Confused about whether your team should be classified as employees or independent contractors? You’re not alone — and getting it wrong can cost you big time. In this episode of Female emPOWERED, host Christa Gurka sits down with returning guest Katie Santos, founder of FitnessHR, to unpack everything studio and wellness business owners need to know about HR compliance, classification, and protecting your business.

Together, Christa and Katie break down real-world examples from Pilates, yoga, and physical therapy studios, explain what the IRS and state laws actually look for, and share actionable steps to help you stay compliant and build a more sustainable, professional team.

Whether you’re in Florida’s “Wild West” of HR or strict-law California, this episode will help you understand:
 ✅ The legal difference between an independent contractor and an employee
 ✅ How misclassification can trigger audits, lawsuits, and major financial risk
 ✅ What you can (and can’t) require contractors to do
 ✅ Why switching to employees can actually increase your studio’s value
✅ What to include in your employee handbook and operations manual
✅ End-of-year HR to-dos: reviews, time-off policies, and pay structures
✅ How to set expectations clearly without losing your “cool boss” vibe

If you want to protect your business, lead with confidence, and ensure your HR foundation supports your growth — this episode is a must-listen.

 🔗 Learn more about Katie Santos: fitnesshr.com

🔗 Explore Fit Biz Strategies: christagurka.com

In this episode of Female emPOWERED, Christa sits down with website designer and SEO expert Jess Freeman, the creative behind both the Pilates in the Grove and Christa Gurka websites. Together, they unpack exactly what makes a boutique fitness or wellness website stand out in 2025—and what you need to prioritize to attract more clients and rank higher on Google.

Jess shares her proven process for stress-free website builds, her favorite platforms for service-based businesses, and her expert insights into SEO for local studios, clinics, and wellness professionals.

If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by the thought of redoing your website or confused by SEO jargon, this episode will simplify it all and help you take actionable steps to improve your online visibility.

🔍 What You’ll Learn

• How Jess created a seamless, client-friendly website process
• The must-have elements of a modern health and wellness website (2025 & beyond)
• Non-verbal ways to show your brand personality through fonts, colors, and shapes
• Local SEO basics: how to optimize for your city or neighborhood
• Why including your location on every page matters
• How to write strong copy that converts—without keyword stuffing
• The truth about photo alt text and how to use it correctly
• Why blogging is still the #1 SEO tool for small businesses
• The best website platforms for service providers: Squarespace vs. WordPress vs. Kajabi
• Common website mistakes that hurt your visibility (and how to fix them fast)

📲 Connect with Jess

• Website: www.jesscreatives.com
  
  
• Instagram: @jesscreatives
  
  

Check out her portfolio for examples of boutique wellness websites, including Pilates in the Grove and Christa Gurka.

👩‍💼 Connect with Christa

• Website: www.christagurka.com
  
  
• Instagram: @christagurka
  
  
• Watch this episode on YouTube: Christa Gurka Channel
  
  

In this week’s Female emPOWERED episode, Christa breaks down one of the most powerful—and misunderstood—decisions you’ll ever make as a boutique fitness or wellness business owner: finding your niche.

If you’ve ever worried that niching down means turning clients away, leaving money on the table, or boxing yourself in, this episode will change your perspective. Christa shares why narrowing your focus actually expands your impact and profitability, how to identify your ideal client, and what it really takes to become the go-to expert in your area.

This is the episode every Pilates, PT, and yoga studio owner needs to hear before the new year!

🔍 What You’ll Learn

• Why niching doesn’t mean excluding people—it means serving the right ones better
• The key benefits of specialization for boutique fitness and wellness businesses
• How to find your ideal clients based on energy, outcomes, and results
• The three-step process to discover your profitable niche
• Real examples of successful niche businesses (like Pilates in the Grove!)
• How to align your niche with your profit goals and lifestyle
• What to do when your niche evolves over time
• Why being known for one thing creates clarity in your marketing, referrals, and offers

🧭 Takeaway Framework: The 4-Step Niche Discovery Process

1. Passion & Energy: Who lights you up to work with? Who drains you?
2. Expertise: Who do you get the best results for? What are your consistent transformations?
3. Market Demand: Is there an underserved group in your community or industry?
4. Profitability & Lifestyle Fit: Can you charge premium rates—and does it support your ideal work-life balance?

