1 00:00:00,320 --> 00:00:02,960 Speaker 1: Will Lucas here, Black Tech, Green Money. Hey, it's so 2 00:00:03,080 --> 00:00:06,040 Speaker 1: good to be with you guys today, and I feel 3 00:00:06,080 --> 00:00:08,719 Speaker 1: like today is going to be one of the best 4 00:00:08,720 --> 00:00:11,160 Speaker 1: conversations I've had this year because I've been looking forward 5 00:00:11,160 --> 00:00:13,360 Speaker 1: to this. When they told me that we got this 6 00:00:13,400 --> 00:00:17,640 Speaker 1: person for the show, I'm like, Okay, Yes, the audience 7 00:00:17,680 --> 00:00:20,560 Speaker 1: today is going to be blessed in privileged with some 8 00:00:20,600 --> 00:00:24,200 Speaker 1: really good nuggets, some things to take away, particularly around 9 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:26,480 Speaker 1: leadership and scale, which is what I want to talk 10 00:00:26,520 --> 00:00:31,040 Speaker 1: today with my guest, Brian Myers, who's president and chief 11 00:00:31,080 --> 00:00:34,640 Speaker 1: executive officer for Solid Corps and as an active Solid 12 00:00:34,640 --> 00:00:37,600 Speaker 1: COREP coach himself. So Solid Corp, if you don't know, 13 00:00:37,800 --> 00:00:41,640 Speaker 1: is it high intensity, low impact full body workout built 14 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,199 Speaker 1: on their customer reformer, which is like a plot. He's 15 00:00:44,240 --> 00:00:48,760 Speaker 1: inspired machine today operating one hundred and sixty plus studios 16 00:00:48,800 --> 00:00:52,400 Speaker 1: across the US, and Brian was instrumental in scaling the 17 00:00:52,440 --> 00:00:56,040 Speaker 1: company from roughly twenty five locations to one hundred and 18 00:00:56,040 --> 00:00:58,480 Speaker 1: sixty plus. So welcome to the show. 19 00:00:58,400 --> 00:01:02,640 Speaker 2: Brian, appreciate you, Thank you so much. Hyping me up, man, 20 00:01:02,840 --> 00:01:03,600 Speaker 2: hyping me up. 21 00:01:04,760 --> 00:01:08,440 Speaker 1: Hey, I'm sure it's only up from here. So I'm 22 00:01:08,520 --> 00:01:12,720 Speaker 1: super interested in what's in your brain as far as 23 00:01:12,720 --> 00:01:15,160 Speaker 1: like how to grow business and how to lead while 24 00:01:15,200 --> 00:01:18,360 Speaker 1: growing business. So I was reading up on you and 25 00:01:18,400 --> 00:01:21,680 Speaker 1: you said something to the effect of, like how consulting, 26 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:24,840 Speaker 1: which was your previous career, shows you what you were missing, 27 00:01:24,920 --> 00:01:27,840 Speaker 1: like the opportunity to help build a company, and so 28 00:01:28,080 --> 00:01:32,720 Speaker 1: what particularly about building, not necessarily just advising a company, 29 00:01:32,880 --> 00:01:36,600 Speaker 1: changed how you think about ownership control and like long 30 00:01:36,680 --> 00:01:37,240 Speaker 1: term wealth. 31 00:01:37,319 --> 00:01:42,320 Speaker 2: Even, Yeah, it's it's such a it's such a funny thing, right, 32 00:01:42,319 --> 00:01:44,800 Speaker 2: because I was working in consulting, like you mentioned, at 33 00:01:44,800 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 2: the Boston Consulting Group, and felt like I should have 34 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:50,400 Speaker 2: been much happier than I was. And don't get me wrong, 35 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:53,840 Speaker 2: I was happy, but I felt like, for you know, 36 00:01:53,880 --> 00:01:56,160 Speaker 2: how prestigious the job was, how hard it was to get, 37 00:01:56,200 --> 00:01:59,040 Speaker 2: how much money I made, all those reasons I should 38 00:01:59,040 --> 00:02:03,160 Speaker 2: have been more more pleased than I ultimately was. And 39 00:02:03,200 --> 00:02:04,640 Speaker 2: I think, like you said, the thing that I was 40 00:02:04,680 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 2: missing was this idea of building. And I would go 41 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:09,960 Speaker 2: to the o work that you use, which is a 42 00:02:10,040 --> 00:02:13,480 Speaker 2: sense of ownership, right as someone who sits at a 43 00:02:13,520 --> 00:02:18,600 Speaker 2: table and believes that they have, you know, good ideas 44 00:02:18,680 --> 00:02:21,399 Speaker 2: and who believes that they can leverage data to try 45 00:02:21,440 --> 00:02:23,760 Speaker 2: to get to a better answer, and who believes that 46 00:02:23,800 --> 00:02:28,079 Speaker 2: they can lead and inspire teams. When you walk out 47 00:02:28,080 --> 00:02:30,200 Speaker 2: of a room on a consulting engagement and you make 48 00:02:30,240 --> 00:02:34,800 Speaker 2: your recommendation, people huddle up afterwards and decide are they 49 00:02:34,800 --> 00:02:36,799 Speaker 2: going to do what you said? Do none of what 50 00:02:36,800 --> 00:02:38,600 Speaker 2: you said? Be part of what you said, and you 51 00:02:38,680 --> 00:02:41,600 Speaker 2: have no idea why, and so you lose that sense 52 00:02:41,880 --> 00:02:46,240 Speaker 2: of ownership. And so when I decided to leave BCG 53 00:02:46,360 --> 00:02:48,720 Speaker 2: and I ultimately join before Solid or the leadership team 54 00:02:48,760 --> 00:02:52,839 Speaker 2: over at Sweet Green, it was really with this sort 55 00:02:52,880 --> 00:02:58,000 Speaker 2: of spirit of I want to have my hands on 56 00:02:58,040 --> 00:03:02,639 Speaker 2: the impacts, and I want to know whether I won 57 00:03:02,800 --> 00:03:06,360 Speaker 2: or I lost based on the merit of what I delivered. 58 00:03:06,600 --> 00:03:08,959 Speaker 2: And I don't want to have the question of, oh, 59 00:03:09,240 --> 00:03:11,280 Speaker 2: could it have been successful if I was driving it 60 00:03:11,400 --> 00:03:13,760 Speaker 2: or was it only successful because somebody else was driving it. 61 00:03:14,080 --> 00:03:15,760 Speaker 2: I wanted to be able to look at the scoreboard 62 00:03:16,360 --> 00:03:18,359 Speaker 2: and know the answer at the end of every month 63 00:03:18,400 --> 00:03:20,399 Speaker 2: when you look at the P and L. And that's 64 00:03:20,440 --> 00:03:23,880 Speaker 2: ultimately what I've been able to get while you know, 65 00:03:24,040 --> 00:03:25,839 Speaker 2: being at Solid Core and at Swee Green. 66 00:03:26,760 --> 00:03:29,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, and let's let's bring sweet Green into this conversation, 67 00:03:29,400 --> 00:03:32,720 Speaker 1: because you when you left the consulting you wanted, you 68 00:03:32,800 --> 00:03:35,800 Speaker 1: left to go join a twenty store ish twenty store 69 00:03:35,920 --> 00:03:39,960 Speaker 1: sweet Green, which is successful. But that's not indicate that 70 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:42,000 Speaker 1: it's going to be a ton of stores, but it is. 71 00:03:42,160 --> 00:03:44,640 Speaker 1: It's relatively successful, and there's but there's still some like 72 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:48,040 Speaker 1: uncertainty there, and so I wonder, like, you know, even 73 00:03:48,080 --> 00:03:50,400 Speaker 1: with what you just said, like there's still some level 74 00:03:50,520 --> 00:03:53,320 Speaker 1: of you know, decision making that says, you know, I 75 00:03:53,360 --> 00:03:56,320 Speaker 1: want to be in proximity to growth versus the certainty 76 00:03:56,360 --> 00:03:58,480 Speaker 1: I have with my day job. Like walk me through, 77 00:03:58,520 --> 00:04:00,000 Speaker 1: like how you made that calculus? 78 00:04:01,240 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, I think. 79 00:04:02,520 --> 00:04:04,880 Speaker 2: I think in life, the thing that I tell people 80 00:04:05,000 --> 00:04:08,480 Speaker 2: who I mentor who are thinking about leaving what feel 81 00:04:08,520 --> 00:04:13,240 Speaker 2: like more stable careers is when you sit in a seat, 82 00:04:14,000 --> 00:04:17,600 Speaker 2: it's you often think about all of the benefits of 83 00:04:17,640 --> 00:04:20,440 Speaker 2: the seat that you sit in and all of the 84 00:04:20,520 --> 00:04:23,520 Speaker 2: drawbacks of not sitting in that seat, And what you 85 00:04:23,920 --> 00:04:28,320 Speaker 2: oftentimes I find miss is thinking about the fact that 86 00:04:28,440 --> 00:04:31,480 Speaker 2: every decision that you make in life has both benefits 87 00:04:31,680 --> 00:04:34,320 Speaker 2: and drawbacks, and so when you look at the other opportunity, 88 00:04:34,360 --> 00:04:36,800 Speaker 2: you ow, yeah, like if I step away from this 89 00:04:36,920 --> 00:04:40,320 Speaker 2: stable opportunity or the stable job or whatever the thing is, 90 00:04:40,680 --> 00:04:41,720 Speaker 2: stable relationship. 91 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:42,680 Speaker 3: Not to make it personal. 92 00:04:42,960 --> 00:04:46,760 Speaker 2: You know, I'm going to I'm gonna lose what I 93 00:04:46,800 --> 00:04:47,719 Speaker 2: know is going to happen tomorrow. 