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.
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."
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.
Structured programs for executive leadership teams that want to operate like a championship unit — aligned, high-trust, and built to win together under pressure.
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.
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.
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.
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