🧩 Why This Matters

Niching down simplifies everything—your messaging, your offers, your marketing, and your growth. It positions you as an expert, creates client buy-in, and increases profitability.

When people think of your specialty, they should immediately think of you.

💼 Want Help Defining Your Niche?

Get Christa’s exact specialization and messaging framework inside the Fit Biz Foundations program.

You’ll get:
 ✅ A full video module on core specialization and finding your niche
 ✅ Monthly live coaching calls
 ✅ Access to a community of women running brick-and-mortar boutique wellness businesses

👉 Join for just $99/month at www.christagurka.com/fitbizfoundations

🔗 Connect with Christa

• Website: www.christagurka.com
  
  
• Instagram: @christagurka
  
  
• Watch on YouTube: Christa Gurka Channel

Female emPOWERED Podcast | Episode 307
🎙️ How to Ramp Up New Hires Without Killing Your Profit Margin

Are you staring at your new team member’s half-empty schedule and wondering, “Did I make a mistake?” You’re not alone — and you’re not losing money (even if it feels like it). In this episode, Christa Gurka walks you through how to set realistic utilization expectations for new instructors or clinicians, how to design smart compensation structures, and what you can do if your new hire isn’t meeting targets.

Whether you’ve just hired a Pilates instructor, yoga teacher, or physical therapist, this episode will show you how to onboard and ramp up new hires strategically — so they become profitable, long-term team members that fuel your business growth.

👉 Download Christa’s Free New Hire Utilization Roadmap
https://www.christagurka.com/newhire

💡 What You’ll Learn:

• What "utilization rate" actually means in boutique wellness & cash-based PT
• Healthy benchmarks for new team members (and what’s not realistic)
• Why new hires aren’t profitable on day one — and why that’s OK
• How to structure compensation during ramp-up periods
• 30-60-90 day onboarding plans that actually work
• Common hiring mistakes that kill your profit margin
• How to diagnose whether it’s a marketing, ops, or retention problem
• The math behind profitability (yes, Christa breaks it down for you!)
• When it’s time to start your next hiring search

📌 Mentioned Episodes:

• Ep 305 – Transitioning Clients Off Your Schedule
  
  
• Ep 304 – Compensation Models for Your Team
  
  

📣 Want Christa’s help building a profitable, sustainable team?
Apply for the Inner Circle or attend the upcoming CEO Summit this November.
Visit https://www.fitbizstrategies.com
to learn more.

📱 DM Christa: @christagurka

📥 Download the free roadmap: https://www.christagurka.com/newhire

Are Google Ads worth it for your studio or practice? If you’ve ever wondered why ads don’t seem to work for you—or why you’re spending thousands each month without seeing results—this episode is for you.

I’m walking you through the anatomy of a Google Ad and breaking down how to set up campaigns the right way so you can start generating consistent, high-quality leads.

Inside the episode, you’ll learn:

• The three types of Google Ad campaigns every brick-and-mortar business should run: non-brand, brand, and competitor.
• Why keywords and search intent matter more than anything else—and how to choose the right ones.
• How to structure campaigns, ad groups, and ads so your Pilates, yoga, or physical therapy clients land on the right page every time.
• The math behind cost per lead (CPL), conversion rates, and return on ad spend (ROAS)—and why even a $60/day budget can create thousands in revenue.
• The key difference between running ads on Google vs. Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and how to use them together for better results.

Google Ads aren’t about throwing money at the wall—they’re about strategy, structure, and tracking. When done right, they can be one of the fastest ways to get new clients in your door and grow your boutique fitness or wellness business.