94 00:04:47,760 --> 00:04:49,480 Speaker 3: I'm going to lose the compensation. I'm going to lose 95 00:04:49,480 --> 00:04:50,200 Speaker 3: the shre path. 96 00:04:50,720 --> 00:04:53,039 Speaker 2: Sure, and all of that is accurate, But what you 97 00:04:53,200 --> 00:04:56,640 Speaker 2: miss in that is what you might be stepping into 98 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,080 Speaker 2: is an accelerated path to something you. 99 00:05:00,120 --> 00:05:01,080 Speaker 3: Might be stepping into. 100 00:05:01,600 --> 00:05:04,960 Speaker 2: Yes, less certainty around what your economics look like, but 101 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:08,839 Speaker 2: actually the opportunity for much sort of outsized economics that 102 00:05:08,839 --> 00:05:13,159 Speaker 2: could be trajectory changing, life changing, generational well type opportunities 103 00:05:13,360 --> 00:05:15,080 Speaker 2: and those sorts of things. And so that's a lot 104 00:05:15,120 --> 00:05:17,600 Speaker 2: of what I thought about as I was sort of 105 00:05:17,839 --> 00:05:19,920 Speaker 2: deciding that I wanted to step off the sort of 106 00:05:20,000 --> 00:05:23,680 Speaker 2: the hamster wheel of the professional services world. And then 107 00:05:23,720 --> 00:05:26,000 Speaker 2: when I stepped into Sweet Green, like you said, it 108 00:05:26,240 --> 00:05:29,200 Speaker 2: was a company that had been around for a few years, 109 00:05:29,200 --> 00:05:30,680 Speaker 2: about six or seven years at the time that I 110 00:05:30,760 --> 00:05:33,920 Speaker 2: joined the business, and had gotten to a level of scale. 111 00:05:33,960 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 2: But what we knew as a leadership team in that 112 00:05:36,920 --> 00:05:39,400 Speaker 2: business is that if we were going to make that brand, 113 00:05:39,920 --> 00:05:41,040 Speaker 2: a national brand. 114 00:05:41,120 --> 00:05:42,560 Speaker 3: It was going to require transformation. 115 00:05:43,160 --> 00:05:45,000 Speaker 2: I always tell people, the Swee Green that I joined 116 00:05:45,040 --> 00:05:46,760 Speaker 2: is not the Swee Green that people know today, right. 117 00:05:46,760 --> 00:05:49,440 Speaker 2: The Swee Green that I joined sold reps and froyo 118 00:05:50,120 --> 00:05:53,680 Speaker 2: and held a music festival and sold caspatshow and had 119 00:05:53,720 --> 00:05:54,400 Speaker 2: a cold presh juice. 120 00:05:54,560 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 3: It was just it was it was. 121 00:05:56,080 --> 00:06:00,520 Speaker 2: A lot, right, And what we knew was that in 122 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:05,600 Speaker 2: order to build something that appealed to the wider swath 123 00:06:05,640 --> 00:06:08,240 Speaker 2: of America, we were going to have to sort of 124 00:06:08,360 --> 00:06:12,080 Speaker 2: narrow the focus of the brand and elevate the brand's positioning. 125 00:06:12,160 --> 00:06:14,400 Speaker 2: And again, the opportunity to be on the front lines 126 00:06:14,920 --> 00:06:18,200 Speaker 2: of that transformation and change was the spirit of building 127 00:06:18,200 --> 00:06:19,760 Speaker 2: that I really was seeking when I left. 128 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:20,520 Speaker 3: When I left. 129 00:06:20,360 --> 00:06:24,040 Speaker 1: Consulting man, he just gave me a question, a selfish question. 130 00:06:24,279 --> 00:06:25,880 Speaker 3: But this it will help. 131 00:06:25,760 --> 00:06:30,480 Speaker 1: Somebody, I'm sure, because when you talk about Sweet Green 132 00:06:30,880 --> 00:06:33,000 Speaker 1: and solid Core even it's like it's not like you're 133 00:06:33,040 --> 00:06:36,400 Speaker 1: selling a wide variety of things, like you do some 134 00:06:36,560 --> 00:06:40,720 Speaker 1: things really well. And what we tend to do, speaking 135 00:06:40,720 --> 00:06:43,800 Speaker 1: for myself, well, we tend to do like I'll give 136 00:06:43,839 --> 00:06:45,560 Speaker 1: you one like I have a coffee house, so I 137 00:06:45,600 --> 00:06:48,000 Speaker 1: have a private social club, and it has a coffee 138 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:50,560 Speaker 1: house which is open to the public inside of it. 139 00:06:50,640 --> 00:06:52,919 Speaker 1: And because we have the private social club means we 140 00:06:52,960 --> 00:06:55,039 Speaker 1: have a kitchen. And so we got a kitchen, so 141 00:06:55,120 --> 00:06:57,080 Speaker 1: we can sell food in the coffee house, and so 142 00:06:57,160 --> 00:06:58,960 Speaker 1: we can also do smoothies in there, and we can 143 00:06:58,960 --> 00:07:01,880 Speaker 1: also do in there. We can also do all these 144 00:07:01,920 --> 00:07:07,599 Speaker 1: other things. And I think about it's a great brand. 145 00:07:08,120 --> 00:07:10,720 Speaker 1: People love the brand. We're thinking about our second location. 146 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:14,320 Speaker 1: I believe we could go to many locations, but I 147 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:17,000 Speaker 1: consider what you just said. It's like, in the back 148 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:19,120 Speaker 1: of my mind, what do we want to be great at? 149 00:07:20,480 --> 00:07:24,280 Speaker 1: And when you talk to people who could do a 150 00:07:24,280 --> 00:07:26,520 Speaker 1: lot of things, but that doesn't mean they should do 151 00:07:26,840 --> 00:07:31,360 Speaker 1: a lot of things, what typically keeps people from narrowing 152 00:07:31,440 --> 00:07:34,679 Speaker 1: their focus? And how do you diagnose what the proper 153 00:07:34,680 --> 00:07:35,560 Speaker 1: focus should be? 154 00:07:36,680 --> 00:07:39,240 Speaker 2: Yeah, I think the first question that you asked is 155 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:41,120 Speaker 2: such a good one, which is like what keeps people 156 00:07:41,200 --> 00:07:45,480 Speaker 2: from focusing? And when I mentor other leaders other entrepreneurs, 157 00:07:46,720 --> 00:07:49,760 Speaker 2: I often talk about this, The thing that keeps people 158 00:07:49,760 --> 00:07:55,000 Speaker 2: from focusing oftentimes is fear because you feel like I'm 159 00:07:55,000 --> 00:07:58,000 Speaker 2: going to put all my eggs in one basket, and 160 00:07:58,520 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 2: if I don't nail that basket, then I'm totally screwed. 161 00:08:02,360 --> 00:08:05,720 Speaker 2: And in some ways that is true, Right, you are 162 00:08:05,720 --> 00:08:08,600 Speaker 2: putting all of your eggs in one basket, but it 163 00:08:08,680 --> 00:08:10,680 Speaker 2: is what's going to allow you to execute at a 164 00:08:10,720 --> 00:08:12,880 Speaker 2: high level, to know whether the reason that you are 165 00:08:12,880 --> 00:08:16,200 Speaker 2: successful or not successful is because. 166 00:08:15,960 --> 00:08:19,360 Speaker 3: The idea is good or bad, or whether because the 167 00:08:19,400 --> 00:08:20,840 Speaker 3: execution was good or bad. 168 00:08:21,120 --> 00:08:24,440 Speaker 2: Right, And when you spread yourself too thin, you find 169 00:08:24,440 --> 00:08:28,000 Speaker 2: yourself wondering, am I not knocking this out of the 170 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:29,960 Speaker 2: park because there actually is in a market there and 171 00:08:30,000 --> 00:08:32,240 Speaker 2: it's not resonating with the consumer, Or am I not 172 00:08:32,280 --> 00:08:33,920 Speaker 2: knocking this out of the park because it just doesn't 173 00:08:33,920 --> 00:08:36,720 Speaker 2: have my full attention and focus And it's almost impossible 174 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:38,679 Speaker 2: to diagnose that when you spread yourself too thin. 175 00:08:39,160 --> 00:08:41,600 Speaker 3: So that's the first is like this fear of like, 176 00:08:41,640 --> 00:08:43,240 Speaker 3: oh my gosh, I'm gonna put all my eggs in 177 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:43,840 Speaker 3: one basket. 178 00:08:44,000 --> 00:08:46,640 Speaker 2: And then the second is because when you are great 179 00:08:46,640 --> 00:08:48,760 Speaker 2: at something, and I tell this to people not just 180 00:08:48,760 --> 00:08:51,640 Speaker 2: about their business but about their careers. When you are 181 00:08:51,640 --> 00:08:56,120 Speaker 2: great at something, people around you want to pull you 182 00:08:56,720 --> 00:09:00,239 Speaker 2: into things that they think you should also be great. 