Tracy Anderson's 'Method' Metamorphoses into the Food Industry
What is the first question fitness trainer Tracy Anderson always gets asked:
“They come in and say how can I look like Jennifer Lopez or Gwyneth Paltrow?”
Anderson, who has been a pioneer in the fitness industry for over 16 years says she could care less that she trains celebrities.
“I took myself off from being “for hire” for any celebrity years and years ago. I’m not even for hire. Yes, I work with Jennifer Lopez because I want to.”
If you don’t know her or her work, you should. She’s built a massive health and wellness empire called “Tracy Anderson.” Her brand is very popular among celebrities and her high-end fitness studios span from New York to California to London. Memberships for her Manhattan based studio runs about $900 dollars a month--yes, a month with a $1,500 registration fee.
“I think people who aspire to be celebrity trainers and try to create this thing that Gwyneth and I made very popular is really disturbing. “Like, oh you’re a celebrity and now I’m going to be your expert and we’re going to make a billion dollars. Our story was nothing like that.”
Anderson, who started her career as an aspiring ballerina says her company was built not by celebrities but from her life’s work that she did before she started training them.
“I know my expertise. I really took the time to become an expert and I’m a special expert because I built out and pioneered a whole new space of fitness. I didn’t just put moves together and say oh this is an "aspirational" fitness method. I did research. I held trials. I climbed a serious mountain. I’ve created the largest bank of fitness content ever created to keep the mind and body connected.”
Anderson’s most famous exercise program is the “Tracy Anderson Method,” which focuses on the accessory muscles, which are the smaller muscles that are used to pull in the larger muscle groups. She’s also created a massive DVD and video streaming service called Metamorphosis. And this on top of her books, fitness apparel line, workout equipment, and nutritional supplement brands. So, what’s next for this fitness maven?
Tapping Into the Food Industry
“Well, I just launched a brand called “3 Green Hearts” with my partner Maria Baum and Gwyneth. We’re all super passionate about organic and making organic foods and products more available to women.”
The thing that disheartens her the most is seeing the hype around the popular “juice cleanses.”
“It’s really toxic. It’s got too much sugar in it. It’s not healthy for your metabolic system. It’s disturbing to me that girls and women will juice cleanse one week to feel beautiful for a week. It then creates a real unhealthy pattern with their relationship with food.”
Anderson and her other two “Green Hearts”—Paltrow and Baum, who is the new CEO at Tracy Anderson, are looking to create a food and beverage meal service that is actually 100% organic. Prices range from $6.75 for sides to $11.50 - $15.25 for meals.
“It took a while to find the right partners to make sure that it is 100% organic, not 80%, not 98%. It has to be 100%. And, we’re still in the process of crafting those relationships to make it available and bigger than what it is now but right now we launched it at our new East Hampton location.”
Anderson says her company and team have bigger plans to expand to grocery stores soon.
But the thing with her and business is that she won’t compromise until she gets it right.
“I’ve had opportunities to grow bigger and faster in a lot of my lanes but for me I have to be authentic. This is why I have a lot of issues with celebrity endorsements because technically to endorse a hair color all you have to do is color four strands of your hair that color, but yet all these woman are like I want that person’s hair which is ridiculous. It really is.”
She says the same thing goes for the food industry. People often get confused by labels saying “all-natural”, “grass-fed”, and “cage-free” terms all the time. It’s all marketing she says.
“We are living in a world where it’s incredibly denatured and things that are denatured, denature us. I think that it’s really important that we learn. We need to slow ourselves down. You don’t need something that fast that you can’t get something whole and good.”
And this won’t be another vegan meal service line either. Anderson says she incorporates a lot of fish in her diet.
“We’re not all meant to be vegan. We’re all like snowflakes. Each of us is biologically different. There are so many different factors but I don’t think the entire world should become vegan."
Anderson says the new move isn’t a push to redefine her brand either.
“I am who I am. It’s all authentic. I’m not going to sit in a room and denature my own style and brand just to make money. It’s not going to happen. “
And lastly, her response to the number one question she’s asked:
“You shouldn’t want to look like someone else. People need to connect more to themselves and really try to figure out what is that they are really good at.”