Pilates Business Podcast

Why Cookie-Cutter Business Advice Won’t Grow Your Studio 🚫

• Seran Glanfield • Season 21 • Episode 206

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Do you ever feel like you're just throwing spaghetti at the wall when it comes to growing your studio? Maybe you've tried tweaking your pricing, running promotions, or ramping up your social media, yet you're still not seeing the results you want. The truth is - what works for one studio won’t necessarily work for yours.

In this episode of The Pilates Business Podcast, host Seran Glanfield breaks down why a one-size-fits-all approach to business growth simply doesn’t work and how a personalized growth plan is the game-changer you need to scale with confidence.

Listen in to learn:
✅ Why generic business advice often falls flat for boutique studio owners
✅ The three key factors that make YOUR studio unique—and why your growth strategy should reflect that
✅ How to leverage your strengths and goals to create a clear roadmap to success
✅ The secret to avoiding burnout and working smarter (not harder)

If you're tired of spinning your wheels and want to take control of your growth in a way that feels aligned and effective, this episode is for you!

🔗 Join Thrive and get your personalized growth plan → www.springthree.com/thrive


Got a question for Seran? Add it here 👉

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Work with Seran:

🌟 Join the Thrive Business Coaching Program and get smart strategies that drive growth (and profit) in your boutique fitness studio

🌟Enroll in the Marketing Intensive and get everything you need to finally master your marketing and stand out from the competition


Speaker 1:

When it comes to growing your studio, do you ever feel like you're throwing spaghetti at the wall, trying different things, hoping something sticks? Maybe you're following advice from other studio owners, but maybe it's not quite working for you. Well, the truth is, what works for one studio won't necessarily work for yours, and that's because your business, your goals, your strengths and your challenges are unique, and you need a plan for your business that's designed specifically for you, a growth plan that plays to your strengths, aligns with your vision and gives you a clear roadmap forward. So today I'm going to be talking about how a personalized business growth plan is really the key to helping you stop spinning your wheels, cut out all the noise and finally grow your business with confidence. Well, hi there, I'm Saren Glanfield. I'm a business and marketing strategist just for boutique fitness studio owners like you. If you're ready to be inspired and make a bigger impact, you're in the right place. All you need are a few key strategies, the right mindset and some support along the way. Join me as I share the real-life insights that will help you grow a sustainable and profitable studio.

Speaker 1:

This is the Pilates Business Podcast. This is the Pilates Business Podcast. Welcome back to the Pilates Business Podcast. I'm Saren Glanfield. This is your go-to guide for all things boutique, fitness, business, growth and I'll say that if you're looking for actionable steps, practical strategies, things that make things clearer, things that make actually move the needle less noise, less woo woo then this is your place to be, because I am here to help you move forward, make progress and help your business to really perform better. And if you have been listening for a while, you will know that one of the things I am a big, big fan of here on the podcast, but also what I help my studio owners to do inside of Thrive is to build a plan for growth. And so if you are wondering what that is, then let me tell you a little bit more about why this is so important.

Speaker 1:

Because the thing is, I speak to a lot of studio owners every single day of the week and every single week of the year, and many, many, many times, by the time a studio owner comes to me, they're in a place where they're kind of stuck. Some people are stuck and frustrated. Some people are stuck but are excited for what's possible, but they just need to know where to go next and where to focus, and sometimes folks, or most of the time, I should say. Folks are working pretty long hours and they've tried to do as much as they can do and they've gotten to a point where they can't really grow without that next level of skills. Perhaps a little bit more time, perhaps a little bit more organization when it comes to not just one or two parts of their business, but a few different parts of their business, right? So maybe they've tried a little bit of social media promotion, maybe they've tried messing with their pricing a little bit and I say messing with because I don't really want to play too much with our pricing and maybe they've thought about doing some promotions but are not sure if they're working and ultimately they're not seeing the results that they want. And I think they know that there is more to achieve in their business. They want more out of their business as well, and this might be also where you are at as well. And so if you've been dabbling a little bit in marketing, if you've been dabbling with your pricing, if you've been dabbling with promotions and you're not really sure if you're getting results, if you're not really sure if they're having an impact, then this is going to be really helpful to you, because the reality is is that you know, it's not that you're not working hard enough, it's not that you're not putting in the effort. It's possible that you don't have the strategies that are designed specifically for you and your business.

Speaker 1:

And when I work with studio owners, I'll be the first to tell them, and I'll tell you here too, is that I don't believe there's one way to grow a business. I don't believe there is a cookie cutter, one way to grow a business where there is only one thing that you should do and the only way to do it. And I want to break it down for you a little bit more about why the cookie cutter business advice doesn't work. What might have worked at another studio may not work for you at all. I want to talk to you a little bit about what really goes into creating that really personalized growth plan and how it can really help you to save time, reduce stress and actually see the results that you want. And if you're thinking a little bit, maybe, okay, this sounds great. Actually, I'd love a plan for how I grow my business.

Speaker 1:

Well, I'm going to tell you right now that that's exactly what we do inside of Thrive, and the minute you join Thrive, you're taken on a journey towards the growth that you want, and if that is exponential growth, great, if that's more stable growth, also great. The key is that you have a vision for your business, and that is what we help you to achieve instead of thrive, and we show you how to get there with that personalized growth plan. So I want to share with you just that very simple truth to kick off this conversation, which is that, as I've mentioned, you know, not all business strategies will work for all studios, and so if you've ever tried to do something you've seen another studio do and it's not worked for you, you'll know how this feels or if you've taken advice from another business coach or another business coach, maybe even from this industry, but it didn't feel like it would work for you, then perhaps this is going to be helpful, and I think, if that's the case, you're not alone, and the reason why generic business advice, or even sometimes business advice that has worked for other studios or other teachers, often fails is because of three specific things. Number one is your studio is unique your location, your audience, the way that your consumers, your clients, behave within your area, the culture that you are in in the world, whereabouts you live in the world, your pricing model, your team, the way, or 15 instructors may not work for a small boutique studio in a smaller city with maybe two to three teachers. Now, the other thing is that your strengths and this is what we overlook mostly is your strengths and your challenges are also different and also unique.

Speaker 1:

I have been fortunate enough to work with hundreds of studio owners, and I'll tell you that I see many that are natural marketers. They love to be putting themselves out there connecting with people in their local community on social media all the time. They are not worried to show their face, they love it and they are natural marketers. Others thrive on building deep customer relationships and really making sure that their clients are getting the really fabulous results that they have invested in their expertise so deeply in helping them to achieve. So, when it comes to growing your business, what's going to hold you back is going to be very, very different from what is going to perhaps be holding someone else back. So we need to focus on a plan for your business that leverages what you're already really, really good at and not force you into a one size fits all mold. And then, finally, you know, generic business advice fails because your goals are going to be unique to you as well.

Speaker 1:

Having asked the question to hundreds of studio owners over the last 10 years 12 years actually of coaching, I always ask where are you going? What is the vision you have for your studio? Some owners want to scale to multiple locations. Some owners want to build a franchise. Others want to build and create and make an impact in their town. Others want to build a teacher training program. Others want to travel the world and teach.

Speaker 1:

Now, what your goals are will be unique to you, and I'm not here to tell you what your goals should be, but I'm really keen to hear what they are. And when you come to me and you tell me what they are, then we will build a growth plan that aligns with what you want for your business, but also for your life, because, as a business owner, we know how intertwined your business and your day-to-day life is, and so we want to make sure that what you're doing is that everything is aligned with what you want to get out of all of those things right. So when you have a personalized growth plan, it doesn't just take into account your studio, but it also takes into account your strengths and your unique goals, and that's why, when we take those sort of hey, you should do this, or you should do that, or hey, this works so great for me and we try to fit it into our studio, it often falls flat, and that often leaves you feeling well probably less than great about your business, but also wondering if you're doing anything right at all, and honestly, I don't want that for you. So if that is where you feel right now, know that it's not because you're not trying hard enough. It's just that we need to understand exactly what it is that your studio business needs. So if those cookie cutter strategies don't work, what does?

Speaker 1:

Well, one of the things that we I help my studio owners do instead of Thrive is help to figure out exactly what it is that you can, what is possible for you, and sometimes we haven't even thought about that. Right, maybe that's where you're at. You're kind of sort of going in a direction, but maybe you don't have a destination in mind, and so one of the things that Thrive helps you to do is to see what is possible in your business. We do a full business assessment, we see where you're at right now and then from there we show you what's possible for you when you take action with the right strategies for your unique business. So your growth plan needs to be aligned with what success looks like for you and what's possible for you in your business.

Speaker 1:

In your business Now, a growth plan should also obviously include thinking about what you need and what your revenue to be right. And sometimes these numbers we pull out of the sky and they become this sort of dream. And when we have a sort of dream revenue number in our head, often it isn't really enough to get us there, because if we haven't done the work and understand what's possible in our business when it comes to revenue, where the revenue opportunities are in our business, then there's a huge gap between where you're at today and where you want to get to in terms of revenue. So we want to make sure that your business is generating maximum revenue for where it's at right now, but also that you're implementing strategies and actions that are going to take you forward and generate the revenue that you want Now. If you're someone who loves social media, then marketing might feel easy to you, but that often means that you might be missing other parts of what's possible when it comes to marketing. And so I don't just look at one way to market your business. Your marketing should absolutely leverage your strengths, but we also want to make sure that you're not missing out on anything.

Speaker 1:

And when you join Thrive, I show you exactly how you can implement strategies to cover all of the bases and make sure you've got all of these different levers you can pull to grow your business, get clients and keep clients. You can pull to grow your business, get clients and keep clients. And so if you tell me, look, saren, I don't want to dance on TikTok, okay, I'm not going to make you dance on TikTok, but I am going to say, okay, well, what feels good for you and what is possible for you, and we will look at your business and we'll look at all of the different tools and levers I should say that you have and we will find the right ones to pull for your business. And then the other thing is we want to make sure that your plan includes is very efficient, which means that we have to include systems right, and I cannot tell you I am such a fanatic of systems. I think that you know when I speak to studio owners and I see that they don't have any systems or processes in place. I'm like all right, let's get you set up with some processes that make your business operations run smoothly. If you are not setting up systems in your business for marketing, for retention, for operations, for management, then boy oh boy, I can imagine how that can get exhausting pretty quickly.

Speaker 1:

And so a growth plan isn't just about revenue. It isn't just about that. It is also about making sure that you are not working yourself into the ground and that you are actually leveraging all of the different opportunities that exist in your business and not missing out on the profit that is already there. And then we take that and we say, okay, what else is possible for your business? And that's what the growth plan really shows you how to do.

Speaker 1:

Now, when you've got that growth plan, it will change so much for you. It just removes frankly, it removes the overwhelm. It really really does. You're never left wondering, okay, I've got 5,000 things to focus on, where should I start first? Which just sends you into, perhaps, that tailspin. And so, instead of being pulled in a million different directions, you know exactly how to prioritize some of those things and maybe many of those things that you know you want to put into play in your business, and so it takes away that. Where do I focus first? And then what happens is because you're so focused, because you have prioritized what needs to come first and because you are being held accountable, especially when you join Thrive.

Speaker 1:

We work through your goals with you, we talk about them often, which means that you actually achieve those goals. We see wins every single week inside of Thrive. Sometimes they're huge wins because you've been working on something really hard for a long time. Sometimes they're smaller wins, but they feel so good to be able to talk about and celebrate. Right and regardless, what we see is not just wins but also progress. We're seeing businesses, instead of thrive, perform better every single week, every single month and every single year.

Speaker 1:

And so what you get when you have a personalized growth plan is you have faster, more sustainable growth, and so it becomes easy to grow. You have systems in place for growth. You have less overwhelm, and when you lean into that growth plan for your business, what you end up getting is more time and more freedom, because there's less time in the reactive mode and more time being very proactive about your business growth. And the best part, honestly, is that you don't constantly wonder am I doing enough, is this good enough, is this the right thing to do? Or even what should I be doing next, or what am I missing out on? Because you don't have to worry about that. You've got the growth plan in place and you already know what to do. So if you're thinking maybe you're thinking, okay, this sounds like pretty helpful I tell you it really is, and that's really where what we help you to do inside of Thrive because you know we do help you to build out your marketing system.

Speaker 1:

And your marketing system does not just include social media. It also includes your messaging, what you're saying, how you're positioning your brand, your visibility, the awareness in your local community, how you're engaging and interacting with the folks around you and so much more. Right, because we know that when it comes to building and growing a business, it's not just about what happens inside the four walls of your studio. It's also how people see you and how people think of you and how people perceive you in your local community. So we help, we take you from the big picture big picture, business design and growth planning stage all the way down to the detail of let's map out your next 90 days, and then let's map out your next month, and then let's get focused on the one or two or three things that you need to achieve this week to move the needle on the project, on the plan, on the progress that you want to make. So we help you to define your business goals, so you have clarity on what success looks like for you. We help you identify the right growth strategies that fit your studio strengths and your own, and then we help you create a customized roadmap that focuses on your priorities, not someone else's, because when you have that plan, you really stop second guessing and you start really growing and have more confidence in your business and in yourself as well.

Speaker 1:

So, quick recap One size fits all business advice does not work. There is not a protocol for growing a studio business, and if you are a boutique business, then you need a tailored strategy for your unique studio. And when you have a personalized plan, a growth plan, a plan for how to grow or how to reach the success that you want, that helps you focus on your goals, that leverages your strengths and helps you to really prioritize, then you find that you have that roadmap for less stress and more or better, I should say, and maybe faster to results, and so if that's what you want for your business too, then I would love to invite you in to Thrive, because that is where we do exactly that. And if you're interested in learning more about Thrive and how it works, I'm going to drop the link in the show notes, but you can go to spring3.com forward, slash Thrive and find all the details, or you can always just send me a quick DM on Instagram, get on our website, send us an email and ask us, because I don't want to see you struggling through any more, just getting by and wondering if this is what it has to always be like. I've seen studios owners join Thrive and really unlock just so much, not just in their business in terms of revenue and growth, but also in enthusiasm and energy and vibrancy around how they deliver their customer service and how they deliver their customer experience and how they teach and all of these creative ideas that get unlocked when you take away a lot of that stress and overwhelm and take that off of your shoulders. So I hope this is helpful to you when you think about what might be possible for you in your boutique fitness studio business.

Speaker 1:

Thank you so much for listening. If this episode was interesting for you, it might also be interesting for a fellow studio owner as well. So if so, don't hesitate to share. I'll speak to you soon. Did you love this episode and want more? Head to spring3.com and check out my free resources that will help you run a profitable and fulfilling studio business. And before you go, one last reminder there is no one way to do what you do, only your way. So whatever it is that you want to do, create or offer, you've got this. Thanks again for joining me today and have a wonderful rest of your day.