Game DayPerformance
Peak performance for leaders — when it matters most.
The habits, discipline, and mindset that build championship fitness brands don't stay in the gym. They apply everywhere great leadership is required.
- VASA Fitness
- Starbucks
- In-Shape Health Clubs
- EMEA · 30 Markets
- Latin America
A Fitness Mindset for Executive Performance
The greatest athletes in the world don't just show up on game day. They train deliberately, recover intentionally, build elite teams around them, and execute under pressure with precision. The best leaders do the same thing — they just call it something different. At Game Day Performance, we bridge those worlds.
"The habits that build a 700,000-member fitness company aren't gym-specific. They're leadership habits — and every executive can develop them."
Services
Strategic advisory for boards and CEOs of consumer, fitness, and multi-unit businesses — drawing on 30+ years of operating, governing, and transforming companies at scale.
- CEO performance and accountability
- Board governance and board-CEO dynamics
- Growth strategy and market expansion
- Organizational transformation and restructuring
- PE-backed company advisory (Letter One, Audax experience)
Operational and commercial due diligence for investors and boards — an operator's eye on the management, culture, and execution risk the spreadsheets don't capture.
- Management team and leadership assessment
- Operational and commercial diligence
- Culture, talent, and organizational risk
- Value-creation thesis and 100-day planning
- Post-close leadership and integration support
Proven executive leadership on demand — stepping in to run, stabilize, or scale a business when it needs a seasoned operator at the helm without committing to a full-time hire.
- Interim CEO during leadership transitions or searches
- Turnaround, restructuring, and return-to-profitability leadership
- PE-backed operating leadership and value creation
- Scaling multi-unit and consumer brands
- Building the team and handing back a stronger company
One-on-one coaching for CEOs, C-suite executives, and senior leaders who want to perform at their highest level — consistently, not just when it's easy.
- Leadership identity and executive presence
- High-stakes decision-making frameworks
- Physical and mental performance habits
- Managing transitions and inflection points
- 90-day, 6-month, and annual engagements
Structured programs for executive leadership teams that want to operate like a championship unit — aligned, high-trust, and built to win together under pressure.
- Team cohesion and trust-building intensives
- Shared operating rhythms and accountability systems
- Culture design and Great Place to Work frameworks
- Talent development and succession planning
- Off-site facilitation and team coaching
Rich Nelsen
Rich Nelsen spent 30+ years building, scaling, and transforming premium multi-unit consumer brands — and he did it by treating leadership like an athlete treats training. Deliberate. Disciplined. Relentlessly focused on culture, team, and execution.
As CEO of VASA Fitness from 2017 to 2026, Rich led one of the most remarkable growth runs in the U.S. fitness industry — scaling from 26 to 70+ clubs, growing membership from 209K to 700K, and building a studio innovation model (STUDIO RED, FLOW, LFT, and PILATES) that set a new industry standard. At the same time, he built a culture that earned Great Place to Work certification four consecutive years, with employee favorability scores 20 points above the industry average.
Before VASA, Rich served as CEO of In-Shape Health Clubs and spent 13 years as a senior executive at Starbucks — including President/GM of EMEA (30 markets, 775+ stores) and SVP/GM of Latin America. He knows what it takes to lead at scale, across cultures, and through complexity.
Game Day Performance is built on everything Rich learned building and governing world-class organizations — and a deep belief that the fitness mindset that produces elite athletes produces elite leaders, too.
What Leaders Say
What I value most about working with Rich on the board is that he completely skips the fluff. Rich has an incredible ability to look at a complex, highly challenging operational issue, cut through the noise, and ask the exact questions that pull everyone back to reality. Rich was a real partner when we took on a major turnaround project in one of our portfolio companies, working with the CEO and exec team while in parallel instilling a lot of confidence with the fund. He was a significant factor in working with both the CEO and investors to turn around the company and rebuild the board to the right makeup.
I think the biggest point is that Rich doesn't just show up for high-level strategy—he actually understands how the business moves on the ground. If you need a board member who holds executive leadership accountable while giving them the practical clarity to actually execute, plus the backing and confidence to do that, Rich is that person.
I've had the opportunity to work with Rich in three very different settings: alongside him at Starbucks, as an advisor to his team at VASA, and now with him on the Destination Pet board. Rich is smart, experienced and strategic. But what stands out most is his composure and judgment when the stakes are highest. Whether he is chairing a distressed business through a turnaround and back to profitability, or helping a growth company scale, Rich prepares like an athlete getting ready for game day. By the time the pressure arrives, he has already done the work, thought through the issues, and is ready to lead. I would unequivocally recommend him to any board or CEO looking for that kind of experienced, trusted counsel.
Rich Nelsen is the quintessential operational leader. Having worked with Rich off and on for over 30 years, I can attest that he is one of the sharpest operators that I have ever encountered. He has a no-nonsense approach to managing multi-unit operations and approaches challenges in the field with detailed analytics to ensure a successful outcome. A strong believer in Key Performance Indicators, Rich has an uncanny ability to think strategically, yet still manage the details tactically. Without hesitation, I would not only endorse Rich, but would welcome our next project together.
Ready to Perform?
Whether you're a CEO looking for a performance edge, an executive team ready to operate at a higher level, or a board seeking strategic counsel — let's talk.
Send a Message
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