The Deskie: Alexandra Bonetti, Talent Hack Founder and CEO
We chat all things fitness, career, and tech with the founder and CEO of Talent Hack
What was the idea behind Talent Hack?
I opened fitness studios in NYC and ran them for close to a decade. That’s where I became obsessed with fitness and wellness talent. I saw the impact they had on my business, and as the industry evolved how their power grew. They effectively dictate product development and own the client relationship. But they didn’t have any financial leverage, and I’ve always felt that gap would be the most exciting and biggest problem to solve. That’s why Talent Hack exists: to empower fitness and wellness creators to achieve financial wellness. We’ve now built a full-stack product suite where talent can sell their classes, on-demand content, packages, build community… all while leveraging our marketing tech that grows their business while they’re creating.
How do you feel the fitness world is changing due to the pandemic? Will this transition to digital fitness be the new normal?
A hybrid model, or omnichannel, is what I think will become the new normal. I think the pandemic has made clients realize that working out from home is effective and efficient, both financially and in terms of time management. So over the next decade, I think this offline to online paradigm shift will only intensify.
Where are you working from at the moment?
I’m working from my office in New York. I was lucky to be able to spend a few months North of New York when the pandemic hit, then spent the summer in out East, and the winter in Florida. Now I’m back in NYC and thrilled about it. I really missed this city and its energy.
What are three things you always have on your desk?
Post-it notes, dry-erase markers, water, and I always, always have a gadget or toy my kids left in my pockets, bag, or desk. I love finding them in the middle of the day and leave them close to my computer.
What motivates you to be a pioneer in the digital fitness culture?
My community of fitness and wellness talent. I feel like my job is not about me, it’s truly about them. I’m lucky I get to represent them, build for them, go to bat for them. I think they’re this industry’s DNA and active ingredient and they deserve the credit.
What is the best career advice you’ve received?
My favorite advice I've received was from my mom: "The business will always give you a second chance, but people won't. Always focus on people first." It's not easy to do, and I've made my fair share of mistakes managing people over the years, but I ultimately know this is the secret to success.
What are your five favorite apps on your phone?
Fair Warning is my side business, a members-only fine art auction app. I definitely spend the most amount of time on Slack with my team. I unwind window shopping on Zillow and keep close tabs on the crypto market on Coinbase.
How do you manage to stay motivated while working from home?
I’m an avid meditator. I practice Vedic meditation daily and it’s truly my medicine and fuel.
How did your personal fitness routine change?
I used to work out at various studios in-person and now I take a different trainer on SPACES every day and love getting to know so many of our pros.
What is next for Talent Hack?
A lot of exciting things! I can’t share too much right now, but we do plan to launch an app later this year and are about to go into another round of funding.
Ready to workout virtually on the Talent Hack platform? Click here