Category: Podcast

As attractive as entrepreneurship can be, one thing I think light doesn’t get shed on enough is how the road to freedom through business ownership can be a lonely one.

The other factor in that equation?

The most successful business owners rarely, if ever, reach freedom by relying solely on themselves.

Just like raising a baby, building a business from the ground up takes a village, and that includes everyone from people in your corner cheering you on, your community of clients and members, your team, and maybe even a business partner.

However, coming to that realization that it takes a village is often why we see so many small business owners fail, and fast.

They think they’re in it on their own…

That it’s up to them to do it all…

And that they can’t afford to reach out for help.

Today’s guest on Ready. Aim. Empire. is a shining example of how you want to view bringing in support and accountability in your business.

Why?

Well, let me count the reasons…

• She’s successfully converted nearly all of her clients over to a recurring membership model
• Which has brought her conversion rate from new students to annual members from 18% to over 70%
• And doubled her revenue over the last 8 months

All because she knew that if she wanted the chance to make her fitness studio her full-time dream, she had to get help from someone who had walked the path before her

I’m talking about Hannah McDonald, founder of BurnTheory, a barre studio in Australia that’s making waves in her community, so much so that she’s (yet again) planning to scale back at her full-time job, this time for good, to give her full attention to her rapidly growing empire.

If you’ve been struggling along the lonely road of small business ownership, let Hannah’s experience and story be the lightbulb moment that lets you know that bringing support into your business isn’t a sign that your flailing, but that you’re getting ready to fly.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• How Hannah has juggled a full-time job with scaling her barre studio and the mindset shifts she had to make to spark the shift she wanted to see in her business
• The lessons she learned from working at a failed barre studio to reframe the way she would do business
• Why her breakthrough around support and accountability acted as the catalyst for her exponential growth
• The importance of earning the right to ask for the sale, fostering a community based on commitment, and learning to bless and releas

With Grit & Gratitude,

Lisé

I think it’s the classic entrepreneur conundrum…

One that makes us capable of going after our biggest and wildest dreams while simultaneously struggling to achieve them.

I’m talking about the desire to do and be it all, or as I also like to call it, Carpe Diem-itis.

On the one hand, we’re fiercely driven to make our dreams a reality, and on the other, we’re so concerned with keeping a finger in every pie that we’re actually are driving ourselves into the ground, which doesn’t exactly pave the way for productive business growth.

Maybe you’re reading this, and you’re slowly shaking your head thinking, “No, no, that’s not me,” or “I need to do and be everything, that’s just what starting a business is about!”

Now, I 1,000% understand where you’re coming from because that was also me when I first began my journey in studio ownership…

I thought I had to do it all, but in reality, that quest just led to not getting much of anything done because I either wasn’t best suited for the task at hand, and it left me with no time to focus on the tasks that were truly going to move the business forward.

The day I discovered I was in denial was a day I’ll never forget…

In my childhood bedroom with my newborn baby and tears flowing like the Mississippi (except it wasn’t my son’s tears we’re talking about), my mama sat next to me and said, “This is going to come down to choosing three small things every day, only three. Any more than that and you’ll never move forward.”

For a dreamer and doer who wants to get all done and now, that was a tough lesson to learn.

But in the months that followed, I found my Carpe Diem Cure and created a 3-steps-and-tasks-a-day system that led to opening my studio doors and being profitable from the start in just four months.

It wasn’t magic, it was a mindset shift. Less fumbling with a mile-long list, and more laser-focus on the actions that mattered.

And even though I can’t sit next to you and dry any tears that might be flowing, today I’m going to walk you through that lesson that while tough to learn, was the way of thinking that finally set me free.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Why the Carpe Diem Rule is essential for not just your studio growth, but your sanity
• The power behind narrowing down your daily to-dos to only 3 daily action items
• How long your 3 daily tasks should take you
• Why client communication is at the top of the list and the 3 steps associated with it
• What I did with the leftover tasks that didn’t ever or rarely made my to-do lists

With Grit & Gratitude,

Lisé

I believe one of the best traits a studio owner can have is the ability to pivot.

