Latest / Sweat Community / Ep. 12 Wendy Hennig | Why More Members Isn't the Answer- What Actually Makes Boutique Studios Thrive

Transcript

Ep. 12 Wendy Hennig | Why More Members Isn't the Answer- What Actually Makes Boutique Studios Thrive · Sweat Community

• Wendy: my gosh. Sheena: my gosh. Okay. Welcome to Sweat Community, the podcast all about health, wellness, and the people behind it. I'm your host, Sheena, a fitness instructor and nurse. in each episode, I sit down with wellness leaders who are helping shape our community, sharing their stories and insights along the way. Today, we're talking about something that impacts every person who walks into a boutique fitness studio, whether you're a member, an instructor, or a studio owner. Joining me is Wendy Hennig. founder of Aligned Studio Consulting. Wendy has been on every side of the studio world as a fitness instructor, general manager, studio owner, and now consultant who helps studios increase revenue, improve member retention, and build businesses that thrive. So let's jump in. Wendy, welcome to Sweat Community. Wendy: thank you. I am so happy to be here. I have been waiting for this opportunity to chat with you because I can't wait to dork out about all of this stuff that I love. and I really wanted to say that I love what you are offering. I know that I've told you this before, but I wanted to say it again. Having your platform where people can jump on and see what is available in the fitness and wellness space around them matters so much. I moved here over five years ago and I would have loved to have had one spot to find the right studio or wellness center for me. So kudos to you for making it happen. I have been following your journey since day one and will continue to do so. So yeah, thanks for having me. Sheena: my gosh, That that just warms my heart. Thank you so much for saying that. I love that you're following along this is such a fun thing that we're all doing here, just sharing and making our community stronger. So thank you so much for being here. Wendy: Of course. Yes. Sheena: All right, so I would love to get started at the beginning because your journey is so unique in the fitness industry. can you tell us a little bit about yourself and what Aligned Studio Consulting does? Wendy: Absolutely. I started out taking group fitness classes after I had my son, who's now 12. So I've been doing this for about 12 years. Before that, I was not someone who worked out. In fact, I don't even think I ever did, if I'm being honest. there was a big box gym close to my house and it offered childcare. And I was like, okay, I gotta go, I need a break. I started, doing the treadmill and all of that. And I could not hold myself accountable. Twenty minutes in, I'm like, okay, I'm done. And then I gave Group Fitness a try and fell in love with it. was pushing myself past where I thought I could go. And would leave feeling better, being happier, better wife, better mom, better friend, all the things because I had that hour time for myself. So that's really where my love for fitness started. And then I transitioned to more of a boutique fitness studio classes were smaller felt more intentional Boutique fitness studios gave me the opportunity to truly connect with people. and that's when I'm like, hmm, maybe I should try teaching. Something completely out of my comfort zone. but started teaching, fell in love with it. I just really thrived. instructing led me to ownership. not because I had any business experience, because I absolutely did not, but because I just really loved teaching and the community and I just wanted to be all in. I had drank the Kool-Aid and there I was. so I owned two different studios in California. then in 2020 our family moved out here to Denver. Kind of crazy. Sheena: Mm-hmm. Wendy: Middle of COVID. that journey on on the self is for a whole different podcast. But gosh, I mean the stories I could tell you. So we moved 2020. My studio in California it was challenging anywhere during COVID in a business space in general, specifically California fitness studios. and I was owning it. And managing it remotely. I did not have a studio manager, any of that. I would go back once a month and teach anywhere from six to eight classes in two to four days and pretty much kill myself and then come back and manage the studio from afar. so out of the eight years that I owned this particular studio in California, four of them I owned remotely, which is bizarre. But what I was Sheena: Wow. Wendy: I know, it's insane. But what I started to realize is that I really missed the community. I want those organic conversations to happen again, like when they do when you're in the studio. And I wanted to take a break from teaching and see a different side of the industry. a manager position opened up at a local franchise Pilates studio. and I was like, okay, well that's pretty much everything I love about studio ownership except for like maybe I'll sleep at night and I don't have to do payroll and all the things that I didn't love about ownership. I could do with managing. So I took that role on. I simultaneously was doing both for about a year, which again, I don't even know how I did that. That's insanity. but I did and I really loved seeing the business from a different perspective. I wasn't teaching. I was working on numbers and operations and sales that brought me to know that, okay, this is a franchise studio. It is corporately owned. I know I can help this studio and I did help the studio start to be incredibly profitable and thrive. why can't I do this for the mom pa studio down the street or the studio owner that was in the shoes that I was in, was feeling the way I'm feeling. So I really wanted to give back and have studio owners learn from my mistakes that I made a ton, right? But also learn from my wins so that they can succeed faster. hence Align Studio Consulting. doing what I love and getting to spend time with studio owners that, are so passionate and incredible. So here I am. Sheena: Yay! that is so cool. How long have you been consulting with Alliance Studios, your company? Wendy: I left the studio that I was managing in December. I really wanted to have a bigger impact on not just one community, but studio owners and their communities, as well. so I officially started Alliance