Carve Your Path
Kenny Santucci Ep.11
Kenny Santucci walked into high school at 240 lbs. Today he's one of the most recognized names in New York City fitness: owner of The Strength Club NYC, founder of STRONG New York, the city's biggest fitness and wellness festival, and a former MTV reality TV star.On this episode of Carve Your Path, Kenny breaks down how he built a fitness business with no safety net, why he spends half a million dollars on one event and gives space away to his competitors, and exactly what he'd do if he had to break into the fitness industry from zero today.STRONG New York is Saturday, September 26, 2026 at Glasshouse NYC.Get tickets: https://strongnewyork.com/pricingIn this episode:- How a 13-year-old lost 20 lbs in a month and fell in love with the process- Why the real competition in fitness is the couch, not the gym down the street- Collaboration over scarcity: the Kith lesson and building STRONG New York- "Privilege in the struggle" and building your own safety net- The nursing home vs. the gym, and why Kenny wants to die strong- Kenny's start-over playbook: big box gym, scrub toilets, learn the craft- Owning your weaknesses like Mark Cuban and Michael Rubin- How Kenny builds a team that earns more by doing more- The next 10 years of STRONG, and a possible Miami expansionCHAPTERS0:00 Intro: Kenny's origin story0:33 From 240-lb kid to fitness2:00 Fighting father time after 353:41 Do what you'd do for free4:42 Why Kenny built STRONG New York5:45 No scarcity mentality: sending clients to competitors7:20 What Kith taught Kenny about collaboration9:07 Writing down his definition of success11:28 The $500K event and why he gives space away14:02 All of NYC fitness under one roof15:37 Treating trainers like rock stars16:43 Money as a tool to make people feel good18:30 What strength really means19:25 Privilege in the struggle: no safety net20:20 Why you pay for the culture in the room23:07 Nursing home or the gym: die strong25:37 Why people love to be lied to28:01 If Kenny started over in fitness today30:19 Sleeping on the floor to build a business31:46 Mark Cuban, Michael Rubin, and owning your weaknesses34:09 How Kenny builds a team36:39 The dog mentality39:10 Pressure is a privilege39:45 The next 10 years of STRONG (and Miami?)41:20 Wrap-upCONNECT WITH KENNY SANTUCCIWebsite: https://www.kenny-santucci.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/kennysantucci/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@kennysantucciYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKEiXU_67Fb31rg6v1cERQgX: https://x.com/KennySantucciShop: https://www.kenny-santucci.com/shopSTRONG NEW YORKEvent + tickets: https://strongnewyork.com/pricing- SAVE 20% with CODE: Zan20Website: https://strongnewyork.comX: https://x.com/strongnewyorkTHE STRENGTH CLUB NYCBook a class: https://thestrengthclubnyc.comInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/thestrengthclubnyc/CONNECT WITH ZAN CARVERInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/zancarver/Savage in a Suit: https://www.instagram.com/savageinasuitofficial/Subscribe for new episodes of Carve Your Path, where Zan interviews the entrepreneurs building something real.#KennySantucci #StrongNewYork #CarveYourPath #NYCFitness #FitnessEntrepreneur #FitnessBusiness #Entrepreneurship
