Meet Austin Cohen
Austin Cohen is a lifelong exercise enthusiast who saw that traditional fitness wasn't enough for the market. People need their health to be as customizable as their travel, food, fashion… So he built FlexIt Virtual Personal Training with Justin Turetsky to meet the need for flexible fitness Wherever, Whenever®.
Austin was previously part of the Founding Team at Wheels Up, where he was Chief of Staff and he is currently the Founder & CEO of FlexIt.
Austin is a Columbia University (BA) and Columbia Business School (MBA) graduate. Austin is on the board of the Columbia Business School Eugene Lang Entrepreneurship Center, and he is a regular guestlecturer and entrepreneurship advisor at the school. Austin is an avid sneaker collector.
What does joy mean to you?
Joy means being able to work hard at what you love. For me that means working every day to bring more people to their fittest self! Even on the busiest days I know I'm working to help people feel better, mentally and physically, and that fuels me every day! There is nothing more rewarding for us than the user stories and testimonials that we receive about how we have changed individuals’ lives. On a more personal level, family is a huge source of joy for me - my siblings, parents, and I are all very close.
What are some of the small things you celebrate?
I am a huge New York sports fan, and enjoy the simple things like a good double espresso, new foods, time with friends, morning workouts, and unexpected New York-small world moments.
Tell us about a really special time in your life, and why you treasure it.
For me, the last 3.75 years have been some of the most special in my life. There is a way for work to not feel like it is work, and that is how I feel about life since starting FlexIt back in March of 2018. The intertwinedness of my personal passion for fitness, working side by side with my college friend and now business partner Justin Turetsky, spending time with industry friends, and helping people to live healthier, better lives is, simply put, special to me. The confluence of so many important things makes this time period - which is continuing with great excitement - some of the most treasured!
We all have trying moments. What is something positive you did or chose to focus on to keep you moving forward?
Last year was particularly challenging for us because our business relied on in-person fitness experiences… What allowed us to not just survive, but to thrive, was remaining focused on our core mission, which was to give people access to the resources to feel better and live healthier. Keeping focused on how our work helped others, rather than just on the struggles facing ourselves, didn't just move us forward, but moved us up, down, sideways, and in so many new directions!
Tell us about someone who's been a positive influence
in your life.
My longtime business partner, COO, and good friend Justin Turetsky has had a huge influence on my life. It's only because of our trips to the gym that we saw the need for something like FlexIt, so in many ways our relationship is responsible for this next chapter in our professional lives.
And we have to ask: what is your go-to Terez print?
Favorite Terez piece is the New Yorker Black BundleUp Fleece Pullover.
Shop this itemLast but not least: what's your favorite cake flavor?
Why pick one, when you can have multiple!
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