Studio Consulting in January. I'm only six months in, and it's been a fun, fun ride. Sheena: I can hear your passion just talking about it and helping other studios when you've seen what works. So people often see fun classes, full parking lots, but they don't always realize everything that's happening behind the scenes. What is the biggest misconception that people have about owning a boutique fitness studio? Wendy: Okay, so number one is that just because it's full does not mean it's profitable. And I will say that again, just because a studio is full, this 9 a.m. class is full, 4 p.m. is full, does not mean that it's profitable, because it's busy. Another one about owning the fitness studio is that studio owners work out all the time. That could not be further from the truth. Sheena: Hmm. Wendy: Depending on the modality that you are teaching. I was not working out all the time, I was teaching a lot putting out fires here, there, and everywhere, right? Being super reactive. and my personal practice really suffered. I recently spoke with a studio owner her studio looks great on the outside. Instagram's incredible, she has a loyal member base, instructor team is super solid, great programming, has won awards, but there is so much happening that you don't know about, including what happens more often than not is the studio owner is not paying herself. That right there happens way more than you would think. Sheena: even if it looks so Instagram aesthetically beautiful, that doesn't mean the owners are paying themselves or that they're working out. Wendy: and that's what I want to help studio owners do is start paying themselves. that's where I start. If you're not paying yourself, we're getting there first and foremost. Because otherwise, you have a job that you're working for free. And that sucks. And I've been there. I did not pay myself for longer than I would like to admit. and nobody on my team knew. My members did not know, my community did not know, but I kept going and going unpaid. Sheena: Mm. Mm. Wendy: because I wanted my instructors to have their livelihood. I wanted my members to have, their daily routine that made them feel good. it was definite sacrifice and it doesn't have to be that way. Sheena: I love that you said that because as an owner, it's your business. you're worried about, my gosh, this money could go into my business versus back to me. Wendy: Absolutely. Sheena: what's the biggest mistake you've seen studio owners making? Wendy: Okay. Number one is that studio owners, try and do everything on your own. It's easier, it's quicker, it's cheaper, is kind of what you tell yourself. And it's not true. It leads to burnout. So that's a number one mistake. The other two that really do matter, and I see almost every studio owner, actually yes, every studio owner that I speak with, they do not know all of their numbers. Sheena: Yeah. Wendy: Everyone can tell you their monthly revenue off the top of their head, but they don't know the utilization, conversion rate, attrition rate. And that all matters so much. The third mistake that I see a lot is there's no systems. Everything lives in the owner's head. There's no, onboarding process. no outreach cadence. There's no systems for anything. And that right there causes. Disasters. Sheena: Mm, I kind of want to dig into that because I think a lot of studio owners are really grinding right now. And you talk about guidance, not just the grind. what are the signs an owner is operating from burnout instead of intention? And how do you spot that? Wendy: it happens gradually. You don't even know it's happening until you're beyond the point of burnout and you're like, Okay, I'm done. And then you walk away from something that you loved. Sheena: Mm-hmm. Wendy: you can tell when it's happening because the decision making becomes reactive instead of proactive. So instead of trying to plan ahead, you're making decisions in the moment. Sometimes based out of panic or my gosh, I need more revenue this month. Okay, I'm gonna do a discount sale right now. always treading water not doing that smooth swim. you can also tell because you're teaching too many classes that will lead to burnout right away because the last thing you want to do is jump in and run reports and look at numbers. when you don't know your numbers, your business suffers. another thing that will show you're in that burnout cycle is that you truly believe your business can't function without you. you are answering text messages at 10 p.m. at night. as soon as you wake up, you're looking at your phone, looking at class numbers, at Slack, whatever it is, and you never have an actual break. I was like, my gosh, my business would never survive without me. Well, I moved, A few states away, wasn't there every day, it survived, it was fine. Sheena: Right, there's a sense of control and letting that go is intimidating. You feel like if I'm not always on, if I'm not there, my studio will drown. Wendy: I mean it's so true. And for an example, one studio owner that I talked to here locally, in our first conversation, she was telling me that her personal phone number is the studio phone number. And I was like, my gosh, no. No, no, no, no, no. it was on a clarity call and those are 30 minutes complimentary call and I was like, if you learn nothing from our 30 minutes together, go change your phone number. Please, please, please. we ended up working together for months on end. Sheena: my gosh. Wendy: And we did change her phone number. You have a personal life and you have to keep your personal life very sacred and protected. you have to be fully present with your friends, your family. I can remember going out to eat and texting, and my kids are talking to me, and I'm there, but I'm not really there. And so carving out off time. is a non negotiable. Sheena: that stresses me out thinking of personal phone number being on the website. I was like, holy cow. That's so good. Wendy: Yeah. my god, I know. It's not anymore. It's not anymore. She changed it. we worked the whole thing out. transitioning members from a personal cell phone number to the actual studio phone number. it was seamless, it worked, and people get it. Your members, clients, they do not expect a response at 10 PM unless you're responding. Sheena: Mm-hmm. Wendy: at ten PM. You know, like