MyHealthBuddy, a companion in your race to fitness
“There were many months where I did not have enough money to pay team members- somehow I’d borrow from some friend and manage. That journey has made me stronger, it’s made me realise the importance of money, the importance of investing in people.” said MyHealthBuddy founder and CEO Asheesh Grewal in an exclusive interview with Startup Story Media
The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent lockdown undoubtedly changed the dynamics of how individuals view health practices. With gyms closing for a significant period of time and health anxiety rising- many people took to working out at home. A single Google search, however, will make it painfully clear to anyone that the internet is home to an infinite amount of conflicting information about health and wellness practices. In an age where one source can call fruits a healthy source of nutrients, whilst three others call them everything short of the devil, it is completely understandable for people to need expert guidance.
Founded by Asheesh Grewal in 2017, fitness and nutrition platform MyHealthBuddy aims to bridge the gap between individual and holistic health and wellness. It currently services over 3000 clients, 95 percent of whom are women. A sizable chunk of their clientele demographic is women who are working on their health postpartum.
Corporate slog to fitness pipeline
“Corporate life was quite sedentary. I was eating out quite often, not exercising. I was not liking the way my health was turning out to be. Around that time, around 2015, I thought maybe I should do something in health,” recounted Grewal
Asheesh- a computer science graduate from Netaji Subhas Institute of Technology, Delhi University- started his career in the corporate ecosystem. An alumnus of Motilal Nehru School of Sports, he grew up as an immensely active adolescent and played cricket at a national level. By the time he reached his early 30s, he was working with the Royal Bank of Scotland. That was when he realised that his lifestyle was taking a toll on him. He first began working on his personal health, then began helping his colleagues and friends
Realising that there existed a chasm between individuals in the corporate sector, who had the money but not the time or the knowledge, and a truly well-balanced life. Asheesh figured that there exists a need for a service that provides these individuals with personalised health advice.
A friend in need: a personalised experience
When talking about what makes MyHealthBody unique, Asheesh said, “We haven’t focused too much on automation things, we’ve kept it human.”
MyHealthBuddy, as the name suggests, was created with the express purpose of offering clients a knowledgeable companion to help map out their fitness journey with them.
The customer experience provided by the platform follows a few general stages. The first touchpoint with MHB is the initial introduction wherein the client is asked about their outcome goals and current struggles, along with health information. This conversation is followed by goal setting succeeded by the health buddy providing the client with a tentative exercise and diet plan congruent with the initial conversation and goals set. The coaching begins after the client is taken through their plan, this stage involves consistent communication and any required alteration in the plan.
Lockdown and after: a lunge in the right direction
Entirely bootstrapped till date, the company struggled for the first few years of its existence before witnessing rapid growth towards the end of 2019. The pandemic understandably caused people around the globe to become more conscious of their health, thus leading to an increase in the number of people in search for a personalised fitness experience.
The manner in which MyHealthBuddy functioned was, incidentally, perfectly suited to the situation at hand. The team was already working completely remotely and about 20 percent of the clients they had were non-resident Indians. While the spread of the pandemic was devastatingly tragic, the resulting lockdown had a positive effect on the platform’s growth.
To young entrepreneurs
Through the course of MyHealth Buddy’s existence, it has faced a multitude of challenges and yet the platform prevailed and has serviced over 12000 clients till date. When asked about what advice he would give to entrepreneurs, Asheesh Grewal emphasised the importance of understanding that any endeavour will take more time than you initially think it will. Furthermore he reiterated the importance of persevering through trying times.
“I strongly believe that if you have a strong foundation, if your vision is truly solid- you will sail through. The qualities of patience and perseverance are two very important things,” he stated. “You know as they say- if you’re going through hell, keep going,” he added.
MyHealthBuddy stands on the precipice of immense growth. Grewal spoke of plans to scale operations whilst ensuring that they maintain quality. Furthermore, the platform is eyeing the possibility of developing a mobile app for their users in the near future.
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