In a quiet yet pivotal moment last year, Phil Goodwin—co-founder of BodyMindLife—found himself at a crossroads. For more than two decades, BodyMindLife had been a trailblazer in Australia’s yoga and Pilates space, championing wellness while grappling with the day-to-day complexities of running multiple studios. The company relied on MindBody Online (MBO) for years, but escalating costs and outdated features finally forced a critical decision.
“Monthly MBO software fees were hitting $1,000 per studio,” Goodwin recalls. “Transaction fees were eating into our margins with every booking, and the lack of customisable automation was creating operational bottlenecks.”
Determined to find a new way forward, Goodwin set out on a path that would fundamentally reshape BodyMindLife’s operations.
Breaking Free from a Legacy Trap
BodyMindLife’s experience with MBO is emblematic of many multi-studio businesses. Once considered the industry standard for bookings, scheduling, and payments, MBO had become a straitjacket—limiting flexibility and driving up costs.
“At one point, I realised we were spending nearly $70,000 a year on software fees alone,” Goodwin says. “On top of that, MBO’s forced integration with Stripe fixed our transaction fees at 2.5%, with zero room to negotiate. It was draining our margins.”
Extracting data for meaningful insights was equally frustrating, requiring pricey third-party tools and hours of manual labour. Goodwin knew it was time for a bold change but needed a platform that could integrate seamlessly with cutting-edge technologies.
A Bold Shift to Wix and AI-Driven Automation
After months of research, BodyMindLife made an unconventional but game-changing choice: switching to Wix. While best known as a website builder, Wix had evolved into a robust business platform offering deep API integration—exactly what BodyMindLife needed for more advanced automation.
Within the first year, BodyMindLife:
• Saved $50,000 by eliminating MBO’s software fees
• Saved another $20,000 by eliminating other products that were needed to support MBO
• Reduced transaction fees by negotiating a lower Stripe rate, saving $100,000 annually
• Projected an additional $100,000 in future benefits as AI systems come online
“These savings are allowing us to reinvest in the business—paying teachers higher fees, improving the student experience and implementing new ideas” Goodwin explains.
Revolutionising Operations with AI
The real game-changer came with the advent of new AI models. Kula Digital has developed custom AI agents for BodyMindLife to automate mundane, time-consuming processes such as payroll, scheduling, and customer service. One standout example is the AI-powered Membership Suspend feature.
“Over Christmas, we had 350 members request pauses in just two weeks,” Goodwin says. “Manually handling each request would have taken 10 minutes each, adding up to nearly 60 hours—time we desperately needed elsewhere. Instead, AI managed it all seamlessly.”
The benefits didn’t stop there. Automated payments will now let BodyMindLife implement new reward systems for team members outside regular payroll, linked directly to outcomes and performance which is fully automated and transparent. For teachers, this opens doors to revenue streams that were previously unmanageable without dedicating additional staff hours.
Owning your Data
Another crucial advantage of leaving MBO was full data ownership.
“Studio owners need to control their data and own their members,” Goodwin emphasises. “Without that control, you’re at the mercy of someone else’s system.”
MBO locks users into a rigid ecosystem and even markets competing studios to studio members. Wix provides BodyMindLife complete ownership and a fully open and comprehensive API to access information at no cost over what what MBO charges for its limited APIs that stifles you from wanting to add anything. This change has allowed BodyMindLife to build new features, create custom analytics dashboards, and maintain direct control over communication with members with full integration with Google and social media systems to allow whole of business view.
The Future: AI Agents Driving Business Innovation
BodyMindLife’s journey is far from over. The company is now working with Kula Digital to create five AI agents, each designed to streamline different aspects of studio management. Every few weeks, a new agent will be deployed, further optimising operations.
One of the most promising innovations is a ROI forecasting agent that is based around a whole of business data view model that will analyses patterns to help studios maximise returns for all and is using a AI chat interface to allow English enquires for information.
"We’ve essentially turned AI into our secret weapon," Goodwin says. "It's not just about cutting costs—it’s about unlocking new revenue streams and delivering a better experience for both teachers and students."
A Call to Action for Studio Owners
For business owners still clinging to legacy platforms, Goodwin’s advice is straightforward: the future belongs to those who embrace change. AI and automation aren’t just buzzwords—they’re powerful tools that can transform your business.
As more studios discover the benefits of platforms like Wix, a seismic shift in the industry is inevitable. Those who act early will gain a competitive advantage that may be impossible to catch up to.
"We’ve proven that you can save hundreds of thousands of dollars while scaling your business," Goodwin concludes. "Now, the question is: will others follow suit?" and for the small Studio owner, you can scale without increasing your costs as AI can take over those mundane tasks that sucks up peoples time and cost you money.
For more information on how BodyMindLife transformed its operations, contact phil@bodymindlife.com.
About Kula Digital
Kula Digital began by tackling the high costs and rigid structures around teacher payments. Today, leveraging cutting-edge AI, they’re going far beyond basic admin tasks to develop forward-thinking, outcome-based solutions—perfectly aligned with a “Business in 2030” mindset. By removing mundane processes and reimagining how people work and get rewarded, Kula Digital is paving the way for more equitable, efficient, and innovative management.
Comments