May 26, 2025 • 26 mins
In this powerful episode of The Pilates Business Podcast, host Seran Glanfield challenges the traditional time management talk and dives deep into how studio owners can regain control of their time and energy. Instead of chasing productivity hacks and color-coded calendars, Seran explores the rhythms of life and business and how to align your schedule with what truly matters.
From the burnout that comes with doing all the things to the real secret behind balance (spoiler: it's rhythm, not perfection), this episode is a must-listen for any boutique fitness business owner feeling overwhelmed, stretched too thin, or just plain exhausted.
Discover how to protect your energy, set meaningful priorities, and delegate like a boss so you can build a Pilates studio (or yoga or barre business) that supports your life—not consumes it.
Got a question for Seran? Add it here 👉
~~~
GRAB YOUR FREE RESOURCE 👉 The Studio Owner's Guide to MASTERING REELS
📲 Follow Seran on Instagram @seran_spring_three
❤️ Loved this episode? Leave a review - your review helps spread the word about the show and I read each and every one!
🎧 Never miss a new episode! Be sure to follow or subscribe to stay up to date
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
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Are you managing your time or is your time managing
you?
If your days are a nonstop loopof teaching admin and really
quick to-dos, only to just crashat the end of the day wondering
what it is that you actuallydid, then this episode is for
you.
We're talking about the truthbehind time management, not the
(00:22):
productivity hacks or thecolor-coded planners, but how to
actually make your calendarwork with your energy, your
season of life and what actuallymatters to you, because if
you're feeling burnt out oroverwhelmed or wondering if
you're ever going to catch up,it might not just be about time
(00:43):
management.
It might also be to do withprioritization, and that's what
we're talking about today.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Well, hi there, I'm Saren Glanfield.
I'm a business and marketingstrategist just for boutique
fitness studio owners like you.
If you're ready to be inspiredand make a bigger impact, you're
in the right place.
All you need are a few keystrategies, the right mindset
and some support along the way.
Join me as I share the reallife insights that will help you
(01:14):
grow a sustainable andprofitable studio.
This is the Pilates BusinessPodcast.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Well, hey there, and welcome back to the Pilates
Business Podcast.
I'm so glad you're here,because today's episode is one
that I think every entrepreneurhonestly needs to hear, and I've
been coaching and consultingstudio owners for well over a
decade and, on all the hundreds,if not thousands, of
conversations that I've had withstudio owners, this topic
(01:45):
certainly is an important one tocover, to understand and to
understand how it impacts theway that you build and grow your
business.
Because we're talking todayabout effective time management
and not just about just pluggingthings in the calendar, but
actually about really balancingyour business and your life,
(02:07):
because when we're building abusiness like we're building,
it's not just about putting inthe hours from nine to five and
walking out the door.
This business is often a partof you, a part of your life.
So, before your brain jumps toproductivity apps and maybe
those 4am morning routines, no,no, no, no.
We're going to go a little bitdeeper than that and probably be
(02:29):
a bit more real than that andrealistic, because what I know
and what I've observed fromworking with hundreds of studio
owners is that it's not aboutfinding the time to do more,
it's not about just doing more,it's also about doing what
matters doing less of whatdrains you and doing more of
what fuels you and fuels yourbusiness.
(02:50):
And the chances are that if youare running a studio, you're
marketing, you're managingemails and inboxes and messages,
you're fixing the stereo whenit breaks, you're in it all
(03:12):
right.
And while I know that you are soincredibly passionate about the
movement that you're teachingand about the quality of the
movement you're teaching, yourenergy isn't infinite and at
some point, even the mostpassionate, most dedicated, most
motivated studio owner will hita wall, and what that looks
(03:32):
like is feeling totallyexhausted but feeling perhaps
too guilty to take a day off.
Or maybe you keep tellingyourself that next month it will
calm down, but reality is thatyou know that it never will.
Or perhaps your business isrunning right, but you just wake
up every day feeling less andless energized by it.
(03:54):
So I want to talk a bit moretoday with all of you and talk
through why it's not just aboutmanaging your time, but it's
also about managing your energy,and I think that is actually
way more powerful way toapproach this than just thinking
about your calendar and hoursin the calendar.
We're also going to talk aboutthings that are truly the real
(04:15):
things that impact our time,which is that different seasons
of life and different seasons ofbusiness are going to require
different rhythms.
And I want to talk you throughhow you can perhaps more
consciously choose yourpriorities, instead of perhaps
just letting that urgency andputting out the fires really
dictate where you spend yourtime and energy.
(04:37):
All right, so let's get into it.
I think you know one of thethings that I have learned is as
a business owner myself and assomeone who I think has quite
sort of, and I think you knowone of the things that I have
learned is as a business ownermyself and as someone who I
think has quite sort of, and Ithink many entrepreneurs do, and
I think perhaps this is a verya trait that is common to many
Pilates teachers and studioowners is that you know we are
(04:59):
high achieving people and Ithink that when we think about
time management, oftentimes Ithink the downfall or the
pitfall that we see eventuallyhappen is that we treat every
hour as the same.
So many a lot of the advice outthere says, you know, block out
chunks of time, which Irecommend you do do.
(05:19):
But there is a kind of a caveatwith that, because it's not
just about perhaps moving aroundthese blocks of time on your
calendar or like Lego blocks Inreal life.
Not all hours are created equal.
I know this.
You know this.
If you think about your day andyou think about when you have
the most energy in your day,some of you will find that is at
(05:40):
7 am and some of you will findthat that is at 7 pm.
Me, I am a morning person.
I will say very often to myfamily you know, if we've got to
talk things, big importantdecisions to make, talk big
important things through, youknow, don't even think about
asking me the question after 6pm, because my brain just doesn't
work.
But the morning, if you're hereand talking to me at 7am, I am
(06:04):
all all, all engines are firing,and so you might find too that
there's a big difference betweenyour 9am brain and your 4pm
brain.
Maybe those classes in theevenings are more challenging
for you than the ones in themornings, and if you're trying
to then perhaps log intoQuickBooks and update all of
your stuff in there at, you know, 8pm gosh, that's going to be
(06:26):
just really challenging, right?
And so we want to think aboutnot just our availability but
also our energy, and it'simportant to take the time to
think about, okay, when do Ifeel most creative, when do I
crash, and what drains me versusfills me up?
Now you don't need a perfectlymapped out day, but it is
(06:49):
helpful to just acknowledge andhave awareness for the dips and
the highs that you have aroundyour energy and when, in the day
and the week and the month even, you feel strongest for
different types of tasks.
So, as you go about the nextday or week, think about when
your energy is at its peak andwhat type of work you want to be
(07:12):
doing with that time.
Notice when you feel sharp orwhen you feel sluggish, when
you're more perhaps inclined totake on the challenging work and
perhaps, if you can begin tobuild your most important tasks
around that energy, not just thesort of open space on your
calendar.
So you want to be aware of yourenergy and perhaps not treat
(07:37):
every hour the same your energyand perhaps not treat every hour
the same.
Now, the second myth I hear alot is that this of this idea of
balance, and the idea is thatif everything is in perfect
balance and you have thatperfect work-life balance, every
day is going to be fabulous andperfect, but I think one of the
things that is interestingabout even using the word
(07:58):
balance is that if you arebalancing, it is something that
is, you know, perhaps shifting alittle bit here and there.
Right, if you're balancing onone leg it is.
You probably are moving alittle bit to sort of keep that
sort of happening, if we want tocall it.
(08:19):
That is somewhat similar.
There are going to be shifts,there's going to be small
changes that need to be made ona very regular basis to mean
that you are effectively perhapsprioritizing the things that
you need to prioritize.
And so maybe it's not aboutbalance, but perhaps it's more
about a rhythm, and there arelikely to be seasons where you
are building and perhapsextending yourself a little bit
(08:42):
more than you would like, andthen there are seasons where you
are in a different energy mode,where you're perhaps
re-energizing or resting, orperhaps seasons of hustle and
seasons of sort of thatrecalibration.
We talk about this a lot insideof Thrive because I think, if we
approach business as a constantpush and push and push and push
(09:06):
for those of you who want to bein business and have your
business for years to come.
That's an extremely drainingapproach.
So there are going to beseasons and I encourage you to
think about your business asbeing in seasons of, perhaps,
growth seasons and thenstabilization, and the same
thing is going to be true whenwe think about how that fits in
(09:26):
with your life as well.
There are going to be seasonsin your life where there is a
lot going on and there are goingto be seasons in your life
where perhaps you have moreenergy to give to your business,
and every season requires alittle bit of a different
boundaries, different set ofboundaries, perhaps, more than
likely, different set of goalsand possibly even a different
(09:49):
way that you show up in yourbusiness as well.
So if you just opened yoursecond or your third location,
you're in a building season.
You're focused on filling thatstudio, pushing and pulling, I
should say, more clients in thedoor.
You're in a high energy season.
If you're, perhaps, in a stagewhere your business is on a
(10:09):
consistent growth pattern andyou have got your teachers and
there are various things thatare constantly kind of becoming
up, yes, but things are feelingpretty stable, then you're in a
season of stabilization andthere is no wrong season to be
in, as long as you are happywith the results and outcomes
that you're getting in yourbusiness.
(10:29):
So maybe after you finishlistening to this, or as you
listen to this, just have alittle think about what season
of life and business you're inright now and perhaps then be
mindful of how you might want toset your expectations and your
schedule to match that season.
So we're all going to be indifferent seasons and that's
(10:52):
totally fine.
It's what makes the world goaround.
Now the other thing I see thatoften happens with many, many
business owners, no matter whatstage of business they're in, is
that you might find yourself inconstant reaction mode.
That is where maybe a teacheris calling in sick last minute,
(11:13):
you need to do a last minutereschedule, you have a client
that just throws off your wholemorning because of something
that they say, you've gottenemails that you need to respond
to, you've got to fix the Wi-Fi.
You know you're alwaysadjusting and firefighting, and
that can make everything feelurgent, in fact, when the more
(11:35):
that we sit in a reactive mode,the more we see everything as
being urgent and important, andin that situation it's really a
challenge to step off of thathamster wheel, but it is so
powerful when you get the timeout of your business to do that,
and that's often what it takes,because you don't need more
(11:55):
time in those situations.
