Female emPOWERED: Winning in Business & Life

In this episode, Christa takes you behind the scenes of a live training she hosted for her Inner Circle clients, all about how to get better results from AI tools like ChatGPT. If you’ve ever felt stuck staring at a blinking cursor when trying to write content - or ended up with a robotic, boring blog post - this episode is for you.

You’ll learn exactly how to write better prompts that get you high-quality content tailored to your b...

Welcome back to another episode of the Female EmPOWERed Podcast! I’m your host, Christa Gurka, and today we’re tackling one of the most critical aspects of running a profitable boutique fitness or wellness business—pricing, pay rates, and expenses. If you've ever wondered how to structure your pricing for long-term financial health, this episode is for you.

We’ll break down industry statistics on average revenue and profit marg...

What really happens after you sell your studio? In this candid episode of Female emPOWERed, I share the truth about the first 8 months post-exit from Pilates in the Grove—everything from the unexpected identity shift and grief, to the freedom, pride, and the systems that made a sellable, scalable business possible.

If you’re a Pilates, PT, yoga, or boutique fitness owner who wants to stop being the overworked operator and start lead...

Why Client Poaching Isn’t the Real Problem in Your Studio (and What To Fix Instead)

Hosted by: Christa Gurka, PT, OCS | Fit Biz Strategies

If you've ever panicked because a client followed an instructor out the door… or you’ve worried that an instructor is “stealing” clients… this episode is going to flip that narrative on its head.

Inside our boutique fitness and wellness studios, client poaching feels personal — but it’s actual...

Are you tired of feeling like every month you’re starting from zero in your business? In this episode of Female emPOWERED, host Christa Gurka breaks down one of the most important lessons she learned while preparing to sell her multi-seven-figure studio: not all revenue is created equal.

Christa walks you through her Revenue Ladder — a framework that helps you understand where your income is really coming from and how stable it is. ...

In this episode of the Female emPOWERed podcast, I’m recapping the 2025 Women in Wellness Business Summit we just wrapped in Miami — two days of honest conversations, strategy, and big vision planning for women who own boutique fitness and wellness businesses.
If you’re a Pilates studio owner, pelvic health physical therapist, yoga or barre studio owner, gym owner, or hybrid wellness practice, this recap will help you audit 202...

Thinking about hiring a marketing agency for your boutique fitness or wellness business? In this episode, Christa Gurka shares exactly what you need to know before you spend a single dollar on paid ads.

Christa breaks down the essential marketing metrics and strategies every studio owner should understand — from CPC, CPA, and CAC to lifetime value (LTV) and conversion rates — so you can make informed decisions and avoid wasting mone...

Have you ever wondered what people are really paying for when they work with you?
In this week’s episode of Female emPOWERED, host Christa Gurka shares insights sparked by a recent VIP Day in Atlanta with Ashley Brock and a powerful group of women entrepreneurs — plus a timely reminder from Denise Duffield-Thomas’s Chill & Prosper podcast.

This episode dives deep into the real value behind your services, the transformative ...

Not sure why your business isn’t growing — or where the problem actually is? In this episode of Female emPOWERED, host Christa Gurka breaks down how to diagnose problems inside your boutique fitness or wellness business so you can fix the right thing — not just the most obvious thing.

Too often, studio owners say “my marketing isn’t working” when the real issue is a gap in their sales system or operations process. Just like identify...

Confused about whether your team should be classified as employees or independent contractors? You’re not alone — and getting it wrong can cost you big time. In this episode of Female emPOWERED, host Christa Gurka sits down with returning guest Katie Santos, founder of FitnessHR, to unpack everything studio and wellness business owners need to know about HR compliance, classification, and protecting your business.

Together, Christa ...

In this episode of Female emPOWERED, Christa sits down with website designer and SEO expert Jess Freeman, the creative behind both the Pilates in the Grove and Christa Gurka websites. Together, they unpack exactly what makes a boutique fitness or wellness website stand out in 2025—and what you need to prioritize to attract more clients and rank higher on Google.

Jess shares her proven process for stress-free website builds, her favo...

In this week’s Female emPOWERED episode, Christa breaks down one of the most powerful—and misunderstood—decisions you’ll ever make as a boutique fitness or wellness business owner: finding your niche.

If you’ve ever worried that niching down means turning clients away, leaving money on the table, or boxing yourself in, this episode will change your perspective. Christa shares why narrowing your focus actually expands your impact and...

Female emPOWERED Podcast | Episode 307
🎙️ How to Ramp Up New Hires Without Killing Your Profit Margin

Are you staring at your new team member’s half-empty schedule and wondering, “Did I make a mistake?” You’re not alone — and you’re not losing money (even if it feels like it). In this episode, Christa Gurka walks you through how to set realistic utilization expectations for new instructors or clinicians, how to design smart co...

Are Google Ads worth it for your studio or practice? If you’ve ever wondered why ads don’t seem to work for you—or why you’re spending thousands each month without seeing results—this episode is for you.

I’m walking you through the anatomy of a Google Ad and breaking down how to set up campaigns the right way so you can start generating consistent, high-quality leads.

Inside the episode, you’ll learn:

• The three types of Google Ad ...

Welcome back to another episode of Female emPOWERED, the podcast for female boutique fitness and wellness business owners. I’m your host, Christa Gurka, and today we’re diving into one of the toughest leadership challenges for studio and clinic owners: how to transition clients from your personal schedule to a new team member’s schedule—without losing trust, clients, or revenue.

If you’ve ever felt nervous about handing off your lon...

How you pay your team can make or break your business. In today’s episode of Female emPOWERED, I’m breaking down the most common compensation models for Pilates instructors, yoga teachers, and physical therapists—and why getting this wrong can destroy your margins, retention, and culture.

Too many studio and practice owners overpay staff, set up complicated systems nobody understands, or tie pay directly to percentages that cut prof...

How do you build a boutique fitness brand that stands out in a crowded market? And how do you balance staying true to your values while also marketing for growth?

In this episode of Female emPOWERED, I’m joined by my dear friend and returning guest Kari Saitowitz — founder of Fhitting Room in NYC and current CMO of New York Sports Club. With a background at American Express, Pepsi, and a Harvard MBA, Kari blends world-class marketin...

Do you ever feel like you’re running in circles in your business — putting out fires, answering team questions, juggling clients — and never getting ahead?

In this episode of Female emPOWERED, I’m joined again by my go-to content strategist and business bestie Latasha Doyle, founder of Uncanny Content
. Together, we dive into the real-life benefits of stepping away from the day-to-day and giving yourself a CEO Day, VIP Day, or D...

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🎙️ Female emPOWERED Podcast Episode:
How Hosting Workshops Can Grow Your Revenue, Community & Credibility

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Christa Gurka shares everything studio owners need to know about hosting in-house workshops — not just attending them. If you’ve been searching for new ways to increase revenue, train your team, and build your brand’s authority in your local wellness community, workshops may be y...