02x03 - IPO or No?

[bunniefuu]

[upbeat saxophone music]

- Chef!

You got all dolled up.

Sorry, my mother wants
to see her husband.

- The love of my life.
How are you?

- Wow. He's a gigolo, Mama.

- Well, you need me there
to take care of you.

I can make you
some of my special serum...

- Aw.
- To whip you back into shape.

- [indistinct]
- Yeah.

- It's called Viagr-y stew.
[laughter]

- We'll be out there
to see you soon.

I love you.
- Oh, I hope so.

- I love you, Mama.

- I love you too, honey.
- Aw.

- [smooches]

- Dad?
Keep it in your pants, Dad.

[spray can clicking]

[paint can hissing]

[upbeat hip-hop music]

♪ ♪

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- 50 seconds!



- Hi. We are back
at the F45 Studios.

I don't know
why you're not here.

Come look at this class.

I am personally
one of the trainers today.

I'm gonna be training
Ace and Chef.

I gotta give them the hard--
the hard, hard workouts

But you guys need to be here.
Right now at F45.

Let's go.
Team training, life-changing.

We're taking our...

We're taking it back.
I didn't want to swear.

I'm not gonna swear.
F-f*ck that!

Let's go. We're going back.

All the way down.
Back down, holding that gut.

Deep, deep, deep. C'mon, Ace.

Yeah! Again.

When the pandemic hit,
you know,


in 50 countries

all kind of shut down
at the same time.

But now people feel
really comfortable

returning to the studios.
We're finally saying,

"You know what?
Enough is enough.

We're all gonna start
working out together."

Team training
is life-changing.

The best way to get in shape
is to work out together--

to be next to somebody,
motivating somebody,

having somebody motivate you.

Ten seconds more.

Yes. Yes. Yes!

all: F45!

- Say it.
- Whoo!

[applause]

[tense music]

♪ ♪

- I mean, we had so much
great momentum pre-COVID.

I mean, business was...
- Yeah.

- On fire, you know?
- Yeah, yeah.

- I mean, we're selling,
you know,



- Mark does have a thirst

for being a public company,

because you're
no longer dependent

on private investors.

You suddenly have access
to public investors

that are constantly investing,
reinvesting.

So there's forces
outside of our control

that are causing volatility
in the public markets.

The market's got
a very strong appetite

for a-a fitness concept
going public.

But COVID is still
a big risk factor, right?

- Mike Raymond and I,

we met
through a mutual friend.

Super-smart guy.

He and I sit
on the board together at F45.

Really, really knowledgeable,
especially in the IPO space

and taking companies public.

- That's the big question,
Mark, in terms

of how the market
is gonna price in

COVID's impact on the business.

- There's all kinds
of companies

that never should have gone
public.

You only want to be public

when you're really ready to be
on that center stage.

Going public too early
is going to sink your company.

- Mark, it could evaporate
with a few world events.

You just never know.

- There's so much volatility
in the marketplace,

but people have gone back
into gyms.

So I got to discover
whether going public

is the best opportunity
for the business right now.

- That's my personal view.
- Okay.

♪ ♪

[upbeat guitar music]

♪ ♪

I wasn't going to get involved
with the company

unless I saw everything
back of the house, you know?

I wanted to really understand
where the product was made,

how it was made,
all of those things.

So to really get behind it,

I wanted to feel comfortable
in every respect.

♪ ♪

[accordion music]

[indistinct chatter]

♪ ♪

- Mark's an incredible
marketing machine.

He knows how to market.

He knows how to get
to the consumer.

And one of the things
that we both liked

is Mark wanted to promote
the brand.

He wanted to promote
Abraham and myself.

He's like,
"I'm-I'm not a tequila guy."

He was like,
"I like you guys."

He doesn't get in business

with anyone
that he doesn't respect

and have the same values.

- In every tequila glass,

there are more than ten years
of hard work, magic,

traditions, and history.

- The most important thing,
obviously, is the product.

So having gone
to the distillery,

I really took my time
to make sure that I can see

the attention to detail

that goes into creating
the product.