you set your own boundaries. Sheena: Yeah, and then you set yeah, then you set that guideline that they think, okay, I can get a hold of her at all times or him at all times. And you don't want that. Wendy: Yes. Yes. And I and I definitely did the same thing. Like learn from my mistakes. Like set boundaries and hold yourself to them. Absolutely. Yes. Sheena: Yeah. I love that. I love that. Mm-hmm. Yeah, that's huge. And I also really love the fact that you said about The time with your kids, that even if you're there, you might not be present. whether we're a studio owner or not. that for me is one of my biggest fears. I don't want to look back when my kids are grown and be like, why was I not mentally present with them, even if I was physically present. So I love that you said that because I think as a huge life lesson, we all could work on that a little bit more. Wendy: Absolutely, every single one of us, regardless of if you're in the fitness space or not. I mean, even my husband, right? I'm like, Okay, you don't have to be working right now. We're having dinner or you know, whatever it is. everyone can be a little bit more mindful and pay attention on purpose to what's going on around you. Sheena: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Huge. Absolutely. That's something I need to work on every day. But yeah. All right. So let's talk money because that's what keep the lights on. everyone, might think that the answer to a struggling studio is get more members. Is that always true? Wendy: Same. my gosh, the amount of times I hear this. No, it's not necessarily always true. getting more members is like really not the answer. as a studio owner, you have so many opportunities in what you already have. Think about your database. You have depending on how long you've been in business, hundreds to thousands of contacts in your database, So working with what you already have. you have people who can upgrade. One of my number one things to do for revenue increase is upgrades. look at your people who are on four times a month. Look back over the three months. are they using their four times a month consistently? Have they come in Okay, let's have that conversation about upgrading. Even just planting the seed, like, okay, Sheena, I seen that you have been coming, you know, four times a month every Tuesday at 4 p.m. What if you did eight classes a month and you came at Thursday at 4 p.m.? Would that work for you? Just starting to have those conversations, you'd be surprised with how many members don't even know what their options are. Because once they're in their groove that's just where they're gonna stay. Plus, when you have that conversation with your members about upgrading, they know that you want them there. It's that sense of belonging. Like, I know I get to see you on Tuesdays, but my gosh, I'd love to see you on Thursdays too. The instructor that teaches on Thursday, you'll love her because X, Y, and Z. looking at those upsell opportunities, How can we get those people to eight times a month? Who's on class packages? Let's look at that. why do they keep buying class packages? Reach out to them. They might not even know membership prices or the perks of becoming a member. paying attention to that matters. if you have a goal of 10 upgrades a month, Just think about the revenue increase that you will have that will last over time. So number one, upgrades. also looking into those clients that came in, took a class, but maybe never joined. Well, why? Let's reach out to them, let's talk to them. maybe they forgot. They went on vacation, life happened, and they're meaning to come in, they just haven't yet. And they need that extra push. It's also reaching out to members that have terminated who haven't been around for a while. Call them, invite them back in. share what's happening in the studio. We have a new instructor, Sheena. She's incredible. You'll love her because of this. Or we now are offering this class format that we didn't offer when you were a member. sharing what they're missing. And encouraging them to come back in. I love a really good win back campaign. Another one, private training. I think there is so much revenue to be made in private training. it doesn't matter really what modality you're in. There is so much value in a member having one on one time. Everybody is different, right? My injuries in a group class won't get as much focus as they will one on one. what I can learn. Sheena: Mm-hmm. Wendy: about myself in a private training class, then I can implement in those group classes and then I'm gonna see those results that I'm personally looking for faster. They also give your instructors more time to teach and build those connections with your members. And those connections is what keeps people around, retention is revenue. So no, it's not about new members. That's never where I start with anyone when we're talking about revenue. Sheena: I mean it's so true because everybody's story is different. I have RA I have chronic pain in general. But last month I had a nerve injury and I was pretty much out. I haven't worked out in a month and a half, maybe two months. And I think when you get out of it, it's a lot harder to get back in. So if you get that reminder like, hey, we're still here, And for me personally, the more I work out, the better I feel and the more I want to do it. But then when I'm not there or I don't work out, then I tend to just not want to go in. So I think those little reminders are great. And I think it not only benefits the studio, but it also benefits the member. Wendy: Yep, a hundred percent spot on. Sheena: Yeah, So speaking of revenue, if it is plateaued, where should owners focus on first? Wendy: pricing. are you where you should be to Keep up with demand and pay for your operating costs the number one thing I always, always, say about revenue, revenue is an outcome, not the problem. if your revenue is plateauing, where is the problem? that's something I love to dig into and find out. Sheena: Mm-hmm. Wendy: retention is really important to follow, and you have to know your attrition rate. If it's not three to four percent, and let's say it's eight or nine, you're losing members, and you might not be bringing in as many members to make up for that. if you lose five, but you bring in 10, you really