It's often about prioritizingwhat matters most to your
business and knowing how totackle that list of to-do things
and what is going to make youfeel really accomplished in
perhaps doing those things thatneed to get done and can only be
(12:19):
done by you and then letting goof some of those other things.
And so it's important to justto take the time to think about
what matters most and thenprotect that list of just those
priorities like the best thatyou can, and so you want to be
only saying yes to things thatmatter, and it's absolutely fine
(12:40):
to say no to things that youare not excited about, because
if you're saying yes to fixingthe printer instead of planning
your next open house, you mightbe missing out on growth
opportunities, right, and thattruly is a choice, okay.
So it's really important tothink about how you're going to
manage your time and energyaround some non-negotiables.
(13:01):
Maybe it's an hour or two hoursof time focused only on studio
growth, and maybe there isanother set of hours or time or
people to delegate to who cantake on some of the tasks that
perhaps can be done by others,can take on some of the tasks
(13:22):
that perhaps can be done byothers, and then your job, your
only job, is to meet thosepriorities, not to squeeze them
in after everything else hasbeen done.
Okay, so consciousprioritization is really, really
important, and I think this issomething that we do really well
.
We help studio owners to doreally well inside of Thrive.
Because we help studio ownersto do really well inside of
Thrive, because we help them tonot just set goals but to
consider how they fit within thebigger picture of where they're
(13:44):
heading with their business andthen how to prioritize various
different ideas that they getalong the way when it comes to
building and growing theirbusiness.
The next one oh, I'm not sureyou're going to like this.
It's all about those who aretrying to be the hero, and what
(14:06):
I mean by that is that if you'rethe only one who knows how to
run the schedule, how to respondto messages, how to set up new
offers in your software, thenyou are the bottleneck, and
(14:27):
doing it all will only lead toburnout.
Truly and I've been there, youguys I know how easy it is to
say it's okay, I'll just do it.
It's okay, I'll take care of it, because when you're in it
showing or talking to someoneelse about how to do it, showing
someone else how to do it cantake a little bit longer than
you have available to you atthat moment and it is ultimately
(14:50):
unsustainable to do all thethings and be the only one who
can do all the things.
You're smarter than that, right, and that means that systems
and delegation and having peoplearound you to help you will
only help you to be moreproductive and will only help
(15:12):
lead to more growth.
Years ago, I realized veryquickly that I was not able to
put more hours into my businessthan I was at that moment, but
my business needed more hoursfrom me and I had.
I remember very clearly sittingin the car and talking to my
husband at the time and gettingreally sort of expressing my
(15:32):
frustration and all of thethings, and I realized no, this
is not about me trying to addmore into my business, not add
more hours to my business.
It's actually about me finding.
Not about me trying to add moreinto my business, not add more
hours to my business.
It's actually about me findingpeople to help me to add more
hours to my business.
Other people's hours can beadded to my business and guess
what?
We'll get to the same place.
And so we have to stop thinkingthat we are the only one who can
(15:55):
do the things and start to lookfor ways to ask and find other
folks to come into our businessand be able to step into some of
those tasks andresponsibilities as well.
And when you do that, itcreates this quite significant
shift and that means that youstep out of being the to doer
(16:17):
and start to be able to be morevisionary, to lead your business
forward, because you're notstuck as much in every single
piece of the day-to-day and youwill still get stuck into some
of it, for sure, but it's notgoing to be everything that you
are doing.
So think about all the thingsthat you've done this week, all
the tasks you've done in a week,and then think about which of
(16:39):
these are things that only I cando, and then perhaps think
about which of these can I letgo of or which of these can I
give to someone else and I knowthat we sometimes have hangups
because perhaps there are thingsthat we don't like to do and we
feel badly about asking someoneelse to do it.
But absolutely other peoplewill enjoy doing some of the
(16:59):
things that you least like to do, and so it's not about doing
less because you have to.
It's actually about being ableto do more for your business
overall because you can, andwhen you bring other people in,
it only helps you and yourbusiness to grow.
So I would encourage you tolook for ways to expand the load
(17:24):
onto other people, to share theload onto other people and be
able to then expand into yourrole as a leader.
Okay, I also want to just touchon really quickly before we wrap
up this session about some ofthe other things that happens as
a business owner when it comesto your time and your schedule,
(17:47):
and I know that when we are inthis industry, in this business,
and you're building arelationship-based business, you
know your clients really,really well and inside out, we
often find that clients ask usto do things and we have a
really hard time saying no, thisis sneaky right.
You end up taking on that extraclient because they begged you.
(18:08):
You did their intro offer.
You had all good intentions ofmaybe handing them over to
another teacher.
But they were like but I reallyenjoyed working with you and
you know that if you squeezethings in and move things around
, you can make it happen forthem.
And so you say yes, and maybeyou skip lunch that day, or
maybe you skip the school pickupthat day and you hire a
babysitter instead, and maybeyou take on that extra client
(18:30):
here and there, and maybe youadd that extra hour at the
weekend and all of a sudden,before you know it, you have
moved away from the thing thatyou most wanted to be able to do
, which possibly was having alittle bit more freedom in your
life.
