Today we’d like to introduce you to Michelle Lindner.
Hi Michelle, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
I moved to Los Angeles in 2000 and started my business in 2002 with my now husband (Brennan Lindner). At the time, I was Marketing Director of a leading architecture firm and I was participating in about four to five triathlons a year. It was a time of tremendous ambition for me, full of social activities, training, work and travel. Triathlon was booming in the early 2000’s and there was a huge community in Los Angeles much like the running boom Millennials and Gen Z are participating in today.
We decided to channel our energy and create a swim and run series at Dockweiller Beach. Our intention was to see if we could pull it off and have fun. No-one was more surprised than me when we received a permit from the city to produce a 500 meter swim and 5k run. I put my marketing skills to good use and created a proposal to get the permit. To this today I still love creating presentations, marketing materials, logos- basically, brand development. I enjoy tapping into my creativity and organizing a consistent message in one package. There were 27 people at the first event and we were thrilled.
Three years later, the swim and run series known as Playa del Run had blossomed to a ten week summer series averaging about 200 people per event. We added the XTERRA Trail Run Series and the Santa Monica 5000 that is known today as the Santa Monica Classic (now managed by the McCourt Foundation). Brennan and I married.
Ten years later, we added two kids to our family and bought a house in Venice Beach. We also added Turkey Trot Los Angeles and Los Muertos 5k (Day of the Dead 5k). We no longer produce events for just 27 people. The Turkey Trot Los Angeles brings in 7000 participants and we raised $100,000 for The Midnight Mission in 2024.
I also started a program on the Santa Monica Pier formerly known as ROGA (Run+Yoga) about twelve years ago. The classes offered were free to the public and one of the first free community classes offered in Los Angeles on a consistent basis. Today, the program continues as Wellness & Waves and has grown to offer classes from April through October and includes a variety of mat classes like pilates.
Today, we focus on bringing community together at all of our events. In particular, I work with a non-profit for each of our events and create fundraising programs strategies. I also work with partners to create unique activations and integrate the non-profit in such endeavors. For example, for Turkey Trot Los Angeles part of the sponsorship dollars we receive go directly to the event’s non-profit partner which is unique to our industry. I promote integration of our marketing efforts between the non-profit, sponsor and event along with creating unique activations to help fundraise and bring the community together.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
While we have had consistent growth, albeit small growth at times, it has not been a smooth road. Challenges we have faced to list a few:
– The overall nature of race production has inherent unavoidable challenges. The first, is the cost of events are extremely high especially when closing roads. Most people are unaware that the event pays for the police that day, road closure set up, and any street parking that is not used due to road closures to mention a few of the line items.
– You have to fully commit to producing a large event, all the while participants wait until the last minute to register bringing in the bulk of revenue. An event may not reach profit until just a handful of days before the race. The return can be rewarding and a financial loss can be devastating. Weather can severely impact certain events. One year we had torrential rain on event day and missed $75,000 in unrealized revenue.
– Managing inventory is also a challenge. Finisher medals and T-shirts must be ordered weeks if not months in advance and there are only so many formulas and projection spreadsheets that may get the quantity just right.
– Lastly, COVID was terrible. Mass population events were the LAST to come back to work. Plus, Los Angeles was incredibly conservative about opening businesses and events back up. We truly got hit the hardest in every way. Our business was closed, we had two children that were ‘zoom’ schooled for over a year, and as I mentioned we live in a place that was very conservative regarding pandemic protocol.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
What we really do is bring community together. We’ve been producing road running events from 5k events to half marathons, triathlons and lifestyle events like Wellness & Waves and Pier 360 on the Santa Monica Pier. We are a husband and wife team that has been working together for over twenty years.
I mostly manage the marketing, social strategy, corporate relations and good ole business management that. you don’t really see. Being a small company, I have become savvy with many parts of the business.
A few years ago, I decided that I really wanted our events to be associated with local non-profits. We started really focusing on our Turkey Trot in downtown Los Angeles with a non-profit called The Midnight Mission. It took a few years but we now raise about $100,000 every year. We have a unique strategy unlike other races in that we do our best to get our sponsors involved with the non-profit. For example, UAE USA United is the Presenting Sponsor of Turkey Trot Los Angeles and they not only sponsor the Turkey Trot but they give a sizable donation to The Midnight Mission which really helps reach that $100,000 goal. It’s quite an accomplishment and one that wouldn’t have happened without our efforts which makes me very happy. It’s a work in progress but I do my best to find ways to give back to our communities using our events as a fundraising vehicle.
Currently, we are producing the Inaugural Venice Beach Half Marathon which is special to us since we have lived in Venice Beach for almost twenty years. The event is set up to raise funds for all the local schools in Venice Beach and Mar Vista. We are also involving the merchants on Abbot Kinney by promoting their business with special offers to participants race weekend. It’s not just about a race, it’s about the community and impact left after an event.
Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I have truly seen the industry change over the last twenty years and the drivers that change this industry are always the younger generation. That said, Gen Z is the driver right now and they are truly finding in person connections at local run clubs. The clubs right now are doing a great job creating brand activations during their weekly runs and cultivating community when everyone desperately needs that kind of connection. It’s wonderful to see happening. That said, I do think this will impact paid race events. Gen Z will continue to seek events that have more to offer than just running. Events will need to evolve with these demands and find ways to enhance their experience with add ons like live music or popular DJ, VIP parties, and a good build up of activities prior to the race.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://genericevents.com
- Instagram: @genericevents @vbhalfmarathon. @turkeytrotla @losmuertos5k @michellelauralindner
