The Bottom Line: Steve Padis

Six questions with Steve Padis, the CFO and executive vice president of strategy for Barry’s.

1. How did you get your start in the fitness industry?

Although I was active and played sports growing up, I don’t think anyone in my inner circle would’ve predicted I’d one day be leading a fitness company. The real catalyst was my partner, Kelli — a D1 cross-country runner raised in a family who did things like Turkey Trots on Thanksgiving. After college, while we were dating, she was training for an Ironman, and I had a moment of self-reflection. Our lifestyles were diverging fast. That’s when I started lifting again at a local LA Fitness and quickly fell back in love with the discipline and how working out made me feel. As our relationship grew and we got engaged, I knew I needed to add cardio to my routine to feel my best on our wedding day.

Around that time, we were living in Marina del Rey when Barry’s opened in Venice in February 2017. I drove by and remembered knowing an instructor from the Bay Area. We signed up for a class. That first 50-minute class was equal parts exhilarating and humbling — I nearly met my maker — but the post-class high was undeniable. I was hooked. I started taking classes regularly, and not long after I was serendipitously approached about a role at HQ. I wasn’t looking for a career change, but I loved the brand, the workout and the community so much that I went for it. After meeting Joey — CEO at the time, now executive chairman — and the leadership team, I joined in January 2018. I’ve never looked back.

2. What’s been a key to your organization’s success? What are you most proud of?

I think it really comes down to three things: the quality of our workout, our facilities and our people. I genuinely believe Barry’s offers the best workout in the world — simple, effective, and rooted in the fundamentals of cardio and strength training. Our studios are beautifully built and meticulously maintained. That’s a credit to our design and construction teams who bring them to life, our facilities team who keep them running seamlessly, and our brand and operations teams who ensure every touchpoint — from amenities to staffing — reflects our high standards. But the truth is, all of that is replicable.

What isn’t replicable — and what makes Barry’s truly special — is our people. The GMs and hourly team members who build community every day. The instructors who are the best in the business and know how to connect, push and inspire. What makes me most proud is hearing stories from family, friends and clients about their Barry’s experience — not just how great the workout was, but how it felt. Even more meaningful are the moments when clients share that Barry’s has genuinely changed their lives. That’s the magic.

3. What has been one of the biggest accomplishments of your career?

In January 2025, we completed a strategic investment with Princeton Equity Group, marking the exit of our previous private equity partner, North Castle Partners. Helping lead that process from start to finish is something I’ll carry with me for the rest of my career. It was an intense and rewarding journey — one that required a tremendous amount of work, collaboration with outstanding advisors and the forging of strong relationships. Most of all, it was a pivotal and energizing moment for Barry’s. I’m thrilled about what this means for the business. The investment gave us a clean balance sheet and a fresh start — exactly what we needed to reignite the growth this brand deserves.

4. What has been one of the biggest challenges you’ve faced in your career? How did you overcome it?

Anyone who was in the fitness industry in 2020 knows how hard it was — the COVID-19 pandemic was an incredibly challenging time, and it took years to bring the company back to full strength. What helped us through was leadership and focus. Joey, who’s an exceptional culture-bearer and leader, kept the team grounded in what mattered most: our community. Through Zoom workouts, outdoor classes and constant touchpoints, we stayed connected to our clients and maintained the spirit of Barry’s, even when our doors were closed. That connection is what allowed us to sprint out of the gates the moment it was safe and restrictions lifted. We didn’t just reopen — we came back with momentum; thanks to the trust we had built and the culture we never lost.

5. What is one lesson you have learned that other fitness professionals can learn from?

Being based in Omaha, Nebraska — a market where we don’t operate a Barry’s — it’s easy to become disconnected from the day-to-day experience and lose sight of the “why” behind what we do. That’s why, whenever I’m in market, I make it a priority to take a class. That experience instantly reconnects me to our purpose. Seeing Barry’s through the eyes of a client — the energy, the community, the impact, etc. — reenergizes me and often sparks my most meaningful ideas. The biggest lesson for me is this: never lose touch with how your clients actually experience your business. Staying close to the customer experience is where the best insights — and inspiration — tend to live.

6. Tell us a fact about yourself others may not know.

I have three beautiful children, all under the age of five — so free time is in short supply these days. When I do get a moment to myself, I love to golf and have been lucky enough to notch two hole-in-ones over the years.