Powered by purpose: Ivar Hayward on building FitLife into a 12-year success story, on his own terms

Описание: “Create the life you want. Build a business that fits.”

For this episode of The Octiv Sweat Equity podcast, join us as we visit Ivar Haywood, owner of FitLife Paarl, who transformed his CrossFit-only gym into a thriving all-inclusive fitness community over 12 years.

Ivar shares his journey of adapting through industry shifts, surviving "the dip" that really challenged him, and building a hybrid model that puts family and community at the heart of everything. From designing an inspiring offering to creating a trademark model that supports other gym owners, Ivar reveals how staying true to your values and leaning into intuition can build something truly special.

Key themes:
From CrossFit to hybrid model: Adapting and evolving your business model to meet changing market demands
Community-centric design: Creating an all-inclusive space where families can spend time, not just work out
Surviving "The Dip": Navigating the brutal middle years when most gym owners want to quit
Values-driven business: Building around family, community and accessibility
The FitLife trademark model: Scaling through a flexible franchise-style approach that handles backend operations for independent gym owners
The power of intuition and presence: Developing business intuition through time in the trenches and learning to be fully present
“The right tech partner changes everything.” How Octiv and FitLife have evolved together