He needs one more.
Poco. Grande.

Four generations
of family distilling tequila--

everything about it
was so impressive.

- Tequila for us
is the national drink.

The present of Mexico
to the world.

[singing in Spanish]

- I like Aron and Abe a lot,
but I also need

to get into the financials

and see if it makes sense

for me to be a part of it.

So that's important, you know?

- Cheers.
- Cheers.

[plane engine whistling]

[percussive music]

♪ ♪

- We have a Super Melt
and a regular melt.

We only really need one melt.

And a lot of times you have
a lot of bread left over.

Like, I was done
with the meat part

and I still had, like,
both sides of the bread

and all this here,
that if you spread it out,

it think that comes across
as better quality.

- John Fuller is our CEO.

He was the former CEO
of Johnny Rockets

and I think
Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf.

Once the pandemic happened
and, of course, we realized,

"Oh, my God, people are just
spending like drunken sailors,"

and "We need to really tighten
up the business

and operate very tight, lean,
efficient business"--

And so we brought John in.
He's got a lot

of international growth
experience,

operational experience.

- And one of the guys
that I had at Johnny Rockets

who had
all of Mexico's airports

under their control

from a food
and beverage standpoint

has reached out to us trying
to do some business together.

So they have control
of 20 different airports

throughout the country
of Mexico.

And so that could be, you know,

a huge opportunity there.

- Every business needs
to be able to pivot.

COVID came along
and you were screwed

if your business
is starting to fail.

That's when you bring in
all the knowledge,

all the firepower
that you can find.

- Have you connected
with the people at Hy-Vee yet?

- No, they were supposed
to do it this week

and they postponed
till next week.

Hy-Vee is one of those
huge supermarket chains

in the Midwest.

They expressed interest

in 26 stores in total,

of which 20 will be
in their locations,

in their--
within their supermarket.

- So, obviously,
the relationships with them

are very, very important,
as with all of our franchisees.

- Right.
- But those guys in particular,

they focus on so much growth.
- Right.

- Hy-Vee became
a Wahlburger franchisee.

And then they wanted to have
a more substantial relationship

as they saw the potential
for the business

and the partnership.

They're making
a big commitment

to expand their footprint
into opening, like,

200, 300 stores.

I mean, that could be


- Right. Exactly.
- I mean, they've got


If all goes well with Hy-Vee,

then right there alone,
there's a real number.

- We'll always say yes.
[chuckles]

♪ ♪

- We should now try to lean
into the podcast.

- But I think
if we're gonna take a swing,

it needs to be
kind of a homerun.

- We don't want
to just pump out stuff

that's been there, done that.

It just doesn't excite me.

It doesn't excite
the people that work here.

So we really want to create
fresh, innovative

concepts and programming
that we can take a chance on.

- Dr. V reached out to me

to talk
about a potential podcast.

Dr. Christopher Vincent is

Mark's go-to
sports medicine physician,

chiropractor,
jack of all trades.

- He's an interesting guy.
He was, like,

an Olympic athlete, I believe.
- He was.

With Dr. V's background
and his client list,

I have a feeling
that it would cut through.

He's worked
with David Beckham.

He's worked
with Chauncey Billups..

He's worked
with Reese Witherspoon.

- Now can we get those people
for the podcast?

- He says that we can.

- We could have Mark do, uh,

the first episode, I imagine,

and then kick it off
from there.

♪ ♪

[electronic music]

♪ ♪

- This is the--
- All right, reset.

[indistinct chatter]

- [chuckles]

- Going that way?
Blue team steals it,

makes a break for it.

He has to go chase
and that's what makes him fall.

- Oh, okay. Okay.
- Okay?

- This whole sequence is

a little--a little
intimidating.

I mean, it's a lot of, like,
really kinetic action.

And establishing character
through action,

like, it's a tall order.

- Here we go.

- All that goes into
portraying these characters

has gotten tougher.

The older you get,
the more problems you have.

And it's taken a toll
on my body for sure.

- Roll, please.
- Action, camera.

- Action!

