Behind the Horns

Mark Balint, NOBULL’s Footwear Design Director, joins Michael and Marcus for a virtual conversation about how the team has adapted to collaborating while social distancing, bringing the United in Movement Trainers from ideation to production in less than two days, and their evolving design and development process.

(1:07) United In Movement Trainer. 

(7:20) Collaborating while social distancing. 

(10:26) Jared’s Floral Shop.

(11:30) Building product collections.

(17:13) Product development.

(21:31) Evolving product categories.  

(24:11) Finding new ways to work.

Co-Founders, Michael and Marcus, connect from hundreds of miles apart to discuss how they’re adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic as husbands, fathers, athletes, and business leaders.  They discuss making decisions rapidly, settling into new routines, and how NOBULL is working hard to give back.

(2:00) Adapting to a new way of working.

(7:40) Making new routines. 

(14:28) Focusing on design and business optimization. 

(21:06) Growing from new challenges.  

(24:56) United In Movement.

(28:50) What NOBULL is doing to give back.

Marcus and NOBULL Athlete, Will Grier, catch up on life as a husband, father of two girls, and Carolina Panthers Quarterback.  They discuss how Will balances the transition into the NFL with his family and as an athlete. Hear more about Wills dedication as a husband and father while training as a professional athlete year round.

(0:57) Who is Will Grier?

(1:25) Balancing family & football.

(3:46) Specialization in sports. 

(5:09) In-Season & Off-Season training.

(8:01) Sleep. 

(10:44) Joining the NOBULL Team. 

(13:13) Transitioning to the NFL. 

(14:18) Off-Season plans.

Michael and Marcus sit down with Jared Stevens, one of NOBULL’s first sponsored athletes, to talk about how their relationship started, Jared’s Floral Shop, and being part of the NOBULL Team.

(1:15) Jared’s introduction to NOBULL.

(7:35) Jared’s Floral Shop.

(12:21) Not taking things too seriously. 

(14:03) Day in the life. 

(15:28) Being part of the NOBULL Team.

Michael and Marcus dive into the topics of strain, recovery, and sleep with Will Ahmed, Founder and CEO of WHOOP, a wearable fitness tracker that uses a holistic approach to interpreting data to help users better understand how their bodies function.  WHOOP began with a focus on helping professional athletes learn how to treat their bodies and has partnered with many major sports organizations. Today, WHOOP not only helps professional athletes, but applies to people in their everyday lives, including CrossFitters, youth athletes, and CEOs.

(1:08) WHOOP’s mission. 

(7:03) Generating revenue.

(9:09) Making data digestible. 

(11:12) Recovery. 

(14:08) Sleep. 

(18:29) Health. 

(19:42) Nutrition. 

(22:52) Wearable technology.

(28:32) WHOOP for CrossFitters. 

(30:09) Expanding outside professional athletes.

(31:44) Youth athletes. 

(33:05) What keeps you up at night?

(34:58) Maintaining company culture. 

(39:13) Will’s travel tips.

Michael and Marcus sit down with Matt O’Keefe, President of Sports at Loud And Live.  They discuss Matt’s involvement as an athlete manager for some of the top CrossFit athletes, his journey as an entrepreneur, and the transferable skills he’s learned through CrossFit.

(1:18) Athlete management. 

(1:45) Loud And Live. 

(3:40) Journey as an entrepreneur.  

(10:12) Changes in CrossFit.

(13:14) Preparing athletes for success.

(14:57)  Lessons learned from CrossFit. 

(16:16) Personal training schedule.

(18:54) Are we proud of this?

@loudlivesports

@okeefemr

loudlive.com

wodapalooza.com 

Michael and Marcus catch up with Sam Kitching & Dan Williams, Owners and Co-Founders of WIT Fitness, a London-based training retailer and brand.  They discuss doing whatever it takes to get the job done as entrepreneurs, creating brands that consumers connect with, and pushing the envelope in the CrossFit space. 

(1:10) What is WIT?

(2:53) Whatever It Takes. 

(3:40) Evolution of WIT. 

(6:44) Experiential retail.

(8:27) Creating a destination for athletes.

(10:01) Prioritizing fitness and training. 

(12:00) Overcoming obstacles.

(14:56) Building successful partnerships.

(17:54) Leading a team. 

(20:07) Entrepreneurship.

Michael and Marcus sit down with Leora Hafri, the Executive Director of Steve’s Club, a national non-profit organization that brings fitness, nutrition, and mentorship to at-risk and underserved youth.  Leora shares information about the 22 Steve’s Club programs currently operating nationwide, their annual leadership camp, and powerful testimonials from participants. 

(0:51) Steve’s Club National Program  

(4:35) Impact of CrossFit.

(10:45) Leora’s involvement.  

(12:43) Evolution of Steve’s Club.

(14:20) How to get Involved https://stevesclub.org.

Michael and Marcus sit down with Brooke, Katrin, and Tia prior to the Fitness Film Festival to discuss their experiences with filming Who I've Always Been, and also with Todd Meleney, VP of Marketing, after the premiere to catch up about the inspiration for the film and how it was created. 

(00:35) Todd discusses the first-ever Fitness Film Festival and the premiere of Who I’ve Always Been. 

(3:13) Tia discusses the whirlwind few months since joining NOBULL. 

(20:35) Todd talks about the creation of the film by a team of ten on three continents. 

(22:07) Katrin describes her experiences filming in Austria and Iceland. 

(39:23) Todd explains the More Than Influencers Mural reveal. 

(40:24) Brooke discusses being More Than an Influencer and her introduction to NOBULL.

(49:37) Todd reacts to the Fitness Film Festival.

Michael and Marcus talk with NOBULL Athlete, Sam Dancer, about the evolution of their friendship and sponsorship and about how Sam balances fitness and service.

(1:23) 2015 East Coast Championship.

(6:38) Life in a van.

(8:27) Importance of Working Out and Working In. 

(11:15) Breathwork (The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick G. McKeown). 

(16:31) Continuing education and holistic lifestyle coaching. 

(19:57) 2020 CrossFit Games preparation.