Jeffrey: 

In general, when I'm looking for talent, Will, it is so much about passion and personality than anything else in the world. I can help you, I can tell you what to say, I can tell you what to play, I can tell you what to do. But if you don't have that charisma and that passion for what you're doing, it's a no go for me. 

Will:  

Hey, I'm Will Brereton, founder of Sh1ft Fitness. And this is Group Fitness Real Talk, a show about how to survive and even thrive in group fitness in 2021 and beyond. Today, on the podcast, we're talking to the person who runs fitness at one of the biggest fitness companies in the world. I'm super excited to welcome my guest today, Jeffrey Scott. Jeffrey is vice president of fitness, nutrition, and results at Beachbody, which those of you who follow the news will know has just gone public in very spectacular fashion. As you'll hear, Jeffrey has worked for Reebok, Les Mills, 24-Hour Fitness, Equinox, and now Beachbody and he brings with him a wealth of knowledge of what it means to be a fitness presenter, a fitness educator, and someone that manages instructors. Whether you teach for a big gym or in the community, it's important to have a really good perspective of the whole industry. And this is an area where Jeffrey is an expert. Not only does Jeffrey have a really interesting career story, but we also talk a lot about what makes an instructor special and the future of fitness. You're going to also hear some sneak peeks of what Beachbody has in the store with their brand new program BODi coming out very soon. Now, here's the show.

Will:  

Jeffrey Scott, welcome to the podcast. How are you?

Jeffrey  

I'm well, my friend is great to see you. I don't think I've actually seen you since we met in London a couple of years ago.

Will:  

More than a couple of years ago now. A number of years ago, but let's not go there. So tell me...

Jeffrey  

You look fantastic. 

Will:  

Thank you. So where are you? Where are you dialing in from today?

Jeffrey  

I am coming to you live from the brand new BODi Studios here in Los Angeles, California.

Will:  

And where in Los Angeles. Are you in Santa Monica, as well, or are you somewhere else?

Jeffrey  

No, our headquarters are in Santa Monica. And we have studios in Van Nuys, the Beachbody studios. This studio is a new one for us. It's down in Playa Vista. So it's a little bit south of Santa Monica. It's very close to LAX and we we took on the space to build the stage for body because we needed a very specific la based I said accommodate to accommodate the size of the body stage, which is spectacular. So this was the location that we hunted for for many, many months. We landed here. And yeah, I've been coming here every single day since we took over the space getting ready to launch this new platform in September.

Will:  

So we're gonna talk a lot more about that, because I'm really curious to know all about it. I just realized that the last time we probably spoke, I probably worked, I would have worked for Beachbody and you were outside of Beachbody. And now we've switched.

Jeffrey  

Yeah, exactly. You You were with Beachbody and Barbara Bradowsky connected us.

Will:  

Yeah, yeah, yeah. Friend of the podcast.

Jeffrey  

So she connected us, we had lunch. And yes, I was working at Equinox at the head of education training for them. And I was in London doing some training we, I think we had pretty much just recently open the the club there and the Kensington club, and you were working for Beachbody, and I was doing some consulting for Beachbody as well, at that time.

Will:  

So you've already touched on this. And you've obviously had got a long history of working in fitness for a lot of different a lot of different companies. Why don't you tell me a little bit about exactly what you're doing now, which you've already alluded to? And then maybe a little bit about sort of your background and what you've done prior to Beachbody? 

Jeffrey  

Sure, sure. So currently, I am the Vice President of Fitness, Nutrition and Results for the Beachbody company. And I oversee three large categories we call fnr. And when I just sort of alluded to it, but the fitness category is the category that I oversee, and that is you know, I have a team of people. And what we do on the fitness aspect is we work with the super trainers and creating all the programs that go into Beachbody. And we you know, we meet with Carl to figure out what his vision is we meet with the Super Trainer to figure out what their vision is for the program. And then we try to blend it together and create the best product possible. So that's my fitness team that I oversee. And then I also oversee the nutritional team which helps to keep both portion fixed and up if you know how we integrate those programs into all of our fitness programming. We also have underneath the umbrella of nutrition, a whole culinary department that creates all of the recipes for all of our blocks. And the meal plans and we work with, again, portion fix and to be with their recipe development as well. So that's my nutrition team. And then I oversee the results team, which is, every time you see Beachbody, it's usually seen with a before and after picture, right? That's, we're very much known for our we call them the B&A, the before and after. So what the results team does is that once we have the program developed, we then do a casting for participants for our test groups. And we do you know, the before picture, we take them through the program, we help them with the nutrition so that we can show an after picture, and then use that for marketing to show the public how incredible our programs when they are done correctly with proper nutrition can really help somebody achieve the results that they want to achieve. So those are my three departments that I oversee FNR.

Will:  

That's, that's a lot of stuff. 

Jeffrey  

No, it is, but I tell you, Will, I, I honestly, I feel like the luckiest guy in fitness. After 30 years of being in this industry, I felt like it was just prepping me for this position. And I you know, it was it was I can tell you the story a little bit later on how I got into this. But this position specifically. But you know, I love this company I love I believe in everything that we're doing, I couldn't be more excited about what's coming up in our future. And this, this is this is a company that I really stand behind. And they are the real deal. And I am honored to be here. Yep.

