CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Willie Fortune, co-owner of Jabs Gym, teaches a class. Tessler trains. Clients can rent gloves. Images of inspirations and icons line a wall of the gym.
in Birmingham, our location is in a con-
verted warehouse, so it has the feeling of a
true boxing gym.”
The partners found a space in Eastern
Market, a mile north of Downtown. “We
loved the energy in Eastern Market — it
was constantly bustling with people,”
Tessler says. “Our space is on the third
floor in a converted loft, so there’s exposed
brick and concrete with an amazing view
of the whole city, but you also can see
what’s going on in Eastern Market. It cre-
ated this cool idea of being in a classroom
hitting a punching bag and being sur-
rounded by the city.
“We wanted Jabs to be a part of the
rebuilding of Detroit,” Tessler says. “I own
land in Detroit and am focused on doing
as much business as I can in Detroit — I’m
really excited for the city’s future.”
Tessler, who had his bar mitzvah at
Temple Emanu-El in Oak Park, began
showing a strong interest in business
opportunities while still in high school.
“A buddy of mine was Irish, and his dad
would go to Ireland and bring back Red
Bull before anybody around here knew
what Red Bull was,” Tessler recalls. “He
said we should try it, and we really liked it.
“We wrote a letter to Red Bull — the
company was in Austria at the time —
and asked where we could get this in
Michigan. We got a letter back saying they
were not in Michigan yet; they were look-
ing for a distributor in the state and asked
if we would be interested.”
Not revealing they were 16, the friends
went to the library, found out about dis-
tribution and wrote a business plan. There
was a series of contacts with the beverage
maker over time, and the two were hired
to set up events and develop the drink’s
presence in Michigan after they graduated
from high school.
Tessler’s attention to marketing contin-
ued, and he established his own firm, Rain
Marketing. He did work for automotive
companies and arranged online gift and
incentive programs for some 150 casinos
across the country.
“The marketing company is day-to-day,
and the gym is a passion project,” says
Tessler, who refurbished a warehouse to
launch the Birmingham facility.
“In Birmingham, we have a regulation-
size boxing ring, a weight room and a
personal training area with treadmills and
ellipticals. There is a fitness room, chang-
ing area and showers.
“Downtown is a smaller space with a
full classroom and personal training area,
but we don’t have an actual boxing ring.”
Tessler teaches yoga in Birmingham,
where the gym is connected to his office
space.
“In 2014, I started an equity crowd-
funding portal, Michigan Funders,” Tessler
explains about another enterprise. “In
2013, Michigan passed a law that allowed
raising business money through Michigan
residents at any income level.
“We launched a website to facilitate
this, and our largest fundraising has been
for the Detroit City Football Club, which
opened a new stadium in Hamtramck
after raising funds from more than 500
people.”
Robert Tessler, who has worked in real
estate, has been his son’s inspiration in
many ways. Dad introduced boxing as the
two often watched matches together.
“My wife, Meagan, and I met at a yoga
teacher training,” Tessler says. “She doesn’t
teach but wanted to try. We met in 2008,
and she managed the gym for about a
year.”
The couple’s family time is devoted to
their 6-month-old daughter, Harper.
“I love to cook,” Tessler says. “Ninety
percent of my food is the result of being
health-conscious, but we like to make
potato pancakes for breakfast.”
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July 14 • 2016
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