Maybe you cancel plans becauseyou now need or want to or have
to host a workshop or a teachertraining, and maybe or maybe you
(18:56):
even feel badly about takingany time off at all, and so you
never do.
And this kind of guilt is nothelpful for you and probably
also not helpful for yourbusiness growth and possibly not
even helpful as helpful as youmight think for your team as
well.
Because when you're buildingyour calendar around guilt, what
(19:17):
ultimately happens maybe nottomorrow, maybe not next week,
but down the road is you startto feel a little bit resentful
Resentful, perhaps, towardsthose clients who perhaps begged
you to open up your calendarand then they late cancel.
Or maybe you feel a little bitresentful to your business as a
whole, because now, all of asudden, you're working more
(19:38):
hours than you ever anticipatedor wanted to.
Maybe you feel resentfultowards other teachers who can
just come and go as they pleasefrom your business and all of a
sudden you're left to do all thethings.
And so when you build yourbusiness and your calendar and
what you're spending time onaround guilt, it is not serving
you, and so it's reallyimportant that you set
(20:00):
boundaries for where you want tospend time in your business and
you build a business and acalendar and a schedule that is
aligned with what matters to you.
When you operate from thatplace, you have more energy to
give to your business.
To say no is scary and maybefeel like you shouldn't or you
(20:24):
can't, but you can, and it'simportant too, because the most
important thing is not that youshow up for that client tomorrow
, but that you show up for allof the people that you serve in
your business next month andnext year.
And so when you operate yourbusiness from a place of
alignment, you serve yourclients better, you serve your
(20:47):
team better and you serve yourbusiness better.
You lead better and you'll findthat you'll be happier as a
result, and happy studio ownerstend to do better in business.
So let's quickly recap what wecovered today.
Number one time managementisn't about moving pieces around
(21:07):
on the calendar.
It's actually about managingyour energy as well, and I'd
encourage you to think about howyou can match your natural
rhythms from days to weeks tomonths and into the way that you
work, and not just manage yourcalendar based on availability.
I also want you to acknowledgethat your life is important
(21:30):
outside of the studio and thereare seasons to that as well, and
if you want to build a businessthat stays with you for a long
time like I know many of you doand you want that business to
grow and to fulfill you and tobe sustainable, then it's
important to know that you'llhave seasons in life and in
business, and they may be insync sometimes, and sometimes
(21:52):
they are not, but it's importantto be aware of that season so
that you can perhaps set, oreven reset, expectations that
truly support you.
I'd also encourage you toconsciously choose your top
priorities, and what that lookslike in practice is that each
(22:13):
week and each month, you arerecognizing where you want to
spend your time.
You are proactively designingyour task list or your to-do
list and perhaps the time youhave available to that, so that
you're not in constant reactionmode.
Right, and the chaos and theoverwhelm comes when we don't
know where to start and we don'tknow where to focus.
(22:34):
And if you ever have any everhard time with that and it can
be really hard to choose anddecide this is where being a
part of Thrive really is sohelpful, because this is the
type of thing that we help younavigate each and every week,
help you to manage your time,manage your priorities and help
you figure out where you shouldfocus to help you reach your
(22:57):
goals.
And finally, you do not need tobe a hero.
What you need is this systemand a little bit of delegation
and, above all, you need to beable to say no, and that last
one is really important, andsometimes that's even saying no
to yourself, but often that'ssaying no to some other folks
who are asking more of you thanyou really are able to give, and
(23:20):
so I want you to show up inyour business as your best self.
I want you to show up withenergy and enthusiasm, because
that is what will ripple through.
It's contagious to othersaround you, and so if you show
up annoyed, frustrated,exhausted, that also is
contagious, and so I encourageyou to show up as your best self
(23:42):
, and if you need to set someboundaries around your time and
your energy in order for that tohappen, then that is what you
have to do Now.
Studio ownership for the studiosthat I get to work with is a
long game.
You're building somethingbeautiful, something that is
sustainable, something that isfulfilling, something that has
enormous ripple effects and inthe best way possible to those
(24:04):
around you, and so I'd encourageyou to find ways to claim your
energy and create a schedulethat honors your priorities, and
stop feeling like you're on atreadmill, sprinting or a
hamster wheel that never stops.
And this is exactly what wehelp you to do inside Thrive,
because we really help you toredefine how you manage your
(24:28):
time and help you to build abusiness that supports you and
your life, not the other wayaround.
This is how we really make thatshift from being in a place of
overwhelm into being in a placewhere you're excited about
what's possible and we createthat momentum towards the
(24:49):
results and outcomes that youwant from your business.
So, if that's more income, ifthat's more time back, if that's
time off, if that's a biggerteam, whatever that looks like
for you.
So if today's episode reallyresonated with you, then come
join us inside of Thrive.
You can learn more about whatis inside of Thrive at
spring3.com.
Forward slash Thrive.
(25:10):
And if this episode sparked alittle something inside of you
that you would like to sharewith your fellow studio owners
and teachers, please, please, doshare it with anyone who really
needs to hear it, becausetogether we will rise faster.
I'll see you next week.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Did you love this episode and want more?
