Jolie Glassman: Leading in the Male-Dominated Industry of Boxing
Jolie Glassman describes her entry into the boxing industry as serendipitous. Working as a schoolteacher in lockdown facilities and detention centers in her earlier days, Glassman says fighting was a constant reality. She worked hard to show students that there is a right way and a wrong way to handle conflict, stepping in to facilitate structured fights that served a clear purpose and followed strict rules.
“I would let the kids fight, but there was no bullying, no one jumps in, that was the problem in these inner-city schools, all the kids ganging up on each other. So I was always teaching fighting,” says Glassman.
Beyond fighting, Glassman has always held a deep passion for fitness. It served not only as a way to earn extra income, but also as an outlet for managing stress and becoming stronger and healthier.
When Glassman met her ex-husband, he was working in fitness clubs with dreams of opening an English pub, a bowling alley, or a boxing gym. Glassman says that as soon as she heard the word “gym,” her direction was set. From that moment, her professional life converged on boxing. As she explains, “Boxing was the serendipitous part. I was teaching it – always. So, I got to meld everything I love for the past 30 years and stack it.” Even though the gym started as her ex-husband’s dream, she embraced the lifestyle completely.
While some viewed boxing as an unusual calling for a woman, Glassman never looked at it through that lens. Having spent decades in the fitness and boxing business, she acknowledges that some people were hesitant to listen at first. “But I kept being me and generating what I knew. I did my research, and I really learned.” People took notice, recognizing her expertise as her character and results spoke for themselves. “Often people are like, Oh, you’re a girl? But then that becomes okay.”
It worked because she stayed entirely focused on the outcome. Glassman felt no need to convince doubters. “I am only for the people that seek me out and really want what I offer and see who I am.” Her long tenure makes gender irrelevant in the room: “I don’t think it’s a male vs. female thing. It’s a boxing experience thing. And experience wins.”
“Yeah, I paid my dues for sure,” she says. Glassman credits her success to complete immersion: “The key to my success over the past 30 years is immersion. I never leave the field. I eat, sleep, and breathe it. I walk the walk – I talk the talk.” Maintaining disciplined morning and evening routines, she adds, “I really take on my life in such a way that shocks others, and they follow because they’re like ‘Wow, she does it!’”
That commitment has connected her with major figures in sports and entertainment. Muhammad Ali celebrated birthdays at South Beach Boxing, and she trained Will Smith for a movie role. She has also spent considerable time collaborating with Mike Tyson, who contributed a foreword to her book. “I’m really aligned with him [Tyson]. And I’ve been spending a good amount of time with him.”
Glassman values her close bond with Tyson, whom she calls a living legend: “I feel like he’s such a boxer in the ring. And I’m such a boxer in life, and we complement each other because we’re both real talk that brings real results.”
She points out that both share an unfiltered, direct communication style. “I happen to be accepted in the world for being able to have that real talk. I’m very precise with my speaking, and I don’t fluff it up. And I come from love. And the listener understands that and gets that and feels that because it’s authentic. I teach people to be authentically who they are and come from a space of love.”
Glassman published her book, Life According to the Rules of Boxing: 101 Rules to Being the Champion of Your Own Life, with a foreword by Khalilah Camacho-Ali, former wife of Muhammad Ali, and a back-cover endorsement from Mike Tyson.