The $100M Opportunity in Fitness Nobody's Talking About | Alan Thompson | The Owner Seat

In this episode of Season 2 of The Owner Seat – formerly The Valisights Podcast – Fractional CFO Albert Ramos sits down with Alan “The Train” Thompson, Founder & CEO of Groe Solutions, to unpack what happens when you combine Marine Corps discipline, data science, and human performance.Groe Solutions is a fast-rising B2B SaaS company working at the intersection of gyms, the military, and health systems – using AI, behavioral science, and community design to drive real-world performance outcomes, not just more dashboards.Alan is a Marine Corps veteran turned data scientist who went from preparing to open his own gym to building infrastructure for the next decade of human performance – across defense, VA, and commercial fitness.In this episode, we cover:How the Marine Corps shaped Alan’s approach to leadership, pressure, and executionWhat it’s really like to raise capital as a veteran founder in the early stagesHow Groe Solutions is building the data + AI backbone for the “new war on fat”The reality of pitching investors when you’re the underdog – and what actually gets their attentionHow Groe connects DoD, VA, and commercial wellness into one performance ecosystemWhy Alan believes wearables are overhyped – and how Groe focuses on behavior change and community insteadThe leadership lessons from leading Marines and leading engineers, and how trust gets built in both worldsIf you care about the future of performance – from soldiers to athletes to everyday members – and how AI can enable it without losing the human element, this episode is for you.🔗 Work with Albert / Get the PlaybookWant to be on the show or explore working with Albert Ramos?→ Book a CFO Strategy Callhttps://calendly.com/albertramosjr-strategointel/youtube-podcast→ Apply to be a guest on The Owner Seathttps://calendly.com/albertramosjr-strategointel/youtube-podcast📘 Get the Stratego CFO Playbook→ Download the free Stratego CFO Playbook for Fitness & Wellness Brands and see how Albert builds 13-week cash flow, unit economics, and AI-powered finance systems: https://forms.gle/EEhiyiw1K4EkvDQc9🌐 Connect with Albert→ Connect on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/albertramosjr/→ Learn more about Fractional CFO services for fitness, wellness, HALO, and multi-location brands:https://www.strategointel.com/If you’re a $1M–$30M fitness, wellness, HALO, or multi-location operator and you’re serious about fixing cash flow, cleaning up QuickBooks, and getting real finance strategy (not just bookkeeping), this is where you plug in.👤 About the Host – Albert RamosAlbert Ramos is the Founder of Stratego Intel Consulting, a Fractional CFO firm built for fitness, wellness, HALO, and multi-location brands. He helps owners and finance leaders:Fix cash flow leaks with 13-week cash forecastsClean up and rebuild their QuickBooks + finance stackUse AI to automate reporting and forecastingBuild investor-ready financials for growth, M&A, and roll-upsAlbert has led $200M+ P&Ls, overseen 200+ locations, and managed 3,000+ employees across the fitness and wellness ecosystem — blending financial precision with AI so owners can scale without losing control of their numbers.