How M:7 Sports Scales Fast with Mindbody’s All-in-One Platform

When Jim Christiana launched M:7 Agency, a sports marketing firm dedicated to supporting college athletes, it was only the beginning. Soon after, he identified a broader opportunity in the fitness market. Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania lacked indoor, year-round facilities for multi-sport training, which left a noticeable gap for athletes seeking consistent spaces to train. In 2024, Christiana expanded his vision and founded M:7 Sports, a cutting-edge indoor multi-sport complex built to serve athletes of all ages and skill levels. 

M:7 Sports features a wide range of amenities, including basketball courts, batting cages, turf fields, strength and conditioning classes, and summer camps. With such diverse offerings, the business required a gym management platform that could handle its varied range of services. Christiana knew that an all-in-one solution was essential to meet these needs, and that’s when he turned to Mindbody. 

Gaining a competitive edge with Mindbody

While researching gym management platforms, Christiana focused on finding a cost-effective solution that could meet the immediate and long-term needs of M:7 Sports. As a multi-use facility offering everything from basketball courts to seasonal programs, the business required more than just basic functionality. Christiana needed a platform that could seamlessly manage program and event registrations, room assignments, memberships, and payments—all while supporting new offerings throughout the year.  

Equally important was the ability to create and manage a fully branded app. Christiana sought a tool that could convert prospects into clients and turn those clients into recurring ones by providing a streamlined and professional experience from the initial discovery to registration. Mindbody quickly emerged as the top choice, not only for its extensive list of features but also for its strong reputation in the fitness and wellness industry. 

Seamless operations in a single system

With Mindbody, M:7 Sports implemented a centralized system that brought control and organization to every aspect of their operations. Launching new programs and managing daily operations has been a seamless process thanks to a variety of platform features, including: 

• Branded app: M:7 Sports leverages the branded app to give clients a smooth, mobile-first experience. It makes it easy for members to discover programs and services, register, and manage their memberships or accounts. The app has given them a professional edge, elevated their brand, and enabled them to scale more efficiently. “The ability to create and manage our own app was helpful and cost-effective. To have that tool in our toolbox has allowed us to grow, scale, and be innovative,” said Christiana.
• Branded web tools: These user-friendly widgets allow clients to explore available offerings and sign up online with just a few clicks, simplifying the registration process and increasing conversion rates.
• Reporting: The recently updated reporting and analytics feature has helped Christiana and his staff identify blind spots that were distorting their metrics. It's revealed issues with how their memberships were previously configured.  

• Payments: Mindbody’s integrated payments solution, especially the Tap to Pay feature, has made it easy for M:7 Sports to securely and efficiently process client payments on the spot. During events like tournaments, the team was even able to uncover a new revenue stream by charging for parking and seamlessly collecting those fees using Tap to Pay. This added flexibility has enhanced both their operational efficiency and earning potential. 

  Christiana added that not only has the payments feature been great for customer convenience, but that it's cost effective and designed with business owners in mind, "It does a great job of anticipating potential issues, such as alerting staff when a client’s credit card is nearing expiration, helping to prevent payment disruptions. It's integrated to the best of its ability." 
  

• AI assistant: Mindbody's in-app AI assistant helps users navigate through the platform, providing real-time solutions that keep operations running smoothly. “When we hit a hurdle or a trouble spot, its ability to reconcile and solve those problems has been really effective. I’ve been impressed with it,” shared Christiana. 

Exceeding expectations with Mindbody

Over the past year, M:7 Sports has seen meaningful growth, operational efficiency, and an enhanced client experience—all powered by a system designed to scale with their business. Since day one, Mindbody has made it easier for families to find and register for the right programs, whether it was a strength and conditioning class or a youth sports league. Clients don't have to navigate multiple systems to sign up or participate, creating a smoother, more consistent experience for everyone.  

The platform’s efficiency has supported rapid growth. Shortly after opening, M:7 Sports launched a basketball program in partnership with the Cleveland Cavaliers. They expected 25 signups—86 participants enrolled. That momentum continued: within their first year, they reached nearly 500 members, expanded from 5 to 8 rooms, and began offering 20 summer camps across 12 different sports. 

Beyond operations and growth, Mindbody has also contributed to their financial efficiency. With competitive pricing, integrated tools, and the ability to convert more sales through a professional, branded experience, M:7 Sports has been able to reduce software costs and reinvest more capital back into the business. 

Mindbody is the foundation for scalable success

In just one year, M:7 Sports has evolved from a startup facility into a thriving community hub for athletic training—and Mindbody has been the foundation for that scalable success. For founder Jim Christiana, Mindbody’s ability to help businesses capitalize on opportunities and grow has been essential. From its cost-effectiveness and robust technical capabilities to its world-class onboarding specialists, the platform has consistently delivered. “It’s so important to teach us how to use and maximize the software. It was such a great onboarding experience," he shared. 

When asked to describe Mindbody in one word, Christiana didn’t hesitate: superior. Not solely for the software, but for the full experience; from the advanced integration capabilities and customizable web tools to the elevated customer service. In an increasingly competitive market, having a system that functions more like an ERP than a basic tool has positioned M:7 Sports for continued growth. 

Christiana attributes much of M:7 Sports’ success to the time they invested in truly learning the platform. By fully engaging in the onboarding process, he believes they positioned themselves to maximize the value of Mindbody from the start. His advice to other business owners? Prioritize onboarding. "So much time is dedicated to building your business and value propositions. But if you dedicate your time to onboarding, you can align it with your business goals, which is important," he explained. "Go further into the onboarding process so you can be in a position to develop solutions internally rather than externally." 

By understanding the full capabilities of the platform early on, Christiana and his team were able to lay the foundation for long-term success. As M:7 Sports continues to thrive, Christiana remains focused on what’s next. For him, the current success is just the beginning. “We’re at about 50% of where I want us to be,” he shared. Looking ahead, he plans to expand with additional locations and introduce even more programs and offerings. Having a software partner like Mindbody will be essential in supporting that next phase of growth.