Why Did We Decide to Install a Gym in Our Offices?

From day one, sport has been part of DARE’s culture.

Not as a performance to showcase, but as a daily discipline that shapes our energy, our creativity, and the way we work together.

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Partly because our leadership team is completely hooked—Spartan Race, running, CrossFit, swimming—but also because sport is deeply connected to our vision of work: moving forward consistently, respecting the pace, enduring over time, and listening to your body.

Behind every company, there are dreams. At DARE, one of ours was to have a fully equipped gym inside our offices.

Sport as a mindset

We decided to build our company culture on sporting principles. We regularly use sports terminology, adopt communication dynamics similar to those of a sports team, and rely on the same values of discipline, cohesion, and consistency to move forward together over the long term.

Because we firmly believe that sport builds healthy minds. Physically, it brings longevity, balance, and well-being. But psychologically, it is just as powerful:

1. Sport creates inner proof
It anchors a powerful belief: “I can do difficult things.” Rep after rep, effort builds confidence—not based on others’ opinions or words, but on lived experience.

2. It builds tolerance to discomfort—not exhaustion
Sport teaches you to stay present through chosen, temporary effort while actively listening to signs of fatigue. This ability helps navigate moments of tension without normalizing burnout. The body becomes a tool you take care of.

3. It puts the mind back in its place
Sport quiets unnecessary noise and brings you back to the essentials: breathing, movement, the present moment. It’s a form of active meditation rooted in the now.

4. It teaches patience again
In a world obsessed with instant results, sport reminds us that progress is neither immediate nor linear. It teaches that growth is invisible before it is felt—a crucial lesson for entrepreneurship, creativity, and life in general.

The birth of a dream

When we signed the lease for our first office in the heart of Lausanne, we had access to a 10m² basement storage room. We remember it clearly. The first sentence we said when discovering the space was: “We could build a mini gym down here!”

Well… 10m² was far too small, the basement wasn’t heated, and we had equipment to store. Mission aborted.

But that was the exact moment the seed was planted at DARE: the day our financial resources and offices allowed it, we would build a gym.

That seed led us to introduce a first rule into our company culture: encouraging sport within our team. From that day on, we decided to offer a Let’s Go Fitness membership to every person who joins DARE.

From dream to reality

It took two office moves, difficult decisions, and a lot of patience before we found the right place. Not just a beautiful office—but a space capable of supporting how we work, think… and create together.

When we visited our new offices in 2025, one thing was clear: this time, the gym wouldn’t be an afterthought. It would be part of the project from the beginning.

Installing a gym in an office can easily look like a “cool startup” effect—a kind of baby-foot table on steroids to boost team happiness. At DARE, that’s not the case. This gym is neither an HR argument, nor a marketing perk, nor an Instagram backdrop.

It’s the physical expression of a deep conviction: sport as company culture.

A space to reset

The gym has become a true part of our daily life. A place to sweat, breathe, and reset. A space to disconnect, to reconnect—sometimes alone, sometimes together.

Some go in the morning to activate their bodies. Others at lunch to release pressure. Others at the end of the day to finish strong.

There are no rules.

Every Friday at 4:00 PM, right after our final meeting of the week, we offer the DARE WOD (Workout of the Day) to the entire team.

And instead of hiding the gym in a discreet corner, we chose to build it just two meters from the main entrance. It’s the first image and first impression for our current and future clients.

It acts as a statement. A declaration of our culture.

Because we believe that beyond choosing a partner for their skills, you choose them for their beliefs.

We also offer sessions to clients, partners, and anyone following our journey. In fact, by April, we’ll be launching 100% free DARE workouts. Stay tuned.

The final piece to officially complete the gym? An ice bath arriving soon.

So… who’s joining our upcoming workouts? 😎

DARE is a branding and consulting agency based in Switzerland, in Forel (Lavaux). Since 2018, we have been supporting brands in their launch or refresh through an approach rooted in entrepreneurship, collective intelligence, and real-world feedback.

At DARE, every project truly matters. That is why we only take on one project per month. More information www.madebydare.com.


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