- [indistinct]
- [grunts]

sh*t.
- Ooh. You all right?

- I ain't playing possum,
if that's what you're asking.

- Mm. Back to one.
- Cut.

- Ta-da. Reset.

- He needs to get him, like,
more up on his feet.

- Before they crumble?
- Before they just kind of,

like--like the knees
do some weird--

I had a-a very specific idea
of what I wanted

with the choreography.

You think nothing is wrong.

- Yeah, but I've still taken
a pretty decent fall.

So I'd...
- Yeah.

- Take a second to recover.

- But let him get you
all the way--

- Going again.
- Like, right--

I think it may have
surprised people.

I think I maybe earned
a little bit of

street cred.

- Here we go.

- All right, [indistinct].

- Okay, so right here--
- I'm used to being on set

in an actor
and producer capacity,

but now as a financier,

I also need to worry
about the budget.

It's my own money on the line,

which raises the stakes
even higher.

It's tough,
but hopefully it will work.

- Come on, man.
- Whoo!

- Got you.

- Whoo.
I got you. I got you.

- Oh, my God. [groans]
Wait, man.

- Hey, you all right, man?

both: Cut.

- Good?
- Yeah.

Yeah, yeah. It's good.

- All right, check the mat.
- Great job, guys.

Thank you all.
Great, great, great hustle.

Thank you all so much.

- It stuck--

[chuckling]
- "Did I break you?"

- [laughs]

[crickets chirping]

[mellow music]

♪ ♪

[cork pops]

- Can you believe
that four years ago

we were talking about
launching a tequila brand,

and here we are

talking of a partnership
with Mark Wahlberg?

With Mark wearing
the Flecha hat, and--

God's good, man. Yeah.

- We'll see how things go.

[dramatic music]

- I'm excited.
You are concerned.

- I'm excited.
- I'm excited, you're not.

- Listen, there's just
business reality issues

with the tequila market.
Everybody's chasing it.

You know, do we have
enough horsepower

to cut through the clutter
and make it happen?

My hesitations
with Flecha Azul is,

you know, they're very small.

You know, really just
distributing in Texas

and on golf courses.

It's not like jumping
into somebody

who owns
a big percentage of the space.

So there's a lot
of heavy-lifting to be done

to really build this brand.

- It would take us 20 years
to get the exposure

if we did it on our own.
- Yeah.

- And Mark's reach is
so strong,

he can do that immediately.

♪ ♪

- You know,
the reality of it

is that we have no controls.
We don't have board seats.

We don't have controls
of the operations.

I don't know
what people are getting paid.

I don't know what kind
of overhead they have.

There's always a problem.

- Tom's somebody that I always
bounce things off of.

Sometimes we have a tendency
to disagree.

But he's a very smart guy.

I don't think
he's as bullish,

because there is
no easy opportunity.

I think people are saying,

"Okay, here's a great way
to build the business,

make a lot of money
in a short amount of time."

But I haven't found
one that's easy.

We're not saying, "Oh,
I'm starting my own tequila.

We're now experts
in the space."

No. We want to help them
and support them.

And they thought it would be
valuable to bring me on

as a strategic partner.

- The thing about being
a celebrity in that business,

you're gonna get
the benefit of the doubt

and people are gonna sample you
to start.

The hard part
is sustaining that.

- It's gonna be
great to see it, man.

It's almost--I can't wait
to out to my favorite places

and be able to see Flecha.
- Yeah.

I mean, we have sacrifices
that we--that we do,

at this time, and I feel like,
just down the line,

they're gonna pay off.

- A number of things
could go wrong.

That being said,

I really like
what they've created.

We're betting on them.

- There's still, really,
a lot of work to be done.

[dramatic music]

♪ ♪

- What's up, Mike?
There you are.

- So, hey, um, had
a long conversation

with the guys in Australia
on the F45 IPO.

I've been over, you know,
all of the numbers.

- Mm-kay.
- And I'm pretty encouraged.

I think it's a good time
to go public.

And, uh, the market timing
seems, uh--seems right to me.

- There was a lot
of uncertainty

in the marketplace.

