What We Cover In This Episode:

• How identifying tasks that can be automated or delegated to free up your time is the very first step in achieving work-life balance as a studio owner [4:25]

• The importance of setting boundaries and clearly communicating them to staff and clients [6:57]

• What you can do as a studio owner right now to prioritize your self-care [12:00]

• How you can use available automation tools to begin working smarter, not harder [14:07]

• The way that delegating effectively and trusting your staff to make decisions will aid in this process [16:30]

• Why time-blocking is such a powerful strategy to use as a business owner [19:27]

• What you’ll be able to achieve by unplugging regularly and fully stepping away from the studio [23:19]

• Some things you can do to continue investing in your personal development [24:31]

Quotes:  

“Trust your staff to manage the day-to-day operations without micromanaging. If you are going to tell your staff how to clean, even if they don't clean exactly like how you would clean, if they get the job 97 percent of the way done, just move on.” [Nick, 16:42]

“Establish phone-free zones or hours to disconnect from work, emails, notifications, and plan regular days where you fully step away from the studio.” [Nick, 23:53]

“Achieving work-life balance is not about doing it all, it’s about doing what matters most. Remember, done is better than perfect. So, by streamlining operations, setting clear boundaries and prioritizing self-care, you can create a business that works for you, not the other way around.” [26:09]

LINKS:

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here! 

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree 

What We Cover In This Episode:

• How finding the right team really starts by defining your studio needs [4:07]

• Why focusing on fostering growth for your individual team members will be key when building and maintaining a strong team [11:28]

• Strategies for navigating termination in a professional way [12:12]

• The benefits that building a positive work culture will have not only on your team members, but also for your clients [16:48]

• Ways to revamp your hiring process to ensure you’re bringing on the right people for your boutique studio [17:29]

• Essential tips for developing a solid onboarding process [18:09]

• How to recognize your team for their efforts and an effective way to implement an “Employee of the Month” reward [18:41]

• Things to consider when using performance reviews [22:27]

• Thoughts on hosting team events to build a strong culture in your studio and what to do first if your team is experiencing any friction [24:21]

Quotes:  

“Finding the right team starts with defining what your studio needs. Look beyond resumes and hire people who share your passion and values.” [Nick, 4:14]

“You can write down a bunch of bullet points of what you’re looking for, you can match up those bullet points with a resume, but I think it is really important when you get into that interview process to look for the soft skills. [Ask yourself] is this person really going to fill that position I need?” [Nick, 5:20]

“You want to avoid overloading your team with responsibilities, you want to make sure you celebrate these small and big wins, and you want to encourage open communication to get feedback on how things can improve.” [Nick, 16:57]

LINKS: Rocket Fuel: The One Essential Combination That Will Get You More of What You Want from Your Business by Gino Wickman and Mark C. Winters

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here! 

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree 

What We Cover In This Episode: 

• How to pinpoint your studio's biggest achievements and challenges through a year-end review [4:06]

• The key metrics and trends to analyze in order to gain valuable insights for your studio's future [5:07]

• The power of a mission-driven approach in building a strong brand and fostering a loyal community [6:22]

• What you do to gather and implement member feedback to enhance your studio's offerings and services in the new year [9:48]

• Tips for setting specific goals that are both ambitious and achievable based on your reflections [11:20]

• How to host a productive team meeting to identify and address challenges, and set the stage for a successful 2025 [12:56]

Quotes:

“This reflection is going to help you refocus on the values that define your studio and ensure every aspect of the business aligns with your core purpose.” [Nick, 6:38]

“Every single time you are making a decision for your studio, whether it is your pricing, your schedule, your hiring, everything you do it should all reconnect to your brand mission, vision and values.” [Megan, 7:55]

“Smart goals are meant to be achieved because it feels good to get wins. You just stack those wins on top of each other and they become big wins over time.” [12:17]

LINKS:

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here! 

