Welcome to the 300th episode of the Female emPOWERED podcast! I never imagined we’d reach this milestone, and I want to use this special moment to honor the women who made this possible.

In this heartfelt solo episode, I’m reflecting on the incredible journey from launching the podcast in 2021 to now. But more importantly, I’m celebrating the designers, mentors, team members, clients, business besties, and podcast guests who helped me grow not just a podcast—but a movement for women in wellness who are building profitable, sustainable businesses.

Whether you've been a guest, a teammate, a listener, or simply shared this podcast with a friend, this one is for you. It's a celebration of women supporting women, and how collaboration—not competition—is the secret to real growth.

💬 In this episode, I share:

• How Female emPOWERED got started and why I resisted launching it
• Shoutouts to my first mentors, mastermind sisters, and clients
• The behind-the-scenes team who helped build Fit Biz Strategies and Pilates in the Grove
• Personal stories of support, growth, and being lifted by other women
• Why this milestone isn’t just mine—it belongs to all of us

🙌 Featured Mentions & Shoutouts:

• Team members past and present: Michelle Fernandez, Kristen Kaplan, Latasha Doyle, Darcy Smith, Amanda Rashford, Sarah (Catch Creative Labs), Courtney Moody
• Mentors and mastermind leaders: Nikki (The Cocktail CEO), Isha Hawke, Claire Pelletreau, Ashley Brock
• Clients and collaborators from Inner Circle & Fit Biz community
• Special thanks to Mitch McGinley and Kristen from Boutique Fitness Broker
• And all the amazing podcast guests who’ve shared their stories

✨ Thank you, listeners.
300 episodes wouldn’t have happened without your support, your shares, and your belief in this mission. I can’t wait to bring you 300 more.

🎧 Tune in, celebrate with me, and tag someone who’s empowered your journey too!

📩 Work with Christa or join a mentorship group:
fitbizstrategies.com

📱 Follow along on IG:
@christagurka

Episode Summary:

Thinking about selling your fitness or wellness business one day? This episode is a must-listen. Christa Gurka sits down with Mitch McGinley, founder of Boutique Fitness Broker, to unpack the highs, lows, and lessons learned from her own seven-figure studio sale.

Together, they explore what makes a business truly sellable, how deal structures are formed, what to expect during due diligence, and how SBA financing, SDE, and EBITDA play into your valuation. They also get real about the emotional rollercoaster of letting go — from collapsed deals to closing day relief.

Mitch also shares his journey from yoga studio owner to digital nomad living in Spain, and how he’s helped sell over 70 boutique fitness studios, including Christa’s.

Whether you’re years away from selling or just want to make your business more profitable and sustainable, this episode is packed with practical, real-world insight you won’t hear anywhere else.

What You’ll Learn:

• The anatomy of a studio sale from start to finish
• How to value your studio using SDE and EBITDA
• Why you need clean financials, reasonable comp, and operational independence
• What can go wrong (and right!) during due diligence
• Why Christa walked away from her first deal — and how her second deal turned into a win
• How to mentally and financially prepare for an exit
• The difference between a lifestyle business and one that’s ready to sell
• Tips for studio owners looking to grow through acquisition

Connect with Mitch McGinley:
Website: boutiquefitnessbroker.com
Email: [email protected]
Instagram: @boutiquefitnessbroker

Want to make your business more profitable, scalable, and sellable — even if you never plan to sell?
Check out Christa’s programs at fitbizstrategies.com and follow her on Instagram at @christagurka.

In this episode of the Female Empowered Podcast, Christa Gurka tackles one of the most important mindset shifts a wellness entrepreneur can make: moving from being an operator to becoming a true business owner. If you're feeling stuck in the daily grind, overwhelmed by decision fatigue, or like your business can’t function without you - this episode is for you.

Christa shares insights from her own journey of growing Pilates in the Grove from a hands-on, owner-run business to a scalable company with a strategic foundation. She explains why so many fitness and wellness professionals get trapped in the operator role and what it takes - practically and mentally - to step into the owner's seat.

