A new Chicago startup wants to give consumers a better way to visit their favorite studios and gyms.
MyStrongCircle, founded by Borislava Baeva, has built an online marketplace for users to find and bundle up to three local studios they want unlimited access to. The startup launched this week in Chicago with more than 20 local studios offered on its platform, including Sweat in the Gold Coast, Bare Feet Power Yoga in the West Loop and Title Boxing Club, which has several locations around Chicago.
Baeva, who has a background in corporate finance, began building MyStrongCircle early last year after noticing a gap in the fitness market. From first glance, MyStrongCircle seems similar to New York-based ClassPass, a venture-backed fitness marketplace that gives subscribers limited access to dozens of studios in their city.
But MyStrongCircle differentiates itself by offering unlimited access to a few of consumers' most favorite studios as opposed to limited access to several (ClassPass gives users a set number of credits to redeem for classes each billing cycle). Additionally, going to a studio regularly, rather than a few times per month allows patrons to foster a stronger relationship with the studio and other members, Baeva said.
“When I was using ClassPass, I felt like a very transactional user,” she said. “You never feel like you belong to the places where you’re going. You always feel a little bit like an outsider.”
Using MyStrongCircle, consumers can select up to three studios they wish to visit on an unlimited basis and are guaranteed to pay less than if they purchased unlimited plans to each studio individually, Baeva said.
Specific pricing depends on which studios users choose, but they can expect to save 60 percent on unlimited memberships, Baeva said. The startup also offers pre-set bundles, which range from $145 to $296 per month.
“I wanted people to be able to create their own ‘strong circle,’” Baeva said. “And it usually takes more than one thing to make you strong, whatever support network that is.”
Data shows that one in every four fitness consumers utilizes more than one club and that within the boutique fitness segment specifically, 87 percent exercise in at least two studios, according to a report from the International Health, Racquet & Sportsclub Association.
Once users select their studios of choice, they will be able to view a consolidated schedule of classes available to them from each studio and book classes within the app.
Right now, most of the studios available on MyStrongCircle are small boutique studios, but Baeva said in the future, she’d like to onboard big fitness chains, such as Equinox or CorePower Yoga. Baeva also wants to scale MyStrongCircle and launch the service in other markets later this year.
“I love the idea of partnering with other studios without the hassle of pricing, marketing, and executing each individual partnership,” said Liza Solberg, the owner of Spynergy in Wicker Park, one of the studios available on MyStrongCircle. “I am excited to be a MyStrongCircle partner because at Spynergy we do one thing really well, and I appreciate that our clients can be both loyal to us and also seek variety in their weekly routine.”
