Wellness Activities Boost Productivity, Performance: TotalPass

Q: How does TotalPass address the evolving expectations of the Mexican workforce, especially regarding benefits to improve well-being and work-life balance?

A: The drive for work-life balance is already present. We aim to ride that wave and collaborate with businesses to address the high prevalence of obesity, cardiovascular diseases, and workplace stress in Mexico. We aim to offer a corporate benefit in the form of an integrative wellness platform that focuses on physical activity, mental health, and nutrition. This model directly benefits companies’ bottom lines by improving productivity, enhancing performance, reducing turnover, and strengthening talent attraction and retention. Ultimately, we strive for happy employees and healthy companies.

Q: How does TotalPass help companies align their wellness benefits with the diverse lifestyle needs of different generations?

A: We offer an integrative wellness aggregator that serves as both the gateway and the lever through which companies can provide their employees with access to comprehensive well-being services. There is a strong emphasis on physical activity, which has a direct impact on mental health and is closely linked to effective leadership. Our platform also includes mental health and nutritional health components.

A common misconception is the belief that a benefit like ours is designed only for people who are already highly active or fit. In reality, it is quite the opposite. We operate under a B2B model, enabling companies to offer this benefit to their entire workforce, not just those already engaged in physical wellness. In Mexico, few people regularly engage in regular physical activity. Our goal is to reach the much larger segment of the population that is not physically active but has a clear need for better wellness support. Many people do not engage in wellness activities simply because they have not found one they enjoy. Others may not be willing to commit to a costly monthly membership at a gym, academy, or studio for an activity they do not genuinely like.

With Total Pass, individuals gain access to over 250 types of activities. Ideally, this variety allows individuals to discover a hobby or an activity they truly enjoy, increasing their level of physical activity. This service is not limited to a single city, allowing employees to engage in wellness activities when they travel.

Q: How is TotalPass contributing to the creation of a workplace culture that employees would proudly recommend?

A: A large percentage of Mexico’s population leads a sedentary lifestyle, which is a major public health concern. Our business model is structured around partnerships with companies. Once a partnership is established, we work closely with each company to engage their workforce. This includes a range of joint efforts designed to encourage employees to take meaningful steps toward improving their well-being.

Through our model, employees receive access to TotalPass but they can also extend the benefit to dependents or beneficiaries. This feature encourages collaboration and support. TotalPass goes beyond physical activity; it also includes access to mindfulness tools, psychological therapy, meditation, and nutritional coaching. It is a fully integrated approach to wellness.

Our business model also benefits gyms, studios, and wellness centers across the country. We offer them an additional revenue stream by bringing them new users at no customer acquisition cost. We help drive traffic and growth to their businesses while fulfilling our mission of expanding access to wellness across Mexico.

Q: How are Total Fit, Total Mind, and Total Nutri programs designed to respond to holistic health needs?

A: Our product has become more robust over the years. Initially, the emphasis was placed primarily on physical activity, but we have progressively incorporated mental health and nutritional components. We have listened closely to our clients, to the end users, and to the broader wellness market. New wellness trends continue to emerge, and we recognize that comprehensive well-being is no longer limited to just physical, mental, or nutritional health; it increasingly includes a social dimension as well.

The pandemic fundamentally changed our perspective. Nearly 60% of the gyms, studios, and wellness centers operating in Mexico did not exist prior to the pandemic. That speaks volumes about how much the industry has shifted in response to people's evolving needs.

Q: How did the pandemic change your perspective on wellness and social connections?

A: The pandemic heightened our awareness of the importance of well-being in all its dimensions. First and foremost, it reminded us of the value of being healthy. It also led many to reevaluate the significance of social relationships. Isolation highlighted the benefits of human connection. Wellness now has a strong social element involved. Humans are inherently social beings, and connections make people better, happier, and more fulfilled. 

Q: How does TotalPass’s platform enable employees to engage with benefits on their own terms and schedules?

A: The application uses geolocation technology, allowing users to view all available venues regardless of location. This flexibility is one of the app’s most valuable features. TotalPass offers functionality to track or measure progress through data. Clients have full access to all application data, which allows them to monitor employee engagement with the program and link participation metrics to broader business outcomes. The goal is to demonstrate how TotalPass positively influences key performance indicators such as productivity, employee performance, talent attraction, retention, and turnover rates. This data can be correlated with employee satisfaction surveys and overall workplace climate assessments.

Q: How is the increasing emphasis on mental health and mindfulness reflected in TotalPass’s offerings, and what trends do you see shaping this space in Mexico?

A: Our platform offers mobile applications that allow users to dedicate time to practices such as meditation and mindfulness. These exercises can be performed at work, in transit, or wherever convenient. TotalPass also provides access to psychological therapy through trusted partners. Employees and their beneficiaries can schedule therapy sessions as part of their wellness benefit.  We also have partnerships that support nutritional health, offering personalized guidance based on individual preferences and goals.

We maintain extensive alliances with over 5,000 gyms, studios, and wellness centers nationwide. Together, these components aim to promote sustained health and help prevent future medical issues.

Q: How has the shift to hybrid work models influenced your company’s approach to employee wellness and service offerings?

A: During the pandemic, work models transitioned from fully on-site to remote as circumstances permitted, and now have largely evolved into hybrid arrangements. Most companies, if possible, are gravitating toward this hybrid model as it offers the best of all worlds by providing flexibility. Simultaneously, working in an office environment fosters productivity, strengthens collaboration with colleagues, and enhances a sense of belonging. Face-to-face interactions often resolve issues more quickly, but this does not necessitate daily, full-time office presence.

The hybrid model strikes an ideal balance. It has proven successful for us and for many of our clients. This hybrid work approach makes our service even more relevant. It aligns with flexible work dynamics not only within one’s home city but also when traveling to other cities or states within the country.

Q: What innovations is TotalPass exploring to better support companies in meeting the personalized benefit expectations of Mexico’s multigenerational workforce?

A: We aim to reach every corner of Mexico and we are also committed to strengthening our product. Although our mission centers on holistic wellness, we are fundamentally a technology company. Our mobile application integrates all the essential components typical of a high-quality product and service. We are exploring partnerships that expand into additional dimensions of wellness not yet widely integrated or popular within our platform. Increasingly, people recognize that wellness encompasses financial, social, and emotional aspects, beyond the traditional physical and mental health focus.

Our goal is to integrate these emerging wellness dimensions into our platform by partnering with relevant providers, broadening the range of benefits available to our users across all these areas.

Q: Why does your business model focus on partnering with companies rather than on offering a direct-to-consumer service?

A: We do not provide a direct-to-consumer model at present because, by partnering with companies, we can offer users access to a vast range of activities at a lower cost than that of a typical gym membership. Many do not engage in regular physical activity due to economic barriers. By collaborating closely with the corporate ecosystem, including our partners and clients, we have created a model that is both functional and accessible to all.

Within TotalPass, users can choose from various packages, ensuring that the service fits the needs of the entire population.

Q: How does your business model create value for clients, partners, and the broader community?

A: Well-being is valuable and benefits both personally and professionally. Our clients are pleased because partnering with us allows them to address a broader societal challenge, while supporting the happiness and well-being of their employees. From a business perspective, this collaboration directly enhances organizational performance by positively impacting employees.

Simultaneously, it creates a new revenue stream and increased traffic for our network of partners at no customer acquisition cost. We take great pride in working together with all stakeholders to help make Mexico a country that prioritizes and embraces well-being.

TotalPass is a corporate wellness benefit that aims to boost employee productivity and well-being through exercise programs, training, and mindfulness practices.