Popularly known as ‘Miss Perfectionist’ in her inner circle, Shraddha Bhavalkar is the CEO of GetSetGo Fitness, one of the fastest growing online fitness companies in India. Driven by the motto of ‘No Compromise’, she is the epicenter of all the chaos in the company. Entrepreneurship was not a planned decision, but has become her obsession now.
A computer science graduate by education, she has had a very diverse career. She has donned several caps – of an automobile photographer,
animator, manager and has also worked for some of the biggest names in the industry including Disney, Pixar, Evo, Wipro and Tata Elxsi.
Born in a business family in Pune, she has seen her dad change a lot of lives. Bringing smiles and happiness to people has always been an integral part of her life growing up and she is extremely passionate about it. A fitness enthusiast, the intensity of her workouts can easily give any guy a run for his money!
Catch her as she shares some thoughts on what inspired her, challenges faced, fitness mantras and more….
What prompted you to be an entrepreneur?
I can glorify this answer, but honestly, it was a series of events and not a planned decision. However, once I got into the fitness domain, I realized bringing change in people’s life is an addiction!
A brief study told us that in India, 90% of the health companies are a big hoax and 9% of the remaining 10 are selling bad long-term effects in the name of quick results. We were intrigued and knew we are onto something ground breaking.
What were the challenges you faced as you were setting up your enterprise?
Well, where do I begin. There were and are many challenges. Top contenders, however would be:
To start with we had no funds. We could have turned to investors, but the recent investment pattern in health startups are not very encouraging. The decision makers in these organizations have very little idea of real fitness fundamentals and we didn’t want to adulterate our idea before we even started.
Myths in the fitness industry are the biggest nut to crack. Meet a guy at the local pan shop. He/she will give you ten fitness tips with a cigarette stuck to his mouth and a tea glass in his hand. Ironically, people listen to him intently!
Reaching out to people. Our solutions range from 99/- per month to 7K for 3 months. This makes our target customer base very large. Without big money to spend in marketing, this is quite a challenge. We are addressing it by turning to social media, Search Engine Optimization and word of mouth.
Software development. We make use of some very sophisticated software and it comes at a cost.
Did you face competition? How did you handle it?
Of course, we did. Still do. Right from the biggest cosmetic companies to the biggest gym chains to some small local players, everybody claims to give you a great looking body in record time.
We did not set out to handle this competition. Instead, we focused on building the right product. We crave to give you better health and better life. An amazingly sculpted body is just the by-product. We don’t try to get you there in shortest time. Instead, we ensure that once you reach yourgoal, you stay there and lead a fulfilling life. We also ensure that you are never denied of your favorite food because great food is a bliss!
Along with this, our company is backed with top of the line work ethics and focus on client satisfaction. Every client gets a customized attention and personalized solution. We are very keen listeners and make sure every client feedback gets due attention.
How did you try to make your business offerings different?
We listened, we understood and we focused on generating real value. While health businesses in India are too keen to up-sell and cross-sell their products, our solutions are centered around people – their health, their budget and eating preferences.
We pay close attention to every client’s routine, their dietary habits, their health problems and device a custom solution. We also keep a tab on their progress. Our coaches receive elaborate reports on their progress and make decisions based on data. In addition to this, we do not encourage restrictive dieting and use of unnatural means. We help you establish a healthy relationship with food.
Think of it as a premium, personal nutritionist plus gym/home trainer service that could be afforded only by a select few, now available to an average Indian!
What is your fitness mantra?
Keep it super simple! If it is not sustainable, it is not right. People who crash diet and keep going up and down like a sine wave through the yeardo more harm to their body than good.
Three ‘R’s of fitness:
- Resistance training. Whether it be body weight or gym weights, try to catch at least 3 days of workout every week
- Rest. I cannot emphasize on this enough. If you want a radiant skin, maintain great energy levels and feel positive, rest is the key!
- Replenish. Drink at least 3 liters of water every day. Give your body the necessary macro and micro nutrients. It does not mean carrying a food measuring scale everywhere. It means listening to your body and eating in moderation and of course, indulging once in a while.
How are women placed today to take up entrepreneurship in India?
This question triggers the feminist in me. Let me not quote the likes of Indu Jain, Kiran Mazumdar or IndraNooyi. We all know what amazing personalities they are.
Let me point you to something more abundant. Look around – from food to fashion to technology space, there are female entrepreneurs spurting everywhere and they are totally brilliant at what they do! AnkitaSheth, Swati Bhargava, Pranshu Bhandari; there is a name in every domain.
Does it mean the conditions for women are favorable for entrepreneurship in India? To be honest, I am not an expert and do not have data to validate that, but it sure seems the winds are changing.
Any tips for women entrepreneur who are setting out on her journey?
Keep it genuine, keep it honest. Focus on adding value. Do it because you love it. Remember – the road ahead is very demanding. The only way you will be able to sustain is with passion. Eve
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