Will:  

I have to say when I when I found out that you got this job, I was really excited because being someone who's been in the fitness industry for not as long as you but quite a long time and seeing some of the people that run fitness for some other brands. And I'm not going to speak of any in particular, quite often, it's someone that I am surprised about because I don't feel like they necessarily have that deep knowledge of fitness and instructing and what it takes to deliver classes deliver results, deliver workouts, whereas with you, you're absolutely someone who has kind of lived and breathed that and done it. And now at a point where you can really give that back to everybody who was at a different part of their profession, right? Like they're at the presenter part rather than developer. And I think that's really exciting. Because it's really good to know that the person that is helping these people to create the format to someone that has been there done it, but also has like a lot of knowledge and deep knowledge when it comes to how to deliver a great fitness experience. So on that why don't you tell me about how you very first got into fitness? Those years ago?

Jeffrey  

Yeah, yeah, it's been it's been a long time. Let me let me try to think back that far. So really, it's not that far. And it's it's quite a fun story. But, you know, I went to college for business and psychology. And I just, it wasn't for me. So when I was done with school, I while going through school, I was a disc jockey. And I was a DJ in nightclubs. So I always loved music growing up with play guitar, and piano. And music has always been a passion for mine, of mine. So I was a nightclub disc jockey going through college, and I used to spin records, like vinyl. And I

Will:  

That's already giving us a giving us a time period, right?

Jeffrey  

So for anyone listening who doesn't know what vinyl is, it's that large vinyl discs that your parents probably have carts up in their garage. So so you know, when I was living in Cleveland, Ohio, that's where I grew up. And I you know, I've met somebody from LA, who was an actor and a dancer and we became friends. I thought, you know what, I'm going to move to LA and I am going to become a music producer and pursue this passion of mine for music. So I moved to LA. Little did I know that that wasn't as easy as I thought it was. And, but the cool part was that I had friends that were dancers and I could move you know, I had rhythm. I knew music, I could find the downbeat and a count 32 count for music and spinning records. So I started doing some dancing and I love that. So music and movement became part of my life for a while. And then one day, a good friend of mine who I was working with took me to my very first step class. So you know where this is going and I I was in this step class now I was a little uncoordinated. I didn't understand how I was going to manipulate this box that was I walking around. But you know, halfway, it

Will:  

Was it an actual box, a wooden box. 

Jeffrey  

So it was it was actually the real step. 

Will:  

Okay, because because I remember the wooden box.

Jeffrey  

Yeah, me too. All of a sudden, the light bulbs start going off and I'm like, oh, my God, this room is packed. And this guy is in front of like 75 people and you know, at nightclubs, they were full. I love it in front of me like that. I love being able to manipulate people and their energy through music. And then I can do and I could do that with step and I'm so there's music that I love. I'm moving and it's very you know, controlled once I got the hang of it, I knew what the expectation was, I could do it. And I thought to myself that this could potentially be something for me. So I started taking class all the time, I started working out more and more, I got my personal training certification. I got several clients. Then I befriended somebody who was a teacher at the club that I was taking class at. He helped me learn how to teach. And then I auditioned and I got a class. And you know, that's sort of the story. I was also simultaneously working the front desk at the old Jane Fonda studio. So everyone has a very nice. So and then, you know, that's how I started to do it. And what ended up happening is that I was teaching and I was training here in Los Angeles. Then I decided to move to Chicago for several reasons, which I won't need to go into details here. And I ran a fitness facility in Chicago. I met a guy, and we were dating, and then he moved to New York, I quickly followed. And it was actually the best thing I ever did. Because when I landed in New York, it was the mid 90s. Fitness was on fire. There were three equinoxes at the time, and there's over 100 and something now. Yeah, and I went to work for Equinox I started training celebrities, like things just started to rock and roll for me like the universe came together. And I knew well, in that moment, I knew like I am exactly where I need to be. This is where this is what I was put on the earth for was to help people to motivate them into living a healthier lifestyle. And when I was doing the teacher trainer thing for about two years, I had many friends who were presenters and in the industry. My very dear friend, John Gizwald, who has passed now with my mentor at the time. He's like Jeffrey, I have this opportunity. There's this company coming to the US called Les Mills. They're they're launching a program called body pump first time ever in the US, and they're developing a team. Do you want to be a part of it? And I was like, Sure, I would love to. So I joined that wagon with Molly Fox and Carrie Anderson and Andre Hoolay and for anyone who's new, you probably don'tknow these names. 

Will:  

Molly Fox is popping up in Apple fitness now though, right?

Jeffrey  

 She is.

Will:  

Yeah, which I was really, really stoked to see really, really good.

Jeffrey  

They're so lucky to have her and she's nothing short of magic. That woman is really incredible. So I went to Atlanta, Georgia for an intensive one week how to be a presenter for body pump training. And if you know body pump, which I know you do, well, you know, I've never been fitter in my life. I took like three or four body pump classes a day. I was like ripped I would it was it was it was incredible, but body pump, and Emma Barry and Kathy Stevens and Steve Renata and, and Mike Sweeney, all of them taught, they were so good at what they did, and what an incredible introduction to being a presenter. So then I started presenting for body pump. That was my first introduction to being an educator, which I knew I wanted to do from the moment I got to New York. And I was doing that for approximately a year, year and a half. And then I was very good friends with Petra Kolbert, and Lisa Wheeler, I became friends with Jim Miller. And these are all people that were associated with the Reebok team and Reebok University, which at the time was just this growing. First, and it's an ever in the industry, like this team of people that were dedicated to doing research on fitness, creating education around it, and then delivering the education to instructors and trainers globally. Well, they offered me an opportunity. So I had to leave body pump, on great terms, of course, and then I went to work for Reebok. And that literally changed my life. I was working with the most brilliant minds. I can say that because that's my opinion, in the industry at the time. I was part of this incredible team, having a brand like Reebok behind you, didn't hurt. And I started to fine tune my present presentation skills. I had a knack for developing programming. So they embraced that and brought me on to the program development team. So I got to run with that. And then I started traveling the world teaching trainers, instructors, fitness, education and programming. And I get goosebumps talking about it right now. To this day, I just feel like that. Again, I feel like I'm the luckiest guy in the world to have been given that opportunity and been able to step into that space and thrive, right? 

Jeffrey  

It's interesting right, because thinking about now I don't know that that whole traveling educator presenter for fitness will really exist anymore because it can all be done live stream right. There was a time when you had to go to conventions and be there in person and learn from the people in person. And while I think that digital opens up so many opportunities that I'm sure we're going to talk about, there's a certain element of that, that side of fitness presenting that's probably gone away.

Jeffrey  

I couldn't agree more with you, especially now with COVID, too, right? So COVID has changed the world in fitness as we know it, and I'm sure we will talk about that. But, you know, we didn't have zoom, you know, we had cell phones, but we had computers. I mean, I remember writing up my first notes for World idea, and typing them because I didn't have like a typewriter. I was typing my, like choreography. People are going to be like, this guy must be ancient. But that's how it was. Yeah. And so you know, then traveling and you know, this, you know, there's nothing like being at a conference in a room full of 100-150 people who are just hanging on your every word. And then when you hit play, and you teach that, that that step class or that movement class, or whatever it might be, everyone gets it in the energy, like, it's just, it was it was my drug, it was my drug of choice. And I traveled for ever and ever and ever. And, you know, that was a magical time. And I really travel quite a bit in my career. Then after, you know, sometime, I always did that. But I also started to work for other brands and consulting for people. I went to work for equinox, as a group fitness manager for them. So I wanted a day job, I wanted something that anchored me a little bit not be on the road so much. And then when I started to work for equinox, you know, again, my life changed quite a bit. And then they started building an internal Education team. So Lisa Wheeler, myself, LaShawn Dale, we all started to create signature formats for Equinox as it started to grow and expand. And that's, you know, it was a great, I worked for Equinox for almost 20 years, collectively, and what a what an honor it was to be a part of that brand. And to see it grow, and to be a part of its success was just fantastic. It's funny, quick story is that when I left New York to move to LA with my husband, when I first moved to LA, I had to go to work for 24 Hour Fitness in their corporate office, because there were no Equinoxes out here at the time yet. So what's cool about that is I got to go to 24, which is a huge brand, huge, like at the time, they had 400 clubs. Yeah. And I worked with Donna Meyer. And I was the head of education for them. And I developed a master trainer team. And we did our own little mini conferences, and I created all the content for those and trained the trainers. And we did our own little mini conferences, eventually left that and went back to equinox, when they started opening up on the west coast, moved back to New York, moved back to LA, all over the place. But I will tell you that my through line for my entire career is that program development and education has always been the top of my list. It's always been what I do. And it's always been my passion. It is, to me like the greatest gift is to be able to share some knowledge that I have and see someone take it, use it and then soar and to be able to help people fulfill their greatest potential is been my my life's work. And it's been so much fun. So much fun. So I hope I didn't take too long and explain them.

Will:  

No, no, no.

Jeffrey  

That's been my career.

Will:  

No I wanted the listeners to kind of hear about all of the different things that you said...it's like funny, so many through linnes, right? Like Les Mills obviously plays such a massive part in the group fitness industry globally, in so many people, even who might not be super well known for being Les Mills most people have come in and out of that of that environment at some point, especially in the US, always makes me laugh. That team, that team from kind of the 90s really, is still showing their stuff all over the place.

Jeffrey  

I think about the, you know, full circle, what one piece of advice I always give everybody in the industry is never ever burn a bridge, because, you know, you're eventually going to come around and work with someone again. And as I mentioned earlier, when I left Les Mills always on great terms, like I've had lunch with Peter Mills, he, when he comes to LA, he would bring me to lunch, we talked about what's going on in the industry. Emma Barry, who I love and adore. She was one of my mentors at Les Mills. And then she came to work for us at Equinox so I worked with her again for several years, which was again full circle almost a decade later. And then she left Equinox and you know, we're still friends. I just you know, I talked to her whenever I can. She's another global force and in our industry. And so, you know, it's one of those things where it's like, you know, you never know, things always circle back people always circle back into my life. And it's, you know, the longer you're here, you know this and that kind of the higher you go up in the industry, the smaller it gets. And yeah, you know, everybody, so you know, if someone comes to me like hey Jeffrey, I want to develop this program and it's actually If I can't do it, if it's not in my area of expertise, and I know I can't give them 110% I am the first person to say I am not the guy for you, but have I got somebody for you and I will hand that opportunity off to someone that I know can actually deliver that so it's you know, and I've had that done to me before too. So it's really this industry is it's pretty awesome. That way, you know, if you don't burn a bridge and you stay friendly with everybody, people help each other out. It's, it's pretty great.

Will:  

Absolutely. So on the programming and program creation side. Obviously, you're working for Beachbody. Now how long have you been at Beachbody now?

