When we look at what makes a successful partnership, a lot of it is based on values and how you work as individuals; you've got to like the person, you've got to want to help them, the service they provide has to be different and you need to provide to the same end customer for it to be sustainable, but there have got to be some value and lifestyle matches too. 

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If you connect over going out for beers because you live in the same city, that's okay. If you connect over the fact that you both support the same football club, that's fine. 

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Everybody tends to have some sort of anchor in every single relationship that they have, but when we think about how your friends change over the years, it’s because your life changes and therefore the people you want to surround yourself with does too as you start to want different experiences and new challenges.   

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So I think people's friendship groups change over time because there are different anchors at every stage in their lives, whether that be "we've all got kids at the same age”, “all of our kids have left home”, “we've retired”... that anchor changes over time.

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Whereas health and fitness isn’t an activity you do and it’s not limited to a period of time, it’s a foundational measure for our entire lives whether it’s something you choose prioritise or not. 

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It’s in our level of movement, the foods we consume and the way we choose to look after our bodies. 

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When people think of fitness communities, they can think it's about elite fitness - it's not.

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It's simply about wanting to do something that's hard for 45 minutes or an hour, multiple times a week, no matter where you are in your life or what you have going on.  

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There are people of all ages, from different walks of life, different demographics, fitness abilities, shapes, sizes, but nobody really cares about that because you're so in your own lane and focused on achieving the best that you personally can achieve. 

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Once the workouts are done and the endorphins are flowing, that’s when you look up. You’re all tired and sweating, but you’re congratulating each other becuase you understand what the other is feeling. 

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That’s why prioritising health and fitness is one of the best foundational values to have in common in a relationship. It’s focused on growth, development and community - successful partnerships are exactly the same. 

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But it’s also something that runs deeper than the score at the weekend or a few laughs shared over jokes you can’t remember; it’s real relationships built on wanting the best for each other. 

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When that carries into your business, and is something you look for first in your partnerships, the impact that has on both a personal and pipeline perspective is massive.

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