Head to spring3.com and checkout my free resources that will
help you run a profitable andfulfilling studio business.
And before you go, one lastreminder there is no one way to
do what you do, only your way.
So whatever it is that you wantto do, create or offer, you've
(25:55):
got this.
Thanks again for joining metoday and have a wonderful rest
of your day.
Are you managing your time or is your time managing
you?
If your days are a nonstop loopof teaching admin and really
quick to-dos, only to just crashat the end of the day wondering
what it is that you actuallydid, then this episode is for
you.
We're talking about the truthbehind time management, not the
(00:22):
productivity hacks or thecolor-coded planners, but how to
actually make your calendarwork with your energy, your
season of life and what actuallymatters to you, because if
you're feeling burnt out oroverwhelmed or wondering if
you're ever going to catch up,it might not just be about time
(00:43):
management.
It might also be to do withprioritization, and that's what
we're talking about today.
Speaker 2 (00:51):
Well, hi there, I'm Saren Glanfield.
I'm a business and marketingstrategist just for boutique
fitness studio owners like you.
If you're ready to be inspiredand make a bigger impact, you're
in the right place.
All you need are a few keystrategies, the right mindset
and some support along the way.
Join me as I share the reallife insights that will help you
(01:14):
grow a sustainable andprofitable studio.
This is the Pilates BusinessPodcast.
Speaker 1 (01:24):
Well, hey there, and welcome back to the Pilates
Business Podcast.
I'm so glad you're here,because today's episode is one
that I think every entrepreneurhonestly needs to hear, and I've
been coaching and consultingstudio owners for well over a
decade and, on all the hundreds,if not thousands, of
conversations that I've had withstudio owners, this topic
(01:45):
certainly is an important one tocover, to understand and to
understand how it impacts theway that you build and grow your
business.
Because we're talking todayabout effective time management
and not just about just pluggingthings in the calendar, but
actually about really balancingyour business and your life,
(02:07):
because when we're building abusiness like we're building,
it's not just about putting inthe hours from nine to five and
walking out the door.
This business is often a partof you, a part of your life.
So, before your brain jumps toproductivity apps and maybe
those 4am morning routines, no,no, no, no.
We're going to go a little bitdeeper than that and probably be
(02:29):
a bit more real than that andrealistic, because what I know
and what I've observed fromworking with hundreds of studio
owners is that it's not aboutfinding the time to do more,
it's not about just doing more,it's also about doing what
matters doing less of whatdrains you and doing more of
what fuels you and fuels yourbusiness.
(02:50):
And the chances are that if youare running a studio, you're
marketing, you're managingemails and inboxes and messages,
you're fixing the stereo whenit breaks, you're in it all
(03:12):
right.
And while I know that you are soincredibly passionate about the
movement that you're teachingand about the quality of the
movement you're teaching, yourenergy isn't infinite and at
some point, even the mostpassionate, most dedicated, most
motivated studio owner will hita wall, and what that looks
(03:32):
like is feeling totallyexhausted but feeling perhaps
too guilty to take a day off.
Or maybe you keep tellingyourself that next month it will
calm down, but reality is thatyou know that it never will.
Or perhaps your business isrunning right, but you just wake
up every day feeling less andless energized by it.
(03:54):
So I want to talk a bit moretoday with all of you and talk
through why it's not just aboutmanaging your time, but it's
also about managing your energy,and I think that is actually
way more powerful way toapproach this than just thinking
about your calendar and hoursin the calendar.
We're also going to talk aboutthings that are truly the real
(04:15):
things that impact our time,which is that different seasons
of life and different seasons ofbusiness are going to require
different rhythms.
And I want to talk you throughhow you can perhaps more
consciously choose yourpriorities, instead of perhaps
just letting that urgency andputting out the fires really
dictate where you spend yourtime and energy.
(04:37):
All right, so let's get into it.
I think you know one of thethings that I have learned is as
a business owner myself and assomeone who I think has quite
sort of, and I think you knowone of the things that I have
learned is as a business ownermyself and as someone who I
think has quite sort of, and Ithink many entrepreneurs do, and
I think perhaps this is a verya trait that is common to many
Pilates teachers and studioowners is that you know we are
(04:59):
high achieving people and Ithink that when we think about
time management, oftentimes Ithink the downfall or the
pitfall that we see eventuallyhappen is that we treat every
hour as the same.
So many a lot of the advice outthere says, you know, block out
chunks of time, which Irecommend you do do.
(05:19):
But there is a kind of a caveatwith that, because it's not
just about perhaps moving aroundthese blocks of time on your
calendar or like Lego blocks Inreal life.
Not all hours are created equal.
I know this.
You know this.
If you think about your day andyou think about when you have
the most energy in your day,some of you will find that is at
(05:40):
7 am and some of you will findthat that is at 7 pm.
Me, I am a morning person.
I will say very often to myfamily you know, if we've got to
talk things, big importantdecisions to make, talk big
important things through, youknow, don't even think about
asking me the question after 6pm, because my brain just doesn't
work.
But the morning, if you're hereand talking to me at 7am, I am
(06:04):
all all, all engines are firing,and so you might find too that
there's a big difference betweenyour 9am brain and your 4pm
brain.
