Mobilizing Customers to Create a Movement: Virtuagym Saves Gym Owners and Trainers from Ruin

Few industries have been hit harder by Covid-19 than gyms, but despite the lockdowns and forced closures, many have actually weathered the storm. In this week’s episode of The Breakout Growth Podcast, we will find out how one company helped make that possible, and why their growth approach was crucial in supporting clients through these turbulent times. Daan Bakker is VirtuaGym’s VP of Growth and in our conversation, he explains that the company started with an app, and grew into an all-in-one tool that helps gyms and trainers navigate everything from scheduling to workout plans. Many of those tools would have been useless if Covid closed their client’s doors and disconnected members from their gyms. But VirtuaGym had been growing internationally with 50 - 100% YoY returns for a reason. They were quick to innovate and whether it meant helping gyms schedule Zoom workouts, or building interactive connections between trainers and clients, they were up to the task. Daan also spun up the company’s FitNation podcasts and webinars, which focus on helping fitness entrepreneurs find the tools and approaches to move forward and grow through Covid. These pivots have all been about putting the focus on VirtuaGym’s clients (and their client’s customers) and that has helped drive growth in the face of adversity. A big part of that has been the growth team’s unique ability to influence fast change within the organization.Daan says when he joined the company had many functional silos, but the more he and his team interjected themselves and found ways to show results, the more effective they have been in driving cross-functional success. We discussed: * How VirtuaGym looks to deliver on a promise to make fitness professional’s lives easier by automating everything in one place (2:34) * Why success means not just helping customers, but helping their customers too (6:45) * How the founders’ story and the company’s original app-based approach developed (7:02) * Compliance and Covid-19; how VirtuaGym became an integral link for gyms and trainers (9:25) * Spinning up the FitNation Webinars and Podcasts to help the community navigate the crisis (13:20) * The future of gyms beyond the pandemic (16:00) * VirtuaGym’s successful SaaS model growth (22:55) * The Growth Team’s critical role as the “oil’ between departments (29:25) * How bringing value in growth became a powerful tool in breaking down silos (37:47)  And much, much, more . . . Get full access to Sean’s Substack at seanellis.substack.com/subscribe