183 00:09:00,760 --> 00:09:03,160 Speaker 2: And some of those things you may also be great at, 184 00:09:03,480 --> 00:09:05,520 Speaker 2: but some of those things you may not. So I 185 00:09:05,600 --> 00:09:08,560 Speaker 2: often find it's actually the consumer or the leader in 186 00:09:08,559 --> 00:09:11,600 Speaker 2: the case of somebody's career that starts to stretch you 187 00:09:11,800 --> 00:09:16,360 Speaker 2: into places that are uncomfortable. But because a lot of 188 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:21,120 Speaker 2: us are high achieving in many cases, people pleasing, in 189 00:09:21,160 --> 00:09:24,880 Speaker 2: many cases dreamers, we sort of fall victim to the 190 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:27,040 Speaker 2: temptation to sort of step into some of these things, 191 00:09:28,120 --> 00:09:30,320 Speaker 2: and that's a very very dangerous place to be. By 192 00:09:30,320 --> 00:09:32,480 Speaker 2: the way, I want to be super clear, it does 193 00:09:32,520 --> 00:09:36,120 Speaker 2: not mean that as a business leader or as an 194 00:09:36,160 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 2: individual thinking about your career that you shouldn't grow and 195 00:09:39,440 --> 00:09:42,600 Speaker 2: develop into other places. It just means that you should 196 00:09:42,640 --> 00:09:47,560 Speaker 2: be really, really surgical and intentional about when you make 197 00:09:47,600 --> 00:09:51,720 Speaker 2: those moves, how you make those moves, and how much 198 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:54,080 Speaker 2: of yourself you have to be able to sort of 199 00:09:54,160 --> 00:09:56,880 Speaker 2: lean into those to those moves so that you can 200 00:09:56,880 --> 00:09:59,920 Speaker 2: actually deliver in the way that you deserve to deliver. 201 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:03,920 Speaker 1: So, how do you when you're cutting away things that 202 00:10:04,280 --> 00:10:08,800 Speaker 1: aren't the focus, how do you decide which things can 203 00:10:08,840 --> 00:10:11,960 Speaker 1: stay that aren't the focus but are complementary. 204 00:10:11,440 --> 00:10:12,160 Speaker 3: To the focus. 205 00:10:13,520 --> 00:10:20,880 Speaker 2: For us, it's really about which things most sort of 206 00:10:20,920 --> 00:10:24,280 Speaker 2: immediately are going to get us a step closer to 207 00:10:25,320 --> 00:10:26,280 Speaker 2: sort of the north star. 208 00:10:26,640 --> 00:10:28,360 Speaker 3: And I'll talk about a little bit about that in 209 00:10:28,400 --> 00:10:28,839 Speaker 3: a moment. 210 00:10:29,280 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 2: And I think the second thing is which of those 211 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:33,679 Speaker 2: things we can step into that are outside of our 212 00:10:33,679 --> 00:10:36,080 Speaker 2: comfort zone that we feel we can do with the 213 00:10:36,120 --> 00:10:39,320 Speaker 2: least amount of risk. So in that first bucket, right, like, 214 00:10:39,360 --> 00:10:42,440 Speaker 2: people think about solid Core in many ways today as 215 00:10:42,600 --> 00:10:45,320 Speaker 2: a fitness company, we operate one hundred and sixty studios, 216 00:10:45,800 --> 00:10:48,360 Speaker 2: We have, you know, a cult like following. People who 217 00:10:48,440 --> 00:10:51,080 Speaker 2: love to do this workout have seen massive transformation in 218 00:10:51,080 --> 00:10:55,120 Speaker 2: their physical body, mental strength, and tenacity, et cetera. And 219 00:10:55,160 --> 00:10:56,880 Speaker 2: that's the way that people think about our business today. 220 00:10:57,160 --> 00:10:59,040 Speaker 2: The way that I think about the business in the 221 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:01,600 Speaker 2: north star of where we're going going though, is we 222 00:11:01,640 --> 00:11:03,000 Speaker 2: are a business. 223 00:11:02,760 --> 00:11:06,120 Speaker 3: That is going to own the millennial and gen Z consumer. 224 00:11:06,440 --> 00:11:08,760 Speaker 2: So when people look back and think about iconic brands 225 00:11:08,760 --> 00:11:11,840 Speaker 2: that serve the millennial gen Z consumer, solid Core must 226 00:11:11,880 --> 00:11:12,480 Speaker 2: be on the list. 227 00:11:12,640 --> 00:11:13,760 Speaker 3: That's the north star, right. 228 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:16,360 Speaker 2: So, as we are starting to think about actually actively 229 00:11:16,400 --> 00:11:19,199 Speaker 2: now starting to think about ways that we might innovate 230 00:11:19,280 --> 00:11:23,240 Speaker 2: outside of the core of the workout that we delivered today, 231 00:11:23,400 --> 00:11:26,680 Speaker 2: it is through the lens of how does this step, 232 00:11:26,960 --> 00:11:30,360 Speaker 2: this new product, this new service, this new whatever, how 233 00:11:30,360 --> 00:11:34,000 Speaker 2: does this actually get us closer to that north star? Now, 234 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:35,400 Speaker 2: that's going to allow you to cut away a bunch 235 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:37,520 Speaker 2: of things, because there are interesting things that we could 236 00:11:37,559 --> 00:11:40,480 Speaker 2: do that don't actually lead to us owning the gen 237 00:11:40,559 --> 00:11:42,959 Speaker 2: Z and millennial consumer. They're interesting and we could probably 238 00:11:42,960 --> 00:11:44,679 Speaker 2: do them well, but they don't actually lead there. So 239 00:11:44,760 --> 00:11:46,280 Speaker 2: that allows you to cut away a lot, but there's 240 00:11:46,280 --> 00:11:48,920 Speaker 2: still going to be a lot left. And that last 241 00:11:49,320 --> 00:11:54,000 Speaker 2: sort of lens that I look at is in our business, 242 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:56,760 Speaker 2: with the capabilities that we have on this team, with 243 00:11:56,840 --> 00:12:00,360 Speaker 2: the expertise, with the data that we have, what is 244 00:12:00,360 --> 00:12:02,920 Speaker 2: the step that we can take with the least amount 245 00:12:02,960 --> 00:12:03,320 Speaker 2: of risk. 246 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:04,840 Speaker 3: It's like when people tell you about. 247 00:12:04,640 --> 00:12:07,320 Speaker 2: Sort of managing your career, stepping into a new role, 248 00:12:07,320 --> 00:12:10,560 Speaker 2: It's like you go into it eighty percent of it. 249 00:12:10,640 --> 00:12:12,720 Speaker 3: You want to feel like I can knock this side 250 00:12:12,720 --> 00:12:13,160 Speaker 3: of the park. 251 00:12:13,360 --> 00:12:15,840 Speaker 2: There's probably twenty percent of it that scares you, but 252 00:12:15,920 --> 00:12:17,640 Speaker 2: you don't want those numbers to be reversed. 253 00:12:17,800 --> 00:12:19,480 Speaker 3: You don't want to be like twenty percent of this I'm. 254 00:12:19,360 --> 00:12:21,440 Speaker 2: When I go out of park, eighty percent, I don't know, 255 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:23,400 Speaker 2: Like that's not the way to go into it. 256 00:12:23,559 --> 00:12:25,200 Speaker 3: And I think about managing risk. 257 00:12:25,240 --> 00:12:27,440 Speaker 2: As we think about innovation and evolution in our business 258 00:12:27,440 --> 00:12:29,200 Speaker 2: in the same way. 259 00:12:29,400 --> 00:12:33,920 Speaker 1: So you've scaled both a food brand and a fitness brand, 260 00:12:34,679 --> 00:12:39,280 Speaker 1: and I think about what operation operating principles have proven 261 00:12:39,320 --> 00:12:42,320 Speaker 1: like universal and like what is you know, it doesn't 262 00:12:42,320 --> 00:12:44,920 Speaker 1: matter you know in either of those categories, and probably 263 00:12:44,960 --> 00:12:50,040 Speaker 1: other categories operation wise that are just universal principles and 264 00:12:50,320 --> 00:12:54,120 Speaker 1: what's broken and what's not the same when you change industries. 265 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:57,720 Speaker 2: Yeah, so the things that are the same, I mean, one, 266 00:12:58,360 --> 00:13:03,240 Speaker 2: a great product you have to there's no amount of 267 00:13:03,880 --> 00:13:08,040 Speaker 2: long term there is no amount of brand investment, hype, 268 00:13:08,679 --> 00:13:11,520 Speaker 2: whatever you want to call it that will overcome a 269 00:13:11,559 --> 00:13:15,640 Speaker 2: product that does not deliver its promise to the core consumer. 270 00:13:15,840 --> 00:13:17,760 Speaker 2: And I think that's something that both Sweet Green when 271 00:13:17,800 --> 00:13:20,760 Speaker 2: I was there, solid Core today deliver. Like when you 272 00:13:20,800 --> 00:13:24,000 Speaker 2: go and you bite into a kl Caesar salad, you 273 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:25,800 Speaker 2: know that it's going to be fresh. You know that 274 00:13:25,840 --> 00:13:28,480 Speaker 2: it's going to have that citrusy touch that they add 275 00:13:28,480 --> 00:13:29,840 Speaker 2: to the end of it. You know that it's going 276 00:13:29,880 --> 00:13:32,280 Speaker 2: to have the parmesan chris that are housemade every like. 277 00:13:32,480 --> 00:13:34,040 Speaker 2: You know it's going to be good in the same 278 00:13:34,080 --> 00:13:35,880 Speaker 2: way that when people talk about going into a Solid 279 00:13:35,880 --> 00:13:38,839 Speaker 2: Core studio, they know that they're going to walk out 280 00:13:38,840 --> 00:13:42,000 Speaker 2: of that room with their muscles literally shaking, right. And 281 00:13:42,040 --> 00:13:44,760 Speaker 2: so you got to have a product or a service 282 00:13:45,000 --> 00:13:47,480 Speaker 2: that's going to deliver one hundred percent of the time. 283 00:13:48,080 --> 00:13:51,839 Speaker 2: The second is in many of these businesses, particularly in 284 00:13:51,840 --> 00:13:53,360 Speaker 2: the consumer world, and that's where I come from, So 285 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:54,240 Speaker 2: I'll focus on that. 286 00:13:55,720 --> 00:13:58,440 Speaker 3: People drive this business. 