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree 

What We Cover In This Episode: 

• Tips for uncovering and understanding your potential clients “why” [4:59]

• How identify past challenges that your potential clients have had can be a big help in identifying their expectations [5:53]

• The way that highlighting your studio’s unique benefits can boost your sales success [7:13]

• Why active listening is crucial for discovering nuggets of information and past experiences [9:53]

• The key reasons you need to confirm you and your potential clients are on the same page [10:24]

• How you can incorporate testimonials in this process [10:55]

• A reminder to make sure your follow up is personalized [12:42]

Quotes: 

“I want you to re-frame your sales conversations as if you're a doctor trying to help someone with a diagnosis or you are a consultant trying to help somebody with their problems, and that is going to lead to a more meaningful conversation.” [Nick, 4:11]

“It is really important to uncover this person’s journey and why they are in there, because you want to make sure it is a good fit for you, and assuming it's a good fit for you, you want to identify how your studio can overcome these past challenges.” [Nick, 6:40]

“When you really humanize the situation and show that you were listening to them, they are more likely to give you an answer and I can't iterate enough that yes’s are great, but sometimes I would rather have a fast no then having to pull their teeth to get a yes.” [Nick, 13:46]

LINKS:

Episode 159: Industry Tea with Partner Niki Riga - How to Close Sales

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here! 

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree 

What We Cover In This Episode: 

• Recommendations for keeping your service menu simple and finite [4:05]

• Flexible service menu options you can use when creating your pricing structure [5:18]

• Why setting low prices to attract volume isn’t an effective long-term pricing strategy for your business [12:11]

• The benefits of including tiered membership options and examples of what this could look like [13:30]

• A bundling strategy that can enhance the member experience and justify a higher price point [13:50]

• A way you can reward long-term members for their commitment to your studio and what you will see as a result of using this strategy [19:24] 

Quotes: 

“I think it really helps when you offer flexible membership options because then a membership is for each client persona, for your casuals, your committed, and your flexible people.” [Nick, 7:14

“If you offer them that specialized attention, it is part of their membership and they might as well take advantage of it, they're only going to get more hooked into the modality, they are going to be a bigger advocate for the studio. They are going to have more fun during class and I really see it as a retention tool.” [15:29]

“Rewarding long-term members with special pricing like a loyalty discount or exclusive offers recognizes their commitment and turns them into advocates for your studio.” [19:29]

LINKS:

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here! 

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree 

What We Cover In This Episode:

• How to streamline your member interactions with efficient automation techniques [3:08]

• Why personalized communication for significant milestones can significantly impact client retention and satisfaction [3:50]

• Effective strategies to implement automated subscription payment reminders [4:41]

• What to understand about the delicate balance between automated and personalized communication, considering factors like sensitivity and urgency [6:26]

• Time-saving templates that allow for quick and effective personalization of your member communications [18:30]

• How to implement a system for regular check-ins to foster stronger member relationships [20:01]

• Ways you can use AI tools like ChatGPT to assist in creating personalized member outreach messages [20:57]

Quotes:  

“[With] big renewals, I think it is worth reaching out and finding out if they're happy, because you're just going to deal with a mess if they are not happy and you have to reverse those charges.” [Nick, 6:17]

“If you can diagnose that it's a pivotal point in a person’s client journey, whether they are first coming to the studio, it's time for renewal…any time that it is a pivotal point to that client continuing or not, I feel that is a good time to reach out personally.” [Nick, 10:35]  

“By automating routine tasks and reserving personal messages for key milestones, sensitive topics and unique members' journeys, you can streamline operations while also building a meaningful community connection.” [Nick, 23:33]

LINKS:

Due App

Trustpilot

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here! 

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree 

What We Cover In This Episode:

• Why showcasing member success stories can significantly boost engagement within your boutique fitness studio community [3:06]

• Effective strategies for choosing members to feature in your spotlights [3:39]

• Various achievements that can be celebrated in your member spotlights [4:56]

• How to utilize different formats to showcase these stories [5:41]

• Tips for motivating members to share their own spotlight stories and why this can be a powerful engagement tool [6:24]

• Practical advice on creating a plan to approach members and gather their stories [7:48]

• The optimal frequency for publishing member spotlights to maintain interest and engagement [12:06]

• How to design effective questionnaires to capture member stories and how to engage with spotlight subjects within your studio [16:02]

Quotes:

“When you share a member spotlight, it should rally the people. Everyone should be excited for that member and that member should be proud of their story….it should really rally the troops behind it. ” [Nick, 3:25]

“Beginner gains are inspiring because it gets someone off the couch to a starting point. Also, an advanced member should get a shoutout too. They get these incremental progressions throughout the later years when you reach an advanced stage, and it’s still a big deal for them to achieve something.” [Nick, 4:20]

“It can be self-kudos, or it can be about your instructors that work for you as well; they do a lot of stuff for you, your internal community and your external community.” [Megan, 14:59]

LINKS:

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here! 

