Why Opening a Second Studio Made Danielle Say Goodbye to Her Old Software

In conversation with Danielle Dayan, founder of Eat Sleep Pilates, Brooklyn

Eat Sleep Pilates is a boutique studio in Brooklyn founded by Danielle Dayan, offering curated group and private sessions that focus on strength, flexibility, and precision, including prenatal, stretch, and high-intensity classes.

As Danielle prepared to expand to a second location, she needed a system that could scale with her business, streamline operations, enhance the experience for her team, and elevate convenience for her growing clientele.

At a Glance

Challenge

The studio’s previous platform (Mindbody) was too limited and slow to support a growing business. Tasks like bookings, renewals, and managing waitlists were buggy and time-consuming to sort out, especially when opening a new location on a tight schedule.

Solution

Kenko’s automated waitlists and mobile app-based bookings gave clients a seamless online experience, while responsive, real human support helped Danielle stay focused on launching her second studio and teaching at the same time.

Impact

Eat Sleep Pilates now runs on auto-renewals, fills classes through smart waitlists, and saves hours on admin. Clients enjoy seamless app-based bookings, new leads book directly via Google, and shared packages make it easy to bring friends and stay consistent.

Favorite features:

Waitlist, Shared Memberships, Branded Studio App, Reserve with Google, Auto-Renewing Memberships.

The Challenge: Preparing to scale with limited tools

Danielle had been running her studio with another software platform (Mindbody) for years. However, as she prepared to open a second location, small issues began to pile up and remained unresolved for weeks, sometimes even months.

"I realized that if I had two locations (...running on Mindbody), I wouldn't be happy… just because there were a bunch of things that made it complicated," says Danielle, when asked about what pushed her to make the switch midway through opening a new location.

It wasn’t just about features—it was the lack of responsive support and the difficulty of getting help when she needed it most.

“If I had an issue (on Mindbody), I'd have to call customer service and spend 45 minutes on the phone until I finally got to a person who maybe would know how to help,” explains a frustrated Danielle.

Even core functionalities, like helping clients log in and book, or offering flexible class packs, required time-consuming workarounds. Danielle wanted something that just worked, especially for her growing clientele.

The Solution: A platform recommended by peers, backed by real human support

Danielle explored a few alternatives before making the switch to Kenko—ultimately choosing it based on a trusted recommendation from Jennifer Miller, a fellow Brooklyn studio owner and founder of The Pilates Vault.

“I knew somebody who was already using you and was happy with it… so it was less of a risk to me,” she says.

What stood out immediately was the human support. Unlike her previous experience, where help was hard to reach, Kenko’s onboarding team walked her through every step.

“We met a LOT for a bunch of weeks in a row—it was really helpful. She (Kenko's Onboarding Coach) dealt with everything I needed and answered my questions pretty quickly. It was nice to have someone to help me through it. With Mindbody, I never had that,” shares Danielle. 

The migration itself was surprisingly stress-free, thanks to Kenko’s overnight setup.

“I did like that it was done over my nighttime. I went to sleep with the thought that I was going to wake up and then it’ll be done—which was nice,” recalls Danielle with a smile. 

The Impact: Less admin and happier clients

Danielle started seeing improvements right away. With auto-renewals and shared class packs, she spent less time chasing payments and more time teaching her clients.

“Somebody finishes their package and they automatically get recharged for another one… I don’t have to worry about unpaid bookings, which is great.”

Her clients noticed the change, too. The branded studio app and seamless waitlist experience made a clear difference.

“Everybody loves the waitlist—how it works. I don’t find that any other booking system has the waitlist the way that Kenko does, and I like that. My clients keep saying, ‘I’m so happy you’re not on Mindbody anymore.’”

Kenko’s Reserve with Google integration also started working behind the scenes to bring in new leads from Google search and Maps. 

“I got an email this morning that said 55 clicks on the Book Now button. I was like—wow—I never had that before.”

On the backend, small but thoughtful features helped Danielle run more personalized operations with less friction.

“We use [tags] in our studio to label people as prenatal… even if they haven’t told anybody else, the instructor still has to know.”

Danielle adds that these are the kinds of features she didn’t realize she needed—until they were there.

Conclusion

With her second location now live, Danielle continues to explore tools like marketing journeys, automated reviews, and referral flows—while spending less time on admin and more time with her clients.

For her, the switch to Kenko wasn’t just about better features. It was about finding a platform that listens, improves, and grows alongside her business.

“Everything is just much more simple…,” says Danielle.