The
Podcast

Meet the Faces of Studio Grow: Misty Cauthen of Dragonfly Pilates and How Falling Apart Can Lead To Major Steps Forward

It doesn’t matter whether we think of ourselves as “risk-averse” or an adrenaline junkie, we all experience some level of fear when making significant changes or decisions, even if it’s just a twinge.

Part of this fear is our brain’s natural response to keep us “safe,” but what our brain doesn’t know is that it’s not keeping us safe from an attack by a wild animal (our brain’s primitive reason for this response), but it’s holding us back from expansion and growth.

That’s why it’s up to us to be mentally resilient and make the mindset shifts that will let us move past that fear.

So what does that have to do with today’s episode?

Well, by all intensive purposes the roller coaster of events that Misty Cauthen
went through in growing her first studio and expanding to her second would have had most people throwing in the towel saying,
“Forget it, this is too risky…too uncomfortable.”

But not Misty.

Maybe it was the fact that, as she states, failing wasn’t an option and she had to make it work. Personally, I think it’s because she’s a powerhouse woman who can stare at difficult decisions and circumstances in the face and show them that she is a force to be reckoned with.

If you don’t know Misty, she’s the founder of Dragonfly Pilates, a student of The Client Cure who has grown leaps and bounds in the last few years, and one of the new faces of the Studio Grow brand!

In this episode, we discuss her journey to opening her first studio, the roadblocks she faced in growing her business, the move to open her second studio, and how she’s made decisions that have brought her business to the place of being a well-oiled machine.

In this episode you’ll learn:

  • How seasons of turmoil led to incredible doors of opportunity that opened for Misty
  • Why she wanted to open more than one studio {and how her model has changed over the years from hiring to business operations and finances}
  • Her biggest challenges with opening her second studio and how she worked through them and overcame them
  • How different work relationships have changed Misty’s mindset and moved her business forward

Resources mentioned in this episode:

Visit Dragonfly Pilates.

Connect with Misty and Dragonfly Pilates on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Spot Misty on the Studio Grow site.

With grit and gratitude,

Lise

Recommended Episodes

  • 5 Profit Leaks Killing Your Fitness Studio

    Your studio may not have a revenue problem—but a leakage issue. Small inefficiencies, missing nonprocesses, minimal oversight and “nice-to-have” decisions can drain profit and stifle growth. In Episode 726: 5 Profit Leaks Killing Your Fitness Studio, Matt Hanton and Heather Garrick identify the most common ways studio owners lose money—and how to plug the gaps

    Listen Now

  • Live from The HFA Show 2026: Lise Kuecker and Emma Barry

    Although running your studio may feel all-consuming (I get it!), don’t neglect to keep an eye on how the fast-evolving fitness industry landscape ultimately can impact your day-to-day. Get food for thought on the global trends reshaping the sector in Episode 725: Live from The HFA Show 2026: Lise Kuecker and Emma Barry, CEO &

    Listen Now

  • How to Grow a Boutique Fitness Studio Without Burning Out

    You didn’t open your studio to feel trapped. But are you driving yourself into the ground anyway? If everything depends entirely on you, all the time, your studio can’t scale—or even survive.  Burnout shouldn’t be a given. Get a better plan from Caroline Plambeck and Connor McGarry in Episode 724: How to Grow Your Boutique

    Listen Now

  • Live from The HFA Show 2026: Lise Kuecker and Mike Goscinski

    Y’all may not realize it, but decisions made in Washington D.C. and state capitals shape your studio’s operations, contracts and long-term viability—and typically feel out of your control.  Learn about the value of advocacy and how you have a stake (and more influence than you think) in Episode 723: Live from The HFA Show 2026:

    Listen Now