287 00:13:58,679 --> 00:14:01,319 Speaker 2: So yes, the product has to be good, but if 288 00:14:01,320 --> 00:14:04,600 Speaker 2: you do not have people to deliver it, you will absolutely. 289 00:14:04,240 --> 00:14:05,000 Speaker 3: Fall on your face. 290 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:07,160 Speaker 2: And we found that at Sweet Green, and we also 291 00:14:07,160 --> 00:14:09,920 Speaker 2: see that at Solid War. You can have an amazing location, 292 00:14:10,000 --> 00:14:14,080 Speaker 2: you pick great real estate, you you know, have a 293 00:14:14,200 --> 00:14:16,959 Speaker 2: really good product, you have amazing design, you have amazing marketing. 294 00:14:17,280 --> 00:14:19,080 Speaker 2: If we had a bad what we call a head coach, 295 00:14:19,080 --> 00:14:20,880 Speaker 2: which was our store managers, if we had a bad 296 00:14:20,920 --> 00:14:25,160 Speaker 2: head coach running that restaurant, it underperformed, it did not 297 00:14:25,320 --> 00:14:27,400 Speaker 2: the rest of it did not matter. And we see 298 00:14:27,400 --> 00:14:29,880 Speaker 2: that also at Solid Core. We you know, I'll just 299 00:14:29,880 --> 00:14:32,280 Speaker 2: give a real tactical example. This was many years ago, 300 00:14:32,760 --> 00:14:36,000 Speaker 2: but we had a studio in in Arbor, Michigan that 301 00:14:36,080 --> 00:14:38,720 Speaker 2: was underperforming, and we it was losing money. We could 302 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:39,880 Speaker 2: not figure out how to get. 303 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:43,480 Speaker 3: This thing to make money. And the team that was there, we. 304 00:14:43,400 --> 00:14:46,400 Speaker 2: Thought was was good enough. Wasn't an A plus team, 305 00:14:46,480 --> 00:14:47,800 Speaker 2: but we thought the team was good enough. And so 306 00:14:47,840 --> 00:14:51,640 Speaker 2: we were reluctant, honestly to change the team over because 307 00:14:51,640 --> 00:14:53,800 Speaker 2: you know, when you're dealing with somebody's like livelihood and 308 00:14:54,240 --> 00:14:56,200 Speaker 2: in many cases their identity, like, you want to be 309 00:14:56,280 --> 00:15:00,160 Speaker 2: respectful and you know, make those decisions with the lot 310 00:15:00,160 --> 00:15:03,160 Speaker 2: of care and diligence. And so we got to a 311 00:15:03,160 --> 00:15:05,000 Speaker 2: point where, like we we think we need to change 312 00:15:05,040 --> 00:15:07,600 Speaker 2: the team. I will tell you, well, like we changed 313 00:15:07,640 --> 00:15:10,560 Speaker 2: up the manager of that location and within thirty days 314 00:15:10,560 --> 00:15:14,800 Speaker 2: that studio was profitable. It had been eighteen months. I 315 00:15:14,800 --> 00:15:17,480 Speaker 2: think of running that location not generating a dime of 316 00:15:17,560 --> 00:15:18,520 Speaker 2: profit in. 317 00:15:18,520 --> 00:15:19,800 Speaker 3: Thirty days the right leader. 318 00:15:19,840 --> 00:15:23,720 Speaker 2: So all that to say, people absolutely matter in this business. 319 00:15:24,040 --> 00:15:25,440 Speaker 2: And those are the two things that I would say 320 00:15:25,520 --> 00:15:28,240 Speaker 2: are are really consistent. I think some of the things 321 00:15:28,280 --> 00:15:29,520 Speaker 2: that are different between. 322 00:15:29,200 --> 00:15:31,160 Speaker 1: Before you, before you go to the difference, I want 323 00:15:31,240 --> 00:15:33,680 Speaker 1: to ask you because I recognize that you guys are 324 00:15:33,680 --> 00:15:36,320 Speaker 1: not like franchise. You have company owned, we own them. 325 00:15:36,600 --> 00:15:41,200 Speaker 1: And so the point in that model as I understand 326 00:15:41,200 --> 00:15:45,240 Speaker 1: it for sure, franchise is you you know, person a 327 00:15:45,320 --> 00:15:47,200 Speaker 1: who manages this. You ain't got to think about nothing. 328 00:15:47,200 --> 00:15:49,760 Speaker 1: Here's the playbook, You run the playbook and you go, 329 00:15:50,520 --> 00:15:55,400 Speaker 1: what was it about that manager that allowed the playbook 330 00:15:55,440 --> 00:15:56,120 Speaker 1: to not work? 331 00:15:57,400 --> 00:16:00,000 Speaker 3: Yeah, it's it's a fantastic question. 332 00:16:00,080 --> 00:16:04,000 Speaker 2: And I think the thing that we have come to 333 00:16:04,040 --> 00:16:10,440 Speaker 2: realize in our business is that you have to connect. 334 00:16:11,120 --> 00:16:14,840 Speaker 2: You have to be someone who is energized by connecting 335 00:16:14,840 --> 00:16:15,360 Speaker 2: with people. 336 00:16:15,800 --> 00:16:17,440 Speaker 3: Because as much as people show up to. 337 00:16:17,360 --> 00:16:21,760 Speaker 2: A workout wanting the workout, what we have realized is 338 00:16:22,320 --> 00:16:26,160 Speaker 2: more than that. In many cases, people want a space 339 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:29,360 Speaker 2: where they can feel seen. People want a space where 340 00:16:29,360 --> 00:16:32,200 Speaker 2: they feel connected to other people. And so you can 341 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:34,120 Speaker 2: have someone, to your point, who is like running the 342 00:16:34,120 --> 00:16:37,320 Speaker 2: playbook right, who is you know, their pricing is dialed in, 343 00:16:37,440 --> 00:16:40,200 Speaker 2: they're flying in the right way, and they're like doing 344 00:16:40,240 --> 00:16:40,520 Speaker 2: all the. 345 00:16:40,600 --> 00:16:41,800 Speaker 3: Doing all the tasks. 346 00:16:43,760 --> 00:16:48,080 Speaker 2: But humans connect with people who want to connect with them, 347 00:16:49,280 --> 00:16:51,440 Speaker 2: and they don't connect with humans who are just kind 348 00:16:51,440 --> 00:16:54,000 Speaker 2: of doing the tasks. And so that's where I think 349 00:16:54,040 --> 00:16:57,640 Speaker 2: it's that's where I often say, like AI is incredible, 350 00:16:57,640 --> 00:16:59,040 Speaker 2: and there's so many great things about. 351 00:16:58,840 --> 00:17:02,760 Speaker 3: AI, but humans connect with humans. 352 00:17:03,000 --> 00:17:05,440 Speaker 2: And the difference between that manager that we put in 353 00:17:05,480 --> 00:17:10,240 Speaker 2: and the manager who we separated with was the manager 354 00:17:10,280 --> 00:17:14,520 Speaker 2: that we put in their ability to drive genuine connection 355 00:17:14,600 --> 00:17:16,840 Speaker 2: with the people who walked in that door made it 356 00:17:16,880 --> 00:17:18,680 Speaker 2: so that the people who walked in wanted to walk 357 00:17:18,720 --> 00:17:22,720 Speaker 2: in again, and it just wasn't the same under prior leadership. 358 00:17:23,840 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 2: It's good and that that in and of itself completely 359 00:17:27,400 --> 00:17:30,359 Speaker 2: up into the business. And that's the fascinating part of 360 00:17:30,400 --> 00:17:32,960 Speaker 2: all of this is like everyone wants the checklist, everyone 361 00:17:33,000 --> 00:17:35,360 Speaker 2: wants the playbook of like, yeah, tell me the ten 362 00:17:35,400 --> 00:17:38,119 Speaker 2: things to do and that's going to that are going 363 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:41,560 Speaker 2: to make me successful. And oftentimes two people can run 364 00:17:41,600 --> 00:17:44,320 Speaker 2: the exact same playbook and get totally different results because 365 00:17:44,359 --> 00:17:46,199 Speaker 2: it's not just the what you execute, but it's the 366 00:17:46,240 --> 00:17:47,639 Speaker 2: how you execute it. 367 00:17:48,040 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 3: I love that. 368 00:17:48,880 --> 00:17:51,639 Speaker 1: I love that, and I'm not gonna let you skip 369 00:17:51,640 --> 00:17:53,320 Speaker 1: over the what differences, but I'm want to add a 370 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:54,879 Speaker 1: different question and maybe. 371 00:17:54,600 --> 00:17:55,800 Speaker 3: You'll be able to touch both. 372 00:17:56,440 --> 00:18:00,240 Speaker 1: Yeah, the differences in operating and this question is you 373 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:03,640 Speaker 1: talked about when you in other interviews, you've talked about 374 00:18:03,680 --> 00:18:06,159 Speaker 1: how when you stepped into leadership here you had the 375 00:18:06,200 --> 00:18:10,240 Speaker 1: layoff ninety eight percent of the staff. How do you 376 00:18:10,440 --> 00:18:14,439 Speaker 1: lead through decisions that are so necessary to survive but 377 00:18:14,600 --> 00:18:17,040 Speaker 1: also deeply humanly costly. 