Why January Success Starts NOW: The Planning Strategy Every Boutique Fitness Studio Needs

In this episode of The Pilates Business Podcast, host Seran Glanfield breaks down why January is the biggest opportunity month for every boutique fitness studio — and why waiting until after the holidays to plan your campaigns is the fastest way to miss out on revenue, retention, and long-term growth. 

Seran shares how forward-thinking studio owners inside her Thrive coaching program are preparing NOW for 2026, and the mindset shifts that help Pilates, barre, and yoga studio owners walk into the new year confident, strategic, and ready to scale. 

If you want a profitable, sustainable Pilates business that doesn’t rely on last-minute hustling, this episode will show you where to start.

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Chapters

• 0:00 Why January Cannot Wait
• 1:24 Meet Sarah And The Thrive Lens
• 2:23 The Cost Of Reactive Planning
• 4:00 Momentum Is Built In Advance
• 6:20 Stand Out Beyond New Year New You
• 9:10 Plan With Space, Not Stress
• 11:20 January As Yearlong Launch Pad
• 13:15 Key Takeaways And Thrive Invitation
• 15:20 Resources, Reviews, And Final Encouragement

Transcript

SPEAKER_00: 0:00

Okay, let's be real for a moment. January is the busiest month of the year for boutique fitness studios. People are motivated, they're making New Year's resolutions, they're ready to commit. But the problem is often that many studio owners don't actually start thinking about January until, well, January. Which means that by the time you're planning, you may have already missed the window to take advantage of all of that momentum. So if you want your studio to kick off the new year stronger than ever, you cannot afford to wait. In today's episode, I'm going to share why January campaigns need to be planned now, not later, and what shifts in thinking will help you to walk into the new year prepared, confident, and ready to grow. Well, hi there, I'm Sarah Glamfield. 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. This is the Pilates Business Podcast. Well, hey there and welcome back to the Pilates Business Podcast. I'm Sarah Glamfield, and I'm so glad that you're here with me today because I want to share with you something that I have been talking about with my studio owners inside of my Thrive group coaching program for actually quite a few weeks now. And that is 2026, the new year, the next year. And what's your plan for growth? Right. And this is something that we we talk, we're we're always thinking about planning and the future and what's next and the growth plan inside of Thrive. But this is a sort of a very special time of year because I think there's a lot of opportunity at this time of year to really start to not just think about the what and the how, but the maybes and the what-ifs. And so if you're just thinking, okay, well, it just turned the page of the calendar month and I'm not sure I'm quite ready to think about January. I've got a few other things to get through first. I know, I get it, you're not alone. But the reality is that if you're waiting until after the holidays to plan your new year and your next year, you're probably already behind. So I want to plant the seed a little bit today for you guys to start to get you thinking about your next year and your growth plan for the next year. And it really matters so much to start thinking about it now because, as you know, January really is one of the big opportunity months for boutique fitness studios. People often turn the page of that calendar year and are ready for change. They're looking to hit the reset button, they're looking for that new routine. And if your studio is visible, clear in its message, and ready to meet that demand, you're going to see a wave of new clients. But if you're on the back foot, if you're scrambling at the last minute, if you're trying to catch up in the second week of January, then you'll likely miss the wave. So I want to shift a little bit about how we think about planning for January and the new year. And I just want to, before we dive into it all, just say that this is not about piling more tasks on your to-do list at all or overwhelming you with things. It's actually about helping you to work a little bit smarter, thinking ahead a little bit more. And so you can roll into the new year with a plan and direction and clarity and a strategies that feel aligned, but simple and will also be very effective. Now, most studio owners tell themselves that they'll deal deal with January, you know, in the second half of December, maybe even wait until after this sort of, you know, the big day itself has come and gone, as it were. But by then, often it is a little bit too late. You know, you're probably already exhausted from all the things that happen in December. Um, and you might find that you're looking yourself for a break. You want the to take some time off. And your energy might not be as high as you might want it to be after everything that happens during the holiday season. And so if you're expecting that you're going to have all that energy in the last week of December to pull together campaigns and emails and marketing and visibility strategies on the fly, then you're probably already going to sort of setting yourself up, not for success, as it were. And you might end up with feeling very, very scattered. You might find yourself not being able to fulfill the things that you wanted to fulfill. And you might find that you have a plan that feels more reactive and less strategic. And I, you know, one of the goals I have for the studio owners that I am so fortunate to work with is I want to help them to move out of that reactive mode and into the proactive mode. So you can show up with energy, right? With the right kind of energy, feeling excited about what's to come, but also feeling like you have fueled yourself with that right balance of space and thoughtfulness and, you know, and a clear direction for where you're heading and where you need to spend your time. The opposite of that, when you're in reactive mode, is typically there is you're there are gaps that you're missing out on revenue, missing out on new clients, and perhaps ultimately end up with a January that is far less successful than it could be. So momentum in your marketing and growth doesn't happen in real time. It actually happens by the things that you do in advance. Momentum doesn't happen from reacting in January and being, you know, all in the in the quarter zone and in the stress and in the in the hustle. It comes from having these, um, the the direction and the clarity around what you need to do when and a little bit of preparation ahead of time. So what your January looks like is going to be determined by what you do now and over the next few weeks. And I think, you know, January is such an opportunity. It's not just another month. There is so much opportunity there because people are just more primed to take action in January, more so than really at any other time of the year. It's like the fitness equivalent tax season for accountants, right? It's when people expect to do things differently, to set up their lives perhaps that they in a way that they are that is more intentional. Um, for many people, it is sort of like that reset. And so if you're not prepared at that moment with the right messaging that meets people exactly where they are, with offers that meet their needs, with systems and campaigns that are designed specifically for that moment, you won't stand out. Instead, you'll blend into the noise of every single other fitness studio or gym, advertising, the new year, new you specials, right? So it's not about thinking about January as just another sales cycle. You want to think of it as something bigger than that, as the biggest opportunity you have to sort of shape the direction of your business for the next year, for the next 12 months. And if you are willing to put some work into designing the way that you want to show up now for then, you'll only be in a stronger position. And when you plan ahead, like we do in Set of Thrive, you will create space to actually be strategic. As you know, and as I've witnessed, so much of the potential in your business comes from the moments of space, of white space, of the times you might even be stepping out of your business. So a few weeks ago, I was fortunate enough to get to spend some time at our Thrive retreat with my members of our Thrive group coaching program. And in that, stepping out of the studio, stepping out of the day-to-day, stepping away from all the other people that you see so frequently and into a group where there is designed specifically for helping you to think creatively about potentially where you want to take your business and what's possible for you, it's just so many breakthroughs. And so we know that your best work probably doesn't come from a time when you're feeling super crunched, super um stressed out, super overwhelmed, super exhausted. It comes from having space, feeling capable, feeling like you have the energy and excitement to follow through and to um to create more for your business. So I don't want to see you rushing to throw something together at the beginning of January or even mid-January when you can take the time now to think about oh, how do I really want my January to look and feel for me as the leader in my business? What can I do now to set the stage for that? So the question you want to think about is perhaps what is it that you want people to most associate with your studio in January? What is the story that you want to tell about your business in January to your clients? How will you nurture and engage your community through December, through the holidays, into the new year so that they are ready to buy and recommit or commit for the first time in January? And what needs to be put in place now so that new clients don't just sign up and grab that special offer, but actually stay for the long term. And the reality is when you've done the prep, January won't feel like chaos. You get to enjoy that momentum instead of chasing it. And if you're thoughtful and intentional about it, you'll also be able to enjoy the holiday season, the festive season, the new year, and still show up with energy for January. So when it comes to marketing, when it comes to seizing opportunities in your business, I think there's a myth that it comes from a place of stress and hustle. But the reality is that we shouldn't be relying on that last minute sort of uh boost of cortisone or adrenaline to keep us going. It's actually about creating very intentional pathways for you, your business, and your clients to say yes. So it's not just about January, you guys. This is something that you can take with you through the whole year. Because when you start January strong, you actually set the stage for not just that month, but the following month, the month after that, the rest of that year, and the year after. When you're strategic about how you're spending your time, how you're spending your energy, where you want to take your business, then you're not just filling classes. You're building something more than that. You're building a sustainable business, you're building a fulfilling business, and you're intentionally designing your business to be profitable. That means that you're developing systems in your business for retention, for lead generation. You're building systems to manage your team, to grow your team, to lead your team. You're establishing your brand. You are building relationships. So if January is going to be successful for you, you're not only making money in the moment, you're also filling up your your, you're developing the rest of your business, the other things that you need in order for you to attract and retain clients who will stay with you for the long haul and drive up that lifetime client value. So don't just see January as a one-off campaign. Look at it as that launch pad for the entire year of growth. And as you go about thinking about what you want your January to look like, perhaps look a little bit further into the next year and think about what you might want your February, your March, your July, your September, your October, and even maybe December of next year and what that looks like for you too. And now is the time, perhaps, to think about what might be possible, how you want to feel in your business, what you want your business to do and give you back, and where you might be able to take it over the next 12 months. So there you have it. Let's wrap this up. A few things I really want you to take away from this very quick episode today is I want to encourage you to avoid waiting until January to plan your year, your marketing, or anything. January in January, your business is going to require you to be in it. And now is the time where you can perhaps build in a little bit of planning time, of strategic uh growth planning time so that you're not missing out on the opportunities that already exist in your business. January is not just another month. I want you to be able to take full advantage of that season of everyone who comes back into your studio wanting to sort of hit that reset button, feel better, feel stronger. And so it is a huge window of opportunity for you. And if you plan now, you're gonna get clarity, you're gonna get a little bit of breathing room over the holidays, and you're gonna have a much stronger start to the year. And when you hit the ground running in January, you guys, you set yourself up for not just a good month, but you're gonna set the pace for a strong, sustainable year as well. So don't wait. Please start mapping out what you want your business to look like today. And if you want support, if you want help and you want to know how to do this in a way that is structured and tested and proven to work in building a plan that attracts clients, increases your attention, simplifies your business growth, and ensures your profitability, then I'd love to invite you into my business coaching program, Thrive. Inside Thrive, we work together to create a roadmap that gives you confidence, clarity, and results, all while making sure that you do not burn yourself out in the process. So you can learn more at springthree.com forward slash thrive. And this over the next couple of weeks to always take this time of year inside of Thrive for our annual planning workshops. Um, it's sort of one of the big highlights of the 12-month program that folks uh join. And uh we've got a lot of fun and exciting uh brainstorming and planning and reflection and learning and review and analysis that we're gonna be doing over the next couple of weeks inside of Thrive, that is gonna help all of those studio owners inside to create that momentum now for the year ahead. So that when they come to close the door to their studio as they walk into the holidays season, uh, they feel really, really good about what they have coming and really confident and excited for what's next. So the way that you spend your next few weeks will really, really shape the way that the next year looks. And planning now truly is the smartest step you can take to make 2025-6, 2026, you guys, your best year yet. So I hope this is helpful to you as you go about building your boutique fitness studio business. If you enjoyed what you heard today, I'd be so appreciative if you could go and take a quick minute wherever you're listening to this, rate and review this podcast. And it would mean a lot to me, mean a lot to me to get this out there into our community so that more folks just like you can get more direction, can feel more encouraged, feel more supported on their journey in our industry. 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.