Chief Executive Officer
Jeff Gardner
“Whether you think you can, or you think you can't, you are right.”
—Henry Ford
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
I have never worked with a better team of people who care so much.
What do you live for?
A long ride, a cold beer, unwinding with family and friends
What’s your fitness passion?
I am passionate about endurance mountain bike racing. The big race for this year is the TransRockies Challenge mountain bike stage race. I love CrossFit and Pilates to stay strong in the offseason.
Alternate dream job?
I can't think of a job better than this. Technology, Fitness and passionate customers. It doesn't get any better than this.
Inspired by?
Hearing that something can't be done.
Do you have a nickname?
El Jefe'
Hometown?
Pittsburgh, PA. Go Steelers.
Founder, Chief Technology Officer
Ben Pate
“If I close my mind in fear, please pry it open”
—Metallica
Ben is a CrossFitter, 3rd degree black belt in Taekwondo, and UCLA graduate who has worked with technology since his dad brought home an Apple II computer. He's passionate about making simple, usable technology that makes a positive difference in people's lives.
In 2006, Ben left a boring corporate job to create Zen Planner, and did so with two goals: helping to grow the small businesses that improve their local communities, and raising the bar for what businesses should expect from technology.
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
The best part about being on the Zen Planner team is knowing the positive impact that we have on real people every day. Our team has created a fantastic system for growing businesses, and hearing about their success is always the best part of my day.
What do you live for?
Abolishing the word “can’t”
What’s your fitness passion?
CrossFit. I’ve done tons of workout programs, and nothing compares to a well designed WOD.
Inspired by?
Steve Jobs. For all his faults, and all of his successes, he never let the status quo get in his way.
Alternate dream job?
Are you kidding?
Do you have a nickname?
Daddy
Hometown?
Los Angeles, CA
Founder, Chief Product Officer
Filipina Pate
“Be excellent to each other.”
—Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
Being a part of a group of wildly diverse people who share my values and live by them everyday.
What do you live for?
Making it fun and rewarding for my team members to create an awesome customer experience.
What’s your fitness passion?
It's stinky but I'm digging the Hot Yoga classes.
Inspired by?
My grandma only finished 3rd grade but sent all 7 of her kids through college by running her own sewing business.
Alternate dream job?
Personal chef or food blogger.
Vice President, Sales and Marketing
Dennie McGarry
“To give anything less than your best, is to sacrifice the gift.”
—Steve Prefontaine
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
Zen Planner has a culture of being passionate about fitness and small business. The product is amazing, the people are fantastic, and our customers are the best in the world.
What do you live for?
My wife and three little girls and our extraordinary adventure of life with family and friends, pursuing our passions and sharing our experiences. I think most of us can think of times when you know the moment is just right, where all things are just perfect. Those times make all of the hard work, pain and effort even more rewarding.
What’s your fitness passion?
Cycling! Whether it’s road biking 120 miles, mountain biking the Colorado Trail, commuting in the fresh snow on the South Platte River, cruising to the ice cream store with the kids, or doing the maintenance and repairs, I love it all.
Inspired by?
All of our customers who are pursuing their dreams of owning their own business and improving the lives of others.
Alternate dream job?
Doing it right now!
Hometown?
I spent the majority of my life in North Carolina. I lived in Charlotte for most of that time, went to school in Chapel Hill and met my wife at the coast where we lived for 6 years on the coast.
Director of Technology
Dan Chernoff
"Never Give Up, Never Surrender."
—Tim Allen, Galaxy Quest
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
Working for a company that builds software to help people, help people.
What’s your fitness passion?
Being in the mountains or hiking with my kids.
Inspired by?
Captain Kirk and Nicola Tesla
Alternate dream job?
This IS my dream job. I can’t imagine myself doing anything else.
Senior Software Architect
John Blayter
"In programming, the hard part isn't solving problems,
but deciding what problems to solve."
—Paul Graham
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
Running a business is hard enough. Making it successful and grow is truly an art.
Spending all of my time on making sure that the software works to improve and grow thousands of businesses around the world is THE BEST!
What do you live for?
I live for my family! I am married with 3 kids and we spend our nights and weekends playing, training and racing.
What’s your fitness passion?
Anything with a coupon and bling at the finnish line! I love to do urban races, mud runs, triathlons, bike races and running everything from half marathons to a 5k. However I am looking for a 12 step program to stop signing up from so many races. I need to find a coupon for that first though.
Inspired by?
Our forefathers in software architecture. I want to code things a certain way because that has been a proven way to solve the problem before. How can I learn from what they did and apply it to whats next.
Alternate dream job?
