This as-told-to is based on a conversation with Megan Roup, founder and CEO of The Sculpt Society, a digital fitness and wellness company that’s headquartered in Los Angeles. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.
In my 20s, I struggled with body image and negative self-talk. I feel like so many women can relate.
I was living in New York City, and the fitness world seemed to focus on long, intense workouts, and the messaging didn’t feel supportive. The community that I was looking for didn’t exist.
I started The Sculpt Society in 2017 as a place where women could come for an approachable, fun movement class and feel supported.
Sometimes, only two people showed up for classes. But I knew that if I had even one person in the class and could impact how they felt in their bodies and confidence, they would tell their friends, and word would spread.
That’s what happened: My classes filled up, and we grew on social media.
In 2019, I launched The Sculpt Society app as my online community expanded and digital fitness started to grow.
Now, I’m based in Los Angeles. As the business has grown, I’ve grown up with it. I just turned 40, and we launched our midlife program to create open, honest conversations about perimenopause and menopause. I want to take my community along with me at each life stage.
Today, we offer 1,000 on-demand classes and specialized programs for every life stage, including bridal, prenatal, postpartum, and now midlife. Memberships are $24.99 a month or $189.99 yearly. We have more than 350,000 members worldwide.
Empowering women during midlife
The midlife program launched in February. It includes online workouts for women over 40 that incorporate strength training, mobility, deep core, pelvic floor, cardio — all things you need in midlife.
The program also features doctor-led conversations, educating women about what’s happening in their bodies in perimenopause and menopause, including bone density, nutrition, sexual wellness, and mental health.
We have a symptom support feature that lets you choose movement based on how you feel that day, whether you’re low on energy, experiencing mood shifts, or having disrupted sleep.
Before launching the midlife program, we did a test program to get members’ feedback. We shared a Google Form on Instagram stories, which generated hundreds of responses. Others reached out to our customer support email, expressing interest in participating. They were so excited. We asked them what they liked about it and what they wanted to see more of.
My goal is always to empower women to feel confident in themselves at every stage — that’s truly my why.
But from a business perspective, I think midlife is an underserved market. There are so many women searching specifically for movement programs for this phase of life. I hope we can be there to support them when they are looking for that.
Staying in touch with our community
Another initiative that we launched in January is called Nutrition, which includes recipes that women can make at home. We also partnered with a registered dietitian and certified intuitive eating counselor to create a food freedom guide, offering guidance to help women shift their mindsets around eating.
Everything we do comes from the direct line we have to our community. We’re always listening to their needs and what they want.
They interact with us on social media. I talk to members by DM, and they email us. Our app has a community platform where members can chat and connect with one another.
I pay attention to these conversations, and I see all the comments on the workout videos we post. Our community is really loud in the best way, and they know that we listen. They feel seen and heard.
I’m truly passionate about bringing our programs to life and listening to our community. I built the workout and community I wish I had in my 20s. When I hear from members and see the impact I can make on their lives, it’s truly the most rewarding thing.
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