Today we’d like to introduce you to Steven Spitz.
Steven, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
25 years ago, I started a company called Big Apple Pet Supply out of a one bedroom apartment on the upper West Side of Manhattan. It was a humble beginning for an e-commerce company launching in 1994 with nothing more than a computer, shipping boxes under the dining room table and supplies in every cabinet and closet. Through the course of 25 years, my company has moved into 8 different facilities, continually growing. The Pet industry was very good to me but it was time to start a company in a different industry.
In early 2017, I decided to share my positive energy and passion for fitness with the rest of South Florida. My concept for Badass Running Company spawned out of an intense passion for healthy living. I saw a lot of people participating in tremendously hardcore and challenging fitness pursuits which is wonderful but for much of the general public, that method of training can sometimes be intimidating. I wanted to get people off their couch and be active and outgoing all while laughing and having fun with the fitness they’re doing.
The idea is, if you’re having fun, you’ll come back and do it again the next day. We believe consistency is the key to healthy living. Badass Running Company brought that vision to life by producing creative fitness events, weekly meet-ups, virtual charity races, athletic clothing and running gear. We are currently branching out nationally through our virtual charity races and our upcoming adventure fitness camps.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc. – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Roads in the entrepreneurial life are rarely smooth, nor would you want them to be. It’s actually the bumps in the road that allow you to go airborne and excel into directions that otherwise would have never been found. I encountered so many lessons that were never taught to me in school. Learning any industry takes years of actually being in the industry, achieving the proper connections and understanding that the smallest details can make a huge difference. One of the most important developments as an entrepreneur is strengthening your leadership and communication skills. Though these skills take considerable time to master, I have found this to be a continual pursuit with extreme value.
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Badass Running Company – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
With my Big Apple Pet Supply business, the intention was to become the largest supplier of live reptiles and reptile supplies in the country. Through the course of time, we became just that. With our newest company, The Badass Running Company, the projection is to be the largest race event company in Florida. We specialize in producing fun and creative fitness events, weekly meet-ups, virtual charity races, athletic clothing and running gear. Our future endeavors include creating life altering fitness retreats that will change the way you think about fitness and food. These retreats will incorporate diverse challenges that will redefine just how far our body and minds are able to go.
Any advice to future entrepreneurs?
The first thing I would have ever done in the early stages of my entrepreneurial life is to connect with a mentor. A mentor is essential for quick growth in business. Instead, I took a much more challenging road which was to figure it all out myself; a path of many pitfalls. It’s simpler to be shown the potholes before you fall into them. So, I would always recommend to budding entrepreneurs to always seek an established entrepreneur as a guide.
Contact Info:
- Address: 2 E. Atlantic Avenue
Delray Beach, FL 33444 - Website: www.BadassRunners.com
- Phone: 561-923-9510
- Email: Steven@BadassRunners.com
- Instagram: BadassRunners, BadassSpartans
- Facebook: @BadassRunning
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