System of Strength brings their brick and mortar fitness community online

System of Strength is a fitness program and community founded by Keri Croft and Gretchen Dusseau. The System, as it’s known by its loyal members, incorporates more than just workouts — it’s also a lifestyle and attitude. “The essence of System of Strength is to make you a badass in life,” says Keri. “And that transcends fitness. It’s about how you present yourself in the world, while you have the ability to be here.” What started as two friends working out together ultimately grew into opening multiple studios, across their home state of Ohio. But when the pandemic hit, Keri and Gretchen faced a challenge tougher than any HIIT workout. How could they convert their in-person, brick and mortar fitness studio into an online experience while maintaining the passionate System of Strength energy that defines their business? Here’s how they turned their small operation into a monthly streaming subscription network, growing from 400 to 3,000 users at its peak in just a few months.

Making the System work, online

Video has always been a part of System of Strength’s business strategy. About a year after its founding in 2012, Keri and Gretchen considered creating a digital studio. “When we’ve had strategic conversations, and we talk about the future state, the digital space has always been there,” says Keri. As their business grew over the years, so did their video library. When the pandemic closed the System of Strength studios, Keri and team knew they had to move quickly to get something online. With the new expectations for digital content and no access to in-studio classes, System of Strength leaned on their existing video library as an avenue to monetize their content and gain momentum with their newly virtual audience. “For us, we were already off the starting block and running round the track. We had something to focus on that we had already been building,” says Keri. But they quickly learned their existing digital infrastructure wasn’t going to cut it.

We thought the digital studio would tail the brick and mortar, but now that it’s gaining momentum, I think the digital studio is going to be far greater.”

Keri Croft, Co-Founder of System of Strength

“Well before the pandemic, we invested in creating a customized digital platform,” says Darcey Wion, Director of Digital Studio. “And while it served the purpose at the time, it didn’t allow us to be as nimble with making changes without having a developer team for support. That’s when we started looking into different platforms that were more user friendly and offered the flexibility to have more autonomy, and not require developers to do the work for us.” The pivot to digital for System of Strength meant expanding on a vision they had from the start. With the addition of an online community, the team was able to build towards their goal of a holistic fitness experience.

Poised for growth, with all the right tools

System of Strength got comfortable with Vimeo’s live streaming and OTT platform quickly, ultimately launching The System Works. The team attributes their success in part to working with Vimeo’s account management and onboarding teams, who pushed them to experiment with live video and helped them troubleshoot and collaborate in real-time. “I have nothing but wonderful things to say about the partnership we’ve had with Vimeo,” says Darcey. “I really appreciate having our account manager, Rich, as a direct contact. He gave us the nudge we needed to take the next step and make the investment with Vimeo OTT. I don’t think I can thank him enough for that.”

Everyone else was trying to find this Band-Aid to patch together a temporary solution. Instead of a Band-Aid approach, we were future-focused with OTT — not just as a temporary solution, but a long-term vision.”

Annette Grant, Digital Studio Lead at System of Strength

“When we talk about bigger visions and direction of our OTT channel,” she adds, “that’s the kind of one-on-one support we need to make an informed decision.” With a platform that allows them to host their legacy on-demand content, live stream classes, and offer new clients a free trial, their brick and mortar business is now reaching more people than Keri and Gretchen could have imagined. With 1,600+ subscribers, over 800 videos, and a stunning 75% free trial conversion rate, it’s clear the System, well, works.

Advice for fellow fitness brands

System of Strength’s advice for others looking to pivot their brick and mortar business to a video subscription? First, don’t lose sight of your core values. “Stay true to who you are. Your brand, your ideas — and then figure out how you’re going to monetize it,” Darcey says. Trust the community you’ve built. “People had so much faith in the physical studio, they didn’t even think twice about signing up online, or telling their friend or family members about the digital studio,” says Annette. And finally: “Do the thing,” says Keri. “There’s always going to be minutiae and moving parts, but you have to start. Keep things creative and differentiate yourself.”

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