only got five new members. Also, you have got to focus on your conversion rate. People are going to come in your doors, but are they staying? I love conversion rate at 60% plus of new members that come in. that is my goal. I love to see it close to 80. It sounds very overwhelming, but if you have the right system in place and the right onboarding system and sales system, it is actually possible to get there. Another one is look at class utilization. do you have classes at the right time for your members? And it can change over time. a 7 a.m. that used to work really well during the school year might not work great in the summer. Even a half hour change can make a huge difference. at my studio in California during the summer, nobody wanted to come at six AM, but they would come at 6 30. that half hour tweak brought more people in. Sheena: Yeah, so you said a lot of numbers and percentages and things that I have no idea about. I'm like, I don't know what that means, but I know that owners do. but I do know that one of the scariest conversations a studio owner can have with themselves is should I raise my prices? And Wendy: Ha Sheena: The fear of if I raise my prices, will that trigger a whole bunch of cancellations? So when is the right time to raise a price? And how can owners communicate price increases without triggering that wave of cancellations? Wendy: This is a great question that every studio owner I work with asks. Should I be raising my prices? when I was a studio owner, thinking about raising prices, I would lose sleep over it. I cried over it. I thought everyone was going to for sure leave However, as a consultant, it's my most favorite conversation to have because if you're thinking about raising your prices, it's time to raise your prices. And we can talk through how to make that not so scary. It is really being transparent with your members. That is what matters the most. They have to know the why. you have to be able to justify the price increase. having them know, like, the equipment might need to be replaced. If you've been in business. For 10 years, I can guarantee you that the coating on your weights is starting to peel off and look dingy and dirty and gross. How are your mats looking? Do you have rips in your carriage on your reformer? There's so many areas that you need to invest in along the way to continue to provide that remarkable experience to your members, and that costs money. they are there for the community and for the workout. And so letting your members know that you're investing in them. And in turn, that's going to make their experience at your studio even better. They will stick around. Sheena: I love how you explained that this is about the members and how this will improve their experience. they see the cost of living and prices going up. So it's kind of a given that it also goes up for studios as well. Wendy: Yeah, and a hill that I will die on as a consultant is that I do not love a founding membership price when a studio is opening. And you know, you see it Yes, and there's people yeah, everywhere. And there are people that will completely disagree with me on that, and that's totally fine. But here's my perspective based on my experience. If you open your studio Sheena: Mm-hmm. interesting. Yeah, you see it everywhere. Wendy: you have founding members at $99, let's say, and then eight years later, your current prices are let's say $159 for that same thing Now you have to do a price increase. But what if you have a majority of members that have been there since day one and they're $99 and you Told them this founding membership rate for life. That price, you can't increase it, so you're not getting that boost that you need to cover those expenses and why you're increasing your prices. for example, studios that had so many members at that founding rate, they couldn't increase those members. therefore They weren't able to hit the revenue mark they needed to make to survive. And we all know a handful of studios that have closed during COVID. a lot of the reason is their lack of ability to raise prices because of this founding membership promise for life. I know studio owners that have put into their membership agreement that prices can increase, two, three percent a year. the price on everything goes up, right? Like, why would it not go up at a boutique fitness studio? and there's something innate to me personally that I just don't feel comfortable with someone paying 99 and someone paying $259, Sure, give it to them for three months or whatever, but for life, ooh, that's a little scary for me. Sheena: Yeah, I think that they need that founding membership before they open, just so that when they start, that will help get them covered. But instead of saying it for life, you have that time frame on it. like the several months or maybe even up to a year. So it's up front, because I think those hidden notes people might miss. Like, yeah, we could go up two or three percent. It's in your contract. But then I think that could really turn people off like, but this was a founding membership. So I like where you have that cutoff like, hey, this is for you know X amount of time. Because yeah, I see both sides. I see both sides of that. So that's cool. Wendy: Yeah, absolutely, absolutely. And you just have to have a strategy behind your founding member prices. And if there's not, that's where the concern lies, right? As long as you have a solid strategy, yes, absolutely. You have to do that when you open. Like that's a must, The pre sale, the founding memberships, all of that. But you have to have a strategy behind it that will make you successful in the long run. Sheena: Mm-hmm. yeah, I haven't heard that side of it Just only the founding memberships for life. I think that is important. Let's switch perspectives a little bit and kind of dive into the member experience. you can have the most beautiful studio and the best pricing in the world, but if people don't stay, none of it matters. So we were going into retention. but why do people actually cancel their membership? And I mean the real reason, not the one that they put in their cancellation email. Like why do they stop coming even when they love the studio? Wendy: the cancellation emails and the reasons. Yes. Okay, so people cancel their memberships usually not