But it's a, you know,
very healthy business

and it's a fantastic product.

So we are gonna actually
go live and file for an IPO.

I'll let--
I'll let everybody know.

So the stakes
couldn't be higher

when it comes
to everything that we're doing.

It's all happening, you know?

All on black.

- Cool.
I'll talk to you soon.

♪ ♪

[tense music]

♪ ♪

- Hi.
- Hello.

- Do you want to sit down
and go over

what we're about to do?
- Yes.

- Okay.

♪ ♪

- Dr. V has worked
with a ton of athletes,

musicians, movie stars.

And so this podcast
is uniquely different

in that not only
are you gonna get

really interesting advice

about health, wellness,
and fitness,

but you're gonna get some

inside Hollywood
gossipy stuff.

And I think
that's a great combination.

- I'm gonna have you
read through your intro.

And once you hit, "Hi, Mark,"
we'll be done.

He's great when you talk to him
one-on-one.

He's personable. He's funny.

He's incredibly knowledgeable,

but that doesn't always
translate

to being a podcasting host.

While he is the go-to guy

if you want to get in shape
for your next action film,

does he actually know
how to host a podcast?

We're about to find out.

- I've worked
with famous athletes

like David Beckham
and Chauncey Billups,

and action heroes
like Mark Wahlberg.

- The first episode

Dr. V is gonna interview Mark.

And in future episodes,
Dr. V is gonna have

his other clients
that he's worked with

over the past several years
be guests.

- My first guest is viewed
as a pinnacle

of health and wellness.

He's known for those brutal
3:00 a.m. workouts.

Here's Mark Wahlberg.

[chuckles]
- What's up, Doctor?

- Hello.

- Aw, look at the face.
He's nervous already.

What the f*ck?
- [chuckles]

I wasn't nervous
until you walked in.

- Exact--
well, that's what happens.

You know, I'm never nervous
till the camera rolls, either.

- My first guest--
- What do you mean guest?

- Well, you're the first guest
on the show.

- I'm not the guest.
I'm the f*cking co-host.

- You can come on
whenever you want.

But if we have other guests
that you're not available

because of your busy schedule,
we, uh--we'll have to--

- f*ck a schedule,
m*therf*cker.

Let me tell you something
about a schedule.

- Normally
on these weekly shows,

there's, like, a different
person that would come on.

Or would you want to
also be actively

in those conversations
with that third person?

- I think I changed my mind.

I think before I did,
and now I don't want to.

- No, no, no.
I think it's a great idea

if we can do that.

- Well, we gotta--
first of all, we gotta get you

out of your shell.
I'm gonna make you--

- Well, that will come along.
- We have to be able

to figure out how we take
your know--vast knowledge--

to figure out
how you can articulate it

with a camera on you
and you don't freeze up.

So, that being said--
- So--

- And then, yes, we could do it
all the time.

We have a wonderful guest,
we could talk--

We could set up right here.
This travels

like the rest
of the traveling circus.

It's easy. Plug it in, Doc.
- Okay.

♪ ♪

- So the brand is
what walked them into the door.

- Right.
- So they got through the doors

because of the brand.
- The brand is humongous,

right? The awareness--
everything's there.

And we're this little,
small business.

JJ Smith, he's in charge
of all business development,

whether it's growing
our Wahlburgers at-home retail,

international--
he's our all-things-business.

The Hollywood Casino,

uh, Jim was pushing back
a little bit

that he didn't think
that was a--

you know,
wanted to wait a year.

I think that's a huge mistake,

'cause--
- It opens the doors...

- Exactly.
- For, you know--

We have that one success early,
and we can grow--

- Exactly. This is our chance.

We have
a tremendous opportunity

with the Hollywood Casino.

Any time we're in
a c*ptive space

like a casino,

we've always done
very, very well.

I think they had
a big company mentality

a little bit earlier,
but, you know,

we've right-sized them.

But I think the ability

for us to move really fast
is here,

if we can just get
our arms around it and do it.

And 'cause I think
we're way too slow.

- Just because we had
ten seasons

on a television series
doesn't mean

that we're, you know,
a $10 billion business.

We need to operate
like a small business.

We have to be nimble
and creative

and start moving
towards our goal, right,

which is opening


and getting back to being
a highly-profitable

successful business.

- We want to give Mark
confidence that we're on it.

- Exactly.
- So we just gotta go do it.

- Mark Wahlberg is viewed

as a pinnacle
of health and wellness.

He's definitely fit.

But is he fit and healthy
or simply fit?

- Dr. V, he knows the health
and wellness space quite well.

We're very similar in that
we want to kind of seek out

information and knowledge
in new and interesting ways,

to encourage people
and help people find

the tools and the skills
to things

that are going to help them.

- The first time I was

really on set with you
for a long time,

I remember being
in this enclosed tent.

And the aroma that was coming
from your body

was a little unbearable.

Your entourage were, um,
pleading with me

to help do something
about your intestines.

And that's where
we first started

talking about it.

It took two years--
- This could be a hit.

- Well, hold on,
it took two years

to actually do something. So--

- So I had already had
a bad stomach.

We were sh**ting
"Arthur the King."

First day, I tear my meniscus.

So then I was down
and depressed.

So after work,

I started drinking
a lot of beer.

[both chuckle]

My stomach is just
now terrible.

Then I got COVID.

I got COVID.

After the COVID,
I got bronchitis.

And then I got a stomach bug.

I got the stomach flu
on top of it.

The--the health issues
that I was having

on top of the pandemic...
- Yeah.

- And everything else--
all the uncertainty, all the--

I-I mean, I dealt
with a lot this year

and, I don't know,
it just hit me in a way

that was different--
that I hadn't dealt with.

So then I finally agreed
to do the fast,

and the cleanse, and the detox,

and all those things.

I feel like a new man.
- Yeah.

- [burps]
- Do you think it--

- [British accent]
Excuse me, Doctor, this is

from all the ingestibles
you've given me.

I've had many vitamins and--
- You've still got some

gaseous exchanges.
- No food for 19 hours,

and then I ingested
way too much at one time.

- You're getting good, Doctor.

- Talking about your mind.
- You're good.

Now we can--
see, we got him loose, now.

Let's start over.
Can we start over?

- [chuckles]

- We have
lots of laughs together.

You know, his philosophy
versus my philosophy,

and just how opposite we are.

But at the end of the day,
we're very similar

in that we want
to encourage people

and help people be
the healthiest, happiest

versions of themselves.

[British accent]
You're a natural, Doctor.

You're a natural.

We will need to see
some credentials

before any of this airs,
as we don't want any liability.

- [chuckles] Yeah.

[hip-hop music]

♪ ♪

- I'm just gonna blend
a little bit of that.

- Yeah. All right,
I'm about to get a paint job

by f*cking Earl Scheib.
- [groans]

- All right, we love you.

- Love you too, brother.
- All right.

- [indistinct]

- And my lines to him
were good there?

- Yeah, they were good.
- Sound speed.

- [grunts]
- Rolling! Rolling!

- Rolling!
Quiet all around, please.

- Set.

- Action.

- I never did like
these things.

Haven't done one
since your brother's funeral.

- God.
- Almost done, Mark.

We'll get it.
- That makes me happy.

- Yeah, almost there.

- Well, let me just tell you
that Howard's

one of the most
world-renowned makeup artists.

As long--along with Allan...
- [chuckles]

- Who really was, uh,
his mentor.

And they started a business.

- Picture's up.
- Here we go.

- Quiet please.
- Thank you.

- Close your eyes real quick.
[airbrush hissing]

[phone rings]
All right.

We're gonna make you
kind of sweaty

in the scene, too, Mark.
- Hmm?

[dramatic music]

- Should we--

Mark, you okay?

[dramatic music]

- You look great in there,
though.

- Yup.
- [grunts]

Where's Levy?
- He's [indistinct].

- Levy!
- Can I take that?

Here, do you want to hold it?

- He's right here.

- Mark.
- f*ck.

♪ ♪