✨ Want help learning and applying these strategies?

• Join the Inner Circle waitlist: christagurka.com/mentorship
  
  
• Or schedule a 1:1 coaching call with me to walk through your setup step-by-step.

Welcome back to another episode of Female emPOWERED, the podcast for female boutique fitness and wellness business owners. I’m your host, Christa Gurka, and today we’re diving into one of the toughest leadership challenges for studio and clinic owners: how to transition clients from your personal schedule to a new team member’s schedule—without losing trust, clients, or revenue.

If you’ve ever felt nervous about handing off your long-time Pilates clients, physical therapy patients, or yoga students to a new instructor, this episode is for you. We’ll unpack the real reasons this transition feels so uncomfortable (ego, perfectionism, people-pleasing, scarcity mindset), and I’ll walk you step-by-step through the process I used in my own business to successfully move off the schedule.

Inside this episode you’ll learn:

• Why keeping every client on your personal schedule leads to burnout and stunts your growth
• The mindset shift that reframes clients as belonging to the business—not just you
• How to position a new instructor or PT as an upgrade, not a downgrade
• Phrases and scripts that work (and the ones to avoid) when having the conversation
• The exact step-by-step process to transition clients smoothly and protect retention
• Creative ways to build trust in the handoff—like shadowing sessions, social media introductions, and check-ins
• How I personally transitioned more than 95% of my caseload off my schedule before selling my studio

🎁 Free Resource: Want my exact email script announcing my transition off the schedule? Grab it here → christagurka.com/clientletter

If you’re ready to stop being the bottleneck, reclaim your CEO time, and set your team up for success, this episode is a must-listen.

👉 Tune in now and let’s start building a business that thrives beyond just you.

How you pay your team can make or break your business. In today’s episode of Female emPOWERED, I’m breaking down the most common compensation models for Pilates instructors, yoga teachers, and physical therapists—and why getting this wrong can destroy your margins, retention, and culture.

Too many studio and practice owners overpay staff, set up complicated systems nobody understands, or tie pay directly to percentages that cut profits in half. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Inside this episode, I cover:

• The pros and cons of hourly pay, per-head + base models, percentage splits, and salaries
• Why “simple and fair” wins over complicated structures every time
• How to calculate the numbers so your payroll doesn’t eat more than 50% of revenue
• Perks and benefits (like CEU stipends, health stipends, and free classes) that attract and retain staff without tanking your margins
• A real-life math breakdown of what happens when you pay too much out of $100 in revenue

💡 Your challenge this week: Take a hard look at your pay structure. Does it actually support your profitability goals? Is it easy for your team to understand? If not, it’s time to adjust.

👉 Want more guidance on margins, pricing, and compensation strategies? We go deep into this inside the Fit Biz Foundations Membership. For just $99/month, you’ll get access to trainings, templates, and support to build a profitable, sustainable business.

Check it out here: www.christagurka.com/fitbizfoundations

How do you build a boutique fitness brand that stands out in a crowded market? And how do you balance staying true to your values while also marketing for growth?

In this episode of Female emPOWERED, I’m joined by my dear friend and returning guest Kari Saitowitz — founder of Fhitting Room in NYC and current CMO of New York Sports Club. With a background at American Express, Pepsi, and a Harvard MBA, Kari blends world-class marketing expertise with the real-life lessons of building and scaling a boutique fitness business.

We dive into:

• How Kari transitioned from corporate marketing into boutique fitness entrepreneurship
• The origins of Fhitting Room and how branding + values drove growth
• The difference between brand identity (your fonts, colors, logos) and brand intangibles (culture, values, client experience)
• Why boutique fitness owners should start with branding as the foundation of their marketing
• Creative, free marketing ideas that actually work for small studios (referrals, partnerships, member stories, retention campaigns)
• How AI is changing the way fitness businesses market and operate

✨ Kari will also be joining me live at the CEO Summit this November in Miami, where she’ll sit on our Marketing Panel to answer your questions directly about branding, client acquisition, and retention strategies.