because of the price. I promise you that. I encourage studio owners to go back into their notes on why people cancel. Sheena: Ha ha ha! Mind blowing. Wendy: the ten percent of people say price, But literally more times than not, it's because their life has changed somehow, some way. they have a new job and they used to come 6 a.m. Monday through Friday. Now they have to be commuting. they get off work and get home, it's time with our kids. They literally cannot come the schedule just doesn't work for them. It doesn't match up. Another reason is because they're moving. there's literally nothing you can do about that. another reason is they have medical issues that come up. a surgery, or they hurt their back. And I've been there where I've had my back. go out and working out just was not happening while I was in physical therapy getting stronger so that I could come back. And I had to cancel my membership during that time. Another reason is your routine gets interrupted as we know, summer with kids, holy cow, your whole schedule gets turned around upside down. And another reason why people leave that you wouldn't think, and they're not going to say out loud, members will not tell you this, but it's because they're not feeling connected or seen. they feel like they don't really matter. they're not having that instructor connection. and that instructor isn't taking the time to interact with them, or they were gone on vacation for two weeks and nobody noticed. I love to, when people go on vacation, they come back, I'm Let me show me pictures. my gosh, how was it? And then people get excited about coming back. when someone doesn't feel connected to the studio. they're so much more likely to leave and they're not gonna say, I feel like nobody sees me, but that is a big part of it. People want to feel seen, they wanna feel like they matter. They wanna be acknowledged and that goes a long way. Sheena: Mm-hmm. my gosh. Yes. And I think that's why people go to group fitness because they want to be held accountable. They want that community. that interaction. Otherwise, they just go to a gym or work out from home. That's why I like to go to studios, is because of that connection. So you have said that instructors are one of the most valuable assets in a studio. is it just the connection that they make that has that huge impact on retention? Or how else can instructors contribute to the success of a studio beyond simply teaching a great class? Wendy: Yeah, great question. So there's a lot of ways that instructors matter. And number one is that instructors are your product. They need to be treated like gold. Happy instructors teach fabulous classes and make happy clients. And that's just the truth of it. But the instructors also have to know what's going on in the studio as far as events. Prices, promotions, whatever is going on, because nine times out of ten, the member is going to approach the instructor and ask questions rather than the front desk person because there's just that sense of trust. So keeping your instructors in the loop, communicating with them and letting them know expectations. What are you expecting out of them? if they're teaching intro classes to new people coming in, what's that conversion rate that you are expecting If I'm asking you to have a 60% conversion rate this week in your classes, I'm going to make sure that you did. And if you didn't, I want to know the why. So that really helps with retention is they have to know what to expect. But how instructors really help members stay is first and foremost, they learn members' names. It's really that simple. Knowing your instructor knows your name when you walk in, that's going to help people stick around. for an example, and I've shared this recently on my Instagram, is that I have been going to a studio here locally drop in. I've gone over eight times. I've had the same instructor every single time but once. The front desk has never acknowledged me. They have never followed up with me. Then Instructor does not know my name. She knows nothing about me. She's asked me not one question. Not about my experience, not about any injuries that I have. Nothing. I do not feel connected to that studio at all, hence my drop-ins. And the reason why I'm dropping in is because that time happens to work for me at that location on that day. I have no inclination to become a member there simply because of how the instructor handles. Her members. She's not having those conversations. It's a very different experience than what I am used to and what I expect. but if it was a good experience, I'd stick around. I'd become a member for sure. members are going to join because of your location, because your workout, the modality is what they like, but they stay honestly because of the connections that they make. With your entire team. And they see your instructors as the beacon of knowledge. and it's true, instructors know the class well, they know the body well, they know all of that. members are trusting the instructors to guide them in a successful workout They're setting them up for success every time they come in the door. There's that trust factor there. Sheena: that is the reason of this podcast people are looking more than just a workout. They're looking for that connection. So everything you just said, I was like, yes, yes, yes. Cause really, that's the heart of it. Wendy: Yeah, and call it the Yeah, I call it the three C's, right? Like a great instructor, it's more than the workout. It's create connection, confidence, consistency. if an instructor can do the three C's to your member base, that right there is helping with retention. Period point like three C's. It's super easy if it's done. Sheena: Yeah, community connection is huge and I think studios can completely transform just by improving their culture. So if someone's listening and searching for their people, what signs tell them that they found the right studio for them? Wendy: Ooh, I love this question. because it can be challenging to find the right studio, but you'll know you're in the right place when you feel comfortable being yourself and moving your body in a way that feels comfortable for you. You're not trying to look like the person next to you. You will know you're in the right spot because you're greeted and they know about you, you