Kirk Meyers

not reinventing the wheel. What you're doing is you're bringing that personal experience to the forefront and making it about the absolute best customer service. Now let's get into it. Welcome to another episode. Take me back to like personally. So you're born in Missouri, yes, good coal? Yeah, Kansas City, Missouri, Yes, so one there and I lived there until it was thirty. Actually, so I love Kansas City. Uh, other than the Chiefs, I actually don't like the Chiefs. Was kind of ironic,

summeraders Van, But I do love Kansas City. Did you did you go to college? Yes? So I went to the first school I went through was very hard to get into. It's called Blue River Community College. Not a lot of applicants, No, So I mean it was just community college. So like, basically I made terrible grades in high school, barely graduated for the most part, and then I made straight a's and community college. So so then I got a scholarship to go to a four year school.

Since I graduated from University of Missouri Kansas City, it's like two thousand and two or three, because I got sick during that time period. So it's kind of all vague and kind of yeah, that's kind of a blur at times. So what do you want to do when you graduated? I was originally going to be an elementary teacher, so my dad's elementary principle. My mom used to be a teacher. I just wanted to do something that was rewarding.

So I had worked at like this after school program like part time, like when I was in high school, and and so I really liked it because it was fun, right, and my dad was a principal. I was terrible at um managing though, like the kids like they would walk all over me, which is somewhat similar to uh dog Pound employees sometimes, but it is like the managing part has never been like my passionate love, but anyways, so it's gonna be an elementary teacher throughout the way. Like

I got sick. So I used to be really chunky. I think you know this right, how much did you weigh at the peak there? I kind of quit wing and at over the three hundred pound barrier. Stop checking, stop checking. Yeah, so so I would say, like, you know, a little over three d pounds, but I'm only five five, you know, uh on a good day. So I mean

I'm pretty sure. So uh So, basically this is when I was sixteen or so, so I was pretty chunky, and I was pretty like chunky most of my life, but it really as started packing on the pounds, putting on the carbs, and in high school, mostly with chocolate milk for the most part, lots of chocolate milk, lots of chocole milk, like and outrageous chocolate milk. So I would drink up the two gallons a day. Actually yeah, so, but I thought it was it was skim chocolate milk.

So in the Midwest, yeah, you thought that that was like just not fat supers totally. Yeah, the results didn't look like that, but but there's a ton of sugar. Yeah, so are you okay talking about your your illness. Sure, yeah, some of my the worst things that have happened to me have been the best things that could have happened to me. So, um, I graduated community college, got my associates degree, right, and I moved actually went to Southwest

Missouri State which now called Missouri State. When I was there, I started, like, um, I thought I had like mono basically because I started sleeping a lot, I started coughing a lot right as and I didn't really know what was wrong. But my roommate, you know, called my parents and they kind of like kidnapped kidnapped me and saved me. So um, so I went to the hospital, right, and they said I had a cardiomeopathy, which is an enlarged

heart and congestive heart failure. So that was actually a total blessing in disguise because you know, I was overweight. It wasn't really that confident, right and uh and so it's like that was a shocking moment, right, But then I was kind of forced to lose the weight. So I'm lucky because a lot of people like basically they have to just kind of set their own discipline to

lose weight. But I was kind of like just ever die, yeah, basically, so that actually really pushed me to lose the weight and specific like watching my food and changing my diet and then just changing my lifestyle and so but over the course of six months or so, I started feeling a little bit better. And then I just started walking, right, and that was kind of meditative for me. And then I started doing the gym, which I did in high school just was like more powerlifting style, So this was

like just a different style of training. So then I learned how to do that, and I really learned a lot about food. Right, So, just like anything in life, like, I started gaining momentum, right, and I think momentum is key with most things, right, it's just like your career, like you do one thing at least the next and next.