👉 Spots are almost sold out! Learn more and grab your seat here: www.christagurka.com/ceosummit

If you’re a Pilates studio, yoga studio, or boutique fitness owner who feels stuck in the weeds of marketing or unsure how to stand out in a saturated market, this episode is a must-listen. And if you’re ready to step into your CEO role with confidence and clarity, the CEO Summit is where it all comes together.

Do you ever feel like you’re running in circles in your business — putting out fires, answering team questions, juggling clients — and never getting ahead?

In this episode of Female emPOWERED, I’m joined again by my go-to content strategist and business bestie Latasha Doyle, founder of Uncanny Content
. Together, we dive into the real-life benefits of stepping away from the day-to-day and giving yourself a CEO Day, VIP Day, or DIY business retreat.

This isn’t about working harder — it’s about clearing the clutter in your business, creating space to think, and walking away with a focused action plan.

We cover:

• Why CEOs must step out of the weeds to see the big picture
• How to structure your own DIY retreat or VIP day (even on a budget!)
• The “messy kitchen” analogy — why you need to clean up as you grow
• The 3D Framework: Delete, Defer, and Delegate to lighten your load
• How to use VIP days to clarify priorities, streamline systems, and build a stronger team

✨ And here’s the best part: at the CEO Summit this November in Miami, we’re creating this exact experience in a room with fewer than 30 women. You’ll walk away with clarity, a strategic plan, and real implementation steps for 2026 — plus insights from marketing, financial, and acquisition experts.

👉 Spots are almost gone! Save yours here: www.christagurka.com/ceosummit

Because the truth is: CEOs don’t do everything — they create the vision, set the plan, and lead. This episode (and the Summit!) will show you how to step fully into that role.

:

🎙️ Female emPOWERED Podcast Episode:
How Hosting Workshops Can Grow Your Revenue, Community & Credibility

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Christa Gurka shares everything studio owners need to know about hosting in-house workshops — not just attending them. If you’ve been searching for new ways to increase revenue, train your team, and build your brand’s authority in your local wellness community, workshops may be your next power move.

Christa breaks down exactly how and why hosting workshops (for clients and instructors) can be a profitable and strategic tool for boutique fitness studios. She also shares all the details about her upcoming workshop, Pilates for Injuries & Special Populations, happening on October 25th at Balance Yoga & Pilates in Glen Ellyn, IL — and how you can attend or bring her to your studio in 2026.

🎓 Learn more & register for Christa’s Glen Ellyn workshop:
👉 https://www.balanceyogapilates.com/pilates-workshops

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why hosting workshops can be a high-value, low-overhead revenue stream
• How workshops help with instructor training, staff retention & CEU savings
• The different types of workshops you can host (staff-only, public, client-facing)
• How to price and structure workshops based on your goals and costs
• The difference between good and great instructors — and how workshops can help bridge the gap
• Real examples of business and movement workshops Christa teaches
• How to partner with guest educators and tap into their audiences
• Tips for testing new services or programming with short-term workshops

📍 Join Christa LIVE at Balance Yoga & Pilates
If you're a Pilates instructor, physical therapist, or wellness pro near the Chicago area, don’t miss your chance to train in person with Christa on October 25th! She’ll be teaching two hands-on workshops focused on Pilates for injuries & special populations, and cueing, corrections, and compensation patterns.

🎟️ Reserve your spot here: https://www.balanceyogapilates.com/pilates-workshops

Interested in hosting Christa at your studio?
She offers customized workshops for owners, teams, and clients in both business strategy and movement education. Email [email protected] or DM @christagurka to learn more and grab her services + pricing package.

Connect with Christa:
🌐 Website: christagurka.com
📸 Instagram: @christagurka
🎙️ Podcast: Female emPOWERED