378 00:18:18,720 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 2: Yeah, So, just by way of contact, I became CEO 379 00:18:22,200 --> 00:18:25,960 Speaker 2: in the midst of COVID. Shortly before I became CEO, 380 00:18:26,080 --> 00:18:28,639 Speaker 2: we had to make some really really tough decisions around 381 00:18:28,760 --> 00:18:31,720 Speaker 2: the sustainability of our business, given that our revenue went 382 00:18:31,760 --> 00:18:35,960 Speaker 2: to zero overnight. It Ultimately, you know, we as a 383 00:18:36,040 --> 00:18:38,280 Speaker 2: leadership team came together and we made the decision to 384 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:40,960 Speaker 2: lay off again ninety eight percent of people. The people 385 00:18:41,000 --> 00:18:44,600 Speaker 2: who were left, we all took massive pay cuts. 386 00:18:44,640 --> 00:18:46,400 Speaker 3: I myself took about a seventy. 387 00:18:46,080 --> 00:18:50,920 Speaker 2: Percent pay cut. So you're making some really really hard choices. 388 00:18:51,400 --> 00:18:56,200 Speaker 2: The thing that we have leaned on historically in this business, 389 00:18:56,200 --> 00:18:58,919 Speaker 2: and the thing that I fall back to as a leader, 390 00:19:00,200 --> 00:19:04,800 Speaker 2: is even when the truth is hard, you should deliver 391 00:19:04,880 --> 00:19:10,919 Speaker 2: the truth. And second, even when people won't understand and 392 00:19:10,960 --> 00:19:14,359 Speaker 2: may disagree with the decisions that you make, you should 393 00:19:14,400 --> 00:19:17,800 Speaker 2: still make the decisions that you believe as leader are 394 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:20,960 Speaker 2: right for the longevity of the business that you are serving. 395 00:19:21,800 --> 00:19:23,360 Speaker 3: And both of. 396 00:19:23,280 --> 00:19:27,399 Speaker 2: Those principles have guided us through every challenging decision that 397 00:19:27,400 --> 00:19:30,160 Speaker 2: one included that we have made and so for us, 398 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:34,439 Speaker 2: we could have pretended like we had millions more in 399 00:19:34,440 --> 00:19:37,320 Speaker 2: the bank than we did, but the reality was, with 400 00:19:37,480 --> 00:19:41,199 Speaker 2: zero dollars and revenue coming in, we didn't have the 401 00:19:41,280 --> 00:19:43,240 Speaker 2: pockets to be able to continue to pay people in 402 00:19:43,280 --> 00:19:43,679 Speaker 2: the way. 403 00:19:43,560 --> 00:19:44,520 Speaker 3: That some other businesses did. 404 00:19:44,560 --> 00:19:47,040 Speaker 2: And there were businesses in our sector who had it 405 00:19:47,400 --> 00:19:49,119 Speaker 2: either in the bank account or they had access to 406 00:19:49,200 --> 00:19:50,840 Speaker 2: lenders who would give it to them. We were not 407 00:19:50,960 --> 00:19:54,120 Speaker 2: in that position. But the second, and honestly the most 408 00:19:54,119 --> 00:19:59,720 Speaker 2: important thing was fundamentally we believed that laying people off 409 00:20:00,200 --> 00:20:03,200 Speaker 2: was the right decision for the longevity of this business 410 00:20:03,520 --> 00:20:07,360 Speaker 2: and the right decision for their specific financial situation. 411 00:20:07,720 --> 00:20:09,919 Speaker 3: And that was driven by two parts. 412 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:12,359 Speaker 2: The first is we knew that whether we laid them 413 00:20:12,400 --> 00:20:14,520 Speaker 2: off on the sixteenth of March in that year or 414 00:20:14,560 --> 00:20:17,440 Speaker 2: we laid them off on April first, that we weren't 415 00:20:17,440 --> 00:20:19,600 Speaker 2: going to be able to keep them long term. And 416 00:20:20,200 --> 00:20:21,919 Speaker 2: the longer we kept them knowing that we were going 417 00:20:21,960 --> 00:20:24,639 Speaker 2: to get to that inevitable point, inevitable point anyway, the 418 00:20:24,840 --> 00:20:26,840 Speaker 2: further back in the unemployment line they were going to be. 419 00:20:27,400 --> 00:20:31,800 Speaker 2: And so we were like, we think that if we 420 00:20:31,840 --> 00:20:33,240 Speaker 2: think and we know that people are going to end 421 00:20:33,280 --> 00:20:35,719 Speaker 2: up in the unemployment line. We want them first. We 422 00:20:35,760 --> 00:20:38,320 Speaker 2: want our team and that unemployment line first. Again, as 423 00:20:38,359 --> 00:20:41,320 Speaker 2: sad as that is to say. But the second thing 424 00:20:41,560 --> 00:20:46,280 Speaker 2: was part B to that is we knew that if 425 00:20:46,320 --> 00:20:48,520 Speaker 2: we wanted people to have a company to come back to, 426 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:51,680 Speaker 2: if we wanted people to have long term jobs and 427 00:20:51,720 --> 00:20:54,360 Speaker 2: build a company that was going to exist beyond this 428 00:20:54,520 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 2: critical moment in time in COVID, that the only way 429 00:20:57,320 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 2: to do that was to essentially get our cash flow 430 00:21:00,680 --> 00:21:04,159 Speaker 2: as our cash out the door, our cash outflows to 431 00:21:04,240 --> 00:21:06,879 Speaker 2: be as close to zero as possible, and that is 432 00:21:06,920 --> 00:21:08,399 Speaker 2: ultimately what we did. And there were lots of you 433 00:21:08,560 --> 00:21:12,760 Speaker 2: we were an super early mover. Nobody in our category 434 00:21:12,840 --> 00:21:14,800 Speaker 2: was like people off and people looked at us like we. 435 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:16,080 Speaker 3: Were insane when we did this. 436 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:19,680 Speaker 2: But again on the other side of it, solid Core 437 00:21:19,760 --> 00:21:23,320 Speaker 2: is probably the strongest business in fitness and a lot 438 00:21:23,320 --> 00:21:25,040 Speaker 2: of credit goes to some of those hard decisions that 439 00:21:25,040 --> 00:21:26,199 Speaker 2: we made very very early on. 440 00:21:26,880 --> 00:21:29,919 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, you know, I've had this conversation with some 441 00:21:29,960 --> 00:21:33,280 Speaker 1: friends of mine recently about like the current economic state 442 00:21:33,320 --> 00:21:35,640 Speaker 1: that we're in right now as a country, honestly as 443 00:21:35,640 --> 00:21:39,320 Speaker 1: a world, but really as a country. And I'm follow 444 00:21:39,359 --> 00:21:42,760 Speaker 1: these accounts on Instagram and TikTok that talk a lot 445 00:21:42,800 --> 00:21:46,320 Speaker 1: about how like, if you want to sell sell to 446 00:21:46,400 --> 00:21:49,120 Speaker 1: a premium audience, sell to an audience that can afford 447 00:21:49,280 --> 00:21:54,920 Speaker 1: premium things, and those companies will make money and companies 448 00:21:54,960 --> 00:21:56,800 Speaker 1: that serve the bottom will make money but in a 449 00:21:56,840 --> 00:22:00,639 Speaker 1: different way. But the middle is being hollowed out. So 450 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:03,280 Speaker 1: I'd love to get your perspective on like how to 451 00:22:03,640 --> 00:22:06,199 Speaker 1: like if you're building, you know, whether it be a 452 00:22:06,200 --> 00:22:09,480 Speaker 1: fashion brand or a welldest brand or whatever. I would 453 00:22:09,480 --> 00:22:12,440 Speaker 1: just want I would love to get your economic outlook 454 00:22:12,480 --> 00:22:16,159 Speaker 1: on business and like if you can talk in it 455 00:22:16,280 --> 00:22:19,959 Speaker 1: sprinkled in there, how to get more of us who 456 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:23,440 Speaker 1: feel comfortable selling to premium shoppers. 457 00:22:24,480 --> 00:22:28,159 Speaker 2: Yep, so solid core For those who don't know, I 458 00:22:28,160 --> 00:22:31,480 Speaker 2: will say in general serves a more premium audience. These 459 00:22:31,520 --> 00:22:34,879 Speaker 2: are people who are spending and invest in health and wellness. 460 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:38,120 Speaker 2: And so I will start by saying, as a general statement, 461 00:22:38,880 --> 00:22:42,480 Speaker 2: I do agree that when times get tough, it's hard 462 00:22:42,520 --> 00:22:44,399 Speaker 2: to be in the middle. It's hard to be in 463 00:22:44,440 --> 00:22:48,760 Speaker 2: the middle. And the people sort of who serve the 464 00:22:48,920 --> 00:22:52,520 Speaker 2: spectrum the wealthiest are you know, those people tend to 465 00:22:52,520 --> 00:22:54,280 Speaker 2: not cut back on spending or they have more room 466 00:22:54,320 --> 00:22:56,399 Speaker 2: to not cut back, and the people who serve the 467 00:22:56,400 --> 00:22:58,320 Speaker 2: bottom like people will migrate down. 468 00:22:58,160 --> 00:22:59,520 Speaker 3: As economic times get tough. 469 00:23:00,359 --> 00:23:02,680 Speaker 2: That being said, I will tell you, and people get 470 00:23:02,680 --> 00:23:05,879 Speaker 2: surprised by this, that although solid Core does tend to 471 00:23:05,920 --> 00:23:09,719 Speaker 2: serve a more premium audience, we do actually have a 472 00:23:09,760 --> 00:23:13,000 Speaker 2: fair number of people in the middle, and so almost 473 00:23:13,080 --> 00:23:16,440 Speaker 2: more important than whether you serve the more premium consumer 474 00:23:17,080 --> 00:23:19,080 Speaker 2: or kind of the more entry level consumer. 