Not Having All the Answers Is a Fundamental Aspect of Leadership Growth: Interview with Shaun Grove, President of Rumble Boxing

I recently went one-on-one with Shaun Grove, President of Rumble Boxing.

Adam: Thanks again for taking the time to share your advice. First things first, though, I am sure readers would love to learn more about you. How did you get here? What experiences, failures, setbacks, or challenges have been most instrumental to your growth?

Shaun: I’m Shaun Grove, the president of Rumble Boxing, a boxing-inspired fitness concept designed for all levels. We like to say Rumble delivers serious results in a fun, high-energy setting. Prior to joining Rumble in 2021, I was the President of Club Pilates, another Xponential Fitness brand, where we grew the brand from a handful of locations up to 700 open studios. It’s my goal to replicate that tremendous growth I helped drive in my current position at Rumble. We have already opened more than 75 Rumble locations under my leadership with over 300 Rumble franchise territories in development around the world.

Back in the day, I tried out many different hats including playing semi-professional football in Europe, studying law, and a stint in the FBI. I was trained in Quantico and served in Los Angeles, and while my time with the FBI turned out to be a great experience, that came to a close when the bureau asked that I uproot my life in Los Angeles to move across the country to Boston. Moving thousands of miles to a new city with nobody I knew simply wasn’t an option for me, so I made the life-altering decision to end my career in the FBI.

Soon after that significant fork in the road, I met Anthony Geisler, then CEO of L.A. Boxing who convinced me to join the company as a general counsel. That decision was the start of an incredible 20-year journey of personal career growth in the boutique fitness industry. While still serving in my legal capacity, I opened a franchise location, which became the network’s top-performing gym, and went on to become a multi-unit franchisee. After L.A. Boxing was purchased by UFC Gym, I stayed on as General Counsel and developed three more territories until Anthony brought the Club Pilates concept my way. I ultimately became the brand President helping to drive the brand to remarkable success. Now I’m excited to have found my way back to boxing with Rumble.

Adam: In your experience, what are the key steps to growing and scaling your business?

Shaun: It is crucial to have a precise understanding of your brand's identity and then strategically plan its expansion without compromising its core essence. Don’t water down the experience or dilute the brand message and be sure to thoroughly vet your markets before entry. Will it still be sexy next to a LensCrafters in a strip mall?

Conceptualize the franchise growth like the stages of an airplane’s journey. The initial lift-off is so important for achieving a stable cruising altitude. Similar to a pilot's preparedness for takeoff, franchisees must align all aspects efficiently to ascend smoothly to a consistent cruising altitude. With this in mind, we've crafted a robust presale program that guides franchisees in setting and achieving benchmarks throughout their journey, ensuring a steady ascent without compromising the brand's integrity during expansion. This strategic approach maintains the brand's appeal while facilitating a seamless and successful scaling process.

In the competitive fitness industry specifically, standing out amidst a multitude of options is the primary challenge. With a constant influx of new workouts vying for attention and market share, the key lies in developing dynamic programming and engaging workouts to captivate your audience.

When you step foot in Rumble, our distinctive edge becomes immediately apparent—the high-energy experience we offer. We’re continuously pushing boundaries in class innovation by employing strategies that keep things new and exciting, such as playing the latest music and integrating celebrity-driven workouts. To allow instructors to focus more on amplifying the energy and serving as lively motivators, workout instructions are projected on the wall so instructors don’t have to deliver them. The culmination of these efforts results in an unparalleled experience that keeps Rumblers gloving up for more.

Adam: What do you believe are the defining qualities of an effective leader?

Shaun: Developing the ability to separate emotion from business decisions is a critical skill, requiring strategic and methodical thinking about our operational approaches. My legal training has significantly contributed to honing this skill, providing a valuable framework for detached, pragmatic and analytical decision-making in my business decisions.

Another crucial aspect of effective leadership is the ability to serve as a mentor, particularly to individuals demonstrating potential for success and currently navigating challenges you have faced in your own career. Proactively taking steps to guide, teach, and create opportunities for those who stand where you once did is not only a selfless act but also a strategic investment in fostering a culture of growth and development within your team. It's about paying forward the mentorship and opportunities you wished for during your own journey, creating a ripple effect of positive impact in the company.

Adam: How can leaders and aspiring leaders take their leadership skills to the next level?

Shaun: Embracing the reality of not having all the answers is a fundamental aspect of leadership growth. A commitment to continuous learning serves as a cornerstone for personal and professional development, which involves staying updated on the evolving industry trends and leveraging the insights of mentors. True leadership excellence is marked by a perpetual thirst for knowledge and a humble acknowledgment that there's always room for improvement.

Effective leaders also proactively engage with feedback from stakeholders. This feedback loop is about receiving input and then implementing meaningful changes based on it. Creating an environment where everyone feels seen and heard fosters a sense of inclusivity and contributes to the overall success of the team or organization. Leadership isn't a static state but a dynamic journey, and the ability to adapt and evolve based on constructive feedback is a testament to a leader's resilience and commitment to continuous improvement.

Adam: What are your three best tips applicable to entrepreneurs, executives, and civic leaders?

Shaun: Tip number one is to keep one foot in the shallow end of the pool. For franchise entrepreneurs and executives, this involves immersing yourself in the perspective of the franchisees. Understand their challenges, aspirations, and daily experiences to inform strategic decision-making. I’ve found this empathy-driven approach fosters stronger relationships and enables the leadership to make decisions grounded in a comprehensive understanding of the organization at all levels.

