Independence & Integrity

Around 2013, there was a company called Trainerpass that reached out to me. They were creating an online fitness streaming site and wanted to license my older workout videos and also wanted me to create new workout videos for them. There was a signing bonus, and a 50page contract, and I had to lawyer up. The parent company was CBS interactive, which is a huge corporation. During their sales pitch to me they mentioned a Super Bowl advertisement. In 2013, streaming was still a bit iffy but everyone was saying it was the “next big thing” so I naively and excitedly signed on. 

Things got off to a good start and the site was built and looked good. There were other fit pros featured on the site, some of them very well known, and I was elated to showcase my workouts beside theirs. A year in, without any notice, Trainerpass went dark. When I called the executive producer – who I had worked with previously on SELF magazine workouts –  he had just learned of the news himself. Emails flooded my inbox asking, “What’s going on?” Customers I referred over to the site were very inconvenienced, and the lack of notice coupled with the lack of communication was upsetting to thousands of people worldwide. It was awful.

I got my content back (thanks to my lawyer) and I learned a big lesson in corporate culture: WATCH OUT. Their best interest is sometimes only in their best interest. Yes, there are many corporations that are great and do great things, but there are many corporations that sell us out and don’t seem to care about people or the planet.

The Trainerpass debacle was a catalyst for ellenbarrett.com. Having control over my content – from naming it, to producing it, to distributing it – is so satisfying (and fun!).  I just want you and every other member of the Let’s Move! community to know, we’re a small, owner-operated business, and we intend to stay that way.