Jeffrey  

This well, as an employee, I'm coming up on my second, two years. So in October, we two years. I had done consulting for Beachbody for probably almost a decade. The first problem in when insanity first came out, and I wrote the manual for insanity. And that's right when Beachbody live was starting to develop. So I wrote the education for the master trainers, what you know what they would deliver when they went out into the field. So I created all that content for them. And then I had done some other work for them periodically, they would they would ask me to help contribute to something. So I always Beachbody was always sort of in my ecosystem. But I never thought about leaving equinox. Like Equinox was my my heart and soul at the time. And I was still working for Reebok and doing some other things and traveling. And then I was offered a position with them probably four or five years ago. I can't remember what the position was. But they came to me they knocked on my door. Jeffrey, would you consider it. It wasn't the right time. And then, oddly, I get this phone call out of the blue from someone named Matt Halpern, who is this incredible guy, he's chief of staff here at Beachbody. And apparently they were out looking for someone for this position. And they kept asking people in the industry, you know, do you know somebody and they're like, you're looking for Jeffrey Scott.

Will:  

See, this is this is why you keep those relationships strong, right? Note to everybody listening.

Jeffrey  

So I took the call. And you know, it was just the right time, you know, the right time. And you just know, right in your soul. And I'll never forget, when I got my letter, my offer letter, and I was in Chicago, I was presenting for CW and I remember, I mean, well, I can literally, I can feel myself there right now. It was raining outside. It was about two o'clock in the afternoon. And the letter came in from the head of HR. And I was shaking. I was like, I was excited and nervous. I knew it was the time. And then I had to make that call to equinox and say, it's time for me to go. And I remember literally like fighting back tears because it was like a breakup. There was nothing wrong. 

Will:  

Just your time to move on to a new challenge this time.

Jeffrey  

Yeah. And then I went, and I tell you, you know, since I've come on board, I've never once regretted ever my decision to be here. Like I mentioned, it was the right thing for me. And I've stayed, of course, in great, you know, great relationship with everyone from the top to the bottom at equinox. And they're, you know, they're rebuilding after COVID. And they're doing they're doing great. But yeah, that's basically how I got to where I'm at today.

Will:  

So I want to like, dial dial down a little bit into the differences between Equinox and Beachbody, because basically, you have gone from being at the, at probably the biggest name in live fitness in terms of in terms of the biggest name and sort of boutique fitness. Obviously, Equinox is a full service gym, rather than a boutique, but it's like it's stylish. It's on top of the industry. It's the name on everyone's lips. Obviously they also own soulcycle now, right? So you went from being in the coolest brand that was sort of the tastemaker and the leader in the fitness industry in terms of style and what was coming next, and you've moved into Beachbody, which I think is undergoing a really big revamp and going from being maybe something that was a little bit more focused in on the coach network and Shakeology into a new iteration that we're going to talk a little bit about, what was it like being at Equinox, when you knew that the programming that you were creating was like the stuff that was making people think and that was getting the headlines? Like was that an exciting place to be leading the conversation rather than following it?

Jeffrey  

To be honest, well, when I was in it, I never really thought about it from that perspective. To me, it was going to work and doing what I love to do. I knew that I worked for a company that was hot. I knew that, you know, we were we were kind of the brand in the industry and fitness. But you know, those of us who did it did that program development, Amy Dixon, myself, Lisa, LaShawn, Emma and, and a team of people on the on the creative side. You know, when you're in it, you just, you know, it's what I do, and I loved it, so I never really I didn't read the hype. I didn't read any of that stuff, I just felt lucky to have to been in the middle of it. And when you're in it, you know, all we were thinking about, at that time wasn't about how could we curate the next coolest thing? It was really about how can we create the next best program, right? So there's that there's kind of a difference, because there are brands out there that would create formats that were great for media, and they would get a ton of media hits, yet they weren't sustainable.

Will:  

There's is a really great brand here in the UK, you would know it I'm sure, called Gym Box, who are really, really excellent at creating very, very media friendly classes, like they did pitch boxing, which was kind of boxing in stilettos, doesn't transfer to every gym isn't going to pull big numbers, but it is always going to get a headline. And that's something that I think Equinox did quite well. And that they they bridged that gap between something that was going to excite the media, but also was going to be something that delivered on what was the zeitgeist at the moment and the training protocols that people were looking for.

Jeffrey  

Yeah, and, you know, we just always looked at it from the perspective of how can we help people achieve what they you know, how can this program help people get results? How can we do it safely, effectively, and fundamentally, it needs to be science based, because you know, boxing in heels, there's no science-based evidence for that.

Will:  

Well they're not very good for the floor, right? 

Jeffrey  

The ankles, knees, hips, of the people that are wearing those heels... But you know, that our goal was always to create really cool cutting edge programming that was effective and science based. And we, you know, we just loved it, you know, when, when we were in it, we knew that we were, we were doing something special, I won't lie that we didn't know that we're doing something really cool. And we just wanted to make sure that we put out a product that was sustainable, and that would help people. And then we let the marketing team handle all the other stuff. And that's really how we approached it. It was, it was great. It was really, really great. But we definitely didn't let it go to our head wasn't, you know, you know, we're the coolest company ever. That was never at least not from my...

Will:  

That just came. What was the new product flywheel like at Equinox? Like how often were you producing a new concept or a new program or a new type of a type of class?

