Building Reebok: Finding the Right Space at the Right Time | Joe Foster

The Hard Way w/ Joe De Sena

In this episode of The Hard Way podcast, Joe De Sena interviews Paul Foster, the founder of the iconic fitness brand Reebok. Tune in as Foster recounts growing up in a family shoe business plagued by infighting, and his risky decision to break out on his own with his brother. Listen how this small startup found its big break by pivoting to capitalize on the aerobics craze just starting to sweep the nation. Foster shares the story of how resilience, innovation, and an openness to new opportunities allowed Reebok to outmaneuver giants and become the #1 brand in women's fitness worldwide. De Sena and Foster also discuss invaluable lessons around turning obstacles into opportunities and how perseverance can pay off big for entrepreneurs willing to work hard and think outside the box. Highlights: 00:00 Intro 00:49 How did Reebok start? 04:16 Selling Reebok and going into aerobics 06:24 Surviving and thriving in business 08:07 Working with family members 09:23 Why do most companies fail? 10:43 The role of luck in success 11:28 The importance of sports 12:55 Writing a book - Shoemaker 15:42 How can people find Joe? 16:08 Preparing the second book 17:53 Just keep going