475 00:23:20,040 --> 00:23:21,200 Speaker 3: What's actually most. 476 00:23:21,000 --> 00:23:23,280 Speaker 2: Critical and the reason why solid Core is able to 477 00:23:23,280 --> 00:23:25,600 Speaker 2: serve both the premium and the middle and keep them 478 00:23:26,119 --> 00:23:30,359 Speaker 2: is because we have a product that is differentiated enough 479 00:23:30,880 --> 00:23:33,960 Speaker 2: that you can't get it somewhere else, and we've made 480 00:23:34,000 --> 00:23:38,159 Speaker 2: the brand such a badge of honor that when people 481 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:41,320 Speaker 2: think about places where they're going to cut back, solid 482 00:23:41,400 --> 00:23:45,280 Speaker 2: Core is low on that list, right. And so as 483 00:23:45,320 --> 00:23:48,119 Speaker 2: you think about a business, even if you land on 484 00:23:48,280 --> 00:23:50,200 Speaker 2: a great idea that serves the middle, I would say, 485 00:23:50,240 --> 00:23:53,160 Speaker 2: don't fear that. But you have to figure out how 486 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:57,199 Speaker 2: you create such an emotional connection with your consumer that 487 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:00,280 Speaker 2: as they have to trade down that your product or 488 00:24:00,320 --> 00:24:03,240 Speaker 2: your category, your service, whatever happens to be is the 489 00:24:03,359 --> 00:24:07,520 Speaker 2: last thing that they trade down on, right, Because when 490 00:24:07,520 --> 00:24:09,080 Speaker 2: you are the first thing that they trade on on, 491 00:24:09,240 --> 00:24:12,119 Speaker 2: that's actually when you end up in trouble. And so 492 00:24:12,600 --> 00:24:15,280 Speaker 2: that's kind of like my sort of musings on kind 493 00:24:15,280 --> 00:24:17,359 Speaker 2: of the top, bottom and the middle. 494 00:24:18,680 --> 00:24:20,280 Speaker 3: There's a second part to your question, and I just 495 00:24:20,359 --> 00:24:21,199 Speaker 3: it just escapes me. 496 00:24:22,320 --> 00:24:24,440 Speaker 1: It was just like, you know, how that middle being 497 00:24:24,480 --> 00:24:28,040 Speaker 1: hollowed out? Like how do we as comfortable? 498 00:24:28,119 --> 00:24:30,640 Speaker 3: Yes, yeah, look, I think. 499 00:24:33,960 --> 00:24:36,280 Speaker 2: We say it a lot, but I think sometimes we 500 00:24:36,359 --> 00:24:38,760 Speaker 2: say it and then we don't step into the confidence 501 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:39,560 Speaker 2: that comes with it. 502 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:43,280 Speaker 3: But black culture. 503 00:24:44,359 --> 00:24:49,600 Speaker 2: Drives a lot of culture generally, and so there is 504 00:24:49,720 --> 00:24:54,840 Speaker 2: no reason as the carriers of culture that any of 505 00:24:54,920 --> 00:24:58,480 Speaker 2: us should think that we can't sell to, frankly, anyone 506 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:00,600 Speaker 2: regardless of where they are. 507 00:25:00,640 --> 00:25:01,600 Speaker 3: On that spectrum. 508 00:25:01,840 --> 00:25:04,840 Speaker 2: And I know we talk a lot about black culture 509 00:25:04,960 --> 00:25:08,359 Speaker 2: driving overall culture in this country, but again sometimes I 510 00:25:08,400 --> 00:25:11,600 Speaker 2: think we then say that, but then sort of step 511 00:25:11,680 --> 00:25:15,000 Speaker 2: back and don't sort of take our rightful place in 512 00:25:15,520 --> 00:25:18,399 Speaker 2: then saying okay, great, so then let me drive the 513 00:25:18,440 --> 00:25:21,280 Speaker 2: transformation in this industry in this segment, et cetera. And 514 00:25:21,359 --> 00:25:23,640 Speaker 2: my product is going to be the premium product. I'm 515 00:25:23,640 --> 00:25:27,280 Speaker 2: not going to build a product that serves the lower 516 00:25:27,400 --> 00:25:29,760 Speaker 2: end and then watch somebody else from the majority come 517 00:25:29,760 --> 00:25:32,200 Speaker 2: in essentially rip off what I've done and sell to 518 00:25:32,240 --> 00:25:34,399 Speaker 2: a more premium consumer. I'm actually going to be the 519 00:25:34,440 --> 00:25:36,720 Speaker 2: one to sell to that consumer. And so there's a 520 00:25:36,760 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 2: part of me that says, I think one of the 521 00:25:41,080 --> 00:25:44,600 Speaker 2: biggest hurdles for us to think through is how we 522 00:25:44,760 --> 00:25:52,359 Speaker 2: just create the confidence and walk into the rooms and 523 00:25:52,520 --> 00:25:55,520 Speaker 2: own that we own culture and own that we should 524 00:25:55,560 --> 00:25:58,840 Speaker 2: be the ones who are delivering it to the masses, 525 00:25:59,000 --> 00:26:02,960 Speaker 2: regardless of what we like or what community we came from. 526 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:07,320 Speaker 1: Yeah, this is quote I found from you where you say, 527 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:10,159 Speaker 1: you know, we want to prove boutique fitness doesn't have 528 00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:12,919 Speaker 1: to be a fad. And you know, I think about 529 00:26:13,680 --> 00:26:16,240 Speaker 1: boutique fitness has been. You know, it has a reputation 530 00:26:16,359 --> 00:26:19,640 Speaker 1: for like boom and bus cycles, Like there's you know, fads, 531 00:26:19,840 --> 00:26:22,680 Speaker 1: trends that come in and out, you know, all the time, 532 00:26:23,240 --> 00:26:25,919 Speaker 1: and it's a lot like fashion in a way. And 533 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:29,480 Speaker 1: so how do you set a thirty year vision for 534 00:26:29,840 --> 00:26:33,040 Speaker 1: an industry that's addicted to trends? 535 00:26:33,359 --> 00:26:35,560 Speaker 2: Yeah, you know, it's funny that you say that and 536 00:26:35,800 --> 00:26:40,080 Speaker 2: the relationship that you just described that fashion also has 537 00:26:40,560 --> 00:26:47,200 Speaker 2: because the thing about consumers is that there are always trends. 538 00:26:47,240 --> 00:26:50,080 Speaker 2: Consumers have all been changed in our preferences, right like 539 00:26:50,560 --> 00:26:53,399 Speaker 2: people are you know, gen zs wearing like baggy jeans 540 00:26:53,400 --> 00:26:55,320 Speaker 2: and I still as a millennial, can't get rid of 541 00:26:55,359 --> 00:26:56,320 Speaker 2: like my skinny jeans. 542 00:26:57,560 --> 00:26:59,680 Speaker 3: People's taste change, right like people. 543 00:26:59,560 --> 00:27:02,920 Speaker 2: Used to eat sandwiches and subs and whatnot for lunch 544 00:27:02,960 --> 00:27:06,840 Speaker 2: and now everything's in a bowl. So like, people's preferences 545 00:27:06,840 --> 00:27:10,919 Speaker 2: and taste change regardless of industry. But for some reason 546 00:27:11,040 --> 00:27:15,840 Speaker 2: in fitness, the belief has been a company can only 547 00:27:15,960 --> 00:27:20,679 Speaker 2: serve a window of the consumer, and as soon as 548 00:27:20,680 --> 00:27:23,359 Speaker 2: that window passes, that company is out of favor and 549 00:27:23,400 --> 00:27:25,399 Speaker 2: it's some new company. And when you look at an 550 00:27:25,640 --> 00:27:30,080 Speaker 2: industry like fashion, to your point, fashion trends have changed drastically, 551 00:27:30,440 --> 00:27:34,680 Speaker 2: but they iconic fashion brands, they're there every single step 552 00:27:34,680 --> 00:27:36,879 Speaker 2: of the way. And that, to me is when you 553 00:27:36,920 --> 00:27:40,280 Speaker 2: build a best in class consumer brand, You build a 554 00:27:40,320 --> 00:27:45,000 Speaker 2: brand that learns how to evolve alongside the consumer and 555 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:47,960 Speaker 2: create and sustain relevance such. 556 00:27:47,760 --> 00:27:49,679 Speaker 3: That you endure as a brand. 557 00:27:50,200 --> 00:27:53,200 Speaker 2: And to me, that has been what has unfortunately been 558 00:27:53,240 --> 00:27:57,119 Speaker 2: missing in fitness and there's just been this mindset that 559 00:27:57,280 --> 00:27:59,240 Speaker 2: like either I hit the trend or I don't, And 560 00:27:59,280 --> 00:28:01,320 Speaker 2: if I hit it, I write it and then I'm done. 561 00:28:01,560 --> 00:28:03,440 Speaker 2: If I don't, then I pivot and I do something 562 00:28:03,440 --> 00:28:06,080 Speaker 2: else until I hit the right trend. And my belief 563 00:28:06,160 --> 00:28:09,760 Speaker 2: is solid core as a brand should build a deep 564 00:28:10,520 --> 00:28:15,320 Speaker 2: relationship both economically and emotionally with the consumer and evolve 565 00:28:15,480 --> 00:28:19,320 Speaker 2: as the consumer evolves. So in fifteen years, if nobody's 566 00:28:19,320 --> 00:28:22,720 Speaker 2: working out on a reformer, that's totally fine because if 567 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:25,640 Speaker 2: I've done my job right, we will have evolved alongside 568 00:28:25,640 --> 00:28:28,960 Speaker 2: the consumer. So whatever the consumer is doing in fitness. 