Run Specialty Cooperative Podcast

Run Specialty Cooperative Podcast

By Greg Koch, Mark JimenezBusinessEntrepreneurshipHealth & FitnessEducationSelf-ImprovementFitness
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Run Specialty Cooperative Podcast episodes

  • Episode #6 | The Data Behind the Fit

    Episode 6: The Data Behind the Fit

    What happens during a footwear fitting that traditional sales reports never capture?

    Greg Koch and Mark Jimenez introduce the Fit App, a tool built specifically for run specialty retailers. The idea began with Greg’s analog fit scorecard—a system for recording the shoes customers tried, how each model felt, and what ultimately earned the sale. Mark took that concept and worked to turn it into a digital platform connected to the store’s point-of-sale system.

    The resulting data goes far beyond what sold. It shows which products employees are presenting, which shoes customers prefer, how often fitting sessions end without a purchase, and where additional staff training may be needed. Greg and Mark also explain how stores can use this information to strengthen vendor relationships, support inventory swaps, coach employees, follow up with customers, and make better purchasing decisions.

    More than a conversation about software, this episode explores data ownership, continuous improvement, and the responsibility independent retailers have to understand what is really happening at the fit bench. The Fit App is another tool—but its value depends on a store’s willingness to do the work.

    44 min
  • Episode #5 | Meet More People
    How much of a successful run-specialty business is built through the relationships you develop along the way?
    Greg Koch and Mark Jimenez welcome Trey Vernon of Manhattan Running Company and Red Dirt Race Management for a conversation about business partnerships, industry events, race timing, and the value of connecting with people beyond your usual circle.
    Trey shares how he and Ben Sigle founded Manhattan Running Company in 2008 and built a partnership around their different strengths. The group discusses the advantages and challenges of sharing ownership, the communication required to make a partnership work, and the importance of having someone who can challenge your thinking and provide a counterbalance.
    The conversation also explores Trey’s strategic approach to The Running Event, the growth of Red Dirt Race Management, and how timing the Unbound gravel race helped open an entirely new segment of the business. Along the way, Greg and Mark reflect on Trey’s reputation as one of the industry’s most welcoming and helpful store owners.
    Trey’s advice is simple: meet someone new. A conversation at an industry event may become a friendship, a collaboration, or the beginning of an opportunity you could not have planned.
    51 min
  • Episode 4 | The People Behind the Perfect Transaction
    Episode 4: The People Behind the Perfect Transaction
    What creates the perfect running-store transaction—and how do you build a team capable of delivering it when the owner isn’t in the room?
    Greg Koch and Mark Jimenez work backward from the ideal customer experience to examine the hiring, training, accountability, and culture behind it. Mark shares how Red Rock Running Company developed a dedicated training role, why its fit process includes nonnegotiable steps, and how treating retail employment like a career has helped the company carry its vision across four locations.
    The conversation also explores why great salespeople do not always become great managers, the importance of addressing small problems before they become cultural norms, and the difference between hiring runners and hiring people who can genuinely serve customers. Greg shares the challenges of staffing two stores in Sioux Falls’ competitive labor market and the work required to turn a young team into capable professionals.
    Because customers can purchase running shoes almost anywhere. The people inside an independent running store—and the experience they create—are what make it matter.
    43 min
  • Episode #3 | Beyond the Discount: Building Better Run Club Partnerships
    Run clubs are booming—but what does their rapid growth mean for independent running stores?
    Greg and Mark have an honest conversation about the opportunities, frustrations, and occasional growing pains created by today’s run-club movement. They discuss brand activations that bypass local retailers, the pressure to provide automatic discounts, and the challenge of watching new groups connect with audiences that established stores have struggled to reach.
    The answer isn’t to compete with every run club or control every running experience. It’s to build meaningful, mutually beneficial partnerships. Greg and Mark explore how specialty retailers can become the solution center for their running communities by offering expertise, brand relationships, race services, meeting spaces, and long-term support.
    When stores focus on what they do best, they create their own gravitational pull—and give runners, clubs, brands, and retailers a better opportunity to grow together.
    31 min
  • Episode #1 | Justin Craig | RUNDetroit

    Building the Coop – A Conversation with Justin Craig of RUNDetroit

     

    Welcome to the debut episode of the Run Specialty Cooperative Podcast — a show by and for independent running store owners. In this kickoff conversation, hosts Greg Koch and Mark Jimenez, both Coop board members, chat with Justin Craig, Owner of RUNDetroit, about the evolving landscape of run specialty retail and the importance of staying independent.

     

    Justin brings a thoughtful perspective on what it means to own and operate a truly independent running store in today’s industry. He shares his personal journey, lessons learned from years in the business, and his insights on how collaboration—through efforts like the Coop—can help stores thrive without compromising their individuality.

     

    This episode sets the stage for an ongoing dialogue within our community—one that celebrates shared knowledge, mutual support, and the entrepreneurial spirit that defines the run specialty world.

    48 min

About Run Specialty Cooperative Podcast

From the publisher's feed

The Run Specialty Coop Podcast is a show by and for independent running store owners. Hosted by Coop board members, each episode highlights the stories, challenges, and innovations of our community.…