The Seamless Experience of Switching to Mariana Tek 

Switching platforms is a big decision. We know that. You’ve built your business around your current software, your team knows how it works, and your members are used to how they book. The idea of changing all of that at once can feel overwhelming before you’ve even started.

That’s exactly why the Mariana Tek onboarding experience was built the way it was. Not as an afterthought, but as a craft. A structured, high-touch process that takes the uncertainty out of switching and replaces it with a clear plan, a dedicated team, and a go-live day your studio is genuinely ready for.

Here’s what that process looks like for Australian studios making the move.

The three phases of switching to Mariana Tek

Every studio that moves to Mariana Tek goes through a structured three-phase process. The detail within each phase is tailored to the studio’s specific setup, but the framework is consistent because consistency is what makes it work.

Phase 1: Discovery and data collection

The process starts before anything is built. Your onboarding specialist takes time to understand how your business actually operates. Your class schedule, your membership types, your pricing, your automations, your integrations. That understanding shapes how the platform is configured for you rather than applying a generic setup and leaving you to adjust it later.

Data collection runs alongside those conversations. Client records, memberships, passes, and payment details are gathered and prepared for migration. Work on your branded app and website integrations typically begins in this phase too.

Phase 2: Training

Before your team goes live, they need to know the platform. Mariana Tek gives studios access to a sandbox environment so your team can explore before anything is live. That’s backed up with live training sessions led by onboarding specialists who understand boutique fitness operations, and on-demand resources your team can return to as needed.

The goal is that by go-live day your staff feel confident, not like they’re still finding their feet.

Phase 3: Pre-launch and go-live

Before you go live, your onboarding specialist works through a configuration review with you to make sure everything looks right. Studios typically have the opportunity to preview what their setup will look like before migration happens, so there are fewer surprises on the day.

The migration is managed to minimise disruption to your operations. Your onboarding team is available throughout the process, and there’s usually a check-in shortly after go-live to make sure everything is running the way it should.

Support continues beyond go-live. The transition period is treated as part of the onboarding, not the end of it.

What makes the Mariana Tek onboarding different

The difference isn’t just in what happens during the process. It’s in how the process is approached.

Some platforms complete a data migration and consider the job done. The Mariana Tek approach is to work through the migration with you rather than for you. Your onboarding specialist is involved in reviewing what’s been set up, addressing any gaps early, and making sure the configuration reflects how your studio actually operates.

The team that manages your onboarding comes from the fitness industry. That means conversations about your setup don’t require you to spend time explaining how boutique fitness works. Your specialist already understands the context, and that tends to make the whole process more efficient.

What switching from Mindbody looks like

For studios currently on Mindbody, the migration process has some meaningful advantages worth understanding. Client data, memberships, and passes can typically be migrated directly, and in many cases credit card details transfer across too, which means your members may not need to re-enter their payment information when they move to the new app.

Every migration is different and your onboarding specialist will walk you through exactly what applies to your setup, but the Mindbody to Mariana Tek transition is one of the more straightforward ones we handle.

“With Mindbody, I’d spend hours troubleshooting, being on hold, waiting for calls back. That’s time I needed to be building the business, not fixing someone else’s problems.”

Elisha Dyck, Owner, Barre & Bike

How to prepare for a smooth switch

The studios that tend to have the smoothest go-live days are the ones that prepared well before the process started. A few things worth doing before you begin.

Audit your current data. Know what you have. Active clients, current memberships, live passes, and any data inconsistencies worth cleaning up before migration. Clean data migrates more cleanly.

Map your current workflows. Document how your team handles the tasks they do every day. Your onboarding specialist can use this to configure the platform around your operations rather than asking you to adapt your operations to a default setup.

Communicate with your team early. Staff who understand why the change is happening and what the process looks like tend to adapt faster than staff who feel surprised by it. The earlier that conversation happens, the more settled your team will be by go-live day.

Plan your timing. There is never a perfect moment to switch. But some windows work better than others. A quieter trading period gives your team more capacity to absorb the new platform before peak demand returns.

What comes after go-live

The first few weeks after going live are when the investment in a thorough onboarding tends to pay off. Your team knows the platform. Your members are booking through a new app that feels like yours. Your reporting is giving you visibility you didn’t have before.

The manual workarounds your team relied on start to disappear. The features that may have been locked behind a tier upgrade on your previous platform are included. The client experience reflects the quality of your studio rather than a third-party platform.

“Our members don’t realise it’s a booking platform. To them, it just feels like our brand.”

Elisha Dyck, Owner, Barre & Bike

“Since switching to Mariana Tek, our team spends less time on admin and more time with members. That’s exactly where we want their energy to go.”

Kyle Riley, Co-Owner, Therapy

“Our members notice the app. It feels premium, it’s easy to use, and that matters when you’re charging a premium price for a premium experience.”

Emma Masters, Co-Owner, Therapy

A Q&A with Mariana Tek’s onboarding program architect, Lauren Everett

Lauren: We wanted to share more about what makes the Mariana Tek onboarding experience different. Here’s a conversation with Lauren Everett, Senior Director of Customer Onboarding and the person behind our onboarding strategy and process.

How would you describe the Mariana Tek onboarding experience?

Lauren: It’s a very high-touch, white-glove process. We take the time to deeply understand each client’s unique business. Our onboarding isn’t about rushing clients through—it’s about tailoring the system to match their operations and goals.

Q: What sets Mariana Tek’s onboarding apart from competitors like Mindbody? 

Lauren: Many competitors do a data dump and just say, “You’re live.” We’re different. We do prep work—like a dry run migration—so clients can preview what their setup will look like. We review data with them, not for them.  

And we’ve streamlined migration to minimize downtime—typically less than a day—while other platforms might keep you offline for several. Your studio can keep classes running while we handle the switch, and we’ll have everyone fully trained in the platform well before migration day so you’re really set up to win. 

Q: What is the onboarding process like from start to finish? 

Lauren: It’s broken into three core phases: 

Q: What kind of support do clients receive on launch day and immediately after? 

Lauren: On Day 1, we have an hour-long check-in call to answer questions. Clients also continue working closely with their onboarding specialist o ensure a smooth transition.  

Q: How do you manage expectations around time and effort required from the client? 

Lauren: We provide a timeline that breaks down the weekly commitments—calls, training, data collection—so it’s all manageable. We want clients to know exactly what to expect and when. 

Q: What’s some feedback you’ve received from clients about onboarding?

Lauren: Clients really appreciate the clear process and defined timeline we provide from the beginning. They also love how readily available and hands-on our team is. One client recently mentioned how difficult changing software can be, and how she was nervous to announce the change to her business partners and staff. She was thrilled that Mariana Tek  joined her for the announcement meeting to answer questions. This owner felt supported, not overwhelmed — and that changed her whole perspective on the experience.

Ready to make the move?

If you’re at the point where you know it’s time to switch, the next step is a conversation with our team. We’ll walk you through what the process looks like for your specific setup and make sure you have everything you need to make the right decision.