You’ll learn the systems, habits, and hiring practices that will help you regain your time, create more sustainable growth, and finally build the kind of business that doesn’t rely solely on your personal hustle.

Key Takeaways:

• Recognizing when you’re operating more like an employee than an owner
• Why systems - not just solutions - are key to solving recurring problems
• How delegating outcomes (not just tasks) empowers your team and frees your time
• The value of carving out weekly CEO time for high-level strategic planning
• When to move from contractors to full-time employees with specialized skill sets
• Why reviewing your financials monthly is non-negotiable
• The power of mentorship, masterminds, and peer support to shift your perspective

Calls to Action:

→ Ready to make the leap from operator to owner? Join Christa’s Fit Biz Foundations Membership for just $99/month. Get coaching, support, and a roadmap to build a business that works for you.
www.christagurka.com/fitbiz-foundations

→ Want more insights? Connect with Christa:
 Instagram: @christagurka
Website: www.christagurka.com

From Changing Room to 3 Locations: Jennifer Gelfand’s Journey to Building a Transformational Wellness Brand

In this episode of the Female emPOWERed Podcast, I’m joined by Jennifer Gelfand, pelvic floor physical therapist, yoga teacher, and founder of Root to Rise Physical Therapy in Maine. What started as a one-woman show treating patients in a yoga studio changing room has grown into a thriving, multi-location, multidisciplinary wellness practice—and it didn’t happen overnight.

We dive into Jennifer’s personal health journey with PCOS, how it inspired her to enter pelvic health, and the lessons she’s learned building a business she never imagined she’d own. From scaling a team to embracing her role as CEO, Jennifer shares the real (and often messy) behind-the-scenes of running a values-driven practice.

Whether you’re a business owner, clinician, or aspiring entrepreneur, this episode is filled with insights on leadership, systems, boundaries, and the power of numbers.

In this episode, we discuss:

• Jennifer’s personal health journey with PCOS and how it led her to pelvic floor therapy
• How she went from treating patients in a yoga studio changing room to running a 3-location practice
• Why Root to Rise focuses on integrative care—blending PT, yoga, acupuncture, and more
• The mindset shift from practitioner to CEO (and how mentorship helped)
• The growing pains of hiring, leading a team, and building systems from scratch
• Why “feelings aren’t facts” became a powerful mantra for managing growth
• How the Inner Circle helped Jennifer become more confident in her numbers and vision
• The importance of creating a collaborative team culture in wellness

Links & Resources:

• Visit Jennifer’s clinic: https://www.roottorisephysicaltherapy.com
• Follow Root to Rise on Instagram: @roottorisept
• Want support like Jennifer’s? Learn more about the Inner Circle Mentorship: christagurka.com/mentorship
• Subscribe to the Female emPOWERed Podcast for more inspiring business stories

In this episode of the Female Empowered Podcast, host Christa Gurka - physical therapist, studio owner, and business mentor - shares actionable strategies for conducting a mid-year business review. Aimed at Pilates studio owners and wellness entrepreneurs, this episode walks you through how to reset and refocus your business for a strong finish to the year.

Christa dives into the core areas to evaluate during a quarterly check-in, including offers, pricing, scheduling, team alignment, and revenue streams. She discusses why the slower summer months are the perfect time for studio maintenance, reworking your fall schedule, and strengthening team communication. You’ll also hear tips on how to make data-informed decisions, set clear and manageable goals, and stay focused on your business, rather than getting distracted by competitors.

Whether you're feeling stuck or want to refine your strategy, this episode will help you create momentum heading into the fall season.

And don't forget to ...

→ Download the FREE Quarterly Review Worksheet: www.christagurka.com/reset
→ Join the FitBiz Foundations Membership for $99/month: www.christagurka.com/fitbiz-foundations
→ Learn more about Christa's business coaching and resources at www.christagurka.com
→ Recommended software mentioned: Momence
→ Follow Christa on Instagram: @christagurka

Feeling like it's time for a reset? This episode is your roadmap to take back control and build a stronger, more sustainable business for the second half of the year.