So I lost ten pounds and it was twenty pounds, right, and forty, and then people are starting to compliment you, and then you feel better, and so it just kept kind of growing a confidence a little bit, a little bit, a little bit a little bit, and then so I just started steamrolling then to the point where I lost over a hundred pounds, right, crazy, you get this all from walking and going to the gym and watching what you eat. Yes, yeah, so and it it took itn't

It took a while. It took a little over two years, and I was pretty young, so that probably helped me, right, like from one to and so what had happened is I was going to school to be an elementary teacher. So I decided to, um switch it. Yeah, I decided to when my friends were asking me how I lost weight, So I started helping them, right, and then I just realized it was super rewarding. They're almost proud of you for helping them, right, so U So yeah, and then

I decided to become a trainer. So um, and that was pretty much right out of college. And how did you figure out like how to charge people, especially because a lot of your first clients were we're friends. I've always been bad about that, including now, right, I really have been, because but the money always flows if you're doing something you love and you're doing at high quality.

And that's that's always been my mentality and it's always worked, right, So because what happens is you get referrals, right, so and other people want to be a part of it. Yes, So it almost doesn't even matter of who you're company, whether they're known or they're work at the Delhi down

the street. Right, It's like when someone makes results, people start talking about it, people ask about it, and yeah, then you get friends and and other people tend to start then asking you how much it is, and then and then you don't really know them, so then you can charge them like a fair rate, you know. So yeah, so that's kind of how it all worked. And so how did you get to New York. It seems like

your life was pretty great. You're set, you lost all that weight, You're in Missouri, You're you're helping everyone in Missouri lose weight. It was until I would say late twenties I got kind of like, uh uh cocky, right, Like I don't have no idea why because I'm I don't know how trainers get cocky, but but I did myself. So now I kind of realized that, right, my ego got to me a little bit because when you were in Missouri, yes, which is I know it's cancer to Missouri, buty.

But what happens is for the first time, I was like, um, dating girls, right, and then then like I was going out, Sure, I started starting the party, right, and I had like, uh, fancy car, a nice car, and I had like this nice loft right, And so basically like I was trying to be someone I wasn't. Right. I was trying to be cool, sure, I mean I like not thinking that

who I was was cool, if that makes sense. Was trying to we're a totally different person than the person you grew up as, Yes, and then people treat you differently, which is amazing, But that doesn't mean you should change who you are, right, I mean, of course we should all grow and change and learn. But I think I

was trying to be um, like a party guy or something. Right, So I started going out a lot so, which is not good for me because I have like a very passionate I used to call it addictive personality, but but it is. It is just passionate, right. It's like I get really into things without even realizing it. Chocolate milk as an example, right, um, losing weight as an example. Working, you know, I work the tause I'm just totally into it.

Tattoos is an example. I get really into things, which is great if it's something good, but uh, if it's drugs and partying it's not so good, especially if you've had past heart problems issues and you're trying to build a career. Right, Both those things tend to crumble if you do a lot of drugs. So, um yeah, So basically I I I started, Um, I got sick again, basically the same heart. Yeah, but this time it was worse right in theory, right, Um, So this when I

was thirty, because I have congestive heart failure. So they said I was in the fourth stage of it, which is like the last stage, right, So they would say I needed a heart transplant, and my it's called an injection for action was super low. It's like how your heart pumps. Yeah, yeah, and I couldn't work, right, I didn't have health insurance. Um. I was in the r for like thirteen or fourteen days, right, And so I came out thinking I would just bounce back, but it

just never really happened. So, um, you know, I basically lost everything I had. I mean, it saved up a decent amount of money for me. It wasn't that I mean, it's all perspective, right, but for me, it was a

lot of money. I kind of blew through that just with like the hospital bills that and also like really honestly, not to be dramatic, I just didn't know how much time I had left, and I didn't really care at that time, you know, so uncause I lost my car, that's my place, right, you know, I was really sick. So I moved in with my sister, uh, and I moved to Memphis, Tennessee. So anyways, so I was there. I was there for about a year, and I started

feeling better. So it's a keep. Um. I had lived in New York for like ten years or eleven years, and we got in a fight when I got really sick because he's my older brother and he's like yeah, and like, so we had gotten in a fight. So we had been in better. Terms were not great, and I was still at this time period in my life. I'm just trying to uh, you know together totally and do things like, you know, like relationships that I that were important. I was trying to bring them back, right.

