The CEO of Gympass Shares How It's Solving the Crisis of Well-Being in the Workplace In the latest episode of 'How Success Happens,' Cesar Carvalho outlines how his company is tackling the issue of work-life wellness.
By Robert Tuchman Edited by Jessica Thomas
This week on How Success Happens, I spoke with Cesar Carvalho, the co-founder and CEO of Gympass, an all-in-one corporate wellness platform that gives employees access to more than 50,000 wellness resources like Orangetheory, Headspace and Thrive Global. Carvalho has had an amazing career, and I was interested to find out the founding story of Gympass, why work-life wellness is so important and how the company is solving today's issues around well-being. You can listen to our full conversation below. I've also pulled out three key takeaways and hope you are as inspired as I was by our conversation.
1. Solving the crisis of well-being in the workplace
A looming recession and mental health crisis are drastically affecting companies and talent. Employees are stressed, burnt out and disengaged. Today's employees understand the value of well-being and demand it. Despite this, 36% of employees don't believe their employer cares about their well-being. Employers are responsible for confronting the demand head-on and providing their people with the right tools, whether through gym memberships, mental health care or productivity programs. Carvalho founded Gympass in 2012 with a mission to improve people's work-life wellness and enhance their minds, bodies and lives.
Timestamp – 9:27-13:10
Related: 4 Specific Ways Leaders Can Strike a Healthy Work-Life Balance and Avoid Burnout
2. Employee well-being is a necessity, not a nice to have
Well-being is just as important as salary for four out of five global employees, and nearly half of Americans report not being satisfied with their well-being at work. Despite this, many companies still see it as a "nice to have" and not a necessity. Providing tools for employees is beneficial to both businesses and people. Companies need to react and recognize that there are no downsides to employee well-being. It is a vital part of an HR strategy and positively impacts retention, happiness, productivity and revenue.
Timestamp — 17:37-20:26
Related: 6 Simple Ways to Build Wellness Into Your Busy Workday
3. Find partners that support you
Partnering with companies and people that believe in your mission is important. Gympass's partners understand the importance of the mission. They are diverse and innovative, providing resources for physical, mental, nutritional and financial wellness.
During the pandemic, when gyms closed down, these partners innovated to support people at a time when everyone was stuck at home. Many brick-and-mortar outlets went digital with programs like filmed classes, telehealth and fitness trackers. Gympass also partnered with new digital-first partners that provided services like meditation and yoga. These partners pushed Gympass to become more innovative and resourceful.
Timestamp — 15:48-17:13
Related: The Best Strategies for Tapping Into Physical and Mental Health to Maximize Success in Business