In this inspiring episode of the Female Empowered Podcast, host Christa Gurka welcomes Erin Canada, the founder of Paradise Pilates in North Carolina. Erin shares how her personal experience with chronic back pain and a love for Pilates led her to launch not one, but three successful studio locations in just 13 months.

This conversation dives deep into the transition from instructor to business owner, highlighting the importance of strong systems, hiring the right team, and understanding your business numbers. Erin opens up about her learning curve, the role mentorship played in her journey, and how she created a studio environment that's clean, calming, and client-focused.

If you’re a wellness professional dreaming of growth—or simply want a peek behind the curtain of rapid studio expansion—this episode is filled with real-life lessons and motivation to take bold, intentional steps forward.

Key Takeaways:

• Erin opened 3 Pilates studios in just over a year
• She focused on aesthetic consistency and creating a welcoming atmosphere
• Systems and automation helped support rapid growth
• Business mentorship helped her shift from service provider to CEO
• A supportive team and clear financial insights are essential for scaling

Calls to Action:

→ Follow Paradise Pilates on Instagram: @paradisepilatesti
→ Interested in mentorship like Erin? Learn more at: christagurka.com/mentorship
→ Stay connected with Christa on Instagram: @ChristaGurka
→ Subscribe to Female Empowered and leave a review if you enjoyed this episode

Erin’s story proves that big results are possible when you combine passion, strategy, and a willingness to learn.

In this episode of the Female Empowered Podcast, host Christa Gurka reflects on a powerful insight from a recent Inner Circle retreat - your greatest strengths can sometimes become your biggest obstacles. Drawing from a CliftonStrengths assessment she completed with her mentees, Christa unpacks how common entrepreneurial traits like “achiever,” “empathy,” and “strategic” thinking can work for or against you, depending on how they're used.

She explores how self-awareness around your own strengths - and those of your team - can lead to better leadership, stronger collaboration, and smarter decision-making. Whether you’re the one who always takes charge or the one who’s constantly helping others, this episode will help you recognize where you might be unintentionally creating bottlenecks in your business.

If you’ve ever wondered why certain things feel harder than they should, this conversation will give you clarity and tools to realign your strengths with your goals.

Key Takeaways:

• Even your best qualities can become liabilities when overused
• Knowing your strengths helps you delegate, lead, and grow more effectively
• Strengths typically fall into four categories: executing, influencing, relationship building, and strategic thinking
• Self-awareness is a leadership superpower—build it intentionally

Calls to Action:

→ Apply for Christa’s Inner Circle Mentorship Program for established business owners: christagurka.com/mentorship
     • Requirements: $300K+ annual revenue and an existing team

→ Follow Christa on Instagram: @ChristaGurka
→ Share your favorite episodes and leave a review to support the show
→ Subscribe to Female Empowered wherever you listen to podcasts for more insights each week

This episode is a reminder that doing the inner work is business strategy.

In this episode, Christa takes you behind the scenes of a live training she hosted for her Inner Circle clients, all about how to get better results from AI tools like ChatGPT. If you’ve ever felt stuck staring at a blinking cursor when trying to write content - or ended up with a robotic, boring blog post - this episode is for you.

You’ll learn exactly how to write better prompts that get you high-quality content tailored to your brand voice, audience, and goals.

What You’ll Learn in This Episode:

• Why most people get bad content from AI—and how to fix it
• The formula for a high-performing blog prompt (hint: it starts with “Act as a…”)
• Real-time examples:
  • “Caring for your feet in the summer” → transformed into an SEO-rich, client-attracting blog
  • “Pilates and pelvic health for women in menopause” → turned into a carousel, reel, blog, and email idea
• How to target your content for different types of buyers:
  • Ready-to-buy
  • Information-gatherers
  • Lurkers
• What backlinks are and how to use them for SEO (including a genius idea for backlink swaps with peers)
• Tips for making ChatGPT content sound more like you (and not like a robot)

🧠 Prompt Writing Tips Christa Shares:

• Always include:
  • 🎯 Your audience: Who is this content for?
  • 🗣️ Tone/voice: Professional, funny, lighthearted, conversational?
  • 🎯 Purpose: Is it for engagement, education, or conversion?
  • 🔑 SEO Keywords: What are people Googling?
  • 📍 Location: If you're brick and mortar, include your city/town
• Use prompts like:
  • “Act as a health journalist. Write a 300-word SEO blog on pelvic health in menopause for women aged 45–60 in Summit, NJ.”
  • “Create a social media reel script with a lighthearted tone for women with summer foot pain.”

