Chatting to Alex Pellew, Co-Founder and CXO of UNTIL it was clear to hear the excitement and passion in his voice. I got a sense that their business was born out of a true desire to help the industry professionals in a broken system.
Over the years of working in the Wellness industry I was aware of some of the injustices in the traditional business model for therapists and wellness professionals renting client spaces, but Alex highlighted that it was far worse than I had originally imagined.
In 2018, Daniel, one of the co founders, personally experienced the high costs of renting spaces and monthly fees. Both Daniel and Alex then spent the next 18 months hanging out with professionals learning about the challenges they faced and what they needed to thrive. It became clear that while the owners of centres and the clients were thriving, the people who lost out were the trained professionals who found themselves working long hours for little financial reward.
The only options available to a professional was to rent a space at a clinic or go it alone and become a business owner. Both of these options are challenging, either paying high monthly fees and a large proportion of their session prices to a clinic or gym owner or being responsible for leases, running costs, marketing, employing staff which leaves little time to give quality care to their clients.
UNTIL was eventually co-founded in 2021 by Vishal Amin, CEO, Alex Pellew, CXO, Daniel Chappell, Partnership Lead, and Finance Lead Jay Amin, when they started to see that there was another option.
Similar to the co-working office concept they formed the foundations of a new type of community. A place that not only offered spaces for wellness professionals to practice but one that supported them and created a true sense of community. Rather than working in a competitive environment, they would also work together, passing referrals and working collaboratively.
The thing that makes this also work is that each wellness professional can grow their own client base. I have seen how clinics and gyms own the client base, the practitioner feeling trapped, unable to leave a clinic and health centre for fear of losing their clients.
I wondered what were the challenges they faced in creating this new way of working.
Alex explained that it has taken time for the professionals to understand this new way of working. Their first space was in Soho, and introducing a monthly membership was a new concept for most professionals. However they now understand the value, each member has access to a staffed reception area where their clients are greeted, a clubhouse, to run their business from, video and podcast booths, fully equipped gym, 9 treatment rooms and 6 coaching rooms for talk therapy. They now have over 275 independent professionals across 30+ different training, treatment and therapeutic disciplines working from their London facilities, creating a positive experience for both the professional and the clients.
Alex explained that it was important that professionals could scale their business without loosing a percentage of their earnings, and finally enjoy the profits they deserve.
The only challenges have really been about re-educating the industry that there is a better way to operate. Not only from the professionals point of view but also the landlords in searching for venues. At the beginning they found it hard to find buildings and landlords who understood this concept but now landlords are approaching them as they see the value of this type of business model.
This concept is one that I applaud and can only see the benefits to everyone. From the landlord and business owners to the professionals and the end client. It’s a win-win for everyone.
Their clubs in Soho and Liverpool Street have treatment rooms for a range of experts, from physiotherapists to massage therapists and osteopaths to podiatrists. The coaching rooms across these facilities also provide work spaces for psychotherapists, counsellors and nutritionists, while the gyms cater for everyone from personal trainers to strength & conditioning coaches. Their services also include cutting edge technology such as cryotherapy and hyperbaric oxygen therapy chambers.
Access the very best equipment from around the world, with integrated performance technology that gives you the ability to better track and assess your customers.
And now they have a third exciting venue under construction which will see them expand into medical and dentistry.
Although their expansion plans are firmly fixed on London, with the announcement of investor Steve Bartlett joining them as Marketing Co-Founder, I am sure it won’t be long before they set their sights on new venues.
Combining his passion for entrepreneurship and health, Bartlett has always had a competitive attitude with a passion for bettering himself – a mindset he has applied in both his business dealings and to his own health. From never missing a gym session, to scheduling meetings from 11am onwards to ensure he is performing to his full potential, he knows how to achieve the marginal gains that set him apart in all aspects of life.
“I can’t think of someone more aligned with the direction of UNTIL than Steven. We exist to help wellness practitioners break free and create their own thriving business. Steven is not only passionate about wellness but is also one of the most respected and successful entrepreneurs of his generation. With his support, we can change the landscape of the wellness industry for the better, putting power back into the hands of practitioners.” Alex Pellew, Co-Founder and CXO of UNTIL
Find out more at UNTIL.co.uk
About Steven Bartlett
He is an Entrepreneur, speaker, investor, author and the host of UKs No.1 podcast ‘The Diary of a CEO’. In January 2022, Steven joined BBC’s hit TV show Dragon’s Den from Series 19 as the youngest ever Dragon in the Show’s history.
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