Tom Guerrero and TB12 co-founder Alex Guerrero. Image Credit: Kevin Mazur | Getty Images
Tom Brady’s fitness organization TB12 has a new leader – and although it has little to do with background health or sports, his appointment speaks to the company’s larger ambitions.
Grant Shriver has been appointed CEO of the company. He was previously vice president of private brand, product development and global operations at Lowe’s Home Improvement, and before that he oversaw national activities between Kohls and Jessipeni’s teams.
Shriver met Brady through a mutual acquaintance who thought they would share a similar mission. “There was a connection,” said Shriver, “there was a connection between the way I thought about the business and what Tom wanted to do with the TB12 – the view that he needed to take the brand to a more national presence.”
Brady co-founded TB12 in 2013 with his longtime physical trainer Alex Guerrero. The brand promises to help users improve their health and lead a “pain-free life” and says its products and services reflect the approach that Guerrero uses to train Brady during his record-breaking. NFL career. These include nutritional supplements, fitness equipment, clothing and personal physical training.
The brand’s products are primarily sold online and directly to consumers, and its body coaching is currently only available at select facilities on the East Coast. Shriver says he wants to expand both aspects of the business – bringing TB12 products to retailers across the country and expanding access to the company’s personal training.
Srivastava has replaced former CEO John Burns. In a conversation on Tuesday, the day before Shriver’s appointment as CEO, he outlined the opportunities ahead – and why branding and storytelling would be key to TB12’s success.
Above: Grant Shriver. Photo courtesy of TB12.
You have a lot of experience building brands at Lowe’s and other big companies. How does that experience translate into TB12?
It is the determination and relentlessness to provide brand clarity. It’s something that really comes to mind at the top of the role I’m coming from. When I watch TB12, I am very excited by the DNA behind it. I think my number one role is to make more people aware of what’s going on with this brand.
It starts with that background of brand transparency. How do you create awareness and use the right language? How can we be consistent across all touch points? Then as soon as that foundation is fully established, it’s time to scale it really aggressively because we know the message is beautifully tuned.
It’s interesting to hear you talk about brand transparency, because I’m surprised about the TB12 story. There is obviously a connection with Tom Brady, but what a one Products Organization? A Service Organization?
Yes. We use the word Method This is the TB12 method. And it really includes all of those things. That offers our value. That means you can go to other competitors. But just because you find a fitness company that you like doesn’t mean you won’t be in pain, and it doesn’t mean you don’t have to go to other sources to find suitable supplements. So we try to be really thoughtful about bringing products that lead to recovery and pain free missions and this is a different mission from most.
Let’s talk about expansion. You use the term “national presence” – what is the goal of expanding coaching nationwide?
Okay, we have three proprietary locations in Foxboro, Boston and Tampa. Then there’s the partnership that brings us to a location in Florida and Philadelphia. And we’re working in a partnership with the Equinox Gym in the New York area, so there are currently a few gyms where we have body coaches to relieve the pain of gym members.
What’s the thought on that stretch?
We can still call it a pilot phase of the effort. We make sure it is understandable, making sure our method is completely down. This is a new initiative, so TBD is about how far it goes.
You will probably look at my background and assume that a quick push towards the product of the equation would make sense to me. I see a lot of opportunities to do this, and we’re going. But I think there are equal opportunities on both sides. You can see each – product and coaching services – as a tool in the seed market, right? As we expand more TB12 centers in cities, we have a way to bring the brand to market to build confidence in what we do, which will obviously build confidence in the products we offer. And vice versa. Maybe a brick-and-mortar retailer can help build brand awareness and transform a city into the future TB12 hub.
How do you feel about Tom’s role in appealing to consumers? His athletic achievements are undeniable, but like any athlete, he is not exactly a favorite in every sports market.
I’m sure there are a lot of fan opinions about the teams he has crushed in the Super Bowls. But the timing is amazing. The next cycle of this company is on the lockstep with the story that Tom is showing there.
In your words, when the brand was started, it was based in Boston and Tom has a deep, deep connection to the Boston area. So many successes were built around that. But people now see what Tom has done differently. He moved into a second team and had the highest level of success you could get, and I think that changed the narrative. The thing I’m most excited about representing this brand is that she’s going to be there for her 23rd season, and she’s going to be 45 this fall. So it draws a lot of attention to Tom Brady’s longevity, and I think more and more people are appreciating and acknowledging that this guy is doing it at the highest level at that age.
That story began to surpass even football fans. You begin to see Tom as perhaps the best example of our longevity, and how is he doing it? This is the TB12 method. That’s the heart.
