#075 - Brian Lyons was a longtime employee of Transports, Oakland’s beloved independent running and swimming specialty store located in Rockridge. When the owner wanted to retire, there was no buyer and the store was in danger of closing. Brian stepped up, cobbling together the required investment from personal savings plus friends and family to buy the store.

What started as a part-time job for Brian evolved into a life-changing opportunity to carry on the legacy of a community staple. Brian gets real about the pressure, the hustle, and the heart it took to save the store from closure, survive a rocky first year, and build a customer-first culture rooted in knowledge, service, and movement. This episode is a deep dive into local entrepreneurship, resilience, and the human side of business ownership.

Transports is a locally owned and operated specialty store in Rockridge focused on fitting customers with high-quality running and swimming gear through exceptional customer service and expert product knowledge. What sets the store apart is the hands-on, personalized approach—each staff member is an athlete in their own right and is trained to guide customers through gait analysis, proper fitting, and gear selection with care and integrity.

“It’s not a store where you have to go find some guy… someone’s gonna approach you, ask you questions, but they’re also gonna listen to you.”

Be sure to stick around until the end to hear Brian discuss what it means to trust your gut, even when the stakes are high.