Some businesses are born in boardrooms. Old School Energy was born in gyms. When David Poole & Marc Fabiani joined Sean Kelly on the Digital Social Hour, they brought the story of two fitness industry veterans who turned firsthand knowledge of what athletes and gym-goers actually need into the foundation of an energy drink brand built on clean ingredients and real community.
The conversation goes well beyond product talk. David and Marc trace the arc from running gyms to launching a consumer brand in a market dominated by giants like Red Bull and Monster — a journey that required them to think differently about storytelling, distribution, influencer relationships, and what it means to build something that gym culture would actually embrace.
About David Poole & Marc Fabiani
David Poole and Marc Fabiani are the co-founders of Old School Energy, an energy drink brand that grew out of their years of experience as gym owners and fitness industry operators. Their background gave them an unusually clear view of what the market was missing: a product built on ingredient quality and authenticity rather than artificial stimulation and aggressive marketing noise.
The two bring complementary perspectives to everything they build — the day-to-day operational discipline of running physical fitness businesses combined with a genuine passion for the culture that gyms create. Their approach to brand-building leans heavily on community, athletes, and influencers who share their values rather than chasing reach for its own sake. Old School Energy reflects both the name and the ethos: substance over spectacle.
What David Poole & Marc Fabiani and Sean Kelly Talked About
- How David and Marc's gym ownership experience informed every major decision in launching Old School Energy
- Why ingredient quality became the brand's non-negotiable foundation in a market full of shortcuts
- The strategy behind partnering with athletes and influencers who authentically share the brand's fitness values
- What competing against Red Bull and Monster taught them about finding a distinct market position
- How gym culture creates the kind of community loyalty that traditional marketing struggles to replicate
- The role social media played in helping a startup brand punch above its weight against established competitors
- What it takes to scale a consumer product nationally from a regional fitness-community foundation
- The entrepreneurial mindset shifts required when moving from service businesses to product businesses
Why This Conversation Matters
David Poole and Marc Fabiani's Digital Social Hour conversation with Sean Kelly is a practical and energizing look at what entrepreneurship looks like when it is grounded in genuine expertise. Their story is not about overnight success — it is about applying years of industry knowledge to a well-defined problem, building a brand that a real community actually wants, and doing the unglamorous work that turns a good idea into a growing business.
▶ Watch the full episode on YouTube
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About Sean Kelly & the Digital Social Hour
Sean Kelly is an entrepreneur and the host of the Digital Social Hour, one of the fastest-growing interview podcasts in the world, where he sits down with entrepreneurs, athletes, creators, and cultural voices for candid, long-form conversations. The show draws over 100 million views a month across platforms. Explore more guest features on SeanKelly.io.
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