🧘 Mindbody + ClassPass = perfect match

PLUS: The business that gets cats high. October 15, 2021 [The Hustle]( In July, Wally Funk was crowned as the oldest-ever person to fly to space, at 82. On Wednesday, 90-year-old William Shatner beat her record. At this rate, one might expect to see a 98-year-old lift off come February. Today’s rundown: - Booking Behemoth: Why Mindbody + ClassPass = the perfect fitness match. - Green Leaf Blowers: Can California’s landscapers still make money with electric equipment? - Meowijuana: The cool AF business that wants to get your cat high. Let’s do it. The big idea [lifting weights]( Mindbody’s acquisition of ClassPass is a bet on in-person fitness bouncing back Few businesses have had to sweat out the pandemic like the fitness industry. The US fitness market [lost]( $20B in 2020, with 22% of fitness facilities [closing]( permanently, and 1.5m fitness workers losing their job. But Mindbody, which helps drive bookings for fitness studios, is doubling down on recovery. The firm [acquired]( ClassPass for an undisclosed amount in an all-stock deal, and secured a $500m round of funding for the joint entity, per TechCrunch. The move has been compared to Facebook’s acquisition of Instagram... … because it brings together 2 complementary platforms: - Mindbody offers software for studios to manage bookings, along with a consumer-facing app where users can book classes (think OpenTable for fitness studios) - ClassPass offers a monthly subscription that gives subscribers access to a fixed number of classes across a range of studios Joining forces will strengthen both products, and should lead to benefits for studios and consumers: - Mindbody will give ClassPass subscribers access to a wider selection of studios - ClassPass will help Mindbody’s customers fill more classes But are people ready to return to the gym? Mindbody and ClassPass claim their data shows pent-up demand for in-person fitness -- and recent research [suggests]( they’re on to something: - In June, traffic at gyms recovered to 83% of pre-pandemic levels - Meanwhile, searches for digital fitness have fallen since peaking in April 2020, per Jefferies Research While the delta variant may impact traffic for the immediate future, the acquisition (and funding) will allow the new super app to thrive once consumers feel comfortable sweating in public again. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=Mindbody%E2%80%99s+acquisition+of+ClassPass+is+a+bet+on+in-person+fitness+bouncing+back%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F10152021-Mindbody-ClassPass%3Futm_campaign%3DMindbody%2Band%2BClassPass%26utm_content%3D10152021-Mindbody-ClassPass%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( SNIPPETS NEW! Introducing our new and improved [Snippets](. You can now get extra snippets on your favorite topics. Follow the button below to get started. (It takes less than 30 seconds!) - Quitting season: ~4.3m Americans [quit]( their job in August, the most in a month in the 20 years the government has been keeping track. - Investor fitness: LeBron James [backed]( Tonal, a connected-fitness brand that also counts Serena Williams and Steph Curry as backers. - Another one (SPAC edition): SeatGeek [announced]( plans to go public via SPAC in a $1.35B deal.The SPAC is backed by Billy Beane, the baseball executive and subject of Moneyball. - Secondhand lux: The shortage of luxury watches has [created]( a $20B secondhand market, and startups want a (time)piece. - New use case: Apple [announced]( it is studying how to make AirPods a health device -- including features like enhanced hearing, reading temperature, and monitoring posture. Join the 113,334 others who are now enjoying extra, personalized snippets. Click the button👇 to choose your favorite topics and see your list grow in tomorrow’s email. [Personalize Your Snippets]( Green Landscaping [leaf blower]( Can California’s landscapers still make money with electric equipment? Sleeping in’s natural enemy, the gas-powered leaf blower, is on its way out in California. A new state [law]( bans the sale of small off-road engines (SOREs) by 2024 -- or as deemed feasible by the California Air Resources Board (CARB). There are 16.7m SOREs in California… … and they’re often noisy and cause pollution. For example, running a leaf blower for 1 hour emits as much smog as driving 1.1k miles, [per]( CARB. The state has earmarked $30m to help professional landscapers get new equipment, [per]( the Los Angeles Times. But is that enough? Daniel Mabe, founder and president of the [American Green Zone Alliance]( (AGZA) told The Hustle that commercial electric models are 35%-45% more expensive, on average, than gas. But AGZA teaches companies how to best use, store, and maintain equipment, plus how to safely handle, repurpose, and recycle lithium batteries. And with the right know-how, you can save in the long run. Here’s a savings example: - A high-end 2-stroke gas leaf blower costs ~$1.20/hour (gas, 2-stroke oil, and preventive and repair maintenance) - A comparative electric blower costs ~$0.18-$0.20/hour to use at full power (swap gas and oil for electricity) Gas blowers are more powerful than even the best electric blowers. “But what we have found… is you don’t need hurricane-force winds to maintain acres of property,” Mabe said. If it doesn’t rain much -- like in many parts of California -- you can get down to $0.08-$0.15/hour, plus employees don’t have to breathe in