E099 - What it Really Takes to Build a Billion-Dollar Brand (Founder of Reebok)

» Produced by Hack You Media: pioneering a new category of content at the intersection of health performance, entrepreneurship & cognitive optimisation.Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hackyoumedia/Website: https://hackyou.media/Before Reebok became a global sportswear giant, it was just Joe Foster and a vision. One shaped in a small UK workshop and fuelled by persistence, not funding. In this episode, Joe breaks down the early days of building Reebok from the ground up: cold calls, missed opportunities, and the moment aerobics unexpectedly catapulted the brand into the mainstream.Timestamps:00:00 Introduction01:46 Turning 90, family history and surviving against the odds04:26 Brand building, luck and why fun matters most06:40 Why sports brands thrived through recessions09:27 The innovation that started with spiked running shoes11:48 Leaving the family business and starting from zero14:15 Launching Mercury Sports and the early branding struggle16:25 Losing the Mercury name and the birth of Reebok18:50 How a childhood dictionary led to the Reebok name22:23 The move from athletic spikes to casual sneakers26:55 Breaking into UK market through local clubs29:57 Club-level selling and dominating UK athletes31:56 Choosing white space over battling Adidas and Nike33:23 First trip to America and navigating early export failures37:47 The Runners World five-star rating breakthrough43:52 Choosing Paul Fireman over Kmart and scaling US reach49:28 Reebok's biggest challenge: the EVA foam failure52:15 Crisis with a UK distributor and surviving with direct sales56:05 The rise of aerobics and Reebok’s pivot to women’s fitness59:26 Becoming number one globally with an unexpected audience1:04:23 Expanding into tennis, basketball and new categories1:13:05 Going up against Nike, using celebrities, and staying innovative1:17:00 3D-printed AI shoes and what they reveal about new brand strategy1:24:03 Losing momentum, big changes and the need for reinvention1:31:53 Advice on building stories, visibility and modern branding1:37:29 UK vs Dubai: Entrepreneurial energy and global opportunity1:43:22 Final advice for founders» Escape the 9-5 & build your dream life: https://www.digitalplaybook.net/» Transform your physique: https://www.thrstapp.com/» My clothing brand, THRST: https://thrstofficial.com» Custom Bioniq supplements: https://www.bioniq.com/mikethurston  • 40% off your first month of Bioniq GO  • 20% off your first month of Bioniq PRO» Join our newsletter for actionable insights from every episode: https://thrst-letter.beehiiv.com/» Join @WHOOP and get your first month for free: join.whoop.com/FirstThingsThrst» Follow JoeInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/founderrbk/?hl=enWebsite: https://www.reebokthefounder.com/

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‘First Things THRST’ is a weekly masterclass that explores the secrets and experiences of entrepreneurs and content creators from across the globe. Each episode is unfiltered and guided by the premise of leaving no stone unturned, which is accountable for the deep discussions into the backgrounds, hardships and confessions of my guests. My goal is simple, to share insights and fresh perspectives on topics like entrepreneurship, success and fitness. Join me on this exciting adventure, and I'm hoping you gain as much from these discussions as I do.