So I moved here for I was only going to be here for two or three months. I just didn't want to move back to Kansas City quite yet, right, So I came here to like switched up a little bit. See your brother stay here, and no one wanted me to move here. F y. I mean especially with your history, you probably say. And this for sure. I also had zero dollars, right, that's also not very helpful when you

moved to New York. But my sister had got given me, you know, three d dollars or so, and like she got me this membership to this meditation place that you could do all the time, So I would do that all the time. Um, just crashed with your brother. And then my mom actually had a uh someone that because she has like an orphanage and Africa other stay, she had a place that was kind of given to her part time. So I actually stayed there initially and then then I would after that, I kind of stay with

my brother for a little bit. Um. But basically after the three months, I started feeling better. So then I decided to train. And so what did you go to first? So at first, um, the irony is I got a job at David Barton Gym. But they wanted me to work any other ironies, They wanted me to work uh full time, right, which like uh if if if you know me, I usually like full times, no problem, right, But I was like that was too too much, right

because I because I couldn't commit to it. I didn't know how long it was gonna be, how you know. I was just kind of getting my health back. So I ended up getting a job at a small gym. It was more of like, uh, you know boutique gym. Was that the superstar gym? No, that was prior to that?

Is it different? Was a different gym, Um and so and I just started working part time a couple of days a week, and of course they became five days a week, and I became every day a week, and then uh you know, soon I was like, um, like one of the head trainers. Right, this is like within a pretty quick um, within a year, I would say, But you still didn't have it in your mind to start a business or do anything. Now. I was here

like buying time doing personal training because that's what you mean. Yeah. My goal was just I love training and it made me feel good. I just wanted to do it. Right. Why do you think some of those early clients in that Shim and Soho took to you as a guy from Kansas City, Missouri who was just sort of here

figuring things out. I think one is because I was genuine too, is because I was passionate and I really actually I wanted to help help people, right, So like if you came to me about training, I would be totally into it, right. So it's at goals and we like, I'm make sure you're accountable and like people like you. Yes, So I think I think that's mostly mostly people can tell if you're really into something, and so I think that's and training that's all the all the differences being

really nice. It's a service industry, right, making sure you're accommodating what they want. I was renting space out of a bunch of gems, right. So you kind of started your kirk Meyer's Fitness. Yes, it was like the relaunch of kirk Myer's Fitness until you started a website. I started a website and you just kind of put yourself out there is this personal trainer, and you would work out with anybody anywhere where. You going to people's houses

and the apartments and stuff. And I postcards that like Captain Kirk that were quite ridiculous. I really just wanted tend clients. Right when I started home clients, that was it. Totally happy tend clients, and I want to start a kids program. That was the two things. And so I wrote down the list and then I wrote down some dream list. And I knew that if I got a big name, that would help, right, because it gives you credibility.

So I started like looking at other trainers that had gotten big names before, and like we kind of looked them up and how they did it right and so but I really just wanted to take clients and you would meet them anywhere any gym. Yes, you just wanted them under the kirk Myer's Fitness brand. Yeah, so what But what happened was like two clients came four, became eight, became sixty really quickly, I had thirty forty clients right by yourself. Yes, because a part of it is like

stars aligning and putting it out there. I made these ridiculous postcards right, put them everywhere. Guaranteed no one signed up from these postcards. But the fact that I was going out doing this, it was like it was taking action and I want yes, And like it's also like a universe thing, right, like a run into you know, I ran into. I picked so the ironies like Adam Guy or you know Adam He started training with me because he saw me walk around the neighborhood. But the