Maybe those classes in theevenings are more challenging
for you than the ones in themornings, and if you're trying
to then perhaps log intoQuickBooks and update all of
your stuff in there at, you know, 8pm gosh, that's going to be
(06:26):
just really challenging, right?
And so we want to think aboutnot just our availability but
also our energy, and it'simportant to take the time to
think about, okay, when do Ifeel most creative, when do I
crash, and what drains me versusfills me up?
Now you don't need a perfectlymapped out day, but it is
(06:49):
helpful to just acknowledge andhave awareness for the dips and
the highs that you have aroundyour energy and when, in the day
and the week and the month even, you feel strongest for
different types of tasks.
So, as you go about the nextday or week, think about when
your energy is at its peak andwhat type of work you want to be
(07:12):
doing with that time.
Notice when you feel sharp orwhen you feel sluggish, when
you're more perhaps inclined totake on the challenging work and
perhaps, if you can begin tobuild your most important tasks
around that energy, not just thesort of open space on your
calendar.
So you want to be aware of yourenergy and perhaps not treat
(07:37):
every hour the same your energyand perhaps not treat every hour
the same.
Now, the second myth I hear alot is that this of this idea of
balance, and the idea is thatif everything is in perfect
balance and you have thatperfect work-life balance, every
day is going to be fabulous andperfect, but I think one of the
things that is interestingabout even using the word
(07:58):
balance is that if you arebalancing, it is something that
is, you know, perhaps shifting alittle bit here and there.
Right, if you're balancing onone leg it is.
You probably are moving alittle bit to sort of keep that
sort of happening, if we want tocall it.
(08:19):
That is somewhat similar.
There are going to be shifts,there's going to be small
changes that need to be made ona very regular basis to mean
that you are effectively perhapsprioritizing the things that
you need to prioritize.
And so maybe it's not aboutbalance, but perhaps it's more
about a rhythm, and there arelikely to be seasons where you
are building and perhapsextending yourself a little bit
(08:42):
more than you would like, andthen there are seasons where you
are in a different energy mode,where you're perhaps
re-energizing or resting, orperhaps seasons of hustle and
seasons of sort of thatrecalibration.
We talk about this a lot insideof Thrive because I think, if we
approach business as a constantpush and push and push and push
(09:06):
for those of you who want to bein business and have your
business for years to come.
That's an extremely drainingapproach.
So there are going to beseasons and I encourage you to
think about your business asbeing in seasons of, perhaps,
growth seasons and thenstabilization, and the same
thing is going to be true whenwe think about how that fits in
(09:26):
with your life as well.
There are going to be seasonsin your life where there is a
lot going on and there are goingto be seasons in your life
where perhaps you have moreenergy to give to your business,
and every season requires alittle bit of a different
boundaries, different set ofboundaries, perhaps, more than
likely, different set of goalsand possibly even a different
(09:49):
way that you show up in yourbusiness as well.
So if you just opened yoursecond or your third location,
you're in a building season.
You're focused on filling thatstudio, pushing and pulling, I
should say, more clients in thedoor.
You're in a high energy season.
If you're, perhaps, in a stagewhere your business is on a
(10:09):
consistent growth pattern andyou have got your teachers and
there are various things thatare constantly kind of becoming
up, yes, but things are feelingpretty stable, then you're in a
season of stabilization andthere is no wrong season to be
in, as long as you are happywith the results and outcomes
that you're getting in yourbusiness.
(10:29):
So maybe after you finishlistening to this, or as you
listen to this, just have alittle think about what season
of life and business you're inright now and perhaps then be
mindful of how you might want toset your expectations and your
schedule to match that season.
So we're all going to be indifferent seasons and that's
(10:52):
totally fine.
It's what makes the world goaround.
Now the other thing I see thatoften happens with many, many
business owners, no matter whatstage of business they're in, is
that you might find yourself inconstant reaction mode.
That is where maybe a teacheris calling in sick last minute,
(11:13):
you need to do a last minutereschedule, you have a client
that just throws off your wholemorning because of something
that they say, you've gottenemails that you need to respond
to, you've got to fix the Wi-Fi.
You know you're alwaysadjusting and firefighting, and
that can make everything feelurgent, in fact, when the more
(11:35):
that we sit in a reactive mode,the more we see everything as
being urgent and important, andin that situation it's really a
challenge to step off of thathamster wheel, but it is so
powerful when you get the timeout of your business to do that,
and that's often what it takes,because you don't need more
(11:55):
time in those situations.
It's often about prioritizingwhat matters most to your
business and knowing how totackle that list of to-do things
and what is going to make youfeel really accomplished in
perhaps doing those things thatneed to get done and can only be
(12:19):
done by you and then letting goof some of those other things.
And so it's important to justto take the time to think about
what matters most and thenprotect that list of just those
priorities like the best thatyou can, and so you want to be
only saying yes to things thatmatter, and it's absolutely fine
(12:40):
to say no to things that youare not excited about, because
if you're saying yes to fixingthe printer instead of planning
your next open house, you mightbe missing out on growth
opportunities, right, and thattruly is a choice, okay.
