As You Grow a Global Business Like Gympass, Focus on Physical and Mental Health

©iStock/Antonio_Diaz

Meet the founder, Cesar Carvalho, of the truly international business, Gympass.  The story goes like this:  When Cesar left his small hometown in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais to study in São Paulo, he had no idea he would be where he is today.

The entrepreneur leading one of the largest corporate platforms for physical activity in the world is having a whirlwind of a year: he moved to the United States in January to accelerate the company's expansion, already present in 14 countries. Months later, in June, a $300 million funding round led by SoftBank raised the startup's market value beyond $ 1 billion.

What keeps his sanity and rhythm for running a hip business is his focus on physical and mental health.  It goes like this:

"No matter where I am in the world, I make sure that I am back in time for dinner with my wife on Friday. Weekends are sacred, and are reserved for her and my children, as well as physical activities with them - I rarely work on those days," he [Cesar] points out.

Read more about how Gympass is a Brazilian company gone global.