Jeffrey  

Great question. At equinox, you know, things...quarterly was kind of how three to four formats a year. And you know, it would, it would, it would change between rooms like so we would do something like when I created the pursuit for equinox, which we have that digital format for them. That was the cycling room that was a big lift. That was there's a lot of interactivity and an app and like that was like a big one. But we also created a lot of main studio programming. And then sometimes we would move into the yoga studio. So we tried to create formats that would move through different rooms to give everybody some love, because not everybody took cycling or mainstay or yoga so so but on average three to four programs a year, and I would have my hand in all of them, but not, you know have more heavily in some than others. So if it wasn't, for example, we did a program before I left called Banded, which was a Pilates program using this very cool bandwidth like loops. I helped with the construct and the formatting. And then I let an expert handle the exercise selection and exercise progression because we all knew what our strengths were, which is why think that team is so special. Nobody had an ego. It wasn't like no, no, I want to do it my way. I knew when to stop. And I knew I've never been afraid in my career to ask for help. Or to say, you know what, guys, I've reached my limit, I need I need someone else to take it from here.

Will:  

So I'm about to go into that process, personally, because we're in the in the planning stages of creating a MMA slash combat style format for Sh1ft. And I know that that is not, not my sweet spot when it comes to when it comes to either exercise prescriptionn or authenticity. But I do know that kind of how I theoretically want it to be from a programming and structural and longevity perspective, like what I'd like to see from the program, but in terms of actually like presenting it, delivering it, creating that vibe,, yeah, that's where I'm bringing in experts support, because I know my own limitations.

Jeffrey  

Isn't that great though, like, you know, you've been doing this a long time too. And you kind of reach that point where I'm no longer on the ground doing all the detailed work, I'm more you know, you become more of a visionary and like I see this, and I want to move it in this direction. So you become sort of the the captain of the ship, but you're not scrubbing the deck and you're not, you know, it's you then you bring other people along. And that's how you can really help others who you see that have some talent in those categories who you're like, I see you, I think that you've got what it takes to help make this come to life and then you're able to provide opportunities for people who may not have ever had that opportunity before and then they can drive this thing here.

Will:  

This brings me to a great another question. So I've got one more question about Equinox before we move on to talking about Beachbody, which I'm also really excited to talk about, because there's so much stuff happening there. At equinox, you were involved in program creation. And that involved often taking instructors from the equinox instructor roster, and elevating them to a position of being sort of front and center of some of the new formats or some of the new programming. How did you go about identifying who was going to be those people? So for group fitness instructors listen to this podcast, who might be working at a gym or working within within a brand and thinking, I really want to know how I get to that next step. How do I get to people making the decisions about who fronts this program? To look at me? What do you look for when you are elevating someone to a to a starring role in a new program?

Jeffrey  

Such a good question. And I'm, you know, having building body right now, you know, we have our super trainers. And I went through a process of now bringing on a team of body instructors and not super trainers, but they will also be on the platform. And I've been through auditions, extensive auditions the last couple of weeks. So this is very top of my mind. And when we were at equinox, and I think in general, I will speak in general, when I'm looking for talent. It will it is so much about passion and personality than anything else in the world. I can help you, I can tell you what to say I can tell you what to play, I can tell you what to do. But if you don't have that charisma and that passion for what you're doing, it's a no go for me. Right. And I have turned down many, a many instructors and trainers who wanted these opportunities because they would come in and they might look the part right, they might have you know, the 8% body fat and they might look amazing, and feel great. But they come in with an attitude like they need we need us more than they than they need us. Or if there's just like, if it's just sort of like yeah, like, I won't, I won't move forward, I would rather take somebody who I can mold a little bit, who's hungry, and who has the passion who wants to do it. Who wants to make a difference. That's what I'm always looking for. Because I can't teach that. And if you're not coming to the table 110% ready to take on whatever it needs to take on to make this product a success, then I don't want you on my team. That's that's really the bottom line, you need to have passion for what you do. You need to be willing to work hard and and you have to want it. That's really what it is. Alright, so yeah.

Will:  

So ultimately, what I'm hearing is you're looking for that X factor in, not X factor in terms of like something that you can't, that you can't attain unless you were born with a certain thing, but more a, a charisma and passion that comes from just really wanting to be part of whatever it is that they're auditioning for.

Jeffrey  

100%. You know, I want people to show up early and stay late if they need to, I want them to, like, you know, I'm in coach, put me in coach like, I want that. I want that energy on my teams. And then from there if I have someone who is willing to learn and willing to listen and take coaching, right, so you know, I'm a 30 year veteran, I still ask for coaching, I will develop a format and I will give it to four people and say no, like, do not hold back. Tell me exactly what you think about this format. I won't take it offensively because I want to develop the best product. And yeah, even as a 30 year veteran, I know that I'm still a work in progress, right? I'm never done. And there's always room for me to learn for me to grow. And my biggest pet peeve is when an instructor comes to me and tells me like, I've been teaching this format for 15 years. And no, you know, I don't need any more coaching. And I'll ask them, when's the last time you took any education, they're like, oh, you know, I got certified 15 years ago, and I'm like, since then? They're like, oh no, I'm an expert. And I'm like, no, you're not.

Will:  

Yeah.

Jeffrey  

I don't care if your frickin class has 150 people in it, you we still have to continue to educate ourselves. Because you know, and I know, the one thing about this industry is that it's constantly evolving.

Will:  

Yeah, tell me about it.

Jeffrey  

There's always something new for us to learn. And nobody wants a know it all on their team. I can tell you that much right now. So be humble, be willing to be coachable and be passionate. Like those are things that I'm always looking for when I'm looking for talent.