fumes. [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=Can+California%E2%80%99s+landscapers+still+make+money+with+electric+equipment%3F%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F10152021-electric-landscaping-equipment%3Futm_campaign%3DMindbody%2Band%2BClassPass%26utm_content%3D10152021-electric-landscaping-equipment%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( Free Resource Apply for the HubSpot CRM Platform Fund HubSpot’s investing [$100m in early and scaling tech companies]( that are committed to exceptional customer-first growth. Prouda you, pops. Since HubSpot Venture’s 2018 debut, they’ve backed 25 businesses including Clari, Descript, xentral, Goldcast, and Circle, among other thriving outfits. Join the next class of rising software startups This is the opportunity you (or someone you’re fond of) has been waiting for. We’re looking for exceptional teams with skybound SaaS products. The CRM Platform Fund is a game-changer. And open for applications right now. Send it. [Learn more →]( Cool AF Business [Meowijuana cat]( Meowijuana wants to get your cat high WHAT’S THE DEAL? - Catnip, a type of plant that’s part of the mint family, gets cats high through a chemical called nepetalactone. - In the US, [~31.8m]( households own cats, and [$42B]( was spent on pet food and treats in 2020. - Meowijuana packages catnip like weed and sells everything a cat owner needs, from treats and toys to accessories. Is your cat stressed out from a long day of scratching everything in the home office? [Meowijuana]( is looking to take the edge off with a line of catnip products packaged like weed. The company’s hilarious packaging is marketing gold You can get pre-rolled joints, a jar of buds, or a pill bottle for your high-strung 4-legged friend. Customers (or their cats at least) seem to be loving it. Meowijuana’s parent company, SmarterPaw LLC, just made the [Inc. 5000](list for the 2nd year in a row, with 789% 3-year revenue growth. And there’s something for everyone (with paws) The company introduced a spinoff for dogs -- [Doggijuana](. With 5-star reviews like “Considering sending my fur baby to rehab,” it would seem this stuff is potent. Have at it, Mittens. (Have an idea for a Cool AF Business story? [Tell us about it here.]() [Share on Facebook]( [Share on Twitter]( [Send as email to a friend](mailto:?subject=The%20Hustle%20wrote%20something%20I%20think%20you%27ll%20like...%0A&body=Meowijuana+wants+to+get+your+cat+high%0Ahttps%3A%2F%2Fthehustle.co%2F10152021-Meowijuana%3Futm_campaign%3DMindbody%2Band%2BClassPass%26utm_content%3D10152021-Meowijuana%26utm_medium%3Demail%26utm_source%3Ddaily%0A%0AYou%20can%20subscribe%20with%20my%20link%20here%20to%20get%20the%20latest%20in%20tech%20and%20business%20daily:%0A [View on our website]( TRENDS $951k/mo from selling rubber ducks... Are you an aspiring entrepreneur looking for the right market to jump into? Here are 3 emerging markets our Trends.co analysts uncovered this week: - 🎨 Sensory art (think finger painting) is designed to engage and develop children’s senses. Companies selling rubber ducks ($951k/mo), fidget poppers ($479k/mo), and sand and water tables ($329k/mo) are just 3 examples of [products]( you can launch. - 👀 Claw clips are back. Amazon searches are up 368% over the last 90 days, according to Jungle Scout, and we found one 4-pack that [generates $446k/mo.]( - 🛰️ The satellite industry is moon bound, and you don’t have to be the 1st- or 2nd-richest person to get in. We found [accessible]( opportunities in data, branding, and media. Want access to 1k+ vetted markets delivered to your inbox every week? Consider trying our [7-day trial]( of Trends and surprise yourself with what you can build. [Squeak, squeak →]( AROUND THE WEB 💀 On this day: Since 1999, automakers have installed child-safety seat anchors in all passenger seats. On this day in 2004, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration [decided]( that needn’t apply to hearses as children don’t ride in them. 🎵 Useful: Use [Midomi]( to identify a song by singing or humming a few bars. 🚇 Wow: The MTA shows off [construction]( on a terminal that will bring Long Island trains to Grand Central Station in NYC for the 1st time. All of this is happening 150 feet below Park Ave. 🧾 How to: Did you start a side hustle this year? Then this Forbes [guide]( to doing your freelancer/gig worker taxes might come in handy. 🖌️ Chill out: Check out Google Arts and Culture’s [Paint With Music](. Just choose a relaxing scene and an instrument, then draw lines with your mouse to compose. 🐄 Haha: And now, a [helpful cow]( offers directions. IN CASE YOU MISSED IT (A roundup of our best reads from the last couple weeks…) 🤵 [The family]( that owns a share of the $7B James Bond franchise 🧳 [Why airlines need]( business travel to return 👶 [Alexa, how is tech]( changing baby names? 📊 [From Excel spreadsheet]( to $5B IPO: The story of NerdWallet 🧑‍🏫 [The wild problems]( TikTok is causing at school Shower Thoughts - [“If you simply carry a mug with you, you’ll look like you belong anywhere.”]( - [“If a sloth clapped, it would always sound sarcastic.”]( - [“With every company making their own streaming services and filling them with ads, people are probably going to start preferring to buy DVDs of shows again.”]( - [“People stereotype cooking as ‘women's work’ but if you ask them to think of a head chef they'll picture a man.”]( - “[You put a paper in a folder to prevent it from folding.”]( [via Reddit]( How did you like today’s email? 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