569 00:28:29,280 --> 00:28:31,439 Speaker 3: We will also be doing at that point, and it. 570 00:28:31,440 --> 00:28:34,040 Speaker 2: Will still be the same brand that they know, they 571 00:28:34,080 --> 00:28:36,520 Speaker 2: love and they build trust for over decades. 572 00:28:37,000 --> 00:28:38,920 Speaker 1: Yeah, So I want to say that in a way 573 00:28:38,960 --> 00:28:42,360 Speaker 1: I understand it, Like I'm not romantic about like particular 574 00:28:42,400 --> 00:28:44,680 Speaker 1: ideas and strategies, like if it works, it works, if 575 00:28:44,680 --> 00:28:46,880 Speaker 1: it doesn't do something else. So what I hear you 576 00:28:46,960 --> 00:28:50,440 Speaker 1: saying is and you said like the reformer, like that 577 00:28:50,520 --> 00:28:53,400 Speaker 1: could be the window and it could be something else 578 00:28:53,480 --> 00:28:57,440 Speaker 1: in ten years. But you're not married to this distribution, 579 00:28:57,760 --> 00:28:59,719 Speaker 1: you know, channel. 580 00:28:59,280 --> 00:29:03,080 Speaker 2: No exactly exactly, it's like we are you know, if 581 00:29:03,120 --> 00:29:04,960 Speaker 2: I like get really dramatic with the language, it's like, 582 00:29:05,080 --> 00:29:10,200 Speaker 2: we are a platform for delivering strength to our consumer. Yeah, 583 00:29:10,240 --> 00:29:13,880 Speaker 2: and there could be lots of content on that platform, 584 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:15,680 Speaker 2: but at the end of the day, solid Core is 585 00:29:15,720 --> 00:29:16,360 Speaker 2: a platform for. 586 00:29:16,320 --> 00:29:17,800 Speaker 3: Delivering strength to the consumer. 587 00:29:18,360 --> 00:29:21,720 Speaker 2: And whatever the right content is that the consumer needs 588 00:29:21,800 --> 00:29:23,880 Speaker 2: in a given moment in time is the content that 589 00:29:23,920 --> 00:29:25,520 Speaker 2: solid Core will deliver on its platform. 590 00:29:25,720 --> 00:29:28,320 Speaker 1: That's great. That's great. And the last few minutes that 591 00:29:28,360 --> 00:29:30,520 Speaker 1: I have you, I want to talk about like being 592 00:29:30,560 --> 00:29:33,040 Speaker 1: a leader and CEO, Like how do you how did 593 00:29:33,080 --> 00:29:36,680 Speaker 1: you get there? And not just necessarily like the progression, 594 00:29:36,720 --> 00:29:39,600 Speaker 1: but like become it? And so I want to talk 595 00:29:39,640 --> 00:29:42,440 Speaker 1: about like, you know, you're a consultant working in a 596 00:29:42,480 --> 00:29:45,080 Speaker 1: thing and now you're running a thing. How did you 597 00:29:45,160 --> 00:29:46,240 Speaker 1: learn to be a CEO? 598 00:29:48,640 --> 00:29:50,360 Speaker 3: It's just like everything else in life. 599 00:29:50,480 --> 00:29:53,920 Speaker 2: You you think that once you get to the thing, 600 00:29:54,040 --> 00:29:58,000 Speaker 2: you'll either have learned it or like once you get 601 00:29:58,040 --> 00:30:01,480 Speaker 2: the title, you will be it. And the thing that 602 00:30:01,520 --> 00:30:04,840 Speaker 2: I have come to appreciate is regardless of where you 603 00:30:04,880 --> 00:30:08,880 Speaker 2: are in your career, entry level, or you're the CEO, 604 00:30:10,320 --> 00:30:13,880 Speaker 2: every person is working to be it or a better 605 00:30:14,000 --> 00:30:16,280 Speaker 2: version of it every single day, and I am no 606 00:30:16,320 --> 00:30:19,080 Speaker 2: different as a CEO. And so one of the things 607 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:21,520 Speaker 2: that I've tried to do over the last several years, 608 00:30:21,520 --> 00:30:23,560 Speaker 2: and I've been the CEO of this business now for 609 00:30:23,640 --> 00:30:25,760 Speaker 2: about five years, but one of the things that I've 610 00:30:25,800 --> 00:30:28,560 Speaker 2: tried to do even before I had the title was 611 00:30:28,640 --> 00:30:31,960 Speaker 2: surround myself with people who have sat in the roles. 612 00:30:32,400 --> 00:30:32,600 Speaker 3: Right. 613 00:30:32,640 --> 00:30:37,240 Speaker 2: So I joined a peer group of other senior leaders. 614 00:30:37,280 --> 00:30:39,640 Speaker 2: I was not a CEO yet, I was president of 615 00:30:39,720 --> 00:30:42,000 Speaker 2: the business at the time, but I was surrounded by 616 00:30:42,000 --> 00:30:45,320 Speaker 2: other CEOs and I learned from them how they thought 617 00:30:45,320 --> 00:30:49,000 Speaker 2: about their business, how they built teams, how they drove accountability, 618 00:30:49,440 --> 00:30:54,640 Speaker 2: how they created vision for their organizations. And those were 619 00:30:54,640 --> 00:30:56,960 Speaker 2: strategies that I started to employ as I became a 620 00:30:57,000 --> 00:30:57,320 Speaker 2: leader and. 621 00:30:57,360 --> 00:30:59,720 Speaker 3: Ultimately became the CEO of this company. 622 00:31:00,240 --> 00:31:04,360 Speaker 2: And I continue to surround myself with leaders who are 623 00:31:04,440 --> 00:31:07,400 Speaker 2: more experienced than me. I continue to listen and to 624 00:31:07,520 --> 00:31:10,760 Speaker 2: read from people who are more experienced than me, and 625 00:31:10,800 --> 00:31:13,600 Speaker 2: like that is how I have become it. But at 626 00:31:13,600 --> 00:31:15,040 Speaker 2: the end of the day, if you ask me, do 627 00:31:15,080 --> 00:31:16,960 Speaker 2: I feel like I am it, the answer is no. 628 00:31:17,120 --> 00:31:20,360 Speaker 3: I feel like every single day I'm on a journey. 629 00:31:20,040 --> 00:31:22,680 Speaker 2: To become closer to the it that I view as 630 00:31:22,720 --> 00:31:24,520 Speaker 2: like the ideal CEO for this company. 631 00:31:25,280 --> 00:31:26,600 Speaker 3: And every day I hope to get a little bit 632 00:31:26,600 --> 00:31:27,640 Speaker 3: better than I was the day before. 633 00:31:28,040 --> 00:31:31,760 Speaker 1: Yeah, you know I was. I hit a realization recently, 634 00:31:32,520 --> 00:31:36,000 Speaker 1: and I have a few businesses myself, and I was 635 00:31:36,080 --> 00:31:38,480 Speaker 1: just always stressed out and burned out because I could 636 00:31:38,480 --> 00:31:40,720 Speaker 1: never get through the to do list. And I read 637 00:31:40,760 --> 00:31:43,640 Speaker 1: something and to say, like, when you are finding success, 638 00:31:43,720 --> 00:31:46,760 Speaker 1: you've got to be comfortable knowing you will never be done. 639 00:31:47,720 --> 00:31:52,320 Speaker 1: And I wonder how, because I've read other articles when 640 00:31:52,360 --> 00:31:54,680 Speaker 1: you talk about like your daily routine and you you know, 641 00:31:54,760 --> 00:31:56,720 Speaker 1: you wake up and you walk for twenty minutes with 642 00:31:56,760 --> 00:31:59,080 Speaker 1: the dog, and you you know you're home by five, 643 00:31:59,240 --> 00:32:02,480 Speaker 1: and you have these these things, and I'm like, you know, 644 00:32:04,080 --> 00:32:07,720 Speaker 1: you know, it's one thing to want to do those things. 645 00:32:07,760 --> 00:32:09,800 Speaker 1: It's another to do it and be at peace and 646 00:32:09,920 --> 00:32:13,600 Speaker 1: present while doing it, knowing that to dost is waiting 647 00:32:13,680 --> 00:32:16,480 Speaker 1: for you, and that people are waiting for you. And 648 00:32:16,560 --> 00:32:21,680 Speaker 1: so I wonder how you reconcile and also encourage people 649 00:32:21,760 --> 00:32:24,520 Speaker 1: to know that that call is always going to be 650 00:32:24,560 --> 00:32:26,880 Speaker 1: waiting for you, that next to do this item is 651 00:32:26,920 --> 00:32:30,200 Speaker 1: always going to be there, but this moment to invest 652 00:32:30,240 --> 00:32:33,520 Speaker 1: in my personal sanity and my personal health by walking 653 00:32:33,640 --> 00:32:36,400 Speaker 1: or whatever. That's what I need to be doing in 654 00:32:36,440 --> 00:32:39,120 Speaker 1: this moment, and it serves the to do list. Also, 655 00:32:39,640 --> 00:32:40,560 Speaker 1: can you talk about that. 656 00:32:41,640 --> 00:32:45,000 Speaker 2: Yeah, it's one of the hardest things. And you know, 657 00:32:45,040 --> 00:32:47,480 Speaker 2: I became a father three and a half years ago, 658 00:32:48,360 --> 00:32:50,840 Speaker 2: and honestly, I was actually just saying to a friend 659 00:32:50,840 --> 00:32:55,800 Speaker 2: who's a new father, like it has fundamentally changed my 660 00:32:55,920 --> 00:33:01,600 Speaker 2: relationship with work in I think an incredible way because. 661 00:33:02,680 --> 00:33:04,480 Speaker 3: There is something bigger. 