Q&A: Equinox’s Chairman on Growing The Brand (and me)
Harvey Spevak on mid-meeting IV drips, becoming a guinea for longevity, turning fitness into lifestyle, and building a legacy that matters.
Harvey Spevak has a reputation for being tough.**
I was about to leave my comfortable finance job for him - a massive risk, a total pivot away from Wall Street. So during my interview, I asked him point-blank: why should I work for you?
His response: “If you’re good and you survive, I’ll mentor you.”
I survived. He mentored me. The rest is history.
Harvey likes to joke he taught me everything I know, and in every joke there is some truth. The man who turned a gym into a lifestyle brand, who made fitness aspirational before anyone knew they wanted that and who bled fashion into fitness through his legendarily provocative ad campaigns. For six years I got a front-row seat to how he thinks, operates, and builds.
So here’s a glimpse into his world - the same one I was exposed to day in, day out. Does he take peptides? What’s his legacy? Why does he still do IV drips in 15 minutes flat? Read below.
And if there are questions you want to ask him, drop them in the comments. I can’t promise he’ll answer them all, but I promise I’ll ask ;)
** Disclaimer: He also has a soft side (see adorable pup Louie below). I’ve had the privilege to see both sides throughout the years. It is what makes him a dynamic and special leader!
March 2019 touring (the construction site of) Equinox Hotel / HQ for the first time!
Julia: As the man at the helm of creating Equinox, what makes it special?
Harvey: It’s the unique experience driven by our people. They’re the heart of our brand. But it’s also how we design our clubs, how we program them. And then the community we’ve built as a result - we inspire people to live a high performance lifestyle.
J: Equinox is known to push the boundaries with its campaigns. What’s been your favorite, or most controversial?
H: We definitely have a lot of controversial ones that I love - ”Equinox Made Me Do It,” “Commit to Something.” But my favorite, and also the most controversial, was what we did in 2003 with David Lipman. We created what I believe is one of the best taglines of any brand: “It’s not fitness, it’s life.”
That tagline is more relevant today than it’s ever been. But what made it controversial was how we shot the campaign - in a very provocative, sensual, some might have said sexual way. We definitely got some pretty intense feedback that we were living on the edge. But it was all done really well by Steven Klein as the photographer.
J: Any regrets? Would you do it again?
H: Oh, absolutely!
I told you his ads were provocative :)
J: Let’s talk longevity - it’s become such a buzzword. What’s your take?
H: I think it’s all about energy and vitality more than anything. Everyone talks about healthspan versus lifespan, but healthspan really comes down to energy and vitality.
At Equinox, we define high performance lifestyle with an acronym called MNRC: Movement, Nourishment, Recovery, and Community. That’s the lifestyle I personally embrace, and I think a lot of our members embrace. When you do that, it leads to the energy and vitality you want, whether you’re young or older.
Can you complement that with vitamins, supplements, biohacking? Absolutely. But at the core you need MNRC.
Peak COVID era: the office roster was down to three: Harvey, his Frenchie (Louie), and me.
J: Speaking of supplements and biohacking - peptides, plasma therapies - it’s a Wild West out there. What’s your view?
H: As you know, I’ve become a human guinea pig, trying a lot of things. But I’m pretty focused on safe and effective. A lot of things out there are fraudulent. There’s no science behind them. And even those that might have science, the research isn’t there yet.
Some people are willing to take risks with whatever the latest thing is. And every day there’s another thing. Peptides have been around for a very long time and I think they’re here to stay. But it’s going to take time to figure out what really is a difference maker and what’s just hype.
J: What’s your personal routine? Give us the basics and the extras!
H: I’m very disciplined. I eat clean. I work out religiously: strength training three times a week with Hicham, my trainer who’s been with me for 20 years. Then I do cardio six times a week, mostly sprints, though I’ve backed off a little because it’s a lot of impact on the body.
I work with Dr. Morrison on my biomarkers - been doing blood work for almost 20 years now to inform my eating and my vitamins plan. My plan’s been pretty consistent, about 80% the same. He’ll tweak things based on what he’s seeing in my results.
The supplements I take are pretty benign versus the more progressive stuff. But I do believe in IV drips and I do one every two weeks at the hotel.
J: You’ve been doing IV drips for years, right? Even before they were popular?
H: I used to do my IV drips at my desk.
J: I’ve Seen Them In meetings too…
H: Internal meetings only! Then I thought it got kind of weird. Now I do it at our Equinox Hotel. I take the biggest safe needle they have and open it up so what takes 40 minutes I can do in 15 to 20 minutes.
LEFT: Sometime in the summer of 2020 when the world was collapsing and we decided to set the SoulCycle outdoor tents in Hamptons | RIGHT: Me getting the exact large needle I copied from Harvey to squeeze in a quick IV in between meetings.
J: Last question: 20 years from now, what’s Harvey Spevak’s biggest legacy?
H: That’s a great question… I hope that when people look back, they see that I created this unique, phenomenal brand called Equinox that impacted the lives of hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of people - both our members and employees - and inspired them to maximize the potential within themselves.
Talk about an absolute trailblazer! Such a great read!
This was so fun to read! Great questions. Julia what are some of your biggest takeaways from your time at Equinox? What are you taking with you into your next endeavor?