💡 Bonus Tips from the Episode:

• Use AI voice dictation to “talk out” your ideas—no typing needed!
• Build an AI prompt bank by category (social media, email, blog, etc.)
• Use static posts with music to game the Instagram algorithm—even if the music is muted
• Don’t forget to test and iterate! (“That sounds too cheeky” = valid feedback)

📣 Ready to Work with Christa?

If you're a female entrepreneur in the boutique fitness or wellness space making over $250K/year and want hands-on mentorship, business strategy, and real tools to scale without burnout…

👉 Apply now for the Inner Circle high-ticket mentorship program:
www.christagurka.com/mentorship

📝 Mentioned in the Episode:

• Meta/Instagram Stat: 60% of users discover products through IG
• Backlink SEO Strategy: Swap backlinks with aligned businesses (Pilates, pelvic health, PT, etc.)
• Recommended Prompt Structure: "Act as a ___, write a ___-word SEO blog for ___ about ___ in a ___ tone."

🧭 Your June Challenge:

Ccommit to ONE small goal for the month of June. What’s yours?

In this episode of the Female Empowered Podcast, host Christa Gurka addresses a challenge many wellness entrepreneurs face: a summer marketing slump. July, in particular, can feel slow - with fewer leads, lower engagement, and conversions that seem to stall. But before you scrap your strategy entirely, Christa explains why a full overhaul may not be necessary.

Instead, she encourages business owners to diagnose before they pivot. Using data to compare current performance to the same period last year - not to your best months - can offer clarity. Christa shares her own approach to identifying and solving seasonal slowdowns, along with practical tips to maintain visibility, nurture leads, and create flexible offers that speak to what clients need right now.

If your marketing feels off-track this summer, this episode will help you realign, refine, and refocus your efforts without the overwhelm.

Some of the key takeaways from this episode include:

• A July slowdown is normal - don’t panic
• Use year-over-year comparisons, not just peak month benchmarks
• Tailor summer offers to meet your audience where they are
• Stay consistent with messaging and lead nurturing
• Marketing is a skill that improves with intentional effort

Want personalized support in refining your marketing? Reach out to Christa or book your call today.

→ Book a free 15-minute discovery call: www.christagurka.com/discovery
→ Follow Christa on Instagram for more insights: @christagurka
→ Explore mentorship opportunities:
     • High-Ticket Inner Circle Membership
     • Monthly Membership: $99/month – Learn more here

In this powerful and validating episode, host Christa Gurka dives into a topic many business owners feel but rarely name: the invisible emotional labor that comes with leadership. From managing team morale to handling client dissatisfaction, making decisions, and being the emotional safety net for everyone - women business owners often carry an unseen weight that leads to burnout, resentment, and stress.

Christa shares her own experiences and offers a compassionate but practical framework for recognizing and addressing this emotional toll. She reminds listeners that while empathy is important, business owners are not responsible for everyone’s feelings. Instead, their role is to lead with clarity, set firm boundaries, and build systems that support the business - and themselves.

If you've ever felt emotionally exhausted from "holding it all together," this episode will help you name that weight, release what isn't yours to carry, and take steps toward more sustainable leadership.

Key Takeaways:

• You’re not responsible for your team or clients’ emotional responses
• Leaders who over-function unintentionally create under-functioning teams
• Clear expectations and strong systems reduce decision fatigue
• Delegation is not a luxury—it’s essential
• Seek emotional support from coaches, therapists, or peer masterminds

Ready to lighten your emotional load and grow your business with more support? Learn more about Christa’s mentorship programs at www.christagurka.com and follow Christa on Instagram @christagurka and DM her if this episode resonated with you.

Know someone who needs to hear this? Share the episode with a fellow business owner.