Today I’m joined by Nick Green, CEO of Thrive Market. In this episode, we discuss: Thrive’s business model that’s been described as Costco meets Whole Foods. The importance of increasing access to healthy, high-quality foods. How Nick was able to raise $250M after getting turned down by countless investors. Why he says the company is just getting started. About Nick Nick Green is the co-founder and CEO of Thrive Market, an online market on a mission to make healthy living easy and accessible for...
Nov 03, 2020•40 min
Today, I’m joined by L Catterton Managing Partners Michael Farello & Jon Owsley. In addition to investments in consumer brands across almost every category, L Catterton has been heavily involved in the fitness space investing in Equinox, ClassPass, Peloton, Tonal, and many others. In this episode, we take a deep dive into the future of fitness, including COVID’s impact on gyms and studios, the growth of connected fitness, and the potential for tech companies like Apple and Amazon to get invo...
Oct 27, 2020•43 min
This week, we’re excited to bring you the first episode of Startup Spotlight – a recurring series where we speak with early-stage founders working on fitness and wellness startups. We usually focus on established companies, operators, and inventors — and we’ll continue bringing you those conversations most weeks. But, from time to time, we’re highlight companies at the beginning of their journey. Today I’m joined by Cam Porter — the Founder and CEO of Core. Core is making it easy for fitness ins...
Oct 20, 2020•29 min
Today I’m joined by Randy Hetrick — the Founder and CEO of TRX. In today’s episode, we discuss Randy’s journey from Navy SEAL to inventing the TRX suspension trainer. The company’s “triple threat” of innovative products, professional education, and fitness content. And why Randy believes TRX represents a more accessible approach to exercise than more expensive connective fitness options. About Randy Randy Hetrick is the founder and CEO of TRX Training, one of the world’s leading fitness brands. ...
Oct 13, 2020•34 min
Today I’m joined by Jason Baptiste, CEO of STUDIO. STUDIO is a smart hub for your home gym. In this episode, we discuss STUDIO’s transition from a fitness app to connected hardware. How digital fitness companies can build community online. Business model innovation in the fitness industry. And whether or not gyms will go the way of movie theatres and arcades. More from Jason Jason is the CEO and co-founder of STUDIO, the smart hub for your home gym. STUDIO is the one immersive screen that connec...
Oct 06, 2020•31 min
Today I’m joined by Lionel Conacher — Managing Partner at Next Ventures. Next Ventures is a venture capital firm investing in companies focused on human optimization across sports, fitness, and wellness. In this episode, we talk about how Lionel teamed up with Lance Armstrong to start the firm. Emerging opportunities in hydration, AI, and skin sensors. And why companies like Apple, Amazon, and Google are entering the health and fitness space. More on Lionel Lionel Conacher is a life-long multi-s...
Sep 29, 2020•37 min
Today I’m joined by Keith Nowak, CEO of Ten Thousand. Ten Thousand is an athletic apparel brand for men. In this episode, we talk about how Keith’s athletic background and experience working venture capital inspired him to start the company. His laser focus on building an industry-defining brand for guys. And how they’ve managed to grow quickly while also achieving profitability. More from Keith Keith Nowak is the co-founder and CEO of the New York-based men's activewear brand, Ten Thousand. Pri...
Sep 22, 2020•33 min
Today I’m joined by Holly Maloney. Holly is the Managing Director at General Catalyst In this episode, we discuss Holly’s focus on growth-stage investments in the fitness and wellness space, why General Catalyst led Tempo’s $60M Series B, and Holly’s “Management, Market, Model” framework for evaluating deals. Get to know Holly: Holly Maloney is a managing director at venture capital firm General Catalyst. She works with GC’s Executives-in-Residence (XIRs) to create a new business or identify an ...
Sep 15, 2020•30 min
Today I’m joined by Josh Augustin. Josh is the CTO of Tempo — a smart home gym that uses computer vision to track your form in real-time. In this episode, we discuss the company’s origin story as a product designed to be used in the gym. How they pivoted to at-home fitness. The recent $60M funding round that valued the company at $250M. And the future of the connected fitness category. Get to know Josh: Josh Augustin is the Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Tempo since 2014. Born and ra...
Sep 08, 2020•35 min
Today I’m joined by Mike Maser. Mike is the CEO of Big Sky Health, the company behind the fasting app Zero, Oak, a mindfulness app, and Less, an app for mindful drinking. In this episode, we discussed Mike’s experience starting FitStar and selling it to Fitbit. How his personal battle with cancer led him to fasting and, ultimately, becoming CEO of Zero. And we talk about his plans to turn Big Sky Health into a platform for science-backed longevity products. About Mike Mike Maser is the CEO and f...
