Tracksmith Doubles Down on Brand & Culture

We are beyond excited to welcome Jen Ator to the show. Jen is the editor-in-chief at Women's Running Magazine and a force within the running community. After a decade at Women's Health, Jen took over Women's Running in April, 2019. Since then the running scene has seen fantastic highs and depressing lows. In this episode, Jen describes Women's Running's niche, free vs. paid content, balancing customers wants with creative/unique content, and much more. You can see her team's work at www.womensrunning.com. Follow Jason: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/i_am_jaymac/ Follow Matt: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rambling_runner/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/rambling_runner

New York Road Runners slashed their work force last week, to the dismay of all and the the surprise of few. In this episode, Jason and Matt discuss the corporate ramifications of race cancellations and what, if anything, can be done to save the elite racing season. Follow Jason: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/i_am_jaymac/ Follow Matt: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rambling_runner/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/rambling_runner

Over the past year, Tracksmith, a small running-based clothing brand based out of downtown Boston, has made a series of moves to elevate its brand within running community. From working with a large cohort of the Olympic Marathon Trials Qualifiers, signing Mary Cain and Nick Willis, starting the Tracksmith Fellowship Program, and more. In this episode we take a deep dive into those moves, what it means for the the company, its ideal costumer, and the culture brand wants is working hard to cultivate. Follow Jason: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/i_am_jaymac/ Follow Matt: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rambling_runner/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/rambling_runner

Track is back! Well, kind of. A bevy of top track athletes made there way to Texas to take part in the AP Ranch High Performance Invitationals. The series of "meets" were a interesting display of creativity in the face of contractual issues and requirements. The races resulted in some excellent performances. Michael Norman and Brianna Rollins-McNeal, in particular, really set the track ablaze. The races were also littered with athletes checking boxes that are requirements in their sponsorship deals. It wasn't their fault, just the way that the game  In this episode we also talk about what many of these athletes are going to face on December 31 - uncertainty over their sponsorship contacts that are about to expire. Without formal 2020 meets and COVID uncertainty it will be a whole new world. Follow Jason: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/business_sports_discourse/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/jaymacsportsbiz  Follow Matt: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rambling_runner/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/rambling_runner

Cross country seasons are starting to get cancelled and postponed across college and high school ranks. What are athletes to do? In this episode Jason and Matt have some fun throwing out creative ideas for socially distanced distance running and team competitions.  Follow Jason: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/business_sports_discourse/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/jaymacsportsbiz  Follow Matt: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rambling_runner/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/rambling_runner

As we progress through the age of athlete empowerment, organization/unionization has made it's way to triathlon, track & field, and CrossFit. The top athletes in all three sports have made a big push recently, especially over the past two weeks, to create a dynamic where competitors come together to advocate for changes within their sport in one voice. At least, that is the goal. In this episode we talk about the sports and organizations differ, what they are doing well, current and future challenges, and where we think this is heading. Follow Jason: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/business_sports_discourse/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/jaymacsportsbiz  Follow Matt: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rambling_runner/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/rambling_runner

Under Armour's rise over the past decade and more has been awesome to watch. They've built a culture and strong brand awareness across multiple sports. However, in recent weeks the news surrounding the company hasn't been as rosy. From cancelling massive contracts with UCLA and UC-Berkeley to looking for a buyer for MyFitnessPal, which they purchased for nearly $500m in 2015, the UA landscape is changing quickly. In this episode Matt and Jason talk about these transactions and whether they signal a positive shift or a sign of rough water ahead.  Follow Jason: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/business_sports_discourse/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/jaymacsportsbiz  Follow Matt: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rambling_runner/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/rambling_runner

In part II of our conversation with professional triathlete Cody Beals, Jason & Cody discuss the reason for the countless hours of training and preparation: to actually race! However, as races are being postponed, pushed, and even cancelled, how does a pro triathlete stay sharp? Cody talks about virtual racing, as well as his own 20 minute time trial pushing north of 400 watts. Of course they also chat about IRONMAN and their communication to their pro athletes, as well as what they're doing to assist them during this cancelled season. They also discuss the newly formed Professional Triathletes Organisation and what they are doing to help pro triathletes get to the point of earning a living similar to tennis or golf. This fun, two part conversation is wrapped up discussing Cody's (hopeful) race schedule leading up to Kona in February, as well as his new YouTube channel...which may or may not include his famous cat. For all things Cody, please visit his website www.codybeals.com and follow him on all his social media channels. Follow Jason: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/business_sports_discourse/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/jaymacsportsbiz  Follow Matt: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rambling_runner/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/rambling_runner

After recording his first win as a professional triathlete in 2015, Cody Beals first realized you can actually make a living swimming, biking, and running around the world in spandex. In Part I of this interview, Jason and Cody take a deep dive into the finances of a pro triathlete and discuss how more money is made from sponsorships rather than from standing on the podium at the end of the race. With the race calendar essentially wiped out for 2020, Cody explains how he has built a balanced portfolio of sponsors whose financial incentives are less about winning and more about his personality. Although this has enabled him to survive financially without races, Cody is honest about the fact that he didn't sign up to be a social media influencer or a sales rep for sponsors...and he has some questions about how certain companies can make it through the pandemic. For an in depth analysis of Cody's year by year pro triathlete budget, please visit  https://www.codybeals.com/2019/07/my-fifth-year-pro-triathlon-budget/ A list of Cody's sponsors' referenced in this show can be found at https://www.codybeals.com/#sponsors You can (and should) follow Cody at https://www.instagram.com/cody.beals/ Follow Jason: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/business_sports_discourse/ Twitter - https://twitter.com/jaymacsportsbiz  Follow Matt: Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rambling_runner/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/rambling_runner

Lululemon, the maker of high-end activewear and athleisure attire, is making a big bet in the personalized remote exercise space by acquiring Mirror, a home fitness start-up that sells a $1,495 wall-mounted screen ideal for streaming workout classes with a focus on demonstrating and teaching technique-based exercises.  The $500 million purchase, announced on Monday, is Lululemon's first acquisition. This is a remarkable move for Mirror who introduced their product two short years ago and raised a whopping $72 million from investors.  In this episode we talk about the potential ripple effects of this acquisition, pivoting in a time of upheaval, trying to seize the moment, and Lululemon's potential as a media company with an enormous outlet for potential ad revenue. Follow Jason:  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/business_sports_discourse/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/jaymacsportsbiz  Follow Matt:  Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/rambling_runner/  Twitter - https://twitter.com/rambling_runner