaping fitness.
A career spent inside the industry — not commenting on it from outside.
Richard started teaching aerobics in the 1980s. He went on to own multiple fitness clubs across nearly two decades, including the award-winning Heritage Health Club. He has served as CEO of ExerciseNZ, the country's industry body, leading advocacy, professional standards and sector development at a national level.
He sits on boards. He has presented at the World Health Organisation in Geneva, hosted the Australasian panel at IHRSA in the United States, and launched professional registers in China and India.
The work now is straightforward. Operators, personal trainers, boards, associations and event organisers reach out when they need experienced industry judgement — the kind that comes from having lived through the decisions they're now making.
fitness industry
ownership
across 4 continents
NZ's industry body
Most advice in fitness is generic. This isn't that.
Templated consulting decks. Recycled retention frameworks. Theory written by people who have never run a gym at five in the morning. The industry deserves better than that — and so do you.
What gets in the way
- Consultants who learned the industry from a textbook
- Frameworks built for SaaS, retrofitted to gyms
- No one to call when a lease, partner or staff issue blows up
- Boards making policy without industry context
- Speakers who can't read the room of a fitness conference
- Mentors whose own business is mentoring, not fitness
What you actually want
- Someone who has signed the leases and the staff contracts
- Judgement built on three decades, not three case studies
- A direct line when the call needs to be made today
- A voice that boards and regulators already trust
- A speaker who has stood on the floor at IHRSA and the WHO
- A second opinion before the decision is irreversible
Six ways to work together.
From an ongoing weekly retainer to a single hour of focused troubleshooting. Every engagement starts with a free initial conversation.
Fitness Centre & Studio Support
Premium retainer · OperatorsUnlimited business support across marketing, sales, HR, contracts, lease negotiations, pricing, conflict resolution and equipment buying. A designated contact, weekly access, and a partner in every commercial decision.
PT Premium Support
Retainer · Personal TrainersOngoing guidance for PTs serious about building a real business. Client acquisition, pricing, positioning, financial management, sales and operational support. Unlimited access on all business matters.
PT Mentoring
Hourly · Personal TrainersTargeted, one-off guidance on the hour. Use it for a specific problem, a strategic decision, or a sanity check. No retainer commitment.
Troubleshooting
Hourly · Urgent issuesWhen something is on fire. Marketing crises, operational disruptions, HR conflicts, lease disputes, member retention emergencies, partner fallouts. Focused sessions to resolve what's in front of you, fast.
Advocacy Consultancy
Project · Industry bodiesStrategic guidance for associations and organisations seeking to influence policy, drive standards, and shape the sector. Stakeholder engagement, campaign management, advocacy training, policy development.
Speaking Engagements
Keynote · Workshop · PanelKeynotes, workshops, panel chairs and custom presentations for conferences, leadership events and professional development forums. In-person or virtual. Tailored to your audience and outcome.
Built for specific people, with specific problems.
You're past the start-up phase. The decisions are bigger now.
Lease renewals, expansion, retention strategy, hiring, exit planning. You want a sounding board who has actually owned, run and sold fitness businesses.
You're a good trainer. You want to be a sustainable business.
Pricing, positioning, client acquisition, package structure, the move from contractor to owner. Real numbers, real frameworks, no fluff.
Policy, governance and advocacy in the fitness sector.
You need a voice on the board, a chair for the panel, or a strategist for the campaign. Someone who already knows the regulators, the registers, and the room.
A keynote that earns its place on the programme.
Fitness conferences, professional development days, industry summits. Sessions tailored to your audience — not the same talk Richard gave last year.
No procurement theatre. Just a direct conversation.
Send a short message
Tell me who you are, what you're working on, and where you'd like a second opinion. The form below is enough — no proposal templates, no discovery decks.
A free first call
We talk for 30 to 45 minutes about the situation. If I'm the right fit, we'll discuss how to work together. If I'm not, I'll tell you who is.
Agree the shape
Hourly, retainer, project, speaking brief — whichever fits the work. Clear scope, clear price, no long lock-ins beyond the published minimums.
Get to work
You get direct access, real judgement, and clear next moves. Most clients reach out before the next big decision lands on their desk — that's the value.
A speaker who has stood in those rooms.
From the World Health Organisation in Geneva to industry launches across Asia, Europe, and North America. Selected past engagements:
Before you write.
Do you work with small studios, or only large fitness centres?
Both. The studio retainer is priced specifically for smaller operators ($500/wk), and PT-level support runs lower again. The work is the same calibre — only the scope differs.
Are you available outside New Zealand?
Yes. Most advisory, mentoring, troubleshooting and advocacy work is delivered remotely and clients sit across NZ, Australia, and further afield. Speaking engagements happen in person or virtually depending on the event.
Can we just start with one conversation?
That's how most engagements begin. The initial consultation is free. Plenty of clients use a single hour of troubleshooting or mentoring and leave with what they came for. There's no obligation to extend.
How quickly can you start?
For troubleshooting and one-off mentoring, usually within a few business days. Retainer engagements run on a small, deliberately limited roster — there's a waiting list at times. Reach out and I'll tell you where things stand.
Do I need to know which service I want?
No. Describe the situation in your own words and the right format will be obvious in the first call. Sometimes that's an hour. Sometimes it's a six-month retainer. Sometimes it's a referral to someone better placed.
Is the speaking the same talk every time?
No. Sessions are written for the specific audience, format and outcome you're booking for. Whether it's a 20-minute keynote or a half-day workshop, the brief shapes the talk.