Sep 01, 2020•33 min
Today I’m joined by Matt Taylor, CEO of Tracksmith In this episode, we talk about what it takes to build a brand from the ground up, using storytelling to cultivate community, and Matt’s ambition to make Tracksmith a generational company. Let’s get into it. About Matt: Matt Taylor is a runner. From high school track meets to racing cross country and steeplechase at Yale, Matt learned to relish the challenge of competition and the delayed gratification inherent in the sport. After graduating, Mat...
Aug 25, 2020•35 min
Today I’m joined by Dayton Miller, Managing Partner at Boulder Food Group. In this episode, we talked about investing in better-for-you brands, breaking into food and beverage, the four variables Dayton looks for in a startup, and where the category is heading next. About Dayton: Dayton previously co-founded Function, a venture-backed health and wellness beverage company, which Dayton built from idea-conception to $20 million in retail sales until its acquisition by Sunsweet Growers, Inc. Prior ...
Aug 18, 2020•28 min
Today I’m joined by Bill Shufelt, CEO of Athletic Brewing Athletic Brewing makes non-alcoholic craft beer. Back in March, the company closed a $17.5M Series B funding round. In today’s episode, we talk about the rise of mindful drinking, making non-alcoholic beer cool, and how Bill was able to raise money from 60 angel investors for a pre-product, pre-revenue company. About Bill Schuflet >> Bill Shufelt is the founder of Athletic Brewing Company - the first brewery in the country dedicated...
Aug 11, 2020•31 min
Today I’m joined by Paul F. Austin. Paul is the founder of The Third Wave — a resource for safe and responsible use of psychedelics. In today’s episode, we discussed where psychedelics fit in the broader wellness industry, the shift from industrialized medicine to personalized medicine, and what the “Equinox of psychedelics” might look like. More from Paul >> Paul F. Austin is an entrepreneur, public speaker, and educator. He has founded two companies in the emerging psychedelic space, The...
Aug 04, 2020•39 min
Today I’m joined by Josh Clemente, the Founder of Levels — a metabolic fitness company. In today’s episode, we talked about continuous glucose monitoring and using Levels to unlock real-time feedback on lifestyle choices, like what you eat, how you exercise, and the quality of your sleep. We also discussed Josh’s plan to make metabolic fitness mainstream in hopes of tackling diabetes, obesity, and chronic ailments. About Josh Clemente >> Josh, Founder of Levels, is a mechanical engineer an...
Jul 28, 2020•36 min
Today I’m joined by Jason Feldman. Jason is the CEO of Vault Health — a performance healthcare company helping men optimize their well-being. In today’s episode, we talked about the barriers preventing men from accessing care, the difference between telehealth and online pharmacies, the company’s pivot to COVID testing, and why Jason believes men’s health is just the beginning for Vault. More from Jason >> Jason Feldman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Vault Health - a fast-growing startup pro...
Jul 21, 2020•32 min
Today I’m joined by Nate Forster. Nate is the CEO of NEOU, a platform for streaming and on-demand fitness. In this episode, we talked about how NEOU plans to become the Amazon of fitness, including its digital platform, a 20,000 square-foot production hub in New York City, and content partnerships with a growing number of fitness instructors and brands. Let’s get into it. More from Nate >> Nate Forster is a former professional tennis player turned entrepreneur. Nate started his career in h...
Jul 14, 2020•31 min
Today I’m joined by PJ Nestler. PJ is the Director of Performance at XPT Life — a performance lifestyle system developed by Laird Hamilton and Gabby Reece. In this episode, we discussed the breath, movement, and recovery methods used at XPT. The rise of the high-performance lifestyle. And how XPT has used retreats, coaching certifications, and its consumer app to grow the brand. More from PJ >> PJ is a human performance specialist with over 13 years of experience preparing top athletes fro...
Jul 07, 2020•33 min
Today I’m joined by Mark Gainey. Mark is the co-founder and Executive Chairman of Strava, a global community of athletes with more than 50M members. In this episode, we discussed Strava’s business model, including freemium access and paid subscriptions, the company’s focus on putting the athlete first, and Mark’s plan to make Strava a multi-generational company. More from Mark >> Mark has been building successful companies for 20+ years. He currently serves as the co-founder and executive ...
Jun 30, 2020•37 min
Today I’m joined by Fritz Lanman the CEO of ClassPass. In this episode, we talk about why the company changed its business model and pricing over the years. The opportunity for growth in areas like corporate benefits, wellness experiences, and streaming workouts. What makes ClassPass worth $1B. And Fritz’s plan to take the company public. Let’s get into it. More from Fritz >> Fritz Lanman is the CEO of ClassPass and previously served as Executive Chairman. He has been involved with the com...
