Episode 314: Growing An Employee Movement & Engagement Platform - with John Barron from GoChallenge

In this episode of the HR business marketing podcast, A Better HR Business, Ben and his guest, John Barron, Co-Founder & CEO of GoChallenge, explore how a gamified movement platform is helping teams boost wellbeing, deepen engagement, and build stronger company cultures.

GoChallenge is a science-backed HR tech platform that uses team-based movement challenges to improve employee wellbeing, prevent burnout, and strengthen workplace culture. It helps HR and People & Culture leaders increase engagement and build more connected hybrid teams through simple daily physical activity that fits into the workday. Unlike traditional fitness apps, GoChallenge is designed specifically for organisations - requiring no gym, equipment, or extra time outside work routines.

Trusted by organisations such as Tirlan, DocuSign, Gartner, Red Hat, and Three Ireland, GoChallenge delivers measurable impact across wellbeing, performance, and retention. Users report reduced stress and improved productivity, while companies see stronger cross-team connections and alignment with ESG and CSR goals. The platform is easy to deploy at scale and is built on behavioural science to make workplace wellbeing both effective and engaging.

You’ll hear practical strategies for how to attract HR consulting clients, running a workplace consulting business, and business growth strategies for consultants. Whether you identify as HR, workplace, L&D, OD, recruitment, or people & culture, you’ll discover real stories and actionable advice to attract clients, win contracts, and grow sustainably.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

Insights on the power of movement-based challenges to build workplace connection and engagement
How to use inclusive wellbeing programs to appeal to HR and people & culture leaders
Lessons from GoChallenge’s growth - scaling through values-led marketing, partnerships, and proven client results

Episode highlights:

The inspiration behind GoChallenge and the real obstacles to regular exercise.
Building movement, motivation, support, and accountability into workplace initiatives.
The role of meaningful workplace connection - why it’s essential for wellbeing and performance.
Employee stories: From workplace rivalry to authentic relationships through team challenges.
How GoChallenge works for employers: challenge formats, inclusivity, and rewards.
Creating a level playing field to boost engagement across all abilities.
Bringing company values to life and examples of running challenges globally.
Marketing and business development: blending conferences, LinkedIn, partnerships, and charity tie-ins.
Outbound selling and value-driven messaging to busy HR professionals.
Practical challenges of scaling, integrating with existing platforms, and keeping things simple for buyers.
The role of internal comms teams and having a plug-and-play “playbook” for successful implementation.

Marketing and Business Growth:

John outlines a two-pronged approach to growing GoChallenge: attending conferences and events for traditional networking and lead generation, alongside leveraging the visibility of successful client challenges on LinkedIn, often with video content and charity partnerships.

The GoChallenge team uses targeted outbound email, focusing on company values and pain points. They emphasize the importance of being easy to work with and integrating seamlessly with existing HR and comms tech stacks. Plans for further growth include partnering with benefits providers and health insurers for wider distribution.

Resources & Links Mentioned:

Company’s website: www.gochallenge.com
John’s LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/johnrbarron

Thanks, John!

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About The A Better HR Business Podcast

The A Better HR Business shares strategies, tactics, success stories, and more about marketing for HR consultancies and marketing for HR tech companies, and how to get more clients.

Follow the show on Apple Podcasts or Spotify so you don’t miss future episodes.

For show notes and to see details of our previous guests, check out the podcast page here:

www.GetMoreHRClients.com/Podcast

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