I love to code! I would love to work at a think tank working on the next great thing in software to roll out to the world.
Quality Assurance Engineer
Ashley Dennis
"It’s about self-improvement,
about being better than you were the day before."
—Steve Young
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
I don't think of Zen Planner as a team I think of us as a family moving forward to accomplish the same goals. I don't mean to brag.....but we have such amazing individuals here and we work so well together to help each other and our members.
What do you live for?
I live to spend time with my loved ones and enjoy the time we have together.
What’s your fitness passion?
I have a passion to put in the work and see it pay off, whether it is trying to build more shoulders or just have better technique at Muay Thai. Its amazing what your mind and body can accomplish when you really focus on goals.
Inspired by?
Those who have had a harder path and persevered.
Alternate dream job?
Fitness Guru
Do you have a nickname?
Pegasus
User Experience Designer
Anna Gardner
"Nothing can stop a person with the right mental attitude
from achieving his/her goal; nothing on earth
can help a person with the wrong mental attitude."
—Thomas Jefferson
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
I love the energy of our team at Zen Planner. Everyone jumps in to help with whatever is needed, even if outside their 'normal' role. And, everyone is passionate about something fitness related and it's fun to laugh and share these things with each other. As a whole, our number one priority is providing excellent customer service and that means every team member, even the ones not answering the day-to-day calls. I couldn't ask to be surrounded by a better, more dedicated group of people.
What do you live for?
Laughing. I love to laugh. I love it when others are laughing. My favorite is when my three kids are laughing uncontrollably about something. It's contagious, even if they are laughing about the most ridiculous thing.
What’s your fitness passion?
I love mountain biking, trail running, CrossFit and skiing.
Inspired by?
Chocolate
Alternate dream job?
This is it, baby. I'm living the dream right here, right now!
Do you have a nickname?
Anna Banana and Red
Hometown?
Charlotte, NC
Customer Advocate
Matt Share
“No citizen has a right to be an amateur in the matter of physical training. What a disgrace it is for a man to grow old without ever seeing the beauty and strength of which his body is capable.”
—Socrates
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
Everyone at Zen Planner is a winner. Every member of the team has had a unique life experience and brings an impressive set of skills to the table. Immediately after joining the team I realized how quickly the product progresses and the team improves. If you’re in the Zen Planner office, you’re passionate about providing a quality service and you truly believe in the software. You’re also most likely a lifelong athlete, coach or just a fitness nut. Makes for a very exciting day-to-day.
What do you live for?
It seems clear to me that the most glaring obstacle the human race faces today is achieving optimal health. More people are sick and unhealthy today than ever before. I think the key to overcoming this lies in changing our diet and exercise habits. We have to provide ourselves an environment that we can thrive in - stop sitting all day and get back outside (he said as he sat at his desk). It’s a fight that won’t be won in a lab or a hospital, it will be won at the dinner table and in the back yard. This is why I coach, train, and love to see our Zen Planner clients change people’s lives through fitness.
What’s your fitness passion?
After growing up playing every “ball sport” in school and traveling to white water kayak and snowboard, I’m now fully obsessed with the concept of unspecialized natural movement – my training is a combination of parkour, gymnastics, yoga, bar bell lifts, and some climbing. My goal is to one day become an actual gorilla.
Inspired by?
My parents, who give every second of their lives to their five children - all of which have become the happiest and most honorable people I know.
Alternate dream job?
Coconut farmer.
Hometown?
Ormond Beach, FL
Customer Advocate
Kim Zavage
“Everyone's a genius, but if you judge a fish by it's ability to climb a tree,
it will live it's whole believing that it is stupid.”
—Albert Einstein
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
I love my co-workers. They are supportive, encouraging, and completely awesome. I don't know how I could get through some stressful situations without them. No matter what happens, they'll always be my Zen Planner family.
What do you live for?
I live for a challenge. I'm always pushing myself to learn more and do more. There's so many things in this world that I don't know or haven't done yet and at the end of my life, I want to say that I really lived.
What’s your fitness passion?
I love running, pilates, and kick boxing! There's nothing betting than putting in my head phones and going for a run in the evening when the air is crisp.
Inspired by?
My big brother, Mikey. He's done multiple marathons, triathlons, and an iron man. He's so disciplined and passionate about pushing himself to be the best person he can be. Plus he donates all the money he raises from his races to various charities. He's raised over $20,000.
Do you have a nickname?
I have many nicknames. Often it's 'Kimmy' or 'Kimtastic'.
Hometown?
Pittsburgh, PA! Yinz know them stillers, N'at ;)
Sales and Marketing Specialist
Kristi Fitzgerald
“You want me to do something... tell me I can't do it.”
