Consumer VC: Venture Capital I B2C Startups I Commerce | Early-Stage Investing I Brands Helaine Knapp (CITYROW) - How Running Injuries Led Her To Start Boutique Rowing Fitness Gyms and Transforming The Studio Experience to At-Home
Mar 16, 2021
33:57
Thank you Katie Shea for introducing me to today's guest Helaine Knapp, founder and CEO of CITYROW. CITYROW is a boutique fitness studio which started in New York City that specializes in a total body, high-intensity, low-impact workout using a water-based rowing machine and strength-training exercises. They have since launched Cityrow go, taking the boutique rowing experience into your home with on demand classes.
I highly recommend following her on twitter @HelaineKnapp
A few books that inspired Helaine:
The Four Agreements by Don Miguel Ruiz
Shoe Dog by Phil Knight
Good to Great by Jim Collins
Questions I ask Helaine:
- Let's begin before you became an entrepreneur. How did your experiences at Olapic and Buddy Media help you as a founder?
- What was your attraction to fitness and athletics?
- What was the insight the led you to founding CITY ROW?
- Why rowers?
- What were some of the biggest hurdles when starting out?
- Why did you decide on the franchise model?
- Since we haven't discussed the franchise model on this show before, could you walk us through some of the innerworkings?
- How did you think about growth?
- What led you to create CITY ROW Go?
- What were some of the biggest challenges when you decided to introduce this product?
- What has been some of the challenges with the roll out?
- What has been some of the effects of COVID?
- How do you think about the future of the in store rowing experience once we all have the vaccines and people are able to work out in studios and gyms?
- Walk me through your fundraising process.
- What was the biggest hangup from investors?
- People invest in what you know
- What's one thing you would change about the fundraising process?
- Not so much of a dance, wish more of a equality
- What's one book that inspired you personally and one book that inspired you professionally?
- What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?
- What's one piece of advice for founders?