To take what they thought was the “perfect picture” and be okay with turning it down. Or taking a what could be viewed as a crappy hand and turning it into a winning round.

And that’s exactly what my guest on today’s episode of Ready. Aim. Empire., Melissa Martin, did when she went from receiving a cease and desist letter for running her personal training business out of her home to finding what on paper was the ideal second studio space, but turning it down because her intuition knew it wasn’t the best fit.

Melissa, along with her husband, David, is the owner of S.W.E.A.T. Revolution, an athletic training and yoga studio in upstate New York that is seeing tremendous growth, largely due to Melissa’s money mindset.

That’s right, not market conditions, pricing or marketing (although, those items play a pivotal role as well), as Melissa explains, the massive shifts she has experienced in her business, particularly in the last six months, have primarily been influenced by her mental relationship with wellness and wealth.

In this episode, Melissa’s shares the start of her journey from competing in fitness competitions in 2012 and being financially broke to being at her heaviest, yet bringing in six figures, and how that journey unlocked a new way of thinking that has allowed her to pivot from being stuck in a scarcity and lack mindset to one of abundance and receiving.

As a result, S.W.E.A.T. Revolution has grown to new heights, and now she’s sharing her story to help you do the same with your studio.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Melissa’s take on why you have the right and responsibility to abundance in your life
• How wellness isn’t about weight, but how you honor and love yourself and view your self-worth
• Tips for unlearning old truths and adopting new truths in shifting your money mindset
• How to combat the fraud-y feelings and fear that arises when considering raising the rates of your studio
• Why it’s critical to build in multiple revenue streams into your business to allow you to pivot with fewer road bumps
• The various factors to consider first when making a big decision or shift in your business

With Grit & Gratitude,

Lisé

 

Melissa Martin is a transformational wealth & wellness coach, speaker & author specializing in teaching women how to birth a new money mindset & discover their self worth. She works with a large number of fitness entrepreneurs, teaching them how to build in multiple income streams to their businesses.

She also the co-owner of S.W.E.A.T. Revolution along with her husband David where they specialize in athletic strength & conditioning for student athletes.

Instagram: @melissa_m_martin

Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/melissa.folster

Website: www.HustleAndWooWoo.com

Ready, set… retreat!

So, you’re ready to host your first retreat and make it a blowout success.

Well, not so fast! I know you’re eager to get your event planner hat on, but before you dive into sharing with your community about this amazing retreat you want them to join in on, you’ve got to do the groundwork to ensure your retreat brings you revenue and not financial regret.

The first crucial step is finding a venue and crunching all your numbers so you can create a profitable retreat roadmap.

If you haven’t done that already, you know what I’m going to tell you…

Click here to listen to Episode #209 for Part 1 of my Retreats With Real Revenue series.

In that episode I clue you into all the key considerations you’ll want to have in mind when choosing the right venue to rent including lodging, accessibility, amenities, legalities, and more, plus the two most important numbers you need to know in the planning stage to be profitable when it’s all said and done.

And now in Part 2, I’m getting into the nitty-gritty on marketing your retreat so it sells out along with plenty of other tips and insights, of course!

One of the most crucial elements of this whole process that I want you to keep in mind is the difference between an event and retreat.

It’s a thin line that’s easy to cross, so as you’re listening to Part 1 and Part 2, be acutely aware of what kind of event you’re envisioning so you can create the perfect profit plan.

You never know, it may just spur a new arm of your empire.

In this episode you’ll learn:

• Deciding factors on whether you’re looking to host a retreat or event and the marketing lead time you’ll need for both
• How to build out an affiliate network and leverage the marketing power of your teachers and retreat guides
• What you need on a promotional calendar for your affiliates and for you to successfully sell out spots
• Key elements of your sales page, copy, and multimedia, such as video, that you need to have ready before you put out your first piece of promotional content

References and recommendations:

• Infusionsoft
• SamCart
• LeadPages

With Grit & Gratitude,

Lisé