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In this episode of the Stronger Is Better Podcast, Nick Delgadillo sits down with Starting Strength Gyms founder Ray Gillenwater for a wide-ranging conversation about entrepreneurship, vision, and the founding story of Starting Strength Gyms. Ray shares how his experiences in tech, corporate leadership, and global markets led him to Starting Strength—and why strength training is at the core of building better people, teams, and businesses.

They explore the parallels between barbell training and business operations, discuss lessons from launching a franchise, and highlight the power of doing hard things. From his time at BlackBerry to the launch of Starting Strength Gyms, Ray’s story offers valuable insight for entrepreneurs, coaches, and anyone seeking freedom through ownership.

00:00 – Intro: Ray returns to the podcast

00:44 – Ray’s background in tech and telecom

02:20 – First encounter with Starting Strength

04:50 – Discovering the program, contacting Rip

07:00 – Attending his first seminar and injuries

08:20 – Starting Strength retail vision emerges

10:24 – Franchising vs affiliation

12:42 – How the response to COVID tested the franchise

14:59 – Corporate vs mission-driven business

16:35 – BlackBerry in Southeast Asia

19:30 – Sales tactics and incentive alignment

23:19 – Launching BlackBerry Money, ahead of its time

27:30 – What went wrong at BlackBerry

30:00 – The draw of Starting Strength

31:35 – Bullshit in the corporate world

33:00 – Rip’s influence and brutal honesty

34:15 – Returning to the franchise—lessons learned

36:04 – Coaching gym owners like lifters

38:49 – Business fundamentals mirror training

40:26 – Product, people, and solving real problems

44:42 – Technical expertise vs human connection

48:30 – How to help the runner, the skeptic, anyone

52:46 – Weekly habits and business levers

54:20 – Vision, strategy, and scalable simplicity

56:34 – Why the culture makes it all work

57:37 – Hard physical effort = quality people

1:01:25 – Franchising done the right way

1:03:31 – Humility, hardship, and growth

1:06:35 – Closing reflections on freedom and purpose

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