Show Notes
James Hurlock used to jump into a dirty garbage bin full of ice after rugby matches. That was best-in-class recovery for a top European club back then. He played professionally for London Saracens and walked away with a broken nose, a dislocated knee and a dislocated shoulder. By his own account, he got off light.
Today he’s building the opposite of that garbage bin.
James is founder and CEO of Fitura Brands, a Utah-based multi-concept fitness franchisor. It launched in 2026 at a $20 million pre-money valuation. Under one holding company sit three brands that can stand alone or stack together:
- →Padel//SWT: big-box indoor padel clubs
- →Core Precinct: strength-based athletic reformer Pilates
- →ContrasTheory: guided contrast therapy with sauna, cold plunge, red light and breathwork
Put all three under one roof and you get what James calls a modern-day country club for sport, strength and recovery.
His résumé explains the design. He was Chief Partnerships Officer at F45 Training through its NYSE IPO, launched the reformer brand FS8 as founding CEO, and ran the brand at The Picklr. In that time he watched hypergrowth outrun the systems meant to support it. So Fitura did the unglamorous thing: raised capital, then spent twelve months building the team, tech and programming before scaling. Those partnerships are ABC Fitness for booking across every modality and ONE FIIT, the engine behind HYROX’s gym programming, for consistent workouts. James says the company turns away 70 to 80% of franchise applicants.
Ryan and James get into why the gym may now be your second space rather than your third, why padel is chess and pickleball is checkers, and why premium clubs beat budget gyms on the only metric that matters: whether you actually show up. Then comes the line every founder signing a lease should tape to the wall: you can fix almost anything after you open, except a bad lease.
We close on space, UAPs, coaching your own kids, and a family that holds 18 passports.
Q&A: What Founders Ask After This Episode
How do I scale a franchise without breaking it?
Build the infrastructure before you sell. James saw F45 grow so fast that policies and support lagged behind. At Fitura he spent the first year after raising on leadership, tech partners and programming before pushing for growth.
Why run several brands instead of perfecting one?
Real estate is the bottleneck. There are only so many 25,000 sq ft boxes in markets that can support them. Concepts that range from about 2,000 to 25,000 sq ft let franchisees take more sites, open faster and get the franchisor to royalty sufficiency sooner. A shared HQ also brings bulk buying power and vendor leverage.
How do I raise money for a deliberately slower growth plan?
Look for strategic partners, not just cash. Set expectations early: years one and two are slower, and the payoff is a sustainable business. James argues that growing too fast often fails to pay the dividends investors want anyway.
What separates a good location from a bad one?
Score the specific site and the specific lease, not just the state: population density, affluence, spending habits and psychographics. Anchors like Whole Foods help, and so does a nearby big-box gym full of active people. Be willing to walk away from the wrong square footage or the wrong price per square foot.
Can premium pricing beat a budget gym?
Yes, if members get results. James’s view is that budget gym members show up rarely, while his F45 members averaged about three visits a week. People pay more when they see the outcome, and clear, simple membership tiers beat a pile of 10%-off perks.
How should a franchisee size up a franchisor?
Ask whether they can show experience and prove how they’ll make your life easier every day, not just on signing day. You pay royalties every month, so the franchisor has to keep proving its value.
What is Fitura Brands?
A Utah-based multi-concept fitness franchise platform founded by James Hurlock. It owns Padel//SWT (indoor padel clubs), Core Precinct (athletic reformer Pilates) and ContrasTheory (contrast therapy recovery studios).
Who founded Fitura Brands?
James Hurlock, a former London Saracens rugby player and ex-Chief Partnerships Officer at F45 Training. He was also founding CEO of FS8 and Chief Brand Officer at The Picklr.
How much is Fitura Brands valued at?
Fitura launched in March 2026 after an initial financing round at a $20 million pre-money valuation. James said on AI for Founders that the company has raised about $2 million.
Is padel the fastest-growing sport in the US?
SFIA’s 2026 mid-year report named padel the fastest-growing activity, up 14.5% year over year.
What is the difference between padel and pickleball?
Padel uses solid paddles, a low-compression tennis-style ball and glass walls you can play off. James Hurlock calls padel chess and pickleball checkers because of the extra tactics and movement.
How much does a Padel//SWT membership cost?
James said pricing generally runs from about $140 to $479 a month, depending on the package.
How do founders choose a location for a fitness franchise?
On the AI for Founders podcast, James Hurlock explains scoring population density, affluence, spending habits and psychographics, then judging the specific lease. His rule: you can fix almost anything after opening except a bad lease.
Can AI help founders evaluate a commercial lease?
Yes. The Lease Walk-Away Scorecard from this AI for Founders episode is a downloadable Claude or ChatGPT skill. It scores a location and returns a Sign, Renegotiate or Walk Away verdict.