Jun 23, 2020•38 min
Today I’m joined by Carl Daikeler, the co-founder and CEO of Beachbody, In today’s episode, we discussed the evolution of at-home fitness, transitioning from VHS tapes to streaming content, the role and criticism of multi-level marketing, and building a billion-dollar-a-year business. More from Carl >> Carl Daikeler is co-founder, Chairman, and Chief Executive Officer of Beachbody, LLC. In his pursuit to maintain his own health and fitness, and find a solution for the growing obesity epide...
Jun 16, 2020•41 min
Today I’m joined by Marc Zionts. Marc is the Executive Chairman of Precision Nutrition — a leader in nutrition coaching and education. In today’s episode, we talk about the company’s focus on behavior change, the decision to develop software tools to help nutrition and health coaches automate their business, and the importance of deep health to overall well-being. Let’s get into it. More from Marc >> Marc Zionts, an executive, athlete, and environmentalist and has been successfully leading...
Jun 09, 2020•37 min
Today I’m joined by Tobi Pearce the CEO of SWEAT. Along with his wife Kayla Itsines, Tobi and the team at SWEAT are building the world’s largest female fitness community. In this episode, we talked about his journey from personal training to creating a digital platform. We also discussed customer acquisition and retention as it related to growing SWEAT’s user base. And Tobi shared his thoughts on fitness in a post-COVID-19 world. Let’s get into it. More from Tobi >> Tobi Pearce is the Foun...
Jun 02, 2020•32 min
Today I’m joined by Andrew Dudum. Andrew is the founder and CEO of hims & hers — a telemedicine company offering a modern approach to healthcare. The company has raised nearly $200M in funding and its last public valuation was north of $1B. In today’s episode, we talked about the disruptive potential of telemedicine, the difference between wellness and healthcare, how hims & hers was able to launch an FDA approved at-home test for COVID-19, and Andrew’s plan to become a public company wo...
May 26, 2020•39 min
Today I’m joined by Gilad Jacobs. Gilad is the founder of NormaTec Recovery— a leader in recovery and compression technology. NormaTec was recently acquired by Hyperice where Gilad will serve as the Chief Innovation Officer. In this episode, we talked about how NormaTec got started, how the Hyperice partnership came together, and the role data and personalization will play in the future of performance. Let’s get into it. More from Gilad >> Gilad Jacobs is the founder of NormaTec Recovery a...
May 19, 2020•45 min
Today I’m joined by Trent Ward. Trent is the CEO of FORME Life — a new connected fitness company combining a Mirror-like display with the strength training elements of Tonal. In today’s episode, we discussed FORME’s design-forward product, their approach to content and talent, and how the idea of omnichannel fitness is transforming the industry. Let’s get into it. More from Trent & Forme Life >> Trent Ward is the founder and CEO of FORME Life. He realized first-hand that a busy lifesty...
May 12, 2020•33 min
Today I’m joined by Paul Bowman. Paul is the CEO of Wexer — a leader in digital fitness focused on connecting gyms with members anywhere. In today’s episode, we talked about personalizing digital fitness offerings, how COVID-19 is accelerating the shift to omnichannel fitness, and how AR and VR will impact the industry. Let’s get into it. More from Paul & Wexer >> Paul Bowman is a passionate fitness industry professional who serves as CEO of Wexer, the global leader in the world of vir...
May 05, 2020•30 min
Today I’m joined by Sadie Lincoln. Sadie is the co-founder and CEO of barre3. In today’s episode, we talked about building an authentic community, why the fitness industry isn’t working, and Sadie’s thoughts on the future of barre3, including the role of technology, private equity, and strategic partnerships. Let’s get into it. More from Sadie >> Sadie Lincoln is the co-founder and CEO of barre3, a fitness company focused on teaching people to be balanced in body and empowered from within....
Apr 28, 2020•40 min
Today I’m joined by Abby Coleman. Abby is the CEO of Territory Foods, a healthy meal delivery service offering personalized meals prepared by local chefs. In today’s episode, we talked about Abby’s experience at Amazon, how Territory Foods uses data to improve its platform, and how she plans to scale the company’s meal delivery platform. Let’s get into it. More from Abby >> Abby is the CEO of Territory Foods, a chef-prepared pre-made meal delivery service that creates nutritionist-approved...
Apr 21, 2020•34 min
Today I’m joined by Marco Crespo. Marco is the Global Chief Commercial Officer at Gympass. In today’s episode, we talked about Gympass’s three-sided marketplace, why the company won’t pursue a direct-to-consumer model, and how they’re innovating in response to COVID-19. More from Marco >> Marco Crespo is the Global Chief Commercial Officer of Gympass, where he is responsible for overseeing strategic operations, partner relationships and sales in all markets. Prior to this role, Marco serve...
Apr 14, 2020•37 min
