Ah, yes, the treadmill... the mortal enemy of many a powerlifter. But Dave Tate isn’t your average powerlifter — a former Westside Barbell lifter and CEO of elitefts, he isn’t afraid to use it. As an added challenge, he is going to answer questions as he treads the mill in this throwback from 2009.
Going Back to Day 1
If Dave could start over from scratch with elitefts, he’d go back with the knowledge he has now about building businesses. He’d also try to be more persistent in borrowing other people’s money; he was denied loans more than 30 times. Having more than $500 in his pocket would’ve helped him get a better start. But on the bright side, he doesn’t have investors he has to give margins to or give him sales numbers.
“To move from one level to the next level always takes capital, and that’s the hardest thing to raise.”
Despite the drawbacks, Dave wishes he would’ve found investors that would’ve really given elitefts a boost.
How did elitefts develop into a brand?
According to Dave, a true brand is not developed by the company; it’s developed by the customers and readers. After all, elitefts’ name came from its readers!
On a different note, though, a lot of thought went into the symbolism of the colors and even the logos based on the values the customers gave it.
The next time you see the elitefts Squatter, you might want to ask, “Why did Dave Tate choose to go with the squat instead of a person doing the deadlift or bench press?”
