Category: Podcast

The Golden Rule.

Kill ‘em with kindness.

Or, as I always heard growing up in the South, “you attract more bees with honey than you do with vinegar.”

Whatever your phraseology, it all boils down to being nice.

Of course, as a business owner, it feels like common sense that we would be kind to our customers, yet it doesn’t require deep digging to find negative reviews in a flash, so clearly, some business leaders aren’t quite getting the memo.

But as Niki Riga, Studio Grow coach and owner of Flex Fusion Studios put it, it’s better to be killing with kindness instead of killing your business because negativity spreads like wildfire, especially online.

Today I’ve got Niki at the microphone as she teaches us all about what it means to go above and beyond with kindness (something she calls the Alpha Phi Effect that she learned back in her sorority days) that leaves both parties feeling good and happy, even when the situation feels a little sticky.

If you find yourself feeling the pressure to be a “yes woman” to try to appease everyone, this is for you.

If you have a studio that has garnered even one so-so review from a client claiming they weren’t treated nicely, this is for you.

And if you fear having boundaries and policies makes you seem “not nice” or “mean” or “non-understanding,” this is for you.

Because being kind is in fact, all about holding firm your boundaries so you can benefit your business, your bottom line, and not bruise any egos in the process.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How Niki realized she needed to change her “yes” behavior and act like a business instead of an expensive charity
• What is the Alpha Phi Effect and how you can apply it to a variety of scenarios in your studio
• Why the concept and practice of kindness needs to be embedded into your studio’s culture and steps you can take to make that happen
• How policies actually give you room to be kind, understanding and give you greater freedom than being a “yes person”

With grit and gratitude,

Lise

I’ve always believed in the idea that if you’re not at least a little bit afraid of what you set out to accomplish, you’re not dreaming big enough.

Big dreams should shove us over the edge of our comfort zones and into uncharted territory where we’re forced to learn to fly.

And if you’re like today’s guest, Jo-Anne, maybe you’ll understand that flying sensation from a slightly different perspective, one that she said was more “flying by the seat of your pants.”

Listen, when it comes to taking action on big dreams, sometimes that’s the kind of flying you have to do to get your dream up and off the ground.

However, what you’ll eventually find, much like Jo-Anne did, is that that mode doesn’t work in the long haul, and if you want to have sustainable success, you’ve got to have a flight plan that involves systems and processes.

For Jo-Anne, who founded the Calgary Pilates Centre 10 years ago and has built an incredible team of 15 people, she realized that after a few business roadblocks, it was time to get to the nuts and bolts of her business so she could achieve a greater level of success and freedom for her business, her community, and her personal life.

In today’s episode, we’ve got Studio Grow coach and consultant, Erin Haag at the helm as she chats with Jo-Anne all about how she has worked with our team to overhaul her pricing and packaging structures and navigating (and overcoming) some of the fears that come with that process.

What I love about her journey is how thoughtful Jo-Anne is about the changes she’s made and what she’s working on now… there’s a reason why she built a successful studio prior to working with us, and I just know you’ll glean some golden nuggets from her story.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How Jo-Anne and her team were able to survive {and thrive} through natural disasters, recessions, and competition that threatened the success of her studio
• What lead her to The Client Cure, the hesitations she had to overcome, and what ultimately helped her decide on making the leap
• How she managed her time and energy to be able to implement the teachings within The Client Cure and some of the fears she had to overcome in the process
• Which strategies and processes from The Client Cure Jo-Anne has put into place and how they’ve performed thus far (plus what she’s focusing on next)

Connect with Calgary Pilates Centre:

On their website

On Facebook

On Instagram

With grit and gratitude,
Lise

Of all the diverse paths and journeys of entrepreneurship, there is one constant I believe to be true for everyone…

Owning a business is one of the most significant feats of personal development one can jump into.

It’s an ever-enduring process of self-refinement, courage, and vulnerability, all of which require some serious mindset work as we must unlearn lessons society (and sometimes our families) have taught us to keep us moving with the status quo.

On today’s episode, I’ve got another one of our fantastic Studio Grow coaches and consultants, Maura Vella, hosting the show with an equally incredible guest who also happens to be her business partner and mentor.

John Marcoux is the founder and owner of 105F, a yoga, Pilates and mindfulness studio in Chicago, but in addition to the studio space, John has also carved out a career in speaking on the power of positivity and mindfulness for the adversarial mind.

As you listen, you’ll see how his teachings are helpful for any human, but particularly entrepreneurs, and even more specifically, studio owners.

Because not only do we need to be able to wield our innate strengths as we navigate slaying the dragons of entrepreneurship (you’ll have to listen in to get that reference!), but we also need to be able to act as a guide for our students as they look to find their way on the path to their own greater positivity and enlightenment.

This episode is a heavy hitter, so find yourself a quiet space, let yourself be fully present and open to what John has to share because it may just change not only your business but also your life.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How John’s attendance at his first hot yoga class changed the course of his career
• What is an adversarial trap and three cognitive boosters you can use to avoid them
• John’s thoughts on misdirected or chronic pessimism and the three catastrophic pessimisms you need to tune into
• The true meaning of leadership and choice and how they play a role specifically in the world of studio ownership
• How to use your character and signature strengths to your advantage to impact the quality of your life, your work, and what you bring to your community

Resources from this episode:

Connect with 105F on their website, Facebook and Instagram.

Take the free Character Strengths VIA survey.

Learn more about Moms Demand Action.

With grit and gratitude,

Lise

In my mind, I equate “success” to a four-letter word…

No, not one that needs to be censored, the word is “test.”

See, no single formula automatically produces success. There are processes, sure (like the one my team and I carry people through in The Client Cure), but undoubtedly there has to be some testing and tweaking with each individual and business’ path to success.

Whether it’s testing of the limits of your comfort zone, testing your market to see what works and what your audience will respond to, testing a new approach to see if it will help you smooth and streamline an area that’s currently a little haphazard, finding the exact equation that’s going to help you reach your goals is a lot like high school science class.

Set objectives, test, analyze, pivot, test, analyze, repeat, and then trust that this process will carry you to finding the answers you seek.

On today’s episode, Studio Grow consultant, Cherise, is back with one of our clients who is doing the testing and trusting the process with beautiful results to show for it.

The best part is, Siobhan O’Malley, who is the owner of CORevolution in Saratoga, CA, already had a strong business background, but she knew she needed support and guidance through the testing process of shifting her revenue model to truly see her Megaformer studio’s success take off.

Enter Studio Grow and Siobhan embarking on a new journey in testing and trusting The Client Cure process with unwavering dedication. (Which has resulted in growing from 16 to 42 auto-renew memberships in her studio in a matter of a few months.)

In this episode, hear more about how Cherise and Siobhan are working together to find what works for her unique studio, and how it’s paving the way for Siobhan to reach her goals for finding freedom in her life and business.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How Siobhan approaches communicating her brand as a non-franchise Megaformer studio
• What areas of business Siobhan felt comfortable with, and which areas she realized she need support and coaching for
• Why it’s critical to trust the process and be coachable
• How she began the process of converting her class pack clients into auto renew memberships at a pace that felt good for her
• Why she brought in a “First Impression Specialist” to help fill the gaps in her sales and client retention efforts

Connect with CORevolution through their website and on Facebook and Instagram.

With grit and gratitude,

Lise