For months, Katalyst, now acquired by Brendan Kennedy, has failed to honor its commitment to a paying customer. What started as a straightforward replacement request spiraled into ignored emails, broken promises, and mounting frustration.
The case of Order #15881, placed by Michael Maryash, highlights how a once-promising fitness company became a cautionary tale in customer service and why Kennedy’s takeover is under immediate scrutiny.
The timeline of broken promises
March 2025: Katalyst acknowledges defects in Michael’s suit and agrees to provide a replacement. No shipment follows.
April – June 2025: Michael sends multiple emails, escalating from polite reminders to formal “Final Notice Before Legal Action” letters.
Katalyst responds with generic excuses, stock issues, busy queues but still no resolution.
July 2025: Acting on Michael’s behalf, I issue a firm demand for shipment within 7 days. Still, no tracking number is provided.
August 2025: Michael’s follow-ups reach only automated responses. Behind the scenes, Katalyst is dealing with layoffs, cash shortages, and a CEO exit but that doesn’t excuse abandoning customers.
I point out publicly that Katalyst’s internal chaos, CEO resignation, cash issues, layoffs, doesn’t excuse ignoring customers.
September 2025: Brendan Kennedy, investor and new owner of Katalyst, publishes a public letter acknowledging failures and pledging to “restore trust” and “honor existing orders.”
The human cost of neglect
Michael invested in a lifetime membership with expectations of premium service.
Instead, he’s endured a year-and-a-half delay waiting for a replacement Katalyst suit, forcing him to pause his recovery and fitness progress.
Every outreach was met with silence or copy-paste replies.
It’s a complete breakdown of accountability.
Brendan Kennedy’s leadership test
Brendan Kennedy now faces the challenge of turning Katalyst’s reputation around.
His letter was a necessary first step, but letters don’t restore trust; action does.
Customers like Michael remain skeptical until they see:
- Clear timelines for pending orders.
- Proactive updates instead of vague form emails.
- Verified shipments and receipts.
If Kennedy wants his acquisition to succeed, Katalyst must rebuild trust one order at a time.
Why this matters for the Katalyst brand
Katalyst markets itself as a revolutionary fitness product. But no amount of cutting-edge tech can offset the damage of broken promises.
If a company can’t honor a basic replacement it already admitted was warranted, it undermines both innovation and credibility.
Kennedy’s name is now tied to this. If he can’t fix Katalyst’s service failures, his leadership brand risks being defined by the same neglect customers have suffered.
The call to action for Brendan Kennedy
To Brendan Kennedy and Katalyst’s new leadership:
- Publish a transparent plan with dates for resolving outstanding complaints.
- Deliver proactive communication, not silence or generic excuses.
- Fulfill past commitments before chasing new sales.
Customers like Michael have waited long enough. The ball is in your court, Brendan.
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is the CEO of Local Service Spotlight, a platform that amplifies the reputations of contractors and local service businesses using the Content Factory process. He is a former search engine engineer who has spent a billion dollars on Google and Facebook ads for Nike, Quiznos, Ashley Furniture, Red Bull, State Farm, and other brands.
Dennis has achieved 25% of his goal of creating a million digital marketing jobs by partnering with universities, professional organizations, and agencies. Through Local Service Spotlight, he teaches the Dollar a Day strategy and Content Factory training to help local service businesses enhance their existing local reputation and make the phone ring.
Dennis coaches young adult agency owners serving plumbers, AC technicians, landscapers, roofers, electricians, and believes there should be a standard in measuring local marketing efforts, much like doctors and plumbers must be certified.