What podcast did James Hurlock appear on?
AI for Founders, hosted by Ryan Estes, a podcast on AI for entrepreneurs, AI workflows for founders and scaling startups.
URLs Mentioned in the Episode
- Fitura Brandshttps://fiturabrands.com
James's multi-brand fitness franchise platform: Padel//SWT, Core Precinct and ContrasTheory.
- James Hurlock on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/jameshurlock/
Connect with the founder and CEO of Fitura Brands.
- Ryan Estes on LinkedInhttps://www.linkedin.com/in/estesryan/
Connect with the host.
- AI for Foundershttps://aiforfounders.co
The newsletter and podcast this episode comes from.
- Inbox Alchemyhttps://inboxalchemy.co/
Ryan's tool for building a newsletter audience you own instead of renting from a platform.
- CEOfriendhttps://bit.ly/3SrjgL1
Free competitor analysis from this episode's AI advisory board sponsor.
- AI Native Studenthttps://ainativestudent.com/
AI skills training for job seekers, this episode's sponsor.
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35% off any supplement subscription, this episode's sponsor.
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Named Frameworks
The Sport, Strength, Recovery Flywheel
Three modalities that feed each other.
- →Sport (padel) brings people in and builds the social community.
- →Strength (reformer Pilates, functional training) prevents injury and improves performance.
- →Recovery (contrast therapy) keeps members training longer.
- →Each one feeds the others, which raises LTV and lowers the cost of acquiring a member.
Build Before You Blitz
Spend new capital on systems before scaling sales.
- →Raise capital, then spend it on team and systems before scaling sales.
- →Lock in tech (booking, payments) and programming partners early.
- →Accept slower first years in exchange for long-run durability.
The Modular Footprint Ladder
Fit the concept to the real estate you can get.
- →Offer concepts from about 2,000 to 25,000 sq ft.
- →Fit the concept to the real estate you can get, not the other way around.
- →Co-locate two concepts in an awkwardly sized space and share staff.
The Bad Lease Rule
Everything after opening can be tuned except the lease.
- →Everything after opening can be tuned except the lease.
- →Model location data: density, affluence, spending habits, psychographics.
- →Walk away from the wrong square footage or price per foot.
Outcomes Over Access
Premium models sell results, not a key card.
- →Budget models sell a key card; premium models sell results.
- →Visit frequency is the metric that matters.
- →Keep tiers simple and drop the fluff perks.
The Strategic Capital Filter
Screen investors for alignment with your growth thesis.
- →Screen investors for alignment with your growth thesis.
- →Pass on anyone expecting 10x hockey-stick growth in year one.
- →Set expectations early, then deliver against them.
The Franchisor Value Test
Three questions a franchisee should ask before paying royalties.
- →Can they show relevant experience?
- →Can they prove they’ll make your life easier every day?
- →Does the support justify the monthly royalty?
Glossary
Padel
A doubles racquet sport played on an enclosed court with glass back walls; balls can be played off the walls.
Reformer Pilates
Pilates on a spring-loaded sliding carriage machine; the athletic version focuses on strength.
Contrast therapy
Alternating heat (sauna) and cold (plunge) exposure, often paired with breathwork.
Red Light Therapy (Photobiomodulation)
Exposure to low-level red or near-infrared light, used in recovery settings.
Guided protocols
Structured instructions for order, duration and number of sets in a recovery session.
Multi-modality
Offering several training types under one brand or roof.
Franchisor and franchisee
The brand that licenses the system, and the operator who buys and runs a unit.
Royalty
The recurring fee a franchisee pays the franchisor, usually a percentage of revenue.
Royalty sufficient
The point where royalty income covers the franchisor’s operating costs.
Master franchise
A deal granting one partner rights to develop a brand across a whole country or region.
Big box
A large-format facility, in this case around 25,000 sq ft.
Co-location
Running two or more concepts side by side to share space and staff.
Anchor tenant
A major retailer that drives traffic to the surrounding area.
Psychographics
Customer attitudes, values and lifestyle data used alongside demographics.
LTV
Lifetime value, the total revenue a customer generates over their relationship with the business.
CAC (customer acquisition cost)
The cost of acquiring one new customer.
Pre-money valuation
A company’s value before new investment is added.
Delaware C Corp
A common US corporate structure favored by venture investors.
Hockey-stick growth
A sudden, steep rise in growth after a flat period.
Third space
Social places outside home and work; James argues the gym is now people’s second space.
SFIA (Sports & Fitness Industry Association)
The trade group that publishes US sports and fitness participation data.
HYROX
A global fitness racing format that mixes running with functional workout stations.