irony of Adam right, Adam's partner Jeff knew you. Jackman's bodyguard Brian, and so that's eventually how I started training Hugh Jackman. Right, And Hugh Jackman was your first celebrity clients, and that was the name that puts you out there in the industry and in your client base. And yeah, yeah that that that was but for the biggest person. But I always knew, and I would always say, like,

these ridiculous things they're looking back. I was like, well, what if I'm training Beyonce right and the Rock and they both come at the same time, right, You know, you have to have people to help you, because at that time I started hiring trainers help and like I had zero celebrity. I'm like naming like the biggest names, right, But it is kind of crazy because then we've had a situations like this happened where two big people, right or super at the same time. Totally we're like booking

the same things. So but but but Hugh was definitely the the first big one and and such a big impact because he's so nice and then he had friends yes, and he brought them all. But you got known around town is um as you know, Hugh Jackman's trainer, and you guys had this group and then other people would follow along who came up with dog Bound. So it was really kind of huge thing because he would bring

the dog. He brings his dog to the workouts, right, and so it's kind of like a joke kind of like yes, like so that group got known as the dog Bound. It was the early morning David Barton in yes, in the village group, and so he would come like Nigel and sometimes bring his dog right before he moved the entry. Yeah. Nigel Parker, Yeah, yeah, Nigel is great. He was so nice. And Nigel would just come around and criticize everyone's you know, like I'm so much stronger

than me. I think part of it was that was like it felt like a football team or right, or any type of sports right, and Nigel was the perfect person because he's picking on everyone. It didn't it didn't go who was right. So I remember like meeting you the first time, you're this guy, uh, you're covered in tattoos, like that's cool, and then there's Hugh Jackman over there. I'm like all right, so wolverines here, and then you've got Nigel Parker, um uh, you know, like one of

the biggest fashion photographers in the world. And then it's like Tom Farley, the CEO of the New York Stock Exchange, you know. And then you've got big traders over year and then there's like a model over there, and like what what is happening? Like this is not you know, yeah, no, I think we've been so fortunate with That's our biggest strength,

by far is our our clients, right uh. And that's why I talked about talk upon a lot right building community, building community and community, and like that's what makes the world go around. That's why cities exist. Right. People like to and around that group of people and before you know it, they put a building up. That's a big thing for anyone that's that's watching and listening that doesn't know I mean dog no one, I think maybe other than me. Dog Pound was not a gym where you

just go and work out. You go there to personal train. That's it. You go there, you book of time, everyone clocks in and you go personal train. So it's a personal training gym. When we didn't want memberships, right because then people are just kind of floating around, especially with um uh with privacy and right, yeah, and I think

even that's a big business decision. I mean, you think with the gym, if you think about the classic gym business model, you want a thousand gym memberships, right, because

you're collecting that revenue every month. But then you know they're not all gonna come, it's gonna rain, they're gonna sleep in, and so then you're just looking at kind of like you know, cost per space and figuring out all of those KPIs, the metrics, and you probably took the riskier route of saying, now we're not gonna take recurring revenue that way, We're just gonna be totally personal training. But we're also not going to give everyone the personal

trainer they want every single time. That was the other thing that was a big thing there. It's like, well, I'm gonna work out of ten. It's like, okay, well you can't have him. We're gonna give you, uh, you know, we're gonna give you Christian, right, so we're gonna give you someone else. And everyone sort of said, okay, if I worked out here, that's how it's done here, and it's totally fine. No, And I think, like, and you

paid the trainers salaries, yes, didn't pay them. They weren't like then incentivized by this or that they come in And some of the what I've noticed, I was trying to be very innovative and some of these things worked. Some of them not as much as I would like, uh, but some of them I think that can be tweaks. But I think the goal of the right when we opened the gym, I think my confidence start, you know,