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree 

What We Cover In This Episode:

• A look at how Merchynt automated Google My Business [2:28]

• Some of the most effective marketing tools that are available to you right now [4:25]

• What to be aware of with sponsored Google listings [8:05]

• The specific components that make up a Google Business Profile [8:45]

• What “automating your Google Business Profile” means [12:40]

• Meet Paige and learn how this powerful tool can combine automation platforms capabilities [17:12]

• Best practices for local business website SEO [22:14]

Quotes:   

“Website SEO is pretty irrelevant now for a local business, so that leaves the Google Business Profile, which is where 85 percent of people are going to click on that local search.” [Justin, 6:01]

“There is no better way to get a highly motivated buyer in your door than showing up on the top three of Google maps.” [6:33]

“Being Google-friendly is the most important [thing for SEO]. Landing pages are just as good as a 12-page website, and we have seen profiles rank on Google maps that don't even have a website. [25:50]

LINKS:

Merchynt’s Website, Blog & Meet Paige! 

Stand Out on Google with a Free Profile

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here! 

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree 

What We Cover In This Episode:

• How to choose a challenge theme that aligns with your members' goals and sparks interest [2:53]

• The power of fostering community and accountability to motivate participants and increase success rates [3:56]

• Some of the ways in which offering meaningful rewards can boost engagement and amplify the impact of your challenges [5:00]

• How to build anticipation and excitement for your next challenge through strategic promotion [8:10]

• Tips for creating a simple yet effective tracking system to help participants stay on track [9:11]

• The importance of recognizing and celebrating both small wins and significant achievements [10:09]

Quotes: 

“It is easy to get excited for the challenge to get started. It is easy for the challenge to be exciting for a week or two, but if you make it a month, you better make sure you're pounding through the finish line so it’s not to be forgotten or like it's an obligation towards the end.” [Nick, 4:46]

“First of all, it’s [about the] promotion, because you want to get people excited for it. You want to get people excited to join it, excited to be a part of it and excited to win the prize. Promote your challenge early and often using social media, newsletters, fitDEGREE announcements and never discount in studio signage.” [Nick, 8:11]

“Competition is a good thing. You know, it is one of those words where it can get to be a nasty thing but if you have the right culture and you have the right community it just keeps people accountable.” [Nick, 9:46]

LINKS:

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here! 

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree 

What We Cover In This Episode:

• Common hurdles faced by gym owners when first examining a lease agreement [2:51]

• A breakdown of the most crucial sections within a lease contract[6:06]

• Understanding ADA compliance and its specific implications for boutique fitness businesses [9:50]

• The potential financial consequences of not involving legal professionals from the outset of the lease process [13:27]

• Strategies for mitigating noise issues and safeguarding your business when signing a lease [16:56]

• Key factors to consider when assessing parking needs for your gym [22:36]

• Identifying and addressing potential permit or code violations outlined in a lease agreement [25:07]

• Tips for navigating early lease termination if necessary [28:27]

• Understanding personal guarantees and their implications for business owners [31:33]

• How the FTC's new rule will affect gym owners and their membership agreements [34:08]

Quotes: 

“Almost everybody who calls now and says they have a problem with their lease, it is evident they didn't have anybody helping them.” [Matt, 5:42]

“It’s too late once there is a problem. We have to try to prevent problems from ever popping up and prepare ourselves so that we have a fighting chance if there is a problem.” [Matt, 16:21]

“You are a unique snowflake in the sense of being a gym owner because it is different requirements than any other common business that is going to go in this space.” [19:29]

LINKS:

Matt’s Website & Email 

Contact by Phone: 1-412-443-1396

The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)

FTC Passes ‘Click-to-Cancel’ Rule for Gyms; HFA Points to Key Concessions

Learn More About Our Partners & Get Exclusive Offers

Visit the fitDEGREE Knowledge Base

Send Megan Your Playlist or Discuss the Podcast Here! 

fitDEGREE’s Business Portal

https://calendly.com/fitdegree-support 

[email protected]

https://www.instagram.com/fitdegree/

​​https://www.instagram.com/fitspot_guru/ 

https://www.fitdegree.com/blog 

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UChJ5rK6zWPXjbxtUQx3ys9Q

https://www.tiktok.com/@megan_fitdegree