—Maya Angelou
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
The best part of being on the Zen Planner team is to experience our companies growth and to work together to achieve a common goal.
What do you live for?
I live to have fun, spend time with my family & friends, to be outside and to push my physical capabilities to the limit.
What’s your fitness passion?
My fitness passions are cycling, mountain biking, running, racing, triathlon, soccer, crossfit, yoga, snowboarding & snowshoeing.
Inspired by?
I'm inspired by my family and loved ones. I love to see their passion in the things they love and enjoy doing. They all have a drive to succeed, they strive to be kind & giving and they like to enjoy life to the fullest.
Alternate dream job?
My alternate dream job is to be a professional "trail checker outer". I love to be outside.
Do you have a nickname?
My friends like to call me "KFitz".
Hometown?
My hometown is LaGrangeville, NY. I bet you never heard of it.
Creative Director
Paul Lee
“...to truly change the world, one should have
a healthy disregard for the impossible.”
—Larry Page (Google CEO)
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
The best part of being with Zen Planner is the ability to think outside the box. Any place that is able to foster and grow out of the box thinking to provide the best quality work from each individual is a place that's worth your time.
What do you live for?
I live for the outdoors. While I like working out and riding my bike, nothing compares to the active outdoor lifestyle. I like to hike, bike, camp, and road trip where there's more of those activities, as long as it's with family or good friends.
What’s your fitness passion?
My fitness passion is snowboarding and biking, but with so many of my colleagues going to CrossFit, I started going myself and it's quickly becoming a new fitness passion. I'd like to revisit some of the more active sports I played in my earlier days, such as raquetball, climbing, and rafting.
Inspired by?
I'm deeply inspired by Paul Rand and Herbert Bayer, early pioneers in the field of graphic design.
Alternate dream job?
My alternate dream job is to be a toy designer. I'll always be a kid at heart and industrial design has always been near and dear to me.
Hometown?
Baltimore is my hometown, but D.C. is where I laid my roots down. Go Redskins!
Customer Advocate
Heather MacBride
"You only live once, but if you do it right, once is enough."
—Mae West
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
I love coming to work and being surrounded by people I consider friends. It is amazing to be part of a company full of people who are passionate about life, health, hard work & fun!
What do you live for?
I live to enjoy my life with my family & friends! Being at my mom's house on Cape Cod in the summer, with my family, is heaven on earth to me. Staying active also keeps me happy, healthy & motivated in life.
What’s your fitness passion?
Yoga! I teach Yoga Sculpt and Power classes at local studios (and here at Zen Planner!). I love that yoga has the ability to challenge my body and quiet my mind at the same time.
Inspired by?
My dad - he taught by example and lived to love family, work hard and maintain friendships. I strive to live this way.
Alternate dream job?
Travel photographer.
Do you have a nickname?
Heath, Heathie B, Hmac, Heathie MacB
Hometown?
Boston, MA
Director of Marketing
Bryan Kreitz
"Don't judge a piece of music till you've learned it to the best of your ability"
—Mr. Butler (My High School Band Teacher)
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
The best part of being on the Zen Planner team is working with people who love their work as much as me. And, it doesn't hurt that we're all encouraged to train and stay fit too!
What do you live for?
Helping small business owners succeed! The ones who've committed to pursuing their dream of doing work they love. What an amazing opportunity that every day I get to wake up and go to work helping these companies grow. And, it's a total bonus that these folks just happen to run health and fitness businesses.
What’s your fitness passion?
I love mountain biking. Riding with friends on serene single-track has to be one of the best experiences for me. I have no idea what I'll do when I'm too old to ride a bike. Hopefully, that's a long way off, but I'll always be looking for ways to stay fit and live a healthy life.
Inspired by?
Folks who look in the mirror every morning and takes ownership of their problems and seize the opportunities to fight for what they want to achieve with their life.
Alternate dream job?
singer/songwriter
Hometown?
St. Louis, MO
Senior Application Developer
Craig Burlingame
"I Love deadlines, I like the whooshing sound they make as they fly by"
—Douglas Adams
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
Working with so many like minded people with a zest for life and such positive attitudes is, for me, the best thing.. it is an amazingly rare thing that we are so lucky to be a part of.
What do you live for?
World Exploration... and Technology.
What’s your fitness passion?
Skiing
Inspired by?
My daughter Jordan Hope & Mother Nature
Alternate dream job?
Astronaut
Do you have a nickname?
HighTech Redneck
Hometown?
Born and Raised in Glenns Falls, NY
Customer Advocate
Eric Blackwell
“Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known.”