I started raising the bar. The gym was never were uh, it was always meant to be bigger than just the four walls of the gym, right, So, like, because you can only make so much money from that anyways, even if you're making money off of every corner. Right. So I think a part of it is what I knew what we were good at, and I wanted to stick

with that. And if you like, you know, we did boxing classes at the beginning initially, but but it would overcrowd the space, right and the one on ones weren't as effective and people would complain, right, so we we took those away. Right, So I think, um, uh, the the one on one model, right, we've always kind of stuck to and the the irony is that actually definitely went in our benefit is now covided, right, and like, yeah,

no totally. So it's like, um, so we still have not executed on how to scale it, but we definitely have the vision on how to scale. It's just a matter of execution, timing and these things. But uh, but I guess to go back to your question that that business decision, I think, um, yeah, I was always pretty stubborn about that because you know, even the people that had invested, we're trying to convince me otherwise. And the other thing I was stubborn about, which I'm lucky to

be stubborn about. It wasn't like I was a genius by doing it, just some of it was just good timing, is is. I didn't want a bunch of dog bounds, right. I didn't want to scale because everyone, when we started getting really hot, was like, Okay, we're gonna try to make ten of these things, right. But uh but I was always like no, no, right, So we're very cautious on opening. So how many how many fund raising rounds have you done? Now? So we did the uh, the

Angel round, right. It was actually called A, but it's really the Angel round. So uh, and then I would call it a Series A to get l A. So those too, we had to do a note during COVID right to just get a long runway and also to kind of hope build out some of our digital platform which we're currently working on. And so we're about ready to do our biggest fundraise, which is super exciting. Uh,

you know, the within uh the upcoming months. Really it may some of them maybe get pushed to quarter one, but it will probably within the next few months, you know. So and so what's next for dog Pound? What's next for dog Pounds? So we're opening We're planning on opening in Doha, Qatar before the World Cup. So we're hoping totally random third location, but no problem. But I love New York l A. Yeah. So, but I like doing things outside of the box. But that is outside the

box more importantly here. Like I would think you'd say Miami, yeah, that's a possibility, but personally, Doha all the way over Miami over any any city. To be honest with you, because you have you have Qatari investors, we do, but for me, it's not even that. It's not like they're begging us or making us good. I just really like it. They're actually the people there are so nice, community is so strong, they're very smart. When you're that rich, it's

easy to be that nice. Probably, But I remember when the first time I was in the Middle East, not to get you off or like, our driver was like, so what are the people here? Like, It's like you have two types of people here, rich and super rich.

He's like, oh yeah, god, yeah, okay, that's hilarious. Actually, but the people I know are very very good people, great people, uh and um uplifting right and so um and also thinking about ways to improve all the time and ways to change things and ways to to uh to help the world. Right. So I also think that they're um, we we we we can we can help some of the youth. I mean the United States needs as well for sure for sure. So not open dog pound kids, Yes, I think we can do stuff to

help kids. Dog pound is not Also just be clear, it's not cheap. It's not cheap. How much does it cost to work out it at dog pound? You know, like if you go in there today, like standard package which you have printed. I know we bumped our rates up and it's it's so bad because I don't even know these rates, but I know it's a lot, or it can't be a lot because sometimes I've seen the numbers over of course the time, and I'm like, wow,

people are really into this. But I think it's like you charge a lot, but you it's it's like that, uh you know, it's like the Joker in the Dark Nights, like when you're good at something, don't do it for free, but you ask a lot. I mean it's it's it's pricey, but then people pay it. It's like if you build it, they will come there and they will pay you. Thanks man, thanks for coming through. Thank you, this is great. Big

Money Energy is hosted by me Bryan Sirhand. It's produced by Mike Coscarelli and Joe Lorreesca, an executive produced by Lindsay Hoffman. Find more podcasts like Big Money Energy on the I Heart Radio app or wherever you get your podcasts.