Crossfit CEO: We're A Threat To The Industry, Not People's Wellbeing | CNBC

credited with revolutionizing the modern fitness industry the founder of CrossFit Greg Glassman now has 13 thousand locations generating in excess of four billion dollars in annual revenue he joins us now live from Seattle the first stop in the 2016 CNBC iconic tour mr. Glassman good morning to you thanks for joining us so early good morning Simon I'm wondering I'm wondering what a guy who's built his success on being unconventional in so many ways actually tells young entrepreneurs who want to make it what do you say on the stage today Wow I want to share with them that there's more to business in making money but that's not the heart of it that's not the essence of it and I think that's a particularly true of my success of CrossFit success do you is your understanding I mean people are vociferous about CrossFit some would say perhaps quite accurately it's a cult the passion that people have for it as time goes on do you understand better why there's that type of emotional reaction to it what nerve in essence you're hitting here yes I mean what happens to the people in the CrossFit gym is there's a transformation I think of unprecedented value and significance and to do that in the company of other people you make quick and long friends more than friends it's a it's an important component to what's happening in our gyms a bit like a tribe I guess you could say I very much like I knew you weren't an urban try this and tell me I read that they and I haven't done it but I know many people who do that the program doesn't train change whether you're an Olympic athlete or you're a grandparent you still effectively do the same type of routine it's just at the intensity or the duration might alter other people outside of CrossFit often look at it and say it's dangerous and I wonder how you now counter that I mean is it important that you've kind of devolved each gym to its own legal liability here and for checking as to how people are doing stuff you know we have my affiliates in the United States are self-insured we establish a risk retention group and so we get to see the insurance claims of thousands of gems and these gyms these claims are administered by people that administer for the rest of the industry so I can easily look right at you and tell you that we're safer than anything else happening in the industry dangerous let's talk about danger you know one point eight million Americans died last year from sitting on the couch and watching TV that is from seddon tation and malnutrition and so dangerous maybe to the rest of the industry I think we are a threat but not to people's well-being and that's that's easy to demonstrate you all you have to do is kind of look you know we're the fitness program and police academies and military units spec ops units we're being able to perform being able to show up uninjured is is job number one and so there if there's nothing real there as far as I'm concerned as far as we're concerned you did mention that money making is part of it I know it's not everything to you but Greg I'm curious how you approach partnerships like Reebok for instance which has long been your partner's help them it's not exactly the hottest sportswear company on the block right now and this whole deal with banning Nike shoes how are you looking at the sports apparel market and deciding you know who you want to stick with and what makes sense Reebok approached us with a very simple proposition after everyone else in the apparel industry did that they hit it from a different angle they were CrossFitters Danny of Nike she's that's ridiculous I wear Nike shoes I talked to the people at 90 that are making shoes for CrossFitters it that's there's no there there we have the relationship we have with the Reebok because the terms were good the timing was right we were growing a international sport we had the three hundred thirty thousand people registered for the open making it the most participated in sporting event in the world we needed a title sponsor and we need television coverage and those came hand-in-hand with ESPN and Reebok and I'm proud of the Reebok relationship I'm proud of the shoe they're making and it's a it's money money is taught to a business like jet fuel is to an airline the goal isn't to burn fuel the goal is to get passengers safely and comfortably to their destination it correlates but it's not the cause it's not the root of anything it's great to see so it's great to meet you enjoy the conference Brittany you've CEO of CrossFit babe they're joining us live from the CNBC iconic conference in Seattle you

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Keywords: CNBC, business news, finance, stock, stock market, news channel, news station, breaking news, us news, world news, cable, cable news, finance news, money, money tips, Crossfit, Crossfit Founder, Greg Glassman, Health, Fitness, Fitness Revolution, iCONIC, iCONIC 2016

Id: 4I31HQhTGJw

Length: 5min 14sec (314 seconds)

Published: Thu Aug 25 2016