Flexing in the fitness lane

Mark Fawzy and Tyrone Lasarow are disrupting the training scene with the Flexi app. Here, they talk about their entrepreneurial journey, partnership and the future of fitness

- Thobeka Phanyeko

GQ: As a co-owner of Thirst Bar Services and co-founder of the Flexi app, to what do you attribute your success?

Tyrone Lasarow: Perseverance, hard work, goal-setting, and having two great partners with whom I can share ideas, brainstorm and problem solve. Thirst, based in Cape Town, has been growing steadily since its inception 10 years ago. We’ve chosen an incredible team to drive our business, who believe in the company’s values and vision.

GQ: What’s your approach to entrepreneurship?

TL: Finding something that doesn’t work and fixing it. I always start by asking why? Why am I building this business or product, and why should customers and consumers trust it? The answer to which I combine with my business values – make sure you believe and live by your values. We started Flexi because we needed something to help us. I used to have to take out multiple contracts per month to enjoy different types of sport, which wasn’t sustainable. The solution? The Flexi app allows you to do all the sports you enjoy under one contract, pay for sessions and earn cashback while you train.

GQ: Describe your working relationship with Mark.

TL: Mark and I are not only great friends; we’re each other’s motivation and psychologists. We start every day by asking each other how we’re doing, whether our kids slept well the night before, how our wives are coping – and only after that do we talk business. I think we’ve both realised family and health come first, and if those are successful, our business will follow suit.