331. Josh Whalen, Co-founder & CEO of Joi + Blokes

April 1, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Samsung launches blood pressure tracking on select Galaxy Watches in U.S., requiring calibration with traditional cuff to monitor hypertension affecting half of U.S. adults Lucille Health launches high-protein shake for seniors targeting $6.2B meal replacement market as 20% of Americans will be over 65 by 2030 Whoop raises $575M at $10B valuation backed by Abbott and Mayo Clinic, hitting 2.5M+ members and $1.1B run rate with 103% sales growth More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → [email protected]

March 31, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Eli Lilly signs $2.75B deal with Insilico Medicine for AI drug discovery, expanding on $1B Nvidia co-innovation lab to turn GLP-1 profits into next-gen pipeline California jury finds Meta and Google liable for youth social media harms, awarding $6M in damages focused on product design like infinite scroll and autoplay Create Wellness raises $20M Series B after selling 100M+ creatine gummies and growing 4x last year, expanding beyond athletes into everyday well-being More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → [email protected]

Today, I'm joined by Fritz Lanman, CEO of Playlist.   Operator of ClassPass and Mindbody, Playlist's recent merger with EGYM forms a $7.5B company spanning AI, hardware, and software, with a mission to modernize booking, corporate wellness, and membership management.   In this episode, we discuss building the wellness industry's full-stack operating system.   We also cover:   Raising $785M from Vista, Temasek, and L Catterton Setting the platform's boundaries and roadmap The anti-tech tech company philosophy   Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast  Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe  Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider    Website: www.playlist.com  ClassPass: www.classpass.com  Mindbody: www.mindbody.io  EGYM: www.egym.com  The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart fitness ecosystem for fitness and health facilities.   Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/  Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/  Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/    Chapters:   (00:00) Introduction (01:36) EGYM merger announcement (02:41) Industry validation moment (03:20) Tech outsider perspective advantage (05:52) Communication challenges with industry (07:05) AI adoption hesitation and diffusion (09:56) AI throughout platform history (11:41) Operating system vs. co-pilot (13:24) AI investment surprise and acceleration (15:50) Transformer paradigm capabilities (17:35) 175K lines of code in eight weeks (18:40) Anti-tech tech company philosophy (20:58) Platform boundaries and roadmap (23:29) Speed of change impact on planning (26:10) Agent-driven onboarding and configurations (28:13) Long-term societal impacts (29:40) UBI and wealth concentration questions (31:03) Industry macro optimism (32:20) Experience economy and human connection (33:40) Conclusion

Here's the podcast description for March 27, 2026: March 27, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: WSJ reports consumers now take 20+ supplements daily spending $1K+ monthly, with SuppCo data showing average user spends $168/month but half of 500+ products fail label claims Longevity hotel market expected to grow from $7.6B in 2026 to $11.7B by 2030 as properties shift from wellness amenities to core health platforms eMed raises $200M at $2B+ valuation with Tom Brady as investor and Chief Wellness Officer, helping employers manage GLP-1 use through supervised platform Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more. More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → [email protected]

March 26, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Study of 53K+ adults finds small lifestyle changes—11 minutes sleep, 4.5 minutes activity, modest diet improvements—reduce cardiovascular risk by 10%, jumping to 57% when combined On names co-founders David Allemann and Caspar Coppetti as co-CEOs after revenue surpasses $3.8B up 30%, but guides to slower growth ahead PwC projects global women's health market will surpass $600B by 2030, expanding beyond fertility to include chronic conditions and diseases affecting women differently Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more. More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → [email protected]

March 25, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: World Happiness Report finds youth well-being declined in English-speaking countries with heavy social media use emerging as major factor, particularly on algorithmic platforms Technogym reports €1B+ in 2025 revenue up 13%, with commercial business rising 15% driven by demand for healthy longevity and strength training for GLP-1 users Andrew Huberman predicts GLP-1 use could expand dramatically over next five years as consumer health shifts from tracking to intervention with personalized protocols Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more. More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → [email protected]

March 24, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: CivicScience finds health and wellness only category where Americans plan to increase spending, while Gallup reports one in three cutting essentials to cover healthcare costs Nutrafol grows 23% in 2025 pushing sales close to $1B, with 80%+ revenue from repeat purchasers and expansion into men's 50-plus products Danone acquires Huel for $1B+, adding plant-based meal-replacement brand to portfolio following Kate Farms acquisition as Big Food chases wellness Today's episode is brought to you by AIIR — a modern communications and experiential agency for health, wellness, fitness, and performance brands. From earned media to events and creator-led campaigns, AIIR helps companies sharpen their story, earn attention, and build trust that compounds. Visit https://aiir.agency to learn more. More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → [email protected]

Today, I'm joined by Josh Whalen , co-founder and CEO of Joi + Blokes.   A modern health optimization platform, Joi + Blokes offers online consultations and diagnostics for hormonal balance, energy, libido, metabolic issues, menopause, longevity, and more.   In this episode, we discuss delivering personalized care for both sexes.   We also cover:   The evolving peptide landscape Building a 503A compounding pharmacy Research and vertical integration as differentiators   Subscribe to the podcast → insider.fitt.co/podcast  Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe  Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider    Website: www.joiandblokes.com  Instagram (Women): https://www.instagram.com/joiwomenswellness/  Instagram (Men): https://www.instagram.com/getblokes/    -   The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart fitness ecosystem for fitness and health facilities.   Fitt Talent: https://talent.fitt.co/  Consulting: https://consulting.fitt.co/  Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/    Chapters: (00:00) Introduction (01:37) Background and founding story (02:44) Personal health crisis (04:36) Patient experience (06:38) Differentiation (07:40) AI as co-pilot (09:49) Diagnostic with solution mandate (11:15) Energy and fatigue (12:43) Fundamentals over innovation (14:32) Personal TRT journey (16:54) Peptide compounding regulation (18:25) Regulatory rollercoaster (19:49) Building a 503A compounding pharmacy (23:23) Land grab & retention race (24:40) Community-driven product expansion (26:17) AI apps & traditional clinician care (27:50) Vertical integration priorities (28:30) Research focus (29:33) Where to learn more (30:12) Conclusion

March 20, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Service-based tenants account for 50%+ of U.S. retail leasing for first time, with gyms making up 30% as fitness and wellness drive retail growth Celsius hits $2.5B revenue in 2025, up from $75M seven years ago, as energy drinks expand beyond one-off boost into meals and social settings Sweetgreen pushes higher-protein items and Function Health partnership, with CEO aiming to build "Spotify for food" recommending meals based on health data More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → [email protected]

March 19, 2026: Your daily rundown of health and wellness news, in under 5 minutes. Today's top stories: Lifesum research finds 92% of Americans believe ultra-processed foods are engineered to be addictive, with 49% backing tobacco-style regulation L Catterton reportedly seeking to sell Thorne for up to $4B after taking it private in 2023 for $680M, signaling premium health brands drawing serious buyer attention Oura hires Apple senior director Brian Lynch as SVP of hardware engineering, adding to leadership team including former Apple health executive and designer More from Fitt: Fitt Insider breaks down the convergence of fitness, wellness, and healthcare — and what it means for business, culture, and capital. Subscribe to our newsletter → insider.fitt.co/subscribe Work with our recruiting firm → https://talent.fitt.co/ Follow us on Instagram → https://www.instagram.com/fittinsider/ Follow us on LinkedIn → linkedin.com/company/fittinsider Reach out → [email protected]