662 00:33:04,640 --> 00:33:07,600 Speaker 2: Than my career that's waiting for me when I get home, 663 00:33:07,880 --> 00:33:12,360 Speaker 2: and that forcing function of realizing that my work is really, 664 00:33:12,400 --> 00:33:15,280 Speaker 2: really important and yet it is still not the most 665 00:33:15,280 --> 00:33:18,080 Speaker 2: important thing in my life. And some people get there 666 00:33:18,120 --> 00:33:20,960 Speaker 2: with their own health journey right as an example, because again, 667 00:33:21,200 --> 00:33:23,400 Speaker 2: your health is more important than your career because you 668 00:33:23,440 --> 00:33:25,600 Speaker 2: can't do your career without your health. But if I'm 669 00:33:25,640 --> 00:33:28,760 Speaker 2: being really honest on this podcast, which again going back 670 00:33:28,760 --> 00:33:30,960 Speaker 2: to something I said earlier, like honestly, I really try 671 00:33:31,000 --> 00:33:35,640 Speaker 2: to live it like that wasn't always my mindset, right, Like, 672 00:33:35,680 --> 00:33:38,240 Speaker 2: it wasn't that health came first. I was pretty career 673 00:33:38,280 --> 00:33:41,400 Speaker 2: oriented and I leaned in probably more than I should have. 674 00:33:41,920 --> 00:33:47,600 Speaker 2: But this idea that our careers and who we are 675 00:33:47,640 --> 00:33:52,240 Speaker 2: professionally is a marathon and not a sprint. And if 676 00:33:52,280 --> 00:33:56,240 Speaker 2: you treat it like a sprint, what ultimately ends up 677 00:33:56,280 --> 00:34:00,440 Speaker 2: happening is that you find yourself burnt out, You find 678 00:34:00,440 --> 00:34:05,440 Speaker 2: yourself resentful for your career, and it will force you 679 00:34:05,680 --> 00:34:08,120 Speaker 2: off or out of the thing that you may actually 680 00:34:08,160 --> 00:34:10,880 Speaker 2: have a ton of passion for. And I watch that 681 00:34:10,960 --> 00:34:13,560 Speaker 2: particularly in consulting. Consulting is a great place to see it, 682 00:34:13,600 --> 00:34:17,279 Speaker 2: because lots of people get into that world and they 683 00:34:17,320 --> 00:34:19,279 Speaker 2: think they can split their way through it, and they 684 00:34:19,400 --> 00:34:22,160 Speaker 2: end up being really burnt out and really resentful for 685 00:34:22,320 --> 00:34:26,080 Speaker 2: the job or the company. And I looked around and 686 00:34:26,160 --> 00:34:28,480 Speaker 2: I said to myself, like, that is not. 687 00:34:28,440 --> 00:34:30,520 Speaker 3: Going to be me. I actually really did enjoy that job. 688 00:34:30,560 --> 00:34:32,880 Speaker 2: And I was like, I really enjoy this job, and 689 00:34:32,920 --> 00:34:34,799 Speaker 2: I want to leave this place whenever it is that 690 00:34:34,800 --> 00:34:36,799 Speaker 2: I leave, I want to leave this place enjoying this job. 691 00:34:37,320 --> 00:34:40,400 Speaker 2: And I try to think about that even today. In 692 00:34:40,480 --> 00:34:46,000 Speaker 2: my work. There's always another email, there's always another ideation 693 00:34:46,160 --> 00:34:48,680 Speaker 2: session that I can have, there's always another priority that 694 00:34:48,719 --> 00:34:51,040 Speaker 2: I can think about, there's always another to do list, task, 695 00:34:51,120 --> 00:34:53,719 Speaker 2: that's out there, another person I can call, another person 696 00:34:53,760 --> 00:34:57,279 Speaker 2: I can email, Especially operating a business that you know, 697 00:34:57,360 --> 00:34:59,560 Speaker 2: we operate classes as early as four am Eastern and 698 00:34:59,600 --> 00:35:01,759 Speaker 2: as lead as ten or eleven pm Pacific. We are 699 00:35:01,800 --> 00:35:05,279 Speaker 2: basically open around the clock. And I have to tell 700 00:35:05,320 --> 00:35:09,040 Speaker 2: myself that at the end of the day, if I 701 00:35:09,120 --> 00:35:12,279 Speaker 2: want to do this job and be happy, I have 702 00:35:12,360 --> 00:35:14,799 Speaker 2: to have a life outside of this job. I have 703 00:35:14,840 --> 00:35:17,040 Speaker 2: to have my health outside of this job. I have 704 00:35:17,080 --> 00:35:19,120 Speaker 2: to have a strong relationship with my husband outside of 705 00:35:19,120 --> 00:35:20,839 Speaker 2: this job. I have to feel like I'm showing up 706 00:35:21,040 --> 00:35:23,120 Speaker 2: as the father that I want to be outside of 707 00:35:23,120 --> 00:35:25,440 Speaker 2: this job. Otherwise I will grow to resent this job, 708 00:35:25,440 --> 00:35:27,480 Speaker 2: and I will lead this job unhappy, and that's just 709 00:35:27,480 --> 00:35:28,120 Speaker 2: not what I want. 710 00:35:29,280 --> 00:35:33,080 Speaker 1: Yeah, and finally, I'm going to kind of give you 711 00:35:33,360 --> 00:35:36,680 Speaker 1: as a software like softball. I want to know, like, 712 00:35:36,800 --> 00:35:40,560 Speaker 1: what is one of the most impactful things you've learned 713 00:35:41,120 --> 00:35:46,200 Speaker 1: about leadership, leading people, scaling a business, or just business 714 00:35:46,280 --> 00:35:49,680 Speaker 1: principle recently, Like maybe not something that you just always 715 00:35:49,719 --> 00:35:51,520 Speaker 1: have known, but something you've learned recently. 716 00:35:53,920 --> 00:35:55,680 Speaker 3: I'm going to answer your question. 717 00:35:58,320 --> 00:36:00,239 Speaker 2: And say I will lead by saying it's not a 718 00:36:00,280 --> 00:36:02,560 Speaker 2: direct answer for your question It's not that I've learned 719 00:36:02,560 --> 00:36:04,799 Speaker 2: it recently, but I feel like I have come to 720 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:09,440 Speaker 2: appreciate it recently, which is when you build something of 721 00:36:09,840 --> 00:36:14,879 Speaker 2: meaning and consequence, particularly if you build something of any 722 00:36:14,920 --> 00:36:21,319 Speaker 2: meaningful size and scale, it is impossible for you to 723 00:36:21,360 --> 00:36:24,600 Speaker 2: make people happy. For you to make everyone happy, the 724 00:36:24,760 --> 00:36:27,919 Speaker 2: impact in the scale of your reach is just too 725 00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:30,239 Speaker 2: large for you to do it. And I've had to 726 00:36:30,280 --> 00:36:32,920 Speaker 2: come to grips with that, particularly as the company has 727 00:36:32,960 --> 00:36:34,960 Speaker 2: grown and scaled so much over the last few years, 728 00:36:35,120 --> 00:36:39,719 Speaker 2: and the brand kind of heat and conversation around the 729 00:36:39,760 --> 00:36:44,960 Speaker 2: brand in the culture on Twitter, slash x, on Reddit 730 00:36:45,120 --> 00:36:48,319 Speaker 2: and forums and podcasts, and there's just so much talk 731 00:36:48,360 --> 00:36:52,640 Speaker 2: about solid core today, and I've had to really come 732 00:36:52,680 --> 00:36:56,440 Speaker 2: to grips with the fact that we touch a quarter 733 00:36:56,719 --> 00:37:03,080 Speaker 2: million unique individuals every single month. If I make ten 734 00:37:03,200 --> 00:37:07,600 Speaker 2: percent of people mad, that's twenty five thousand people one 735 00:37:07,640 --> 00:37:10,719 Speaker 2: percent of people mad, it's twenty five hundred people zero 736 00:37:10,719 --> 00:37:11,480 Speaker 2: point one percent. 737 00:37:11,560 --> 00:37:14,160 Speaker 3: It's still two hundred and fifty people like. It is impossible. 738 00:37:14,440 --> 00:37:17,120 Speaker 2: And I think for us as leaders who sit in 739 00:37:17,200 --> 00:37:20,680 Speaker 2: these roles and everyone looks up to you to point 740 00:37:20,680 --> 00:37:25,160 Speaker 2: the finger, to criticize, to ask for something. 741 00:37:24,840 --> 00:37:26,399 Speaker 3: That you may or may not be able to give. 742 00:37:27,400 --> 00:37:30,799 Speaker 2: It is easy at some times to kind of get 743 00:37:30,800 --> 00:37:34,360 Speaker 2: into a woe is me framework around that. But the 744 00:37:34,440 --> 00:37:37,640 Speaker 2: thing that I've come to really appreciate, as I recognize 745 00:37:37,640 --> 00:37:39,879 Speaker 2: this and reconcile this in my own mind, is that 746 00:37:42,000 --> 00:37:46,479 Speaker 2: the opposite could be true, and I doubt you would 747 00:37:46,480 --> 00:37:47,279 Speaker 2: be happy about that. 748 00:37:47,760 --> 00:37:48,440 Speaker 3: I could lead a. 749 00:37:48,360 --> 00:37:51,880 Speaker 2: Business that did not have that reach, that was not 750 00:37:51,960 --> 00:37:55,279 Speaker 2: in the cultural conversation that have very few people who 751 00:37:55,320 --> 00:37:59,400 Speaker 2: are walking into class, and maybe they would all be 752 00:37:59,440 --> 00:38:03,200 Speaker 2: happy with me, and that would make me feel better emotionally. 753 00:38:03,960 --> 00:38:06,840 Speaker 2: But that's actually not the level of impact that I 754 00:38:06,920 --> 00:38:10,200 Speaker 2: desire to have in the world. And so the trade 755 00:38:10,200 --> 00:38:13,160 Speaker 2: off that I make by having the seat that I 756 00:38:13,200 --> 00:38:15,160 Speaker 2: sit in and the impact and the reach that this 757 00:38:15,239 --> 00:38:18,600 Speaker 2: business has is like, Yeah, there're gonna be some people 758 00:38:18,600 --> 00:38:20,840 Speaker 2: who are not happy with pretty much every single decision 759 00:38:20,840 --> 00:38:23,239 Speaker 2: that I make, and that's just something I got to 760 00:38:23,239 --> 00:38:27,840 Speaker 2: get over. So I've been working through that emotionally recently. 761 00:38:27,880 --> 00:38:29,840 Speaker 2: So thanks for the question of letting me processing that 762 00:38:29,880 --> 00:38:30,319 Speaker 2: out loud. 763 00:38:30,600 --> 00:38:35,399 Speaker 1: Absolutely, this was fantastic. Brian Miyas, Thank you so much 764 00:38:36,040 --> 00:38:36,879 Speaker 3: Appreciate you well.