Rumble Boxing is a nationally recognized boutique fitness boxing studio franchise that is rapidly growing throughout the country, with 25 open locations and more than 250 licenses awarded.
Rumble Boxing delivers 45-minute, 10-round strength and conditioning group workouts crafted around teardrop-style aqua boxing bags and high-intensity strength training circuits. Rumble workouts are known for their electrifying class experience: heart-pumping music, authentic HIIT (High-Intensity Interval Training), metabolic conditioning (MetCon), and the benefits of cardio in one seamless class delivered by part trainers and emcee-motivational speakers.
Founded in 2017 in New York City, Rumble Boxing began franchising in 2021 and is now part of the Xponential Brand portfolio, which features a number of well-known fitness brands such as BFT, CycleBar, and Pure Barre.
Rachelle Dejean, 31, is Rumble’s Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). Growing up, Dejean participated in countless sports, including at the collegiate level, gaining a strong level of physical and mental toughness. Being a successful athlete helped her excel and continue to grow as a leader within her professional career in fitness franchising. Prior to earning the CMO role of Rumble Boxing, Dejean was the Director of Marketing for Club Pilates, helping grow the brand from 250 locations to over 650 locations in North America and beyond.
How has Rumble Boxing become so well-known and successful so fast?
When the brand concept was conceived, no fitness boutique had really taken group fitness and added a hospitality component to it. Mix in entertainment and the excitement with the ability to hit something and a huge nod to sneaker culture — and Rumble was born.
We stood firmly in storytelling and cutting the B.S. and fluff that customers have become numb to from other brands solely focused on sales and promotions. Take that no-frills attitude and sync it with custom playlists and specially curated programming (half boxing, half strength, and switching between rounds), and the members come.
Now that we’re expanding beyond the urban, densely populated markets where you’d typically find models and celebrities, we’re making sure the programming and atmosphere are the same. We’re sticking with who we are and what we know.
As a black female, how does your identity impact your decision-making when it comes to representing a brand? Why is it important to have this type of representation in the C-suite?
In my personal experience, I ask myself “Do I or can I see myself in this [insert placement/product concept or brand name] here?” and “Can XYZ see themselves here?” probably more than most, so it impacts my decision-making greatly when it comes to considering campaign look-feel and ultimately, the output. Not only that, but Rumble was also rooted in hip-hop culture and Black icons — if we didn’t talk about what our brand vibe is, we’d be doing our community a disservice for two main reasons: 1) that’s what members have bought into and appreciate in our brand culture and ethos, 2) our members and customers literally represent all walks of life.
It’s important to have different backgrounds, experiences, and cultures present so we can continue this perspective.
What makes Rumble Boxing a great investment option for BIPOC entrepreneurs considering purchasing a business?
Beyond the investment opportunities and the extensive support that the Rumble Boxing Corporate Team provides all franchise owners, you truly are creating a community and environment at every studio that’s really special. You can get a great workout anywhere, but not many workout concepts or gyms offer the curated programming and cathartic (boxing) experience that Rumble does, paired with daily genuine connections in-studio and shared community moments like being greeted by a local artist’s work celebrating the unapologetic image of Prince, the genius of Tupac, and the culture of Biggie Smalls or Dolly Parton.
Why should potential owners consider Rumble Boxing over some of the other boxing fitness brands?
Given I spent three and a half years scaling Club Pilates from 250 studios to 600 plus studios before joining the Rumble team, I have been part of the Xponential family for several years and know the level of support and expertise franchise owners receive — the support culture and the ability to grow brands at scale while maintaining the core “vibe” is what sets us apart from other boxing fitness brands. Leading the Rumble marketing initiatives has brought me “home” to my athletic roots being a former D-1 athlete in two sports at the collegiate level; the high-intensity programming and strength and conditioning workout that’s actually fun is exactly what I grew up doing and that fires me up every day to lead Rumble’s marketing department.
Rumble is a workout for all fitness levels and gives all rumblers a chance to learn a new skill but it’s also the lights, curated playlists, the energy, and vibe the trainer brings, the premium experience of the equipment, and the way the programming is executed; Andy Stern, our vice president of Education and Programming is a mastermind. Switching sides of the room during specific rounds brings the class to a climax in the subtlest ways that keep you going for all 10 (rounds). Our equipment and programming execution are found nowhere else and the loyalty from our membership base speaks to that — every day they come together to hone in on a new skill and fight together. I am stoked to be able to support our franchise partners in bringing that to life.