Fitt Insider

Today I'm joined by Juliet and Kelly Starrett, the husband and wife team behind The Ready State – the company that pioneered mobility training.

In this episode, we talk about the evolution of their business, from a CrossFit gym to a Youtube channel and a variety of coaching products, including a digital subscription, educational courses, speaking, and consulting. We also discuss the fitness industrial complex as it relates to the booming fitness industry but widening health gap — along with how Juliet and Kelly think about increasing access and improving outcomes.

More from Kelly and Juliet

Kelly Starrett:

Kelly is the co-founder (with his wife Juliet) and Chief Creative Officer of The Ready State Inc., which pioneered musculoskeletal self-care and recovery. Kelly is also the co-author of the New York Times bestsellers Becoming a Supple Leopard and Ready to Run and the Wall Street Journal bestseller Deskbound. Kelly was also the co-founder of San Francisco CrossFit, the 21st CrossFit affiliate. Kelly consults with athletes and coaches from the NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLB the US Olympic Team and CrossFit works with elite Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard forces, and consults with corporations on employee health and well-being. Dr. Starrett's work is not limited to coaches and athletes; his methods apply equally well to children, desk jockeys, and anyone dealing with injury and chronic pain. He believes that every human being should know how to move and be able to perform basic maintenance on themselves.

Juliet Starrett:

Juliet Starrett is an entrepreneur, attorney, author, and podcaster. She is the co-founder and CEO of The Ready State Inc, which has pioneered musculoskeletal self-care and recovery. She is also the former co-founder and CEO of San Francisco CrossFit, one of the first 50 CrossFit affiliates. Juliet is the co-author of the Wall Street Journal Bestseller, Deskbound and co-host of The Ready State Podcast. Before turning her attention to The Ready State and San Francisco CrossFit full-time, Juliet was a professional whitewater paddler, winning 3 World Championship and 5 national titles. She also had a successful career as an attorney, practicing complex commercial litigation at Reed Smith for nearly eight years.

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Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast on the business of fitness and wellness.

Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Chip Hawkins, Founder and Chairman of Wahoo Fitness — a fitness technology for indoor cycling and endurance training.

In this episode, we discuss Wahoo's evolution from a single product used to track cycling stats to an indoor bike trainer and now a variety of devices and accessories for endurance athletes. Chip also talks about his approach to product development and the importance of staying innovative. Plus, we look at the opportunities and challenges in content, software, and building a fully integrated platform.

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Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast on the business of fitness and wellness.

Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Bryan Myers, the President & CEO of [solidcore] — a Pilates-based boutique fitness brand with more than 70 locations across the US.

In this episode, Bryan talks about transitioning into the CEO role earlier this year. Then, we discuss COVID's impact on the business, raising new capital to support expansion, and [solidcore]'s digital partnership with Equinox+. Bryan also shares his approach to building culture and persisting through the pandemic.

More from Bryan

Bryan is the President & Chief Executive Officer for [solidcore] boutique fitness and a trained [solidcore] Coach. In his role as CEO, Bryan is responsible for setting and executing strategy focused on growth and building a strong, inclusive, and nationwide community of clients and employees.

Prior to joining the [solidcore] team as COO in 2018, Bryan was a member of the leadership team of sweetgreen, the national leader in the healthy fast-casual category. He joined sweetgreen in 2014 as Director of Finance and, over the course of 4 years, wore many hats including his final role as VP of Development, helping the company grow from a regional chain of 22 restaurants to 90 locations nationally. Bryan began his career as a consultant for The Boston Consulting Group, providing strategic advice to Fortune 500 companies on topics of growth, organizational design, and operational transformation.

When Bryan isn't sweating it out on [sweatlana], you can find him immersed in the many, amazing performance venues in the DC area. Bryan is also passionate about finding ways to give back to the community and currently serves on the Board of the Ridley Scholars Foundation, an organization that provides financial and mentorship support to high-achieving African-American students.

In 2020, Bryan was recognized by the Washington Business Journal as a Minority Business Leader honoree.