Tip number two is to embrace failure as a catalyst for growth. Regardless of the leadership role – be it an entrepreneur launching a startup or an executive steering a business – a willingness to confront and embrace failure is such an important component to success. Recognize failures as invaluable lessons on the entrepreneurial journey. Understand that setbacks offer unique insights, allowing for continuous improvement and growth. This mindset cultivates resilience and encourages innovation and risk-taking, essential elements I believe are crucial in leadership.

Tip number three is to take who you choose to surround yourself with very seriously. The strength and success of a leader is intricately tied to the team they assemble. Prioritize the careful and strategic selection of individuals who you build your team with because a diverse and talented team is indispensable. Invest time and thought into curating a team that complements your skills, bringing a spectrum of perspectives and expertise. A leader's effectiveness is profoundly influenced by the collective strength and diversity of their team.

Adam: What is your best advice on building, leading, and managing teams?

Shaun: Building successful teams involves a lot of time and resources, but it pays dividends if you do it right by fostering diversity, defining clear roles, and mandating effective communication across the board. As a leader, I make it a priority to lead by example and inspire my team with a shared vision of what success looks like for us. Everyone needs to be on the same page in order to move forward, which means hearing diverse voices and implementing change if necessary.

We’ve seen a shift in the post-COVID employment landscape with the younger workforce placing a higher premium on culture and purpose compared to their older counterparts. It is essential to establish a robust culture that prizes initiative and collaboration, offering incentives for these values. At Rumble, I manifest this by empowering teams with the autonomy to lead their departments and propel progress, adopting a role as a safety net rather than a micro-manager. My objective is to foster encouragement and cultivate a positive work environment, ensuring everyone is engaged and able to perform at their best.

Adam: What are your best tips on the topics of sales, marketing, and branding?

Shaun: This requires a comprehensive and critical evaluation of the entire business landscape. Entrepreneurs and business leaders must adopt a strategic mindset to maximize output from each element within their operation, which involves not only a keen understanding of the existing revenue streams but also a constant exploration of innovative avenues for growth and maximization.

A key aspect of this approach is identifying or modifying elements that do not contribute to revenue goals. Whether it's through efficiency improvements, process modifications, or the elimination of non-performing aspects, the objective is to streamline operations and enhance the revenue-generating capacity of every inch of the business environment. This critical thinking process requires a holistic view of the business, ensuring that each square foot, be it physical or metaphorical, aligns with the overarching goal of revenue generation.

This mindset demands a commitment to innovation, an eye for identifying inefficiencies, and a proactive attitude in shaping a business environment where every element contributes significantly to the overall financial success.

Adam: What is the single best piece of advice you have ever received?

Shaun: It’s not necessarily advice I received but a lesson I learned that the last few years, especially in the fitness industry, have created numerous opportunities for people who are willing to take risks and work hard. Amid the lockdown phases of the pandemic, numerous small, locally-owned fitness centers unfortunately had to shut down, which was disheartening to see as witnessing the struggles of small businesses is never pleasant. However, the sudden closure of these establishments meant that their displaced clientele had to seek alternative fitness solutions. This, coupled with a surge in new interest in fitness during the pandemic, presented a remarkable opportunity within the industry. The main lesson I take away from all this is that, if you’re scrappy and resourceful in this industry and willing to do the work to attract customers and create the community they crave, you can thrive.

Adam: Is there anything else you would like to share?

Shaun: As the trend of businesses increasingly transitioning to online platforms continues to surge, I anticipate a continued merging and eventual symbiotic relationship between the digital and physical worlds in the fitness industry. We’re fortunate to have the unwavering support of Xponential's dedicated team that constantly devises innovative digital solutions for Rumble.

Earlier this year marked the launch of the XPASS app, a cross-brand subscription service providing access to Rumble and other boutique fitness studios within the Xponential portfolio. This app introduces an engaging and motivational approach to fitness gamification. Users can achieve streaks by accomplishing tasks like walking 5,000 steps a day or visiting a studio, leading to tangible rewards. More recently, Xponential unveiled a virtual reality app designed for the Meta headset, delivering virtual- and mixed-reality fitness content for Rumble and select studios. These cutting-edge developments not only expose Rumble and associated brands to new customers but also align with Xponential's overarching mission of making health and wellness accessible to all.


Adam Mendler is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker, educator, and nationally-recognized authority on leadership. Adam is the creator and host of the business and leadership podcast Thirty Minute Mentors, where he goes one on one with America's most successful people - Fortune 500 CEOs, founders of household name companies, Hall of Fame and Olympic gold medal-winning athletes, political and military leaders - for intimate half-hour conversations each week. A top leadership speaker, Adam draws upon his insights building and leading businesses and interviewing hundreds of America's top leaders as a top keynote speaker to businesses, universities, and non-profit organizations. Adam has written extensively on leadership and related topics, having authored over 70 articles published in major media outlets including Forbes, Inc. and HuffPost, and has conducted more than 500 one on one interviews with America’s top leaders through his collective media projects. Adam teaches graduate-level courses on leadership at UCLA and is an advisor to numerous companies and leaders. A Los Angeles native, Adam is a lifelong Angels fan and an avid backgammon player.

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