Today, I'm joined by Keith Barlow, founder & CEO of XENOM.
A two-day, 10-event competition testing gymnastics, strength, and metabolic conditioning, XENOM is positioned as the mass-participation alternative to elite-only fitness competitions.
In this episode, we discuss building the "decathlon of fitness."
We also cover:
- Partnering with CrossFit and HYROX
- Competitive fitness as a cultural phenomenon
- The business model behind large-scale fitness events
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XENOM's Website: https://www.xenom.global/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/xenomglobal/
Keith on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/keith.barlow1/
Keith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-barlow-31490947/
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The Fitt Insider Podcast is brought to you by EGYM. Visit EGYM.com to learn more about its smart fitness ecosystem for fitness and health facilities.
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Investments: https://capital.fitt.co/
Chapters:
(00:00) Introduction
(00:01) Keith's background
(01:28) Founding story
(02:03) HYROX founders partnership
(05:02) CrossFit consumer vs. HYROX consumer
(06:50) Event for everyday athletes
(09:55) Partnership strategies
(14:00) Venture pitch
(18:51) Events, sponsorship, tickets
(21:45) Event execution
(25:45) Participation tiers and accessibility
(28:30) Scoring system
(31:19) Programming for affiliates, not just elite
(34:00) 3–5-year vision
(36:00) Where to find and follow XENOM
(36:45) Conclusion