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Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast on the business of fitness and wellness.

Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Mark Mullett and Ashley Mills, the co-founders and co-CEOs of obé — a premium digital fitness platform offering live and on-demand workouts.

In this episode, Mark and Ashley explain how their background in talent management and experience at CAA led them to start obé. We discuss the role of content, community, and instructors on the platform, as well as the company's plan to host in-person events. And we talk about obe's new $15M funding round that included CAVU Venture Partners, Athleta, WW, and Samsung NEXT.

Fitt Insider also invested in obe's latest round. We're excited to support the company as they continue to expand the platform.

More from Mark and Ashley

Mark is the Co-Founder and Co-CEO of obé, a premium at-home fitness platform that offers live and on-demand workouts. An entertainment industry veteran, Mark has spent 10+ years representing television's top talent and content creators across different platforms. Mark began his career at William Morris Agency on their television and lifestyle team before accepting a position at Creative Artists Agency (CAA) in 2014. He has worked with household names such as Dr. Oz and Nick Cannon, multimillion dollar brands such as Bethenny Frankel's SkinnyGirl and content creators such as Machete, while working closely with content providers such as Bravo, Food Network, and Fox.

Ashley is the Co-Founder of obé, a premium at-home fitness platform that offers live and on-demand workouts. An entertainment industry veteran, Ashley spent the last 10+ years representing television's top talent and content providers across network and digital platforms. Ashley began her career at Creative Artists Agency (CAA), and eventually came to lead the lifestyle talent department, where she was responsible for recruiting top talent, building out television and digital platforms and overseeing endorsement and licensing businesses.

Mark and Ashley spent the greater part of their careers selling programming to a millennial-minded consumer, developing a deep understanding of what she values. As exercise fanatics, they quickly realized a large portion of this demographic was being underserved in the fitness category. This consumer wanted access to varied, premium fitness experiences led by the best talent in the business that didn't come with a Park Avenue zip code or price tag. Mark and Ashley set out to democratize the boutique fitness experience for a captive audience, while emphasizing accountability and community as key elements for a workout routine. obé was born in March 2018.

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Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast on the business of fitness and wellness.

Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Eric Roza, the owner and CEO of CrossFit.

In this episode, Eric shares his vision for the company's future. We cover the role of technology, growing the CrossFit Games, and new initiatives across eCommerce, direct-to-consumer fitness content, and healthcare. We also discuss the obstacles he's facing as he tries to turn around the embattled brand. Plus, Eric talks about how a cold email and handshake deal led to him taking over the company.

More from Fitt Insider

Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast on the business of fitness and wellness.

Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Chloe Steinberg. Chloe is a partner at Sapphire Sport, a venture capital platform investing in companies powering the next generation of consumers.

In this episode, we talk about Chloe's experience at Equinox, where she led Equinox Ventures. We discuss Gen Z's approach to wellness, including a broader shift toward a healthier lifestyle. And Chloe shares her framework for separating fads from sustainable health and fitness businesses.

More from Chloe

Chloe Steinberg is a partner at Sapphire Sport, where she focuses on investing in early-stage companies shaping the future of consumption. Chloe has deep industry expertise in the health & wellness sector, stemming from her 5+ years as an operator and investor with the Equinox Group of Brands. During that time, Chloe launched and led Equinox Ventures, the group's investment arm focused on high-performance living. She also supported Business Development & new business incubation, including the launch of Equinox Media in 2020.

Earlier in her career, Chloe cofounded Vayner Capital in partnership with Gary Vaynerchuk and was a member of the investment team at Insight Venture Partners, where she focused on consumer tech and enterprise software investments. Chloe is deeply passionate about people doing work they love so in her free time, she founded and runs ExclusiveJobs, a not-for-profit, bespoke talent placement network in the consumer sector.

Chloe graduated magna cum laude from The Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania, where she played varsity lacrosse. She was named to the Forbes 30 under 30 list for Venture Capital in 2020. A Baltimore native, Chloe now resides in Westport, CT with her husband and son.