Will:  

Absolutely. And okay, good. So you touched on something which I want to delve deeper into which is fitness is always changing and Beachbody has just gone through some pretty, pretty significant changes. So in the time between when we started talking about getting on the podcast and the podcast actually happening, Beachbody has gone public. Very, very successful, been in the news, and Beachbody's also making the transition from a program-based and Super-Trainer based products to BODi, which I'm not going to put the words in your mouth, I want you to tell me about what that is. But the first question I've got is, how did it feel coming into Beachbody with such big personalities that had created programs, and were already sort of very famous and obviously had ideas about how they, how they worked? How was it coming in and working with those personalities, and and then co-creating programs with the moving forward?

Jeffrey  

You know, it's been effortless. I will tell you, you know, two years ago, when I started with no one knew we were, we were we'd be going public this year. You know, Carl probably, you know, I heard rumors, I think that, you know, obviously was on the radar. But at that time, you know, having lived through the it's not easy to do, going public process. You know, it's it, I can tell you now, it's exciting, everyone is excited. But I also want to tell you that like nothing has changed internally, everyone is working harder, if anything, we were excited, we celebrated, it was great, but it is now business as usual. Carl is still in charge. And, you know, talk about a, Carl is such an incredible leader, I tell you, I think the world of this man. He just inspires and motivates people. As a CEO, he is really approachable. And he wants to know what's going on. He is hands on, on deck, like the guy, he's just such a great leader. In my personal opinion, I've worked for many others and some of the command you know, in their black cars, and they're all dressed up and they will make that work for them. And I'm like, you know, come on, you know, that's not how you lead. Carl makes you want to work harder. That's the kind of leader that he is. And I really appreciate that. So getting back to your the question, like, you know, since the hope that that process, like it's still like we are just moving forward, coming in here and working with these big personalities. Well, honestly, I knew a lot of them before I even got here. So a lot of them are friends before I even took on the position. So working with them, they know me and I know them and they know that my approach is I want nothing more than a co create the best product possible. And that I I've never been anyone who ever wanted to be in front of the camera. I am very comfortable being behind the camera. I do love public speaking that is my passion but never ever intended or wanted to be any form of fitness celebrity. And the little bit of celebrity that's come with with my position has just been basically because of what I've done, not you know, me being in front of the camera. Yeah. So I've worked with several of them, all of them actually. All of them many times and I'll see several them today.

Will:  

I'm actually sure Joel worst, he's just a disaster, can't stand working with him. No fun, horrible person, terrible to have to deal with. 

Jeffrey  

I wasn't working with him yesterday. I love that guy! 

Will:  

What I want to know is that he on his Instagram, he's sitting on a bike, and I want to know is he going to be on a bike on BODi. We're getting nodding, you can see the screen. Excellent, this is something I'm really looking forward to it.

Jeffrey  

He's good at it too. And I'm working with them. And, you know, talking about someone who hugely successful, completely open to coaching, completely open to help. And, you know, he brings so much to the table, he's willing to work and listen and apply. And I love that about him. And they're all that way. I mean, honestly, every Super Trainer that we have, that I've worked with, you know, it's really just what what it is the energy that you bring to the conversation that will make or break any conversation that's for the Super Trainer, a celebrity, a client, you know, whatever it might be. So I just, you know, approach it with the with an open heart, and they know that I'm here to help them and together, I want to make some magic. And I want to help people live healthier, more fulfilling lives. And you know, when you have that collective energy, it's just it makes for a really great working relationships. So the super trainers here are fantastic. Just the really smart, hard working people in the industry. I tell you that much. So they've been great. 

Will:  

So the people listening will obviously know about all of the amazing programs that have come out of Beachbody -- p90x, insanity, some of the new ones, 645, like all of the 645 right? Did I get that right? Yes, 645. So, like people listening will understand the program based background of Beachbody and coming out with you know, quarterly coming out with something new and fresh and on trend. Tell me a little bit about bodies. So just to give the listeners a bit of context. Beachbody has partnered with a company called Myx, who have fitness equipment, and they are going to be making a play for the market that Peloton is the most obvious candidate in at the moment which is connective fitness. So tell me a little bit about like how BODi which is. Beachbody On- Demand Interactive? Tell me tell me a little bit about it. I'm just like, if you have not, we will add some links to some promo materials. But if you haven't seen the stage and you're listening to this, you need to check out some of the trailers because the stage is phenomenal. And compared to what like other big parties like Apple Fitness and Peloton are doing, this is this is a step up from that, I would say, and I am saying that with all honesty, the stage is something else. But anyway, Jeffrey, tell me, BODi, what are we, what should we expect?

Jeffrey  

Well, first, you know, we will continue to develop programming on BOD, that's that was still we're just expanding. So what we're doing now is we'll always have BOD, we'll have continual programs being developed for BOD. And those are programs, right? So you can get it. You can use it as a home gym and take whatever classes you want, you can start beginning and

Will:  

Right, it's a start to finish process, right?

Jeffrey  

Where BODi is really like a home gym, a boutique studio that you can go to on your iPad, on your phone, and your laptop. And you can take signature formats from the best instructors in the business, our super trainers and our BODi instructors. It is all brought to you on this incredible stage, which I don't know the exact measurements, I probably should but you know, it's like 20 feet high 75 feet wide, this incredible LED environment that we can basically do whatever we want with...

Will:  

It looks like the stage from the MTV Music Awards, like the thing that Rihanna would perform on and that's what I'm thinking when I see it. 

Jeffrey  

Oh, when you see JLo and Madonna perform and all those things are going on. We have the exact same technology.

Will:  

3D, so it looks like they're standing on platforms, but they're, yeah, it's crazy. 

Jeffrey  

It's it's just, it's insane. It's just incredible. So what we've done is we are we are working, we are moving into the live, interactive world. And we'll be offering six live classes Monday through Friday. We'll have like an incredible pool of video on demand as well. And we have categories you know, common categories such as cycling, we have strength, we have cardio, we have HIIT, we have barre, we have Pilates and yoga and meditation. So we are bringing a really great offering something for everyBODi. You know, it really is something for everybody. And the classes, you know, they vary in length, they're on this spectacular stage that is visually beautiful. The formatting is is smart, if I don't say something collectively with my team. We have created, you know, signature formats that are own can only be found here on on the BODi platform, you won't find them in BOD, you won't find anywhere else there. Format's exclusive to our platform. And all the super trainers are teaching those formats and others as well. So BOD and BODi will be separate, you're not going to find a lot of crossover as far as programming, okay, but you can take one of your favorite super trainers, you know, you can sign up live or take that class again, later on, on video on demand. Because once the class is live about 30 minutes later, it's immediately available in the VOD library.

Will:  

Yep, got it. 

Jeffrey  

So, you know, we are bringing cutting edge formats, science based incredible instructors in an environment that is visually stimulating and beautiful to watch. And like you mentioned, it is different than a lot of other platforms out there. And, you know, you know, I'm friends, you are friends with those other platforms. So yeah, you know, Apple,they're all like, yeah, like my best friends, great friends, and they're doing incredible work. IFix doing it. Everyone's doing incredible work. There's a lot of room for everyone. I always say that, I never compare us to anybody. I just, one thing I've learned from Jay, as my mentor as well, is like I just stay focused on what I'm doing and just do the best absolute, create the absolute best product I can, I don't worry too much about my competition, I just say stay a little myopic in my vision, and continue to just drive that forward. 

Will:  

It's always good, though, when you're introducing a new product to to impress people. And I have to say that like, I can say this speaking outside of any of these major platforms, and being kind of like an industry reviewer and watcher, I'm very impressed with what BODi looks like. And I was curious, because I'm like, how are they going to, how are they going to pull this off? This is a crowded marketplace and Beachbody is having to pivot away from what it knows and into something new, which is obviously you know, the fresh daily content. But yeah, it looks exciting. And we will, as I said, we'll link to some to some trailers in the show notes so that you can see this. So, when is BODi launching so that people can kind of keep an eye out for when all these new formats will be coming to market?

Jeffrey  

September 14 it goes live. So on September 14, it will be available to the public. And, you know, we're going into our beta testing right now. Everything is developed, it's baked, schedule's ready, talent's in place. We're doing some rehearsals right now. And we're getting it all ready. You know, it's all that sort of behind the scenes, never let them see how you make the sausage. We are, we are really getting ready because we're everyone is just taking this very seriously, very excited. We want this to be the best product we could possibly create. So we're in that sort of creation mode right now. And fine tuning everything, making sure all the tech is operating properly. And it's, so far, if we knock on wood, things are going really well, right? But that's one thing about tech and you know, it's like tech can be tricky.

Will:  

Oh, yeah. Yeah. Yeah, for sure. And I mean, just just doing this podcast half the time I log into my zoom, they've done an update, and I'm having to, like, frantically update my Zoom before I can get the other person on the line.

Jeffrey  

Always right. And that, you know, I remember when we when we created a program called the pursuit like there was so much tech stuff, and Sarah Robb O'Hagan, a brilliant girl, was the CEO of Equinox at the time, she's like, Jeffrey, just relax. You don't know what you don't know until you launch. And there's going to be good days and bad days, highs and lows. You just have to roll with it, learn from it, and course correct as quickly as you can. Yeah. So I'm, you know, I'm sure they'll be potential bumps, but we are ready to figure that out as soon as possible. But overall, the product is is fantastic. In my personal opinion, and I'm really excited for everyone to see it. I really am.

Will:  

Yeah, I am, too. It's going to be it's gonna be very exciting launch to see how how much of a splash it makes in the fitness landscape. So we're, I don't want to keep too much time because obviously, you have a lot on your plate. So I have a couple of questions that I want to ask before we finish up. The first one is, what do you see as a view, like taking your time back to being an instructor. So stepping out of kind of the headspace of what you're doing at Beachbody and thinking back to your time as an instructor, but knowing what you know about the way the industry is going? What do you see as being the big, the big trends and the big developments within the next two to three years? Obviously, digital is a big one. Is there anything else on the horizon that you think is coming?

Jeffrey  

That's a really good question. And, you know, you did say it's clear that COVID has changed the world of fitness as we know it. And I do believe that a large contingency once this is somewhat over, people will go back into the gym because there's nothing like that live experience, right? There's nothing like being in that cycling studio, and it's full, and the music is blasting the coaches on your life. We all love that that sensation. However, what we didn't know is that that's all we knew. And now we understand that we can actually have similar experiences with the energy and the visuals, and still have great results from exercising. But we don't have to drive to the gym, find a parking spot , get a lock or change your clothes, and stand in line for class, you know, and all the things that led up to that experience, we're able to just move to a different room, push play, and then bam, it's right there in our in our house. So I do not think that the Digital's going away, I think it will continue to grow and morph and strengthen. They'll always be a hybrid now because I'm sure you've been to the gym to where I go to the gym and I see people in the group fitness studio now.

