fitSpot Guru Podcast: Q&A with NetGym Founder & CEO Danny Orlick

From His Passion for Teaching Spin Classes to Creating a Platform to Fix the Instructor Subbing Problem, Danny Orlick Shares His Journey of Founding NetGym with fitSpot Guru Hosts Megan McLean and Nick Harris on Episode 209

Background of NetGym and its Founder

Danny Orlick’s journey to founding NetGym is rooted in both his experience as a fitness instructor and a software sales account executive, focused on the employee and customer experience.  With his background in baseball, obsession with a solid EDM playlist, and an unexpected dive into cycling classes due to patella tendonitis, Danny found his way into the group fitness world. 

His experience in software sales and a passion for fitness paved the way for the creation of NetGym. The initial concept of NetGym, born in 2010, was inspired by the streaming revolution led by Netflix and the need for a fitness-focused, technology-driven solution for athletes and fitness professionals around the world.

The Evolution of NetGym

NetGym began as a concept to connect trainers with clients digitally, akin to iTunes, Yelp, and Match.com, but for fitness. However, the true pivot came when Danny began teaching spin classes and realized that there’s a dire need in the fitness industry for effective sub management and communication among instructors and management. This realization led to the creation of NetGym as it’s known today, focusing on helping gyms, health clubs, and fitness studios to automate subbing and streamline instructor communication.

Unique Features for Fitness

During the interview, Danny explains how NetGym stands out for its sub automation and custom subbing policies, which are absent in traditional employee & fitness scheduling platforms. This functionality allows for better management of instructor schedules, adherence to studio policies, and informed decision-making by studio owners, managers or group fitness directors. In addition, the importance of customer experience is core to NetGym’s operations. NetGym has a hands-on approach to customer support and recognizes the significant impact it has on studios’ day-to-day operations.

Integrating with Fitness Studios

NetGym has shown its versatility by integrating with multiple scheduling platforms–– Mindbody, Mariana Tek, ABC Fitness, ClubReady, and Fisikal. The focus on the unique needs of fitness studios regarding sub management has delivered a tailored experience over the years to address the nuanced requirements of fitness.

The Future of NetGym

Looking ahead, NetGym aims to continue innovating and providing solutions that not only ease the operational burden on fitness studios but also contribute to better member experiences and instructor satisfaction. 

The potential to expand integrations with platforms like fitDEGREE and others suggests a promising future for NetGym in helping fitness studios and group fitness manage their team and scheduling processes.

Danny’s story and NetGym’s journey showcases the power of combining a deep understanding of the fitness industry with technological innovation to solve real-world problems faced by fitness instructors, studios, health clubs, and gyms. NetGym’s focus on sub management and instructor communication is not just a nice-to-have feature–it’s a proven game-changer in the fitness world.