Today we’d like to introduce you to Luke Hartelust.
Hi Luke, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
In 2015, I was an offshore oil and gas worker, working on a 28 day on/off rotating roster. During my time off, I lived in Thailand where I set up my first company. A heated hot yoga / HIIT facility in the regions sort after Chalong fitness hub.
Soon after realizing this was not going to scale enough and enable me to quit my job on the oil rigs my business partner and I looked at the US market opportunity for the Australian franchise F45 Training.
With zero connections in the United States, we knew relocating and setting up a community-driven fitness concept was going to be extremely difficult yet life-changing.
We landed in February 2016 and began due diligence on the different markets in Southern California. Given the franchise had no roots, HQ, connection to the market we had to start from the ground up.
Our vision was to build a world-class network of training facilities where people can grow connect and collaborate through fitness.
October 2016, we opened the doors to our first location in La Jolla San Diego and set the stage for the growth the company has seen in the region today.
In 2017, we opened the doors to our second location in Hermosa Beach, California then in 2018 we opened the East Hillcrest San Diego studio.
Each location was a testament to our ability to overcome adversity and learn fast. Being an immigrant meant we had nothing on paper, no financials, no credit and no network so each step in the process was a mountain in its own right.
However, through perseverance and an all in attitude, we are thriving at each location today despite the economic circumstances.
Over the past five years of owning and operating multiple studios across Southern California, I’ve constantly been asked one dominating question from clients and athletes;
What do you use to stay fit, health, sharp and consistent?
After years of recommending products, tools and resources, I realized there was a disconnect in the men’s space for a concept that would bridge the gap and help introduce men to possible solutions in the marketplace for optimal performance in everyday life.
And so MNLY was born with a mission to help every man become more refined, confident, and manly.
Our vision is to scale our platform to serve 1 million men where they can grow, connect and collaborate through the brand.
We Are a purpose-driven subscription company that sources products and services to help men perform their best in every aspect of their lives;
- Sleep
- Muscle recovery
- Stress
- Hormone management
- Productivity
- Focus and energy
- Tech
- Performance wear
- Grooming
- Lifestyle accessories accessories
So depending on what kind of man you are based on the data we collect, MNLY has a personalized curation that serves you.
We launched our phase one Subscription boxes in May 2021, accumulated market data and feedback to refine our product to create the #1 subscription box experience on the market.
In November 2021, we relaunched the new model with a hyper-personalized approach. Giving the consumer a customizable service that serves them directly.
I believe in the power of relationships. I believe in building value-driven connections that can impact and disrupt industries.
That’s what drives me and that’s the why behind my vision.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Being an Immigrant made each step of the process tough.
First, we had to earn the right visa to operate a company in the united states.
We had to network our way through southern California to secure a location.
Sourcing commercial real estate with no credit or validity on paper was extremely hard.
The most challenging was learning how to grow and scale a business in a foreign country, learning the regulations and restrictions on employees, city rules, commercial space permitting, etc. was all a huge learning curve.
When we finally opened the doors to our first location, we had zero funds left due to the cost of the build out and the delay buy the city for six months meant our cash flow was all gone. We had no funds to pay the opening months rent which meant we had no choice but to succeed.
That month we sold just enough memberships to pay the rent and we grow exponentially from there. Learning, failing, learning again.
We’ve been impressed with MNLY LLC, but for folks who might not be as familiar, what can you share with them about what you do and what sets you apart from others?
MNLY was built out of the notion that men don’t know what they don’t know.
Meaning if you don’t understand how your brain works or you don’t understand how your energy works and how that correlates to your productivity, your health and happiness then you’re not going to necessarily know how to improve it for optimal performance in everyday life.
MNLY connects the modern man with the tools and resources to improve their personal and professional performance, introducing our subscribers to solutions in the marketplace they don’t necessarily know are available to them.
We are the ONLY subscription box on the market that personalizes quarterly box with products that help improve:
- Sleep
- Stress management
- Hormone management
- Productivity tools
- Energy
- Focus
- Tech
- Muscle development
- Recovery
We do the research so that absolutely every product that goes into our boxes gets the MNLY stamp of approval so our consumers know when their box is delivered, there’s nothing but quality inside.
We are a community-driven brand, we are building a platform where men can grow, connect and collaborate through the MNLY brand.
Our product partnerships are based on two key factors: Quality and brand mission alignment.