So it's really important tothink about how you're going to
manage your time and energyaround some non-negotiables.
(13:01):
Maybe it's an hour or two hoursof time focused only on studio
growth, and maybe there isanother set of hours or time or
people to delegate to who cantake on some of the tasks that
perhaps can be done by others,can take on some of the tasks
(13:22):
that perhaps can be done byothers, and then your job, your
only job, is to meet thosepriorities, not to squeeze them
in after everything else hasbeen done.
Okay, so consciousprioritization is really, really
important, and I think this issomething that we do really well
.
We help studio owners to doreally well inside of Thrive.
Because we help studio ownersto do really well inside of
Thrive, because we help them tonot just set goals but to
consider how they fit within thebigger picture of where they're
(13:44):
heading with their business andthen how to prioritize various
different ideas that they getalong the way when it comes to
building and growing theirbusiness.
The next one oh, I'm not sureyou're going to like this.
It's all about those who aretrying to be the hero, and what
(14:06):
I mean by that is that if you'rethe only one who knows how to
run the schedule, how to respondto messages, how to set up new
offers in your software, thenyou are the bottleneck, and
(14:27):
doing it all will only lead toburnout.
Truly and I've been there, youguys I know how easy it is to
say it's okay, I'll just do it.
It's okay, I'll take care of it, because when you're in it
showing or talking to someoneelse about how to do it, showing
someone else how to do it cantake a little bit longer than
you have available to you atthat moment and it is ultimately
(14:50):
unsustainable to do all thethings and be the only one who
can do all the things.
You're smarter than that, right, and that means that systems
and delegation and having peoplearound you to help you will
only help you to be moreproductive and will only help
(15:12):
lead to more growth.
Years ago, I realized veryquickly that I was not able to
put more hours into my businessthan I was at that moment, but
my business needed more hoursfrom me and I had.
I remember very clearly sittingin the car and talking to my
husband at the time and gettingreally sort of expressing my
(15:32):
frustration and all of thethings, and I realized no, this
is not about me trying to addmore into my business, not add
more hours to my business.
It's actually about me finding.
Not about me trying to add moreinto my business, not add more
hours to my business.
It's actually about me findingpeople to help me to add more
hours to my business.
Other people's hours can beadded to my business and guess
what?
We'll get to the same place.
And so we have to stop thinkingthat we are the only one who can
(15:55):
do the things and start to lookfor ways to ask and find other
folks to come into our businessand be able to step into some of
those tasks andresponsibilities as well.
And when you do that, itcreates this quite significant
shift and that means that youstep out of being the to doer
(16:17):
and start to be able to be morevisionary, to lead your business
forward, because you're notstuck as much in every single
piece of the day-to-day and youwill still get stuck into some
of it, for sure, but it's notgoing to be everything that you
are doing.
So think about all the thingsthat you've done this week, all
the tasks you've done in a week,and then think about which of
(16:39):
these are things that only I cando, and then perhaps think
about which of these can I letgo of or which of these can I
give to someone else and I knowthat we sometimes have hangups
because perhaps there are thingsthat we don't like to do and we
feel badly about asking someoneelse to do it.
But absolutely other peoplewill enjoy doing some of the
(16:59):
things that you least like to do, and so it's not about doing
less because you have to.
It's actually about being ableto do more for your business
overall because you can, andwhen you bring other people in,
it only helps you and yourbusiness to grow.
So I would encourage you tolook for ways to expand the load
(17:24):
onto other people, to share theload onto other people and be
able to then expand into yourrole as a leader.
Okay, I also want to just touchon really quickly before we wrap
up this session about some ofthe other things that happens as
a business owner when it comesto your time and your schedule,
(17:47):
and I know that when we are inthis industry, in this business,
and you're building arelationship-based business, you
know your clients really,really well and inside out, we
often find that clients ask usto do things and we have a
really hard time saying no, thisis sneaky right.
You end up taking on that extraclient because they begged you.
(18:08):
You did their intro offer.
You had all good intentions ofmaybe handing them over to
another teacher.
But they were like but I reallyenjoyed working with you and
you know that if you squeezethings in and move things around
, you can make it happen forthem.
And so you say yes, and maybeyou skip lunch that day, or
maybe you skip the school pickupthat day and you hire a
babysitter instead, and maybeyou take on that extra client
(18:30):
here and there, and maybe youadd that extra hour at the
weekend and all of a sudden,before you know it, you have
moved away from the thing thatyou most wanted to be able to do
, which possibly was having alittle bit more freedom in your
life.
Maybe you cancel plans becauseyou now need or want to or have
to host a workshop or a teachertraining, and maybe or maybe you
(18:56):
even feel badly about takingany time off at all, and so you
never do.
And this kind of guilt is nothelpful for you and probably
also not helpful for yourbusiness growth and possibly not
even helpful as helpful as youmight think for your team as
well.
Because when you're buildingyour calendar around guilt, what
(19:17):
ultimately happens maybe nottomorrow, maybe not next week,
but down the road is you startto feel a little bit resentful
Resentful, perhaps, towardsthose clients who perhaps begged
you to open up your calendarand then they late cancel.