don't feel intimidated. But you feel encouraged in each class. they're setting you up to succeed, that right there is why you should be at that studio. if you miss a week, someone's gonna notice. If you're not in my 9 a.m. class and you come all the time, I'm gonna reach out and say, like, where were you? You always come. I'm worried about you, kind of thing. A studio team that cares. that matters and that's when you know that's your new home. Sheena: I love that answer. they stay because of the connection, because of the friendships. have you seen community become a studio's single biggest competitive advantage? Like should they be doing these events? I see a lot of studios that do events in the community. do you think that is really important to help a studio or do you think that's just a fun thing to do? Wendy: Community matters so much. I have friends that I have met through the studio that we have become so close that they actually came to my house on fourth of July. We have a true friendship outside of the studio. And these are people that were strangers to me. and the community events do matter. It's really fun to see people outside of their regular class. Also, what is really fun about events is members get to see the owner or the instructor in regular clothes. You'd be surprised. How far that goes they're more likely to approach you and talk to you and be, like, my God, you're wearing jeans. just the change of environment. one thing that I love and I always share this with my clients is do a no-shower happy hour. So, you know, like you took class, you're going out, you're all sweaty and whatever together, but you're outside of the studio space where you're used to seeing each other, it cultivates different conversations. Sheena: Mm-hmm. Wendy: there's so many workshops you can do together that just will support that organic building of a community because it has to be intentional. It doesn't just happen. Sheena: Yes. I love that. Okay, let's talk about marketing because I hear from so many studio owners that they feel like they're throwing things at the wall and nothing's sticking. marketing can be really overwhelming, especially for small businesses. What is one marketing strategy that you think studios should stop doing? Wendy: Okay, so yes, I agree. How many things can you throw at the wall, right? I've tried everything under the sign, you name it, I've tried it. One of the biggest things that I really, really don't love to see is owners relying on discounts as their primary marketing strategy, Like, 20% off or buy five, get one free, constantly having some kind of promotion, it devalues your product. Sheena: Are you right? Ha ha Wendy: clients start to get into the cadence of waiting for your sales, your promos to happen. They might be out of classes and they would wait until that next sale came. It was so predictable. so I really don't love the discounting Have full faith in your product and the right people will pay that price. when you are discounting consistently, you're attracting the wrong customer. You're attracting those that really want the deal and they're gonna jump around from studio to studio to find that deal. They're not gonna stick around for the long term. So that's another reason why I don't love big discounts. the goal is not to be the cheapest option. And it's easy to be like, Okay, if I'm the cheapest, more people will come. That's not true. the goal is to be the place where your members do not want to leave. Sheena: They find the value in your studio it makes sense because I am a discount shopper. So I think that if you if there's always deals around, I'm looking for that deal. if you always offer that. people are like, well, why should I pay this price if it's always at Wendy: Ha ha. Sheena: a lower price, also kind of along those lines of marketing, What do you find more valuable to a studio? Google reviews or Instagram followers? Wendy: Ooh, I love this one. Okay, you need both. And here's why. Instagram's creating awareness. people are on their phone scrolling, they're seeing it, they're getting a taste of what your studio looks like. They start to follow you. That does not automatically mean that they're gonna become a member or even come to your studio. So you can't really rely on your follower number. However, those Google reviews, those are Creating the trust. And you can use this in any industry. Think about a restaurant. before I go to a restaurant. Am I always going to the Google reviews? Yeah. Because those are the true feedback from clients and customers, where an Instagram reel, an Instagram page is a curated vision not always the client experience. so therefore you do need both. You want people to see what's going on, but you also want people to hear what's going on from the true member standpoint. Sheena: So what about those like, hey, you'll get 10% off if you leave this review, or kind of incentivizing reviews. do you think studios should do that because they know how important these reviews are? like, how do you get those reviews? because not everybody will put a review or on the flip side, there are people that will just review if they've had the bad experience. So how do you get people to write reviews about the studio? Wendy: Great question. there's a couple ways to go about getting reviews. yes, the bad ones are gonna come and there's nothing you can do to help that. you can't please everyone, and you just have to know that. I am a big stickler on respond to every single comment on your page on your Google reviews. When I see a studio owner or or a business owner responding, I'm like, okay, they're paying attention. okay, they're responding to that person. They're fixing that problem or they're saying that's actually not what happened, which a lot of the time happens, right? So that's something I really look for is owners that are constantly engaging with the feedback. How do you get feedback is just ask for it. It's really that easy. if a member loves your studio, they're going to want to share their experience. it's not even really about incentivizing them. I mean, yeah, you can and I'm not opposed to that. But if you just consistently ask members to provide a review, they will. I always plug that into my cadence of reaching out to members. we're reaching out to them two weeks, a month, 30 