DREAM 2021 On Demand – Virtual Summit for Fitness and Wellness
Last Updated on 17 October, 2025
Our first annual DREAM Virtual Summit for fitness & wellness professionals was a huge success. We couldn’t have made DREAM a reality without the support of the entire WellnessLiving community.
From beginning to end, it truly was an event to remember, with an amazing all-star panel of 14 speakers and four incredible sessions of practical advice. You even got to connect with like-minded entrepreneurs in the industry.
Hosted by Julian Barnes—Co-Founder and CEO of Boutique Fitness Solutions (BFS)—everyone had a blast throughout the jam-packed afternoon of fun, education, and networking.
DREAM featured many of the top thought leaders and innovators in the fitness & wellness industry, providing you with tips, insight, and inspiration to:
- Evolve you and your business.
- Expand your marketing/sales mindset.
- Build and manage a successful team.
- Run a hybrid business that stands out from your competitors.
What are the best memories etched from the event? Let’s take a quick look back at DREAM and what you need to know from each session.
ABC: Availability, Building, Connection. How Our Industry Can Do Better
We kicked things off with Emma Barry, the Co-Founder of Good Soul Hunting. To recap, Emma taught us:
- How availability can evolve you and your business.
- Why building upon lessons learned from industry leaders is important.
- What connection, support, and investing in yourself can mean to the success of your business.
Mindset to Measured Results—A 360° View of Sales & Marketing
Next up Julian moderated a panel of sales and marketing experts that included:
- Beth Bishop—the founder of The Phoenix Effect
- KK Hart—CEO of Hart Marketing & Communications
- Josh Biro—Founder of Yogapreneur Collective
- Lise Kuecker—CEO of Studio Grow
All in attendance were able to walk away with strategies to:
✅ Shift toward a simple and impactful marketing mindset.
✅ Execute a solid game plan for lead generation and client retention.
✅ Build a roadmap to create strong sales processes and reduce churn.
Building & Managing a Team in a Post—”Hustle Culture” World.
Managing a team is all about leadership, and we had the best leadership and management experts in the fitness & wellness industry. The moderator of this session was Ava Taylor—the Founder and Chief Catalyst of Yama Talent. Others on the panel were:
- Jennifer Maanavi—the CEO and Co-Founder of Physique 57
- Sean Greeley—the Founder and CEO of NPE
- Diva Richards—the CEO and Founder of the Hard Work No Excuses brand and the motivational Do Work Method Program
This session helped you get clear on your role as a business owner. What else did you learn?
- What staff roles are important to your business?
- How to set your team up for success in the onboarding process.
- How to ensure you’re leading and creating the best culture for your business.
The Client Experience of Tomorrow—Hybrid, Hyper-Personalized & Highly Unique
A virtual summit is not complete without talking about a virtual business. Our expert panelists then dug into how to create a hybrid experience that’s unique for your community. Billy Polson—the Founder of DAKADI Fitness and The Business Movement—moderated a panel that included:
- Shay & Barry Kostabi—the Founders of Fitness Career Mastery
- Krishea Holloway—the President of Curves North America and Oceania
- Adam Zeitsiff—the President and CEO of Intelivideo and National Health and Fitness Alliance (NHFA) Advisory Board Member
What are key takeaways from this session?
✅ A connection to your Unique Selling Proposition (USP).
✅ Inspiration and insight to make your member experience unforgettable.
✅ A solid understanding of why your business needs a hybrid offering.
Bonus: an exclusive sneak peek at WellnessLiving’s 2022 roadmap
Missed WellnessLiving’s 2021 DREAM Summit? Want to live DREAM all over again? Watch DREAM 2021 On Demand NOW!
