Michele Mehl, Founder of Excy, talks Health, Fitness, and Marketing
HBM: Where are you based?
Mehl: “Seattle, WA.”
HBM: When and how did Excy get started?
Mehl: “June 2014. Like many busy parents, my work schedule, household responsibilities, and desire to be the best possible wife, mom, sister, daughter, and friend sidelined most of my exercise goals. I was paying for a gym membership I wasn’t using (like 4 out of 6 Americans do), yet refused to cancel it because I felt that was admitting failure. I would get on the wagon to get fit, yet fall off quickly to watch the dust pile up on the treadmill, weights, and bicycle trainer in my basement.
Right around the time I turned 40, I was at the skate park with my son and was sitting on the bench. Part of me was ok with that after working all day, but then I realized I had been sitting at my desk sedentary all day. So, I started stepping up on the bench. I love to cycle, so the idea popped into my head … what if I could turn any chair into an exercise bike and the idea was born. I was working a ton running a company I had co-founded (Buzz Builders), so I sat on the idea for a year. During that year, my business partner had twins and stayed home, which meant I was working even more.
By the time 41 rolled around, I was at my highest weight, did not feel healthy, and knew I was on the wrong genetic pathway—with my dad having had two heart attacks and my mom having high blood pressure. I couldn’t let the idea go because I needed it in my life. Then, I was out riding dirt bikes with my son and a grandmother and her grandson. I realized I wanted to be like her when I was a grandma. I came home that night and talked to my husband and then my son, got their permission, and then dove in.”
HBM: Where did the name Excy come from? What does it mean?
Mehl: “Excy was an Excel column description we were using when creating our bill of materials (short for exercise cycle). We were in the middle of trying to come up with a name and realized that Excy was perfect!
HBM: Looking at the story on your website, it sounds like you didn’t come from an exercise background. How and why did you become involved in the industry?
Mehl: “Over the last 20 years in supporting technology startups, I’ve had the opportunity to work with clients in health and wellness and I come from an athletic background with playing two Division I sports as a scholarship athlete. I never thought about fitness or how I looked in a bikini. I just thought about exercise for performance in my life and in my sport. As I have aged, my health is very important to me, not only for my well-being, but I enjoy the outdoors and we are an active family. So, being able to play hard on the weekends was important to me (we snowmobile, mountain bike, cycle, paddle board, hike ,etc.).”
HBM: What is your goal for Excy?
Mehl: “Public displays of health everywhere! At our desks, truck rest stops, while watching TV, on the sideline of ours kids’ sports, at the airport, in hotels. I want to eliminate lack of time as an obstacle to something we all need and that is exercise as medicine for a healthier lifestyle and to reduce the risk of disease.”
HBM: Can you tell me a little about the Excy website?
Mehl: “We are currently using WordPress.”
HBM: How did you learn about new domain extensions?
Mehl: “Rightside is based in Kirkland, WA and I know the Rightside team, who have me convinced of the power of domains.”
HBM: Could you list the domains you’ve registered (and plan to register) for Excy, as well as how you’re using them?
Mehl: “I’ve registered quite a few for future micrososites, but have taken a more complementary approach when using our brand directly, including:
- www.Excy.tips
- www.Excy.reviews
- www.Excy.video
- www.Excy.social
- www.Excy.guide
- www.Excy.news
- www.Excy.live”
HBM: What is the motivation behind registering all of these domains for your site? What advantages do you think you’ll gain from these additional domains?
Mehl: “Whether I am on the phone, in an email exchange, printing marketing materials, or sharing a URL on a social channel, I love how short the domains are and how easy they are to remember. Also, the names are so specific that it captures the narrative and purpose of the website with zero fluff.”
HBM: How did you go about selecting the domains that best complimented your brand? Do you have your eye on any additional domains?
Mehl: “I focused on domains that I believed captured the story of the pages they represent.”
HBM: What was the process of registering and redirecting these domains? How long did it take? Do you have to be tech-savvy in order to accomplish this?
Mehl: “It didn’t take any time at all and it was super easy to redirect the domains. The key is remember to add all the right front descriptions as well because not all consumers are used to new domain names. So, make sure to add www., https://, etc.”
HBM: How did your new domains fit into your budget, given that you’re a relatively young company?
Mehl: “They a pretty inexpensive and way less expensive than re-printing a brochure because of an outdated URL.”
HBM: Is there anything you’d like to leave our readers with?
Mehl: “I love that I can use these domains as an easy way to connect with customers and that I don’t have to worry about it impacting SEO. I think domains add tremendous value to the narrative of all content.”
Meet Michele, Founder & CEO
Michele has lost almost 25 pounds with Excy and uses they system as a full body cardio and strength training platform. She focuses on high intensity interval training with resistance set as high as she can take it, 20 minutes, 5 to 6 days a week. Now she wants to share Excy with more people!
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