Arena Show Part II: Brooks Running (with CEO Jim Weber)
Acquired
Ben Gilbert and David Rosenthal
4.8 • 2.9K Ratings
🗓️ 16 May 2022
⏱️ 71 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
For the final act of the Arena Show, we’re joined by Brooks CEO Jim Weber to tell the amazing story of how he transformed the company from a 3rd tier, deeply cashflow negative “also-ran” into one of the world’s premiere fitness brands and a crown jewel of the Berkshire Hathaway empire — with compounding revenue and cashflow growth that rivals even the legendary Mrs. See’s Candies!
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Sponsors:
Vanta: https://bit.ly/acquiredvanta
Statsig: bit.ly/statsigacquired
Modern Treasury: https://bit.ly/acquiredmoderntreasury
Links:
- Jim's book, "Running with Purpose"
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Transcript
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| 0:00.0 | So have you gone running yet and your custom acquired ghost 14's dude? |
| 0:05.1 | The ghosts are amazing. They are the best sneaker. I have ever known |
| 0:11.2 | Bar none hands down. I used to have adrenaline's adrenaline's are also great |
| 0:15.9 | But I literally wear them like all day every day, but David those shoes are only for active runners |
| 0:22.6 | You're you're misusing the point of the ghosts. Well with a baby |
| 0:27.3 | I mean, I'm literally wearing a baby walking the hills of San Francisco |
| 0:31.2 | I'm burning more calories than I did when I was running every day. It's true |
| 0:34.4 | It's just a slow run at the end of the day. Yeah, that's all you're doing |
| 0:37.4 | Who got the truth? |
| 0:40.6 | Is it you? Is it you? Is it you? |
| 0:42.6 | Who got the truth now? |
| 0:45.8 | Is it you? Is it you? Is it you? |
| 0:48.3 | Sit me down. Say it straight another story on the way |
| 0:55.0 | Welcome to season 10 episode eight the arena show presented by pitch book of acquired the podcast about great |
| 1:03.4 | Technology companies and the stories and playbooks behind them. I'm Ben Gilbert |
| 1:07.4 | And I'm the co-founder and managing director of Seattle based Pioneer Square Labs and our venture fund PSL ventures |
| 1:13.5 | And I'm David Rosenthal and I'm an angel investor today back home in San Francisco |
| 1:19.5 | But man, what a special day that was in Seattle that it was and we are your hosts |
| 1:27.6 | We're gonna go right here into the onstage introduction of Jim and the Brooks story |
| 1:35.0 | So I don't want to give too much exposition here except to say that if you've been sort of thinking Brooks is this like |
| 1:42.6 | shoe brand and what can tech people possibly learn from a hundred-year-old shoe company |
| 1:47.8 | Prepare to have your mind blown Jim's one of the most dynamic guests that we've ever had on acquired and I just got so many comments |
... |
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