—Carl Sagan
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
I love the freedom here at Zen Planner. Everyone always finds new and different ways to contribute. They really let your individual talents shine through.
What’s your fitness passion?
I have been playing team sports since I was 3, but my personal fitness goals now are all about unlocking potential. I have worked alongside some of the best athletes and instructors in the country in recent years, and I have been inspired to try some really fun things I never thought I would be able to do. My current obsessions are parkour and meditation.
Inspired by?
The individual that inspires me the most has to be Nikola Tesla. He was a man hundreds of years ahead of his time. Tesla’s unparalleled level of genius eventually drove him crazy, and in his later years the social detachment led him to fall in love with a pigeon. That’s awesome.
Alternate dream job?
I’d love to be the UFC matchmaker. It would be a lot of fun to be the one picking all the matchups. I’d also love to be a canyoning guide in New Zealand or Switzerland depending on the season.
Hometown?
Rochester, NY
Customer Advocate
Mary Kenney
"What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?"
—Unknown
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
The best part of being a part of the Zen Planner team is working with individuals with the same interests I have outside of work. Being active is a part of everyone's regimen and eating paleo, gluten-free, primal, etc is easy to do here since everyone follows these diets!
What do you live for?
I love to travel and learn about other cultures.
What’s your fitness passion?
Currently, my fitness passion is Crossfit. I started about 9 months ago and am hooked!
Alternate dream job?
Anthony Bourdain's co-host on the tv show, No Reservations.
Do you have a nickname?
My family calls me 'Marebear'
Hometown?
St. Paul, MN
Director of Culture and Team Engagement
Shilo Lucyk
“Unless someone like you cares a whole awful lot,
it’s not going to get better. It’s not”
—Dr. Seuss
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
Working for a company that truly cares about the happiness and wellbeing of every team member and client. Oh, and wearing yoga pants to work every day!
What do you live for?
I believe that life is wasted if you don’t live and love fully every day. Because of this, I try to live life wholeheartedly and on the edge. I want to end each day knowing I gave all the love I had to give, not missing a single opportunity to make someone else’s life better.
What’s your fitness passion?
Downhill mountain biking.
Inspired by?
The tenuous nature of life.
Hometown?
I grew up in Florida, and I’m a sunshine addict.
Software Sales Professional
Tracy Stevens
"Caminante, no hay camino. Se hace camino al andar."
—Translates to "Traveler, there is no path. A path is made by walking."
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
I help people achieve their dreams on a daily basis. I talk to people who are opening their first yoga studio, CrossFit box, martial arts academy, etc. and the things I show them in virtual tours of Zen Planner typically make them feel relieved, excited, optimistic for their future…. I have such a strong respect for people who have made the effort to make their passions their work and it is thrilling to show them Zen Planner as a tool to help them grow and thrive. One new customer this week said that she was tearfully happy to be leaving MindBody and getting started with us. What's not to love about offering that level of product and service?!
What do you live for?
I live for deep connection with others, the peace and beauty of nature, and learning. Sometimes when those elements coincide, like the time I saw the Northern Lights after a lovely dinner with my closest friends, on a hike in the mountains with my husband it's Nirvana!
What’s your fitness passion?
I prefer exercise that is done outdoors and inspires me spiritually, like yoga or long hikes. The best exercise for me is when I am having so much fun it doesn't feel like effort, but joy. I recently got back into dance and yoga. It's exercise meets creativity.
Inspired by?
I am inspired by kindness. It's one of my highest values. The older I get the stronger my reaction to acts of kindness (whether I am a witness to it or part of it). These days it makes me teary-eyed instantly.
Alternate dream job?
My alternate dream job would be to do what Terri Gross of Fresh Air does. She interviews leaders, authors, entertainers, artists…smart, interesting, inspiring people. She is not only learning new material constantly in preparation for the interview, but also connecting with them in meaningful ways and sharing that with the world so that others may benefit. Evangelical learning at its best!
Hometown?
Clarkston, MI
Software Sales Professional
Jennifer Steiner
"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him who have been called according to His purpose."
—Romans 8:28
What is the best part of being
on the Zen Planner team?
The best part of being on the Zen Planner team is getting to work with so many fitness enthusiasts. It's great being able to talk to both fitness business customers and my fitness-loving coworkers all day.
What do you live for?
I live for God first and foremost. Secondly, I love my husband, my family, fitness, and good food!
What’s your fitness passion?
I love to run and lift weights mostly. I also enjoy taking some jiu jitsu and maui thai classes from time to time.
Inspired by?
God's love.
Alternate dream job?
Writer.
Hometown?
Haifa, Israel