June 12, 2025 • 52 mins
Seran Glanfield, owner of Spring Three and host of The Pilates Business Podcast, joins me on the podcast this week! We discuss the evolution of Seran's work in the past four years, highlighting her experience coaching Pilates studio owners and the growth of her podcast. Seran shares insights into her Thrive coaching program, which helps studio owners build profitable and fulfilling businesses tailored to their individual visions, including balancing work with personal life and family. The conversation also explores the current landscape of the Pilates industry, noting its significant growth, increased competition, and the importance of strong branding and strategic business development for success. Tune in!
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Show Notes:
Check out the Pilates Business Podcast with Seran here!
Interested in the Thrive program for business owners? Check it out here!
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Olivia (00:08):
Seran, I am so excited to have you back on the show.
I can't believe that it's beenfour years.
I can't imagine that time goesas fast as it does.
But you are on the podcast backin 2021 and I'm so, so excited
to have you back.
Thanks for joining me.
Seran (00:22):
Of course.
I'm so glad to be here.
And again, yes, same.
I can't believe that was thelast time we spoke.
It felt like it was like twomonths ago.
Olivia (00:30):
Yeah, that's how it feels.
Every time I talk to someone I'mjust like, oh my gosh.
Like I feel like we just didthat and it was three years ago
at least.
So thanks so much for comingback on.
Tell me, just so in caselisteners don't have that
episode fresh in their mind,tell me a little bit about you
and Spring Three and now yourPilates podcast as well.
Seran (00:48):
That's right.
So I'm Seran Glanfield.
I'm the founder of Spring ThreeStudio Business Consulting.
I've been coaching andconsulting studio owners for
over a decade, and the majorityof my my studio owners are in
the Pilates space because beforeI became a consultant, I was a
Pilates teacher and before thatI worked in finance and
(01:10):
marketing.
So I essentially married thosetwo worlds together to do what I
do now.
And I think shortly after wespoke or right around we last
spoke in 2021, I launched thePilates Business podcast and
yeah, it has had weekly episodesever since it launched and has
brought me to have conversationswith so many interesting people
(01:32):
who are part of the industrywhich is one of the, I think,
the most fabulous things abouthaving a podcast.
Olivia (01:37):
Oh, it definitely is.
Seran (01:38):
And, and, and today I get to work with a wonderful group
of studio owners and supportthem as they build their
businesses to the versions ofsuccess that they want for
themselves.
And what I mean by that is thatI don't think that there is one
way or one type of successfulbusiness out there for studios.
I think that we all come to thisworld and come into this
(02:01):
entrepreneurial movement worldwith, you know, an idea for what
we want to do.
And so I'm simply here to helpmake sure that follow through on
that and build it into somethingthat is fulfilling and also
profitable.
Olivia (02:16):
I love that so much because it's a, it's, we, I say
over and over again, liketeacher training can't cover
everything.
And I know that a lot ofteachers, they'll teach for a
while and then they'll decidethey wanna set up their own
space, they wanna have their ownthing where they get to make all
the rules and it's a greatdesire, but like the making it
(02:37):
happen is not always super duperclear, and it's not something
that is necessarily intuitiveall the time.
So I love that you have thisreally incredible resource for
business owners to make theirbusiness work because we know
that Pilates already works.
Like it's not a question of thePilates, but like sometimes the
implementation of the studio islike, it's not an easy thing to
(03:00):
do, certainly.
And so I really appreciate thatyou're there offering that
guidance.
Seran (03:04):
I have to say I love what I do because I get to help other
people to, know, live out whatthey really, that that idea that
they have and what they want toachieve and what they want to
build, you know, it's incrediblycreative and sometimes, you
know, we're not, like you said,we're not taught how to be
entrepreneurs and, and I thinkin any, in any industry really.
(03:25):
And so you know, if we, if I canhelp you navigate that a little
bit simpler and easier, and witha bit more clarity and
direction, without wastingenergy, time, and money, then
that's just better for everyone,right?
Because that means thateveryone's moving and
everyone's, you know, helpingother people to move.
And that's what we're all hereto do.
Olivia (03:44):
Oh my gosh, yes.
And tell me about the PilatesBusiness podcast.
First of all, humongous props toyou for having weekly episodes
for that long.
Like that is an significantaccomplishment.
It is not easy.
I, from one podcaster toanother, I can tell you that
that is a lot of effort and likeconsistency on your part.
So like huge props on that.
(04:05):
But tell me a little bit abouthow it started and how it's
evolved and changed over fouryears.
Seran (04:12):
Well, yeah, and I will say it is, there are some weeks
where I am like scrambling atthe last minute to record an
episode.
Like last week I was, you know,at last couple of weeks I had
been really sick and I keptputting it off'cause I kept
thinking I cannot do this withhow I sound right now is a
terrible congestion.
So there is certainly some weekswhere it is, you know, the last
minute situation and then thereare other- but I try very hard
(04:35):
to have a bit of a plan and,and, and to work ahead of time.
And the reason, you know, Ithink like many of all
businesses or ideas or thingsthat we want to get to, you
know, I think I had the idea andthe thought about it initially
in like 2016 or 2017, and Ididn't launch it until about
four years later.
So that tells you, you know, thetimeframe.
(04:55):
And I was at the point where itwas, you know, we had been
through the Covid shutdowns andI was you know, I think in a
place where I just had trulyseen the power of community,
because during that time, youknow, I was able to sort of pull
(05:18):
together all of my contacts, allof the people in my world that I
had worked with or gotten toknow over the years to talk
about how to get through all ofthose challenges that we faced
at that time from a businessperspective.
And I just was feeling thatthere was a gap for this type of
information and, you know, I sawfirsthand how needed it was
(05:40):
during that time and I felt likeit would be, be doing a
disservice to our industry andour community if I didn't share
something at least about what wehave seen in our learning at
that time.
And so that's really what kickedme into gear as it were.
And like I said, since then ithas been, you know, we had, I
have had people on the podcastand we, you know, I do, I do
(06:04):
weekly episodes.
I have interviews with studioowners, I have interviews with
software companies.
I have interviews with brandingexperts.
I have interviews with meta adsexperts with mindset coaches.
With, I mean, all, you knowanyone who has an association to
the industry, and that's my kