Class Act Sports is a digital media company that started out creating videos that highlight positive stories about athletes giving back to the community.
It’s also got a very unusual workplace: It’s based in a gym.
Specifically, its headquarters is in the New York location of Life Time, a high-end chain of fitness centers.
“When your gym is connected to your workspace everyone has this energy going,” said Class Act Sports chief marketing officer “Moose” Haila.
“You never know who is coming in and who is going out, whether you’re coming from a great work out or getting a great meal in an incredible atmosphere. Most We Work buildings are closed off and you have your own sections, kind of like high school. Life Time is open, and it forces you to interact.”
A typical day’s work involves getting a workout in early in the morning, having a quick meeting to discuss the day’s agenda from the Life Time cafeteria area, and then jumping straight into calls poolside, in a conference room or in one of the lounge areas. There’s often time to fit an evening class or play basketball before calling it a day.
Moose met Class Act Sports CEO Jared Ginsberg when he was touring the facility. He noticed Ginsberg lounging by the pool and and made a comment to his guide that he kind of looked like former Cleveland Browns quarterback Johnny Manziel. The guide noted both of them had a similar idea of creating a company showcasing positive stories about athletes, and Moose asked for an introduction. Their ideas lined up, and Ginsberg brought Moose into his company.
“If it wasn’t for Life Time’s pool, we wouldn’t be doing the things we are doing today,” Moose said.
Life Time has been paying attention. After seeing its members working from the lobbies of their gyms before and after classes, it started adding conference rooms and other work areas a couple of years ago.
“One of our core tenets is helping people live significantly healthier lives,” said Life Time Work president James O’Reilly. “Where better to pursue that end than to improve where people spend most of their time the office.”
Source: Tech CNBC
Working up a sweat at work sounds gross, but some start-ups are putting their office in the gym