More from Fitt Insider

Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast on the business of fitness and wellness.

Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Aaron de Jong, CEO of movr — an app that makes healthy movement more accessible for everyone.

In this episode, we talk about Aaron's journey from fitness instructor and studio owner to startup founder. We discuss the company's approach to improving mobility and strength through movement assessment and mini-workouts. And Aaron shares his plan to bring movr's technology to other fitness platforms.

Disclosure: We're investors in movr, and we're excited to support Aaron and team on their mission to promote healthy movement.

More from Aaron

Aaron de Jong is the founder of the movr app an exercise prescription tool built to help you move and feel better every day. He has a B. Ed in Physical Education, over a decade of experience as a personal and group strength instructor in his studio in Vancouver, and is a current lululemon Train Ambassador. Aaron enjoys finding ways to move his body, whether it's outdoors, trail runs, on his road bike, or moving kettlebells around. Stumbling through life with dry humor, eating popcorn, playing with his newborn daughter, and educating people how they can improve their health are all passions of Aaron's. You can reach out to Aaron direct [email protected] or by downloading movr to your smart device.

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Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast on the business of fitness and wellness.

Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Kelsey Ramsden, CEO of MINDCURE — a life sciences company using psychedelics to promote healing and improve mental health.

In this episode, we discuss the psychedelic revolution, including shifts in science and culture paving the way. Kelsey explains the challenges and opportunities facing operators and investors in this space. And she talks about MINDCURE's efforts to build digital therapeutics that support psychedelic-assisted therapies.

More from Kelsey

With over fifteen years founding, scaling, and operating innovative companies across Canada and the Caribbean, Ramsden is recognized globally for building multiple, multimillion-dollar businesses both on and offline. She earned the honor of being named Canada's Top Female Entrepreneur – twice. She serves on the Entrepreneurship Council for the University of Western Ontario and holds an MBA from the Richard Ivey School of Business at the University of Western Ontario. She is a renowned thought leader and published author.

More from Fitt Insider

Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast on the business of fitness and wellness.

Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Omer Atesmen, Founder and CEO of The Skills — an online education platform offering courses taught by the world's best athletes.

In this episode, Omer explains how the company was able to partner with athletes like Michael Phelps, Maria Sharapova, and Megan Rapinoe. We discuss the challenges and opportunities in EdTech, including content production and competitors like MasterClass. And Omer shares his plan for building the definitive education platform in the sports and wellness space.

More from Omer

Omer is a proven entrepreneur with a combination of high-growth startup and management consulting experience. He previously founded and grew Clean Energy Experts with zero external investment to 150+ employees, $30M+ revenue, and 20% net income before selling the company to Sunrun. Omer attended Stanford for his BS/MS and Kellogg for his MBA.

More from Fitt Insider

Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast on the business of fitness and wellness.

Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co

Today I'm joined by Sam Cole, co-founder & CEO of FitXR — a virtual fitness club bringing fun and immersive workouts to the home.

In this episode, Sam breaks down the innovation happening in virtual reality. We talk about the potential for VR fitness to make working out fun and engaging for an entirely new audience beyond exercise enthusiasts. And we discuss the future of personalization, community, and group workouts in VR.

More from Sam

Sam is the CEO and a co-founder of FitXR. Sam began his career as a management consultant at PwC in Auckland, New Zealand and then worked in private equity after moving to London in 2014. As a firm believer of the benefits of regular exercise for physical and mental health, Sam has always kept fit. Since the conception of VR, he has had a vision of delivering immersive fitness through VR to motivate people to keep fit, by providing access to guided workouts and programs in a highly personalized environment. After meeting Sameer at business school, they decided to launch FitXR to deliver this vision together.

Sam holds a bachelor's degree in law and finance from Otago University. He earned his MBA from Cambridge University.

More from Fitt Insider

Fitt Insider is a newsletter and podcast on the business of fitness and wellness.

Join industry-leading operators and investors by subscribing: http://insider.fitt.co