Will:  

I see a lot of people using, they don't have the requisite equipment at home, right like then they don't have the dumbbells, they don't have the space, they live in an apartment, they can't jump. But I see a lot of people following along with a Beachbody workout or a Fit workout or whatever workout they might be doing individual instructors. I see a lot of people on their phones with their bluetooth headphones in doing a workout that's been pre-programmed, but doing it in the situation of a gym.

Jeffrey  

Absolutely. So I do think that that will continue to grow and grow and grow that that's not going away. It's too convenient. And it is what's really interesting, too, is that it's lucrative for all the instructors watching too, if you can monetize what you're doing, and start to build that base. You could have a nice hybrid of both, you can fine tune what you do in a live environment and then bring it to what you do in a digital environment. Because one thing that digital doesn't provide that live did that made instructors better is immediate feedback.

Will:  

Yeah. 

Jeffrey  

So when you're in our room, you know what works and what didn't work.

Will:  

Yeah, you give a cue and no one does the thing you want them to do and you're like, well, back to the drawing board with that one?

Jeffrey  

Yeah, right. So you know that when you're alive, like you're constantly getting immediate feedback. For how even exercise sequencing, did that work, was it too hard? Was it not hard enough? How did that shoe land? 

Will:  

Yeah, you know, I forget how much you learn by trying a cue and having it fail completely. And just the knowledge, the knowledge that you can never use it again because no one could get what you're trying to achieve. 

Jeffrey  

Even my humor like I yeah sometimes I think I'm hysterical. I think I'm funny as heck and like land, you look around, you're like, okay, that did not land, in my head that was hysterical, but it just didn't land. And so having that as a way to continue to fine tune what you do digitally because you don't have that feedback. And you need that feedback to make sure that the product you're delivering on that digital platform is the best it can be. Yeah. So I really think that if I was an instructor today, if I was just getting started, I was in the first 10 years of my career, I would really consider strongly having a hybrid of both, I wouldn't lean in either direction, I would really figure out how to do both. And if you don't know how to do it digitally, find a mentor, find somebody who can coach you teach you how to do it, because I think that it's going to be a big part of this industry ongoing.

Will:  

Yeah. And my last question is actually going to be what piece of advice would you give to an instructor but you just gave it. So you've emptied out my questions and answered everything that I would have asked you. So all that's left to say is thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us and to give the listeners some advance notice of what they can expect from all the exciting things coming out of Beachbody. How many of the so you've got the super trainers, how many new instructors can we expect to see within the teaching roster?

Jeffrey  

We have about 12 new BODi instructors joining the team and a variety of different formats. They are you know, it's it's a great well rounded group of instructors in each category, they are experts in their category. So we really we were surgical with when we were looking for talent to make sure that we had the right talent, that they would appeal to a broad audience that they provided the right combination of education, motivation, and that they you know, were going to be able to really succeed on the platform, because it was you know, doesn't always translate. You can be great in the room and not great on camera. And it's really, you know, not everyone is meant to be in front of the camera. Some people thrive in the room and not, so these guys are you know, I'm super excited to watch to see them develop and to soar on this platform. So right now, about 10 to 12 people, and more will be coming as the platform grows.

Will:  

Very exciting. Well, thank you very much, Jeffrey Scott, and I look forward to seeing all that you've got in store for us.

Jeffrey  

Yes, BODi, September 14 it goes live. Will, thank you so much for having me. I know, I know, this is a podcast, but it's great to see your face. It's been a long time. I'm honored that you even thought of me. And I'm just really happy for you. And congratulations on your success. 

Will:  

Cheers, thank you. 

Jeffrey  

Yeah, never never hesitate to reach out. 

Will:  

Well when we can travel again, I'm going to come and visit that studio because I want to see it in person because it looks amazing.

Jeffrey  

Oh, absolutely. You will flip out it is extraordinary. And then when you're on it, because I've taught on it several times, even that it's like, you feel like you're in another world. So come out, obviously you'll let me know, I'll take your lunch and I'll show you the studio.

Will:  

Perfect. Thanks, Jeffrey. 

Will:  

So that was my chat with Jeffrey. I'm really excited to see how BODi shakes up the group fitness market when it launches in September. I always enjoy chatting to Jeffrey. But there were two pieces of advice that really stood out for me. The first is the passion and personality is what really counts. I wholeheartedly agree with Jeffrey on this point. And it's something that we've talked about on the podcast before. What really stands out to people is the passion for teaching, wanting to be there, wanting to make a difference. And this is something that you can totally lean into. While it's super important to have great coaching skills, great technical expertise, the really important thing is being an individual. I invite you to go back right to the start of our podcast series and my chat with Susan Renata, if you feel like you need to reflect on what your strengths are and how you can bring them out. The second thing is that there's always room to learn and grow. No matter how long you've been in the industry, or how many classes you've taught, there's always more you can learn and always opportunities for personal development. The people I know with the greatest longevity in the fitness industry are the ones that still enjoy doing other people's classes, that enjoyed going along and being a participant and absorbing what someone else is giving so that they can take the best and apply it to their own teaching. I know that that's something I'll be doing when BODi launches in September, and I know that I'll see Jeffrey's influence in the teaching. Thank you for listening. If you're enjoying the show, don't forget to subscribe for all the latest episodes wherever you get your podcasts. And while you're there, please drop us a review. You can also get in touch with me at will@sh1ftfitness.com. I'm Will Brereton and you've been listening to Group Fitness Real Talk.