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Mindbody’s CTO & President Sunil Rajasekar

Grow Your Gym and Save Time Using Software

Mindbody’s CTO & President Sunil Rajasekar

Grow Your Gym and Save Time Using Software

Mindbody’s CTO & President Sunil Rajasekar

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Show Notes

On this episode of the GSD Show, we interviewed Sunil Rajasekar, President and CTO of Mindbody and we hashed out how you can grow your gym with time saving software. 

Mindbody is without a doubt the biggest CRM and marketing platform in the fitness space and many Loud Rumor customers take advantage of this incredible tool. 

We covered everything from daily software tools, buddhism in business, to what’s coming in 2022. You can watch the full interview here.

Who Is Sunil Rajasekar?

Sunil has been at Mindbody for the last three years, what a time to be in a new role! He previously spent time at eBay as a GM in product engineering where his focus was on equipping sellers with everything they need to be successful on the platform.

Prior to that he was the CTO at Lithium Tech in the social enterprise space, and spent nine years at Intuit. All told, he’s been in Silicone Valley tech for twenty years with a heavy emphasis on software use and development. 

Those are some deep tech roots! Sunil shares about his first job in the industry being as a new programmer in Pittsburgh. “That was back when you had to study the book to get the answers, this was the early days of the internet.” No Google or YouTube for a quick knowledge fix like we’ve got today. 

Buddhism In Business

Mike often asks his guests about the most impactful book they’ve read as a person, not just in business. Ironically, Sunil’s video backdrop is a massive bookshelf filled with hundreds, if not close to thousands of books, so it’s no surprise he had a ready answer. 

“I’ve read many books, in lots of different categories, business, technology, philosophy, etc. One book has had a huge impact, it captured something that I’ve been thinking about for a while. How do you be somebody who’s a warrior, somebody who’s going after big goals, getting things done, while also being somebody who’s grounded, kind, helpful, and empathetic?” 

Sunil recommended “Buddha And The Badass” by Vishen Lakhiani. This book teaches that these ideologies are not mutually exclusive. You can be like buddha and still be a badass in the real world. You can blend Buddha’s sage wisdom with the “take no prisoners” mindset of modern day business. 

the buddha and the badass

This was hugely appealing to Mike as he’s been studying Buddhism for several months and wrestling with some of these very same principles. 

Software vs. People

Mike wanted to know in what tangible ways software could help fitness businesses grow. (That’s why we’re all here, right?)

For fitness businesses, the product we provide is the service. The value we give is in the classes and the one on one sessions. That’s the core of the business.  

Sunil shared that “Software can help you focus on your core value by making other things that need to happen more seamless and less time consuming.

Seamless operations.  Less time-consuming busy-work like scheduling appointments, taking bookings, marketing, engaging new clients, or even raising capital are all necessary! But they can take you and your team away from the core of your business: providing the service. 

Software like Mindbody helps you accomplish all of those things. Texting members, setting goals, booking appointments, are features that make software a key enabler in your business. 

The AI platforms available can even guide you towards what your next move should be and help you make adjustments along the way. 

Sunil knows from experience that “Those who embrace software have a huge advantage over those who don’t use it.” 

MindBody Messenger AI

MindBody also features a chatbot that you can deploy to answer questions from prospects and even make sales without you ever getting involved.

The savings is in the time! The time you’re not spending answering texts or call or messages. Savings in money where you’re retaining members because they are being regularly and automatically engaged. And the giving you the ability to accomplish things that otherwise wouldn’t be possible. 

Software like Mindbody doesn’t “replace people”, it can do what people can’t.

We actually had one of our members speak about this at our quarterly GSDCON event. If you want to learn more about these 2-day all intensive events, visit gsdcon.com! You won’t want to miss the next event!

Loud Rumor member, Hye Jin, speaking about Mindbody’s AI capabilities at the quarterly GSDCON 2-day event.

You can also catch Hye Jin’s episode of the GSD Show here!

Going Remote: Mindbody’s Favorite Team Tools

The pandemic changed operations for a lot of industries and Mindbody was no exception. Here are the tools that keep their team engaged and productive:

  • Zoom
  • Slack
  • Electronic whiteboards
  • Smartsheets
  • Product plan (tech team)

Grow Your Gym With Time Saving Software: What’s New For 2022

The Mindbody team is gearing up for the big 2022 rebound. More and more fitness studios and wellness businesses are getting back into the swing of normalcy and their software is going to be ready! 

Sunil shared that Mindbody is working on new capabilities and focusing on internally strengthening the core of the software. They’re modifying workflows, increasing co-functionality, modernizing their offerings, and streamlining functions even more. 

This year, they’ve added lending capabilities for small businesses. This gives smaller gyms and studios the opportunity to raise capital in a way that hasn’t been possible before now. 

They are thinking through all the ways you can easily grow your gym with time saving software like Mindbody. If you’re not already using it or sold already, check out Mindbody here.

If you want to talk about the best way your gym could leverage the 2022 rebound with both helpful software and targeted marketing, then schedule a call with our Member Success Consultants and get started today.

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