Or maybe you feel a little bitresentful to your business as a
whole, because now, all of asudden, you're working more
(19:38):
hours than you ever anticipatedor wanted to.
Maybe you feel resentfultowards other teachers who can
just come and go as they pleasefrom your business and all of a
sudden you're left to do all thethings.
And so when you build yourbusiness and your calendar and
what you're spending time onaround guilt, it is not serving
you, and so it's reallyimportant that you set
(20:00):
boundaries for where you want tospend time in your business and
you build a business and acalendar and a schedule that is
aligned with what matters to you.
When you operate from thatplace, you have more energy to
give to your business.
To say no is scary and maybefeel like you shouldn't or you
(20:24):
can't, but you can, and it'simportant too, because the most
important thing is not that youshow up for that client tomorrow
, but that you show up for allof the people that you serve in
your business next month andnext year.
And so when you operate yourbusiness from a place of
alignment, you serve yourclients better, you serve your
(20:47):
team better and you serve yourbusiness better.
You lead better and you'll findthat you'll be happier as a
result, and happy studio ownerstend to do better in business.
So let's quickly recap what wecovered today.
Number one time managementisn't about moving pieces around
(21:07):
on the calendar.
It's actually about managingyour energy as well, and I'd
encourage you to think about howyou can match your natural
rhythms from days to weeks tomonths and into the way that you
work, and not just manage yourcalendar based on availability.
I also want you to acknowledgethat your life is important
(21:30):
outside of the studio and thereare seasons to that as well, and
if you want to build a businessthat stays with you for a long
time like I know many of you doand you want that business to
grow and to fulfill you and tobe sustainable, then it's
important to know that you'llhave seasons in life and in
business, and they may be insync sometimes, and sometimes
(21:52):
they are not, but it's importantto be aware of that season so
that you can perhaps set, oreven reset, expectations that
truly support you.
I'd also encourage you toconsciously choose your top
priorities, and what that lookslike in practice is that each
(22:13):
week and each month, you arerecognizing where you want to
spend your time.
You are proactively designingyour task list or your to-do
list and perhaps the time youhave available to that, so that
you're not in constant reactionmode.
Right, and the chaos and theoverwhelm comes when we don't
know where to start and we don'tknow where to focus.
(22:34):
And if you ever have any everhard time with that and it can
be really hard to choose anddecide this is where being a
part of Thrive really is sohelpful, because this is the
type of thing that we help younavigate each and every week,
help you to manage your time,manage your priorities and help
you figure out where you shouldfocus to help you reach your
(22:57):
goals.
And finally, you do not need tobe a hero.
What you need is this systemand a little bit of delegation
and, above all, you need to beable to say no, and that last
one is really important, andsometimes that's even saying no
to yourself, but often that'ssaying no to some other folks
who are asking more of you thanyou really are able to give, and
(23:20):
so I want you to show up inyour business as your best self.
I want you to show up withenergy and enthusiasm, because
that is what will ripple through.
It's contagious to othersaround you, and so if you show
up annoyed, frustrated,exhausted, that also is
contagious, and so I encourageyou to show up as your best self
(23:42):
, and if you need to set someboundaries around your time and
your energy in order for that tohappen, then that is what you
have to do Now.
Studio ownership for the studiosthat I get to work with is a
long game.
You're building somethingbeautiful, something that is
sustainable, something that isfulfilling, something that has
enormous ripple effects and inthe best way possible to those
(24:04):
around you, and so I'd encourageyou to find ways to claim your
energy and create a schedulethat honors your priorities, and
stop feeling like you're on atreadmill, sprinting or a
hamster wheel that never stops.
And this is exactly what wehelp you to do inside Thrive,
because we really help you toredefine how you manage your
(24:28):
time and help you to build abusiness that supports you and
your life, not the other wayaround.
This is how we really make thatshift from being in a place of
overwhelm into being in a placewhere you're excited about
what's possible and we createthat momentum towards the
(24:49):
results and outcomes that youwant from your business.
So, if that's more income, ifthat's more time back, if that's
time off, if that's a biggerteam, whatever that looks like
for you.
So if today's episode reallyresonated with you, then come
join us inside of Thrive.
You can learn more about whatis inside of Thrive at
spring3.com.
Forward slash Thrive.
(25:10):
And if this episode sparked alittle something inside of you
that you would like to sharewith your fellow studio owners
and teachers, please, please, doshare it with anyone who really
needs to hear it, becausetogether we will rise faster.
I'll see you next week.
Speaker 2 (25:32):
Did you love this episode and want more?
Head to spring3.com and checkout my free resources that will
help you run a profitable andfulfilling studio business.
And before you go, one lastreminder there is no one way to
do what you do, only your way.
So whatever it is that you wantto do, create or offer, you've
(25:55):
got this.
Thanks again for joining metoday and have a wonderful rest
of your day.
Popular Podcasts
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show
The Clay Travis and Buck Sexton Show. Clay Travis and Buck Sexton tackle the biggest stories in news, politics and current events with intelligence and humor. From the border crisis, to the madness of cancel culture and far-left missteps, Clay and Buck guide listeners through the latest headlines and hot topics with fun and entertaining conversations and opinions.