#60 Reebok's Founder Joe Foster: The $4 Billion Dollar Pivot

About this episode

<p>Joe Foster is the Founder of Reebok. Reebok is a hallmark in British sporting history valued at over four billion dollars. Everyone knows Reebok but not enough people know Joe - the 87 year old - behind what became the world’s biggest sports brand.</p> <p>The history of Reebok’s inspiration dates back to the late 1800s. Joe’s grandfathers brand, J.W Foster &amp; Sons, invented the running spike and supplied track and field stars such as Eric Liddell.</p> <p>Joe and his brother Jeff were frustrated by the company his father inherited after returning from national service. The lack of innovation left a bad taste in Joe and Jeff’s mouth.</p> <p>So they left and pathed their own way.</p> <p>The brothers went on to build the brand the surpassed Nike and Adidas giving Joe the most amazing multinational career.</p> <p>Expect to learn:</p> <ul> <li>What post-WWII business in Britain look like</li> <li>The rationale behind the name Reebok and the litigations of patenting a brand</li> <li>Why having Adidas breathe over your shoulder is a driver not a drain</li> <li>How to penetrate the American sportswear market</li> <li>How Reebok overtook Nike’s running shoe</li> <li>How the aerobics boom created Reeboks first influencers and drove the brand to a billion dollars</li> <li>How Joe sourced a CEO/Business Partner</li> <li>The Day in the Life working in an organisation at that scale</li> <li>How Joe made the calculated decision to walk away when the brand outgrew him</li> <li>Joes lessons and advice reflecting on 87 years of a fulfilled life</li> </ul> <p>Thank you Joe for joining me again!</p> <p><strong>If you love this podcast:</strong></p> <p><strong>Fuel it by buying me a Coffee:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Dbyd"><strong>https://www.buymeacoffee.com/Dbyd</strong></a></p> <p><strong>Extra Stuff:</strong></p> <p><strong>ME:Reach out to me on: Instagram:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/developmentbydavid/"><strong>https://www.instagram.com/developmentbydavid/</strong></a></p> <p><strong>LinkedIn:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/developmentbydavid/"><strong>https://www.instagram.com/developmentbydavid/</strong></a></p> <p><strong>The Development by David Podcast on:</strong></p> <p><strong>Spotify:&nbsp;</strong><a href="https://open.spotify.com/show/6DV9tUfz5nGCmH0bfZUFrM"><strong>https://open.spotify.com/show/6DV9tUfz5nGCmH0bfZUFrM</strong></a></p> <p>**Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-development-by-david-podcast/id1542740010**">https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-development-by-david-podcast/id1542740010**</a></p> <p>Youtube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7DyXv_nJZncHdRn1WJdvNQ">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7DyXv_nJZncHdRn1WJdvNQ</a></p>