days, 60 days, and then just being in the habit of asking for the review. it's really all you have to do. And if you do want to incentivize them, You know, make it something like anyone that provides a review in the month of March will be entered for a drawing to win a pair of socks. Something like that, right? Because people love free things. but you don't always have to incentivize. You just have to ask for it. Sheena: Mm-hmm. Mm-hmm. Yeah, I think asking goes such a long way. And I think there's a lot of people that feel like it could be cringy or like I don't want to overstep, but I think people are okay with you just asking them like, hey, do you mind putting this review in? It really helps us out and just helps our visibility. Okay, I really want to ask you about ClassPass. why do so many studios have mixed feelings about it? And from the member perspective, why is it so appealing? can you actually just explain Wendy: my gosh, fast pass. Sheena: Yeah, can you actually explain? Because there might be some people that don't know what class pass is. So I should start there with like, what is it? Why do studios have mixed feelings about it? And why do members potentially love it? Wendy: Okay, so ClassPass is a platform where variety of studios, different modalities anywhere from HIT to Yoga to you name it under the sun. There's manicure places there, there's spas You pay ClassPass for a certain amount of credits. Then you get to use those credits how you want on studios, that you want to go to. however different class times cost different amount of credits. And not every studio is available on ClassPass. It's up to the owner. And not every class on their schedule and not every class on their format is available on ClassPass nine times out of ten. So it's really for someone who's jumping around looking for their studio, in town visiting, there's a lot of reasons why consumers love ClassPass. I can speak for experience. I had class pass as an owner. I used it strategically. And if you don't have a strategy to it, it's not worth it. there's so many factors that you have to take into it if you're considering bringing on Class Pass with your studio. Sheena: can ClassPass actually help a studio or does it hurt profit profitability? Wendy: Both can be true. I've seen it do incredible things for studios, but it really depends on your market. I've seen it hurt studios and studios that I've been a part of where a class is full and there's members on the wait list, but class past people are taking spots. It's a true love-hate relationship as a studio owner. The reason why I turned it off personally was because I didn't need it in the ways I originally needed it. And also I did not feel okay with someone paying eleven dollars for a class because it is greatly discounted, and someone who is paying $39 for a class. That just did not sit well with me. And I took the decision to end class pass. However, studios out here that I work with do use class pass the odd time. One example is if you're adding a new class time, 1 p.m. can be a really hard time to fill. Open up class pass spots for that specific time only. Limit your formats to only one. Something like that. So really strategize it to fill the holes that you need filled. Sheena: So that could help you by a class that would not normally be full and then also bring in potential new clients or new members. a tricky part that I've seen studio owners face is that they have these ClassPass members that love ClassPass, but how do they convert them into members of their studio? Wendy: So Your goal with ClassPass is to convert these ClassPass clients into loyal members. They're curious. That's why they're coming to your studio. And it's challenging to do. It's one of my most favorite conversions to make because when you have the right system in place, you can convert them. You have to know the why. Why are they on ClassPass? Is it because they're looking for their new studio? Are they visiting from out of town? Are they seeing if yoga is for them? You have to understand why that specific client is on ClassPass. And then you have to be able to tailor your conversation around the specific reason that they gave you that's going to help convert them. You have to get over objections that they may have of the price, or I like to go to different studios, I like different modalities. You have to have confidence. in your ability to overcome those objections Sheena: So having those conversations and knowing the why behind it. Wendy: Co yeah, conversations and systems. those two things right there have to be solid and then they will convert. Sheena: Amazing. What advice would you give a studio considering joining ClassPass? If they've been on the fence about it, do you recommend that they use it? Or like what advice would you give? Wendy: You can use it if you're being intentional with it, Why are you using it? What is it going to do to serve your studio? use it to market, sure, but use them if you have a plan, not just to bring in some extra revenue. Sheena: All right. Mm. Yeah, and I think that is something that would be so good with that consult that you have with the studio owner. really digging into all of that. So awesome. Love it. So you've worked with so many different studios, and I'd really love to get some advice from you. if every studio owner listening could implement one thing this month, what would it be? Wendy: Yeah, absolutely. Pay attention to your numbers. That's it. You have to know your numbers. If you don't know your num if that's it, like just know your numbers. Sheena: Hmm. That's it. Wow. So simple, but so impactful. Love it. Is there a piece of advice you'd give a fitness instructor you've been one, you've been an owner? Wendy: Yes, I love this question because I am getting ready to go back to instructing a little bit here or there. And it has to be fun. Just have fun. Stop trying to be perfect. A client's not gonna realize that you did, 20 on one side and 18 on the other. They're not looking for perfection. They're looking to have a good time while they're working out. So literally just make it fun. Get out of your own head. Sheena: fun and community is the whole reason why I love teaching. It's making those connections, but having fun with it, it's like, why else would you be there if this wasn't