Meet Mindbody: The Evolution of an Increasingly Accessible Wellness Community

It was only a few months ago when my Slack lit up with a message from Jeff Wadholm, Mindbody’s VP of Revenue Operations and Mindbody Access loudspeaker. He claimed I was a national hero for a small joke I made in a company-wide presentation, and that is when we became best friends. Since then, I’ve been trying to find ways to get Jeff more airtime to help tell the Mindbody story from the inside out.

While Mindbody’s mission is to connect the world to wellness, wellness can mean a lot of different things to different people. It could be sharing TikTok Vacation Dad content to find the deeper meaning, discussing the validity of Ludacris in space (especially right now), or the need to provide increasingly accessible spaces, products, and support for all in daily life.

In this installment of Meet Mindbody, I had a virtual drink with Jeff to dig deeper into his role at Mindbody, the importance of the Mindbody Access employee resource group, STEPtember, and why it’s always the right time to do the right thing.

Will Price: Hey Jeff. It’s Will from work. Let's start at the top—what would you say you do here?

Jeff Wadholm: My first response is, “as little as possible,” but I suppose that's not actually true. In order of my own perceived importance, I am; a teammate, a leader, a mentor, and Mindbody’s Vice President, Global Revenue Operations. We focus on aligning our revenue engine across marketing, sales, and customer experience. Our team charter is to fuel sustainable revenue growth, aid platinum customer experience, and focus on customer retention.

WP: What brought you to Mindbody?

JW: The mission of connecting the world to wellness and Mindbody’s Core Values all aligned with my own personal interests and values. I wanted to join an organization where I could bring my authentic self to work each day and could influence people earlier in their careers so they can bring their authentic selves to work and on their professional journey.

WP: Follow up—what keeps you here?

JW: I love Mindbody, our people, our values, and our brand. The same organizational traits that brought me here, keep me here. Our people are authentic and valuable. Our leadership team is world-class. Our partners at Vista are the best in the industry. Our customers fuel our passion. I am more confident and excited about our organizational trajectory than ever before.

WP: Why did you join the Mindbody Access (MB Access) Employee Resource Group (ERG)?

JW: It's a simple premise: It’s always the right time to do the right thing. Advancing diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging (DEIB) in our organization, with customers, and in the world is good for everyone.

My passion for MB Access stems from my experience as the parent of a child with Cerebral Palsy and the son of a vision impaired father/best Friend. I have witnessed firsthand the impact of Accessibility in the workplace, schools, homes, and the media. I love ideating on ways we can ensure Mindbody is an increasingly accessible place to work, create more accessible products for our wellness community, and help lead our customers in their accessibility efforts.

WP: Why is the MB Access group important at Mindbody, specifically?

JW: Our desire runs deep for diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging to converge where we show up each day. We have an opportunity to create an increasingly diverse workplace, hire diverse candidates, destigmatize disabilities that are visible and invisible and ensure both our teammates and customers have the ability and opportunity to be included and successful.

WP: Why is the MB Access group important for the wellness industry at large?

JW: Mindbody is a microcosm of the wellness industry—the fuel behind the scenes for our customers’ clients and the experiences they have. “Connecting the world to wellness” is directly aligned with accessibility in our customers’ space—so that everyone has access to wellness experiences. This concept of “accessibility in wellness” is even more important as people with disabilities have unique needs and challenges that can be addressed by our customers’ services.

The last 18 months has retaught us the importance of wellness in all forms. Now, more than ever, we must unite in bringing wellness experiences in all forms, to as many communities as we can reach.

WP: In your opinion, does the wellness industry promote inclusivity?

JW: In my experience, the wellness industry is more open and supportive of inclusivity than most. With each passing month, I see an increased focus on ensuring diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our customers, their customers, and our industry as a whole.

WP: Anything you think the wellness industry could be doing better in this regard?

JW: Inclusion is a process, not a destination. This will be a continuous evolution on how we include disadvantaged communities, make services accessible and inclusive to all, and to truly connect the world to wellness. We have a lot of room to grow, but I believe the wellness industry is willing, able, and in-flight on doing the work.

WP: Where do you think the wellness industry is “getting it right?"

JW: There are great examples across all verticals, segments, and regions of the wellness industry. Some personal favorites are Special Strong and We Rock The Spectrum. These two Mindbody customers perfectly exemplify our industry's commitment to both inclusivity and accessibility. These organizations offer wellness experiences perfectly catered to the communities they serve and it's our pleasure to partner with them on their mission. These types of missions give me hope that we can continue to grow and open new doors to more people. I have seen so much inclusion within the Mindbody ecosystem it is hard to be anything but hopeful about the future.

Read more about how Special Strong is paving new roads in the efforts for accessibility in wellness.

WP: Time to get ethereal—what does wellness mean to you?

JW: Wellness is the intimately connected intersection of the physical, mental, professional, social, and spiritual aspects of my life. The best thing I do for my mental health is to go to the gym. And the best thing for my professional growth has been to continue my journey in church. These correlations may seem unnatural to some but have been foundational in my own wellness journey.

WP: Why are you championing this STEPtember initiative?

JW: There are a million reasons, Will. First, it’s always the right time to do the right thing!

Programs like STEPtember are where I get to flex two of my biggest passions—a commitment to wellness (and competition), and helping children with special needs. STEPtember’s mission is to raise money and awareness for the impacts of Cerebral Palsy. The proceeds from the fundraising efforts go towards care and research of this disability. As a parent of an amazing 8-year-old with Cerebral Palsy, it is near and dear to my heart. Not only is a fitness-based fundraiser perfectly aligned with our mission and core values here at Mindbody, but my family has been positively impacted by efforts like these. Thank you to everyone who has taken just a single step or donated just a dollar to this beautiful cause.

WP: Anything else to add? Where can we find you?

JW: As an avid hater of all things social media, you will only find me on LinkedIn or via email.

If you’d like to learn more about our Mindbody Access Employee Resource Group, our efforts, and how diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging come to life at Mindbody, please visit the DEIB Resource Center.