Building Reebok: Finding the Right Space at the Right Time | Joe Foster

The Hard Way w/ Joe De Sena

Spartan Races

Fitness, Alternative Health, Health & Fitness, 792700

4.7 • 870 Ratings

🗓️ 16 April 2024

⏱️ 23 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In this episode of The Hard Way podcast, Joe De Sena interviews Paul Foster, the founder of the iconic fitness brand Reebok.

Tune in as Foster recounts growing up in a family shoe business plagued by infighting, and his risky decision to break out on his own with his brother. Listen how this small startup found its big break by pivoting to capitalize on the aerobics craze just starting to sweep the nation.

Foster shares the story of how resilience, innovation, and an openness to new opportunities allowed Reebok to outmaneuver giants and become the #1 brand in women's fitness worldwide. De Sena and Foster also discuss invaluable lessons around turning obstacles into opportunities and how perseverance can pay off big for entrepreneurs willing to work hard and think outside the box.

Highlights:
00:00 Intro
00:49 How did Reebok start?
04:16 Selling Reebok and going into aerobics
06:24 Surviving and thriving in business
08:07 Working with family members
09:23 Why do most companies fail?
10:43 The role of luck in success
11:28 The importance of sports
12:55 Writing a book - Shoemaker
15:42 How can people find Joe?
16:08 Preparing the second book
17:53 Just keep going

Transcript

Click on a timestamp to play from that location

0:00.0	and And then. Welcome to the Hard Way Podcast with Joe the S Cenna founder and CEO of Spartan races.
0:35.0	We're teaching you how to overcome your obstacles in your life the same way we teach our
0:39.7	10 million plus Spartans to overcome obstacles on the course.
0:43.2	With insight from the smartest, most accomplished experts from every corner of the world.
0:47.6	Get ready to elevate your life today.
0:50.4	Joe the Center here, CEO and founder of Spartan and hosted a Hardway podcast. I've got a real special one for you today
0:56.8	I know I say that all the time but truly a special one Joe Foster founder of Reok. I assume you're sitting in the UK,
1:04.1	at this moment we're in the UK, yes, in three weeks time we'll be in the USA but
1:08.2	we're okay in the UK.
1:15.0	Hello. I seem to frozen.
1:17.0	There you go.
1:18.0	You froze for a minute.
1:19.0	Nico, I don't know if he froze for you or just me or?
1:30.0	Okay, okay. We'll just continue we'll continue on you'll have to edit it. So Joe you're in the UK.
1:32.0	Yes. You created So Joe you're in the UK you created Reebok with your family.
1:37.0	Correct. What did the landscape look like back then?
1:40.0	Was everybody running around with sneakers back then?
1:42.0	No. Was everybody running around with sneakers back then?
1:43.0	No.
1:45.0	When it depends when we were to say we started.
1:48.4	My grandfather started in 1895
1:50.5	when in those days there were no sneakers.
	...

Transcript will be available on the free plan in -345 days. Upgrade to see the full transcript now.

Previous episode | Next episode

Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from Spartan Races, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.

Generated transcripts are the property of Spartan Races and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.