General 3 — Keiji Ando

Making the Most Exclusive Gym in NYC

2017 / PERFORMIX

For most people, workout supplements are just tools. You take ‘em, you get more out of your workout, that’s it. PERFORMIX wanted to elevate their brand beyond just their product, and so we developed PERFORMIX HOUSE, the experiential brand expression of what their products stand for: elite, high-performance in all things.

PERFORMIX HOUSE wasn’t just a gym, it was a place for the unapologetically elite to come together and focus their bodies. I helped develop the concept, look, feel, and overall experience.

Extreme Ownership

We based our concept off of one of the most aggressively elite voices in leadership: Lieutenant Commander Jocko Willink, former Navy SEAL and author of Extreme Ownership: How U.S. Navy Seals Lead and Win.

The concept of “extreme ownership” served as a dual-purpose carrot-AND-stick that would resonate with the world’s most high-performance people. It was both motivation and reward for those that sought control and discipline in everything they did.

Own Every Fucking Detail, Every Fucking Day

“Extreme Ownership” is not an overarching theory, it’s all-encompassing. Whether in business, life, or fitness, every single fucking detail counts when you’re trying to become great.

Oddly enough, we came to realize this through another elite performer: Jerry Seinfeld, who still writes every single day, no matter what. He believed that consistency was the key to success, and so everywhere in the PERFORMIX HOUSE you will find reminders that every detail matters, and consistent application of yourself is the key to success in all things.

Own Everything.

Own Everything became the mantra of PERFORMIX HOUSE. It served as a perfect mantra and warning sign. Those bothered by the concept need not apply. Those seeking the most elite level of responsibility and performance were the only ones who would be attracted to such an extreme ideal.

Only 13% of applicants were accepted into PERFORMIX HOUSE (less than Cornell University) causing Forbes’ to name it the most exclusive gym in the city.

Content Machine

PERFORMIX HOUSE wasn’t just exclusive with its clientelle, the trainers were hand selected from the best gyms around the city and given access to the house shooter, videographer, and editor to help promote their brands.

They were viewed as collaborators, not employees, and we treated the gym like it was also a content house—every inch was instagrammable, especially the elite features like the state-of-the-art sauna and cryotherapy chamber.