Behind the Horns

Mark Balint, NOBULL’s Footwear Design Director, joins Michael and Marcus for a virtual conversation about how the team has adapted to collaborating while social distancing, bringing the United in Movement Trainers from ideation to production in less than two days, and their evolving design and development process. (1:07) United In Movement Trainer.  (7:20) Collaborating while social distancing.  (10:26) Jared’s Floral Shop. (11:30) Building product collections. (17:13) Product development. (21:31) Evolving product categories.   (24:11) Finding new ways to work.

Co-Founders, Michael and Marcus, connect from hundreds of miles apart to discuss how they’re adapting to the COVID-19 pandemic as husbands, fathers, athletes, and business leaders.  They discuss making decisions rapidly, settling into new routines, and how NOBULL is working hard to give back. (2:00) Adapting to a new way of working. (7:40) Making new routines.  (14:28) Focusing on design and business optimization.  (21:06) Growing from new challenges.   (24:56) United In Movement. (28:50) What NOBULL is doing to give back.

Marcus and NOBULL Athlete, Will Grier, catch up on life as a husband, father of two girls, and Carolina Panthers Quarterback.  They discuss how Will balances the transition into the NFL with his family and as an athlete. Hear more about Wills dedication as a husband and father while training as a professional athlete year round. (0:57) Who is Will Grier? (1:25) Balancing family & football. (3:46) Specialization in sports.  (5:09) In-Season & Off-Season training. (8:01) Sleep.  (10:44) Joining the NOBULL Team.  (13:13) Transitioning to the NFL.  (14:18) Off-Season plans.

Michael and Marcus sit down with Jared Stevens, one of NOBULL’s first sponsored athletes, to talk about how their relationship started, Jared’s Floral Shop, and being part of the NOBULL Team. (1:15) Jared’s introduction to NOBULL. (7:35) Jared’s Floral Shop. (12:21) Not taking things too seriously.  (14:03) Day in the life.  (15:28) Being part of the NOBULL Team.

Michael and Marcus dive into the topics of strain, recovery, and sleep with Will Ahmed, Founder and CEO of WHOOP, a wearable fitness tracker that uses a holistic approach to interpreting data to help users better understand how their bodies function.  WHOOP began with a focus on helping professional athletes learn how to treat their bodies and has partnered with many major sports organizations. Today, WHOOP not only helps professional athletes, but applies to people in their everyday lives, including CrossFitters, youth athletes, and CEOs. (1:08) WHOOP’s mission.  (7:03) Generating revenue. (9:09) Making data digestible.  (11:12) Recovery.  (14:08) Sleep.  (18:29) Health.  (19:42) Nutrition.  (22:52) Wearable technology. (28:32) WHOOP for CrossFitters.  (30:09) Expanding outside professional athletes. (31:44) Youth athletes.  (33:05) What keeps you up at night? (34:58) Maintaining company culture.  (39:13) Will’s travel tips.

Michael and Marcus sit down with Matt O’Keefe, President of Sports at Loud And Live.  They discuss Matt’s involvement as an athlete manager for some of the top CrossFit athletes, his journey as an entrepreneur, and the transferable skills he’s learned through CrossFit. (1:18) Athlete management.  (1:45) Loud And Live.  (3:40) Journey as an entrepreneur.   (10:12) Changes in CrossFit. (13:14) Preparing athletes for success. (14:57)  Lessons learned from CrossFit.  (16:16) Personal training schedule. (18:54) Are we proud of this? @loudlivesports @okeefemr loudlive.com wodapalooza.com 

Michael and Marcus catch up with Sam Kitching & Dan Williams, Owners and Co-Founders of WIT Fitness, a London-based training retailer and brand.  They discuss doing whatever it takes to get the job done as entrepreneurs, creating brands that consumers connect with, and pushing the envelope in the CrossFit space.  (1:10) What is WIT? (2:53) Whatever It Takes.  (3:40) Evolution of WIT.  (6:44) Experiential retail. (8:27) Creating a destination for athletes. (10:01) Prioritizing fitness and training.  (12:00) Overcoming obstacles. (14:56) Building successful partnerships. (17:54) Leading a team.  (20:07) Entrepreneurship.

Michael and Marcus sit down with Leora Hafri, the Executive Director of Steve’s Club, a national non-profit organization that brings fitness, nutrition, and mentorship to at-risk and underserved youth.  Leora shares information about the 22 Steve’s Club programs currently operating nationwide, their annual leadership camp, and powerful testimonials from participants.  (0:51) Steve’s Club National Program   (4:35) Impact of CrossFit. (10:45) Leora’s involvement.   (12:43) Evolution of Steve’s Club. (14:20) How to get Involved https://stevesclub.org.

Michael and Marcus sit down with Brooke, Katrin, and Tia prior to the Fitness Film Festival to discuss their experiences with filming Who I've Always Been, and also with Todd Meleney, VP of Marketing, after the premiere to catch up about the inspiration for the film and how it was created.  (00:35) Todd discusses the first-ever Fitness Film Festival and the premiere of Who I’ve Always Been.  (3:13) Tia discusses the whirlwind few months since joining NOBULL.  (20:35) Todd talks about the creation of the film by a team of ten on three continents.  (22:07) Katrin describes her experiences filming in Austria and Iceland.  (39:23) Todd explains the More Than Influencers Mural reveal.  (40:24) Brooke discusses being More Than an Influencer and her introduction to NOBULL. (49:37) Todd reacts to the Fitness Film Festival.

Michael and Marcus talk with NOBULL Athlete, Sam Dancer, about the evolution of their friendship and sponsorship and about how Sam balances fitness and service. (1:23) 2015 East Coast Championship. (6:38) Life in a van. (8:27) Importance of Working Out and Working In.  (11:15) Breathwork (The Oxygen Advantage by Patrick G. McKeown).  (16:31) Continuing education and holistic lifestyle coaching.  (19:57) 2020 CrossFit Games preparation.

Michael and Marcus talk with Gil Blander, Founder and Chief Scientific Officer of InsideTracker, a personalized nutrition platform that helps people live a longer, better life based on understanding data from a blood test.   (1:00) What is InsideTracker? (2:18) CrossFitters data versus other athletes. (4:03) Dietary preferences and regiments.   (9:05) InnerAge. (15:15) Activity tracker data. (16:32) Fasting.  (20:50) The latest with InsideTracker.  (23:55) Improving sleep. (26:03) Personalized diet. (27:25) Supplements versus whole foods.  (30:27) Top three nutritional pointers.

Michael and Marcus talk with Chris Hoppe from The Phoenix. The Phoenix is a sober active community that provides free community activities for people who are in recovery for substance use disorder. Chris talks about addiction, long-term recovery and the amazing work The Phoenix chapters are doing around the country. (0:44) Introduction of The Phoenix and Chris Hoppe.  (4:17) The Phoenix chapters.  (6:00) Finding a substitute for addiction.  (7:37) No excuses. (9:20) Impact of community support in longtime recovery.   (16:28) Connecting with The Phoenix (www.thephoenix.org). (17:39) How to help the Phoenix’s mission.

Michael and Marcus talk to Rory McKernan, CrossFit OG and author, about the early days of CrossFit and how his world has been evolving in some amazing ways this year. (3:51) Rory’s journey with CrossFit. (8:47) Joining the CrossFit team.  (12:18) 2008 Crossfit Games. (13:13) Globality of NOBULL and CrossFit. (18:35) Planning for the new season.  (20:59) Making failure a teachable moment with Katrin.

Michael and Marcus talk to Ben Bergeron, owner of CrossFit New England and coach to some of the world's top athletes, about the early days of NOBULL, entrepreneurship and his work with elite CrossFit athletes Katrin Davidsdottir and Brooke Wells. (1:27) Getting started. (4:12) Long term growth. (8:24) Brooke Wells and Katrin Davidsdottir. (14:24) Physical and mental training.  (22:08) Personal evolution.

Michael and Marcus discuss the origins of NOBULL, what the brand means to them and why they are launching a podcast. (00:52) Introduction. (2:10) No bullshit filter for decision making. (7:06) Being proud of decisions.  (12:27) Rollercoaster of business ownership.