Cat Kom, Founder of Studio SWEAT onDemand
Name: Cat Kom
Founder: Studio SWEAT onDemand
Who is Cat Kom?
In 2010, Cat pivoted from technology and engineering to her first passion - fitness when she founded the Studio SWEAT. Two years later she leveraged her tech experience to launch Studio SWEAT onDemand which brings the experience of being at Studio SWEAT online. Cat was ahead of the curve by bringing on-demand fitness to clients at the click of a button.
In less than three sentences tell us about your company and what you do.
Studio SWEAT onDemand brings hundreds of workouts including fat-torching, body-sculpting Spin®, Yoga, HIIT, Bootcamp and Pilates to clients on demand. A key differentiator is that all of the classes are filmed at Studio SWEAT in San Diego with actual clients attending fitness classes there.
What does BEING a FoundHer mean to you?
It means create a welcoming environment where people feel comfortable no matter what fitness level they currently are.
How do you support other female founders and women in business?
Out of 15 fitness instructors at Studio Sweat, 12 are women. I also mentor other female business owners in the San Diego area.
At what point did you make your company a full time gig? How did you know the time was right?
I founded Studio SWEAT in 2010 and it became my full time gig. However, I wanted to reach people beyond my San Diego studio so two years later I launched Studio SWEAT onDemand, an online community and at home-workout solution, with innovative classes and a live atmosphere. I knew it was this was the right move because I initially did not intend to start another fitness studio after I sold my first one in 2009. However, friends were continuously asking me to train them, and I realized I could not get away from this passion, nor did I want to.
What lesson or skill did you take with you from a prior job to help you succeed in your role today?
Don’t be satisfied with just being okay. It is very scary and extremely challenging to take risks but life is short, so sometimes you must take jumps and endure the bumps so that in the end, and along the way, you can experience fantastic.
I’m extremely logical and skeptical so sometimes I overthink things. Through that, I’ve learned when it comes to big decisions the first things you must do is get all the information upfront, the ‘take your head with you’ part. The next thing is how this decision will impact me, as well as others. Check in with your heart. What’s it say? Once you’ve done those things the best way to reach an answer is to ask your gut. It’ll almost never fail you.
Let’s talk social media—who handles it for your company (you, an internal team member, an outsourced solution?) and what is the secret to making it successful? What is the biggest challenge?
I handle my social channels and my team handles the Studio's channels. The biggest challenge is maintaining engagement.
What is something you do differently from the industry standard?
I think it is unique that all of our onDemand classes are filmed live with real clients of our Studio SWEAT in San Diego. Our onDemand clients can relate to the other exercisers more because they are just regular people like them.
Have you sold a business? If so, how did you know when it was time to sell? What were the steps you took to make it happen? What advice would you give to someone looking to sell?
While I was an engineer I also became a certified Personal Training and Spinning® instructor. In 2006 I opened my own gym in Washington State and sold it three years later to move to San Diego.
What are three strategies you use to market your business, grow brand awareness and generate bottom line growth?
Since the launch of Studio SWEAT onDemand in 2012, it has grown tremendously, with thousands of at home members using the Studio SWEAT onDemand apps, website and fitness channels. Being available on various platforms has been key to our growth. Additionally, having a strong online community, known as the “Komrades is our biggest strength.
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