fun for you? And a member can see if an instructor looks like they just have to be there, But if an instructor truly is excited to be there, it shows. So I love that advice. What do you think will separate the studios that thrive over the next five years from those that struggle? Wendy: you need to be able to innovate without just following trends. So really doing your research in health and fitness and knowing what's coming down the pipeline, knowing what really has the most impact. right now it's strength training and that's not a trend. That matters. Pilates is having a moment too, but Pilates has been around for decades and decades, right? So staying in line with what's happening without just being trendy. That's going to give you the longevity to stay in the game. Sheena: Yes, I think the trendy studios are the ones that fall quickest versus yeah, the tried and true. All right, Wendy. So we are moving into a little bit of a lighter note, rapid fire. First thing that comes to mind, are you ready? Wendy: Yes, yes. my gosh, I guess, okay. Sheena: All right, Wendy. What is your favorite workout? Wendy: Right now it is anything that is a mix of Pilates strength training and a little bit of bar mixed into one. Sheena: So fun. favorite recovery activity. Wendy: Doing nothing. Watching trash T V. Sheena: That is so good. That I think can be so healing. favorite mindless entertainment, bring it. favorite business book. Wendy: Mindless entertainment. Profit first, absolutely, and burnout the secret to unlocking the stress cycle. Those two are a must. Sheena: A must for every studio owner. Wendy: Absolutely. Sheena: Amazing. One fitness trend you'd love to see disappear. Wendy: Ew, I hate before and after pictures. I really do, 'cause there's so much more. I hate before and after. because people work out for more reasons than just how they look. It could be a mental break, it can be an emotional break. So yeah, I don't really love those transitional before and after pictures, because there's so much more to a workout. Sheena: Really? Sure. I see that. But I also see that they can be very inspiring. is there something else you'd recommend to inspire other than a before and after photo? Wendy: True client testimonials. Have an interview with your clients. Just ask them questions. Why are they here? Why do they come take this class? It's just getting to know their reason, their why. There's so much more to it. Sheena: Ooh, that's good. people really relate to those stories. most memorable studio success story that you have personally, yeah. Wendy: Ooh, okay, so just this week I got a note from a client who said we had a one hour call together. That's it. I gave her a few things to implement to start to strategize. And she just messaged me that June was her best revenue month ever. That just brings so much joy to my heart. I know, it makes me so happy. Sheena: That's incredible in summer like June could be a slow month for studios. So that's amazing. what's something people assume about studio ownership that's completely wrong? Wendy: That owners are spending their whole day working out. You're not. You're solving problems from the second you wake up till even past your bedtime. Sheena: Yeah. Yes, yes. All right. And then last question before we close up. What is something that made you, Wendy, sweat this week? Wendy: I was in Canada this week and took class there at a studio and whew, it was so good. It was so good. I can't wait to go back. Sheena: Hmm. Awesome. I love it. so before we wrap up, can you tell us who is the person that Aligned Studio Consulting is for? Who do you work with? Wendy: So I work with any kind of studio owner out there, from if you haven't even opened your doors yet, you're just thinking about opening a studio to someone who has been around 10 years plus, they're thinking they're ready to sell their studio, anything in between, instructor development. You name it, I can help with. so yeah, any owner out there, I'm here for you. Sheena: Amazing. And where can listeners, owners, where can people find you and how do they connect with you? Wendy: You can find me on my Instagram, it's at aligned studio consulting. And you can also find me on my website, www.aligned studio consulting.com. And for sweat community listeners, I would love to offer an extra 30 minutes added to a studio alignment session. Usually they're an hour. We will chat for an hour and a half. That's a $150 value. So that's a fun one. And then any local Denver studios here, I love to do an experience audit where I come to your studio and I pretend that I am a new member, new client, and then I share feedback. I will give you $75 off of that. And I want to come check out your studios. So let's do it. Sheena: I love it. let's connect, you guys. get in there. and I think what you offer is invaluable. You have so much experience, and thank you so much for offering these deals that can be really helpful to an owner who wants to connect. And I will also add this and how to find you in the show notes to make it really easy Wendy, Thank you so much for being here and how involved you are with the community and just helping our local boutique studios thrive. Wendy: Thank you so much for having me. It was so fun to chat about this with you and yeah, I look forward to connecting again. Sheena: my gosh, absolutely. Thank you so much. Wendy: Thanks, China. The feeling is mutual. Sheena: Thank you so much for tuning in. It truly means everything that you're here. If you're a studio owner and anything we talked about hit home, reach out to Wendy. She genuinely gets it because she's lived it. Head to aligned studioconsulting.com to find her or on Instagram at Align Studio Consulting. she's offering an extra 30 minutes to her studio alignment session, so 90 minutes in total. And for my Denver studio owners, she wants to come to your studio. $75 off a studio experience audit. And hey, if you haven't yet, head to sweatcommunity.com. That's our home base. It's where you can find local studios, local deals, stay connected with the community and everything that we're doing here on the podcast. Subscribe to be in the know. And last thing, my favorite part, what made you sweat this week? Send me a DM, drop a comment, tag us in your sweaty posts. I wanna know everything. Until next time, Bye.