Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Chad Yarvitz. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.
Chad, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. What was it like going from idea to execution? Can you share some of the backstory and some of the major steps or milestones?
In 2010 I knew the key to a successful fitness business was the ability to scale my services. Little did I know how much easier it is said than done. Twelve years later, we have finally been able to capture the unique boxing services we offer at Xplicit Fitness and offer them as a product.
Xplicit has been a success since I started offering classes out of my garage in La Mesa starting in August of 2010. I always longed to expand it beyond a single boutique fitness studio, however. I spun my wheels for nearly a decade trying to figure out how we were going to duplicate the special experience of our classes without sacrificing fun and quality. An opportunity presented itself in 2019 that has made this dream a reality.
Master trainer summits for Matrix Fitness are held in Madison, WI once per year. Being the world leader in commercial fitness equipment, Matrix is at the forefront of the fitness industry in every way, especially innovation. Master trainers get a sneak peek into their R&D department, testing and giving expert opinion on brand new products. That’s where I was introduced to BodiTrak sensor technology. The paper thin, highly sensitive sensor mat was invented by founder, Rob Golden. Since the 80’s, his amazing product has been used in the medical field, consumer beds, and sports applications. When my friends and Matrix Fitness introduced the mat to me, I knew I had to talk to the man that created it.
A few phone calls and layers of employees later, I was able to nail down a ten-minute call with Rob. I pitched my heart out, explaining to Rob that his sensor mat had potential to revolutionize the fitness industry. After an hour on the phone sharing ideas, Rob said, “I’d like to meet you in person. When can you fly out to Ohio and meet with me?” I calmy replied (though I was fist pumping and screaming internally) that I would be there in 10 days. I immediately bought two tickets, one for me and one for my brother in fitness and business partner, Mike Douglass. My lack of organization skills showed their ugly head when I realized our flight to Ohio fell 12 hours after a 2-day Vegas trip Mike and I had already booked.
With three hours of sleep and a surplus of post party blues, Mike and I boarded the plane and prepared our pitch. By the time we landed in Ohio the hangovers had subsided, and we were ready. Rob loved the idea; sensor equipped boxing bags built to track, gamify, and connect fitness freaks worldwide. KOUNT-!T, LLC was born.
Fast forward to present day. Rob, Mike, and I have taken KOUNT-!T from vision to reality. Xplicit Fitness has adopted the sensors on all of our bags and our new San Diego location is booming. We are working through the legal documents to franchise the club. I can’t give details yet, but one of the largest and fastest growing club chains in the nation has decided to demo our self-serve boxing kiosk in their clubs as well. The hard work is far from over. But, after years of failure and doubt, the dream is finally coming true.
Chad, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
Sports were always a priority in my childhood. I gravitated to the violent ones and settled on football and martial arts. Once I discovered boxing, the passion was born. As life became more complicated and challenging, boxing was always there to humble and guide me. It was natural for me to pursue a career in fitness. Being allergic to the idea of a “job,” I decided I was going to make it work as a trainer, even if it meant living in mom’s basement until my forties. I moved out sooner than that, luckly. Stubborn as hell and always able to get up one more time than I get knocked down, I’ve made it work. It hasn’t all been sunshine and donuts, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything. Waking up to pursue my own creation and build the dream has been one of life’s greatest gifts. Having the freedom to create my own schedule and spend more time with my daughter is priceless. Showing up authentically and having a creative way to share fitness with clients and co-workers feeds my soul, The thought of impacting the lives of others in a positive way has given me purpose and filled my life with love and gratitude.
Can you talk to us about how your funded your business?
Raising capital for a new product or idea is a real challenge. Being new to both the tech industry as well as the world of start-ups, I have very little experience. The term “imposter syndrome’ is overused, but I feel like every bit of one regularly. We had a very small amount of personal seed money to get us started and have brought on one investor. To finish our first-round funding goal we’ve had to get creative. By bootstrapping and combining multiple different applications to fit our basic needs. KOUNT-!T is now a functional prototype; enough to get us into a major fitness chain. We are confident it tells the story well enough to complete our first-round goal.
Leaving ideas and concepts to the imagination of potential investors is a quick way to get shot down. They want to see it in action, producing revenue, and functioning as intended. Many start-ups and inventors are left with the often debilitating issue of what comes first, “the chicken or the egg.” You need money to fund initial phases of development. But, you need a basic working prototype to prove the concept.
Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?
In creating a new concept, I’ve had to unlearn nearly everything. From systems that no longer function for our business, to tech work arounds that were “guaranteed” to work but failed miserably. Every time we figure out a solution, it presents a new set of problems. That grind can be exhausting and defeating. Ten years ago, I would have prided myself on putting in 80-hour weeks until the job was done. Sometimes it still has to happen. If I’ve matured at all (albeit barely) it’s allowed me to realize that grinding until the job is done, giving into hustle culture and mindset, isn’t always the quickest and most efficient way to get the job done. Sometimes you need to take a day off, drink some whiskey, and come back to the problem with 3 hours of sleep and a hangover ;)
Contact Info:
- Website: www.xplicitfitness.com
- Instagram: xplicitfitness
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCWynmJPCtI9DuklwL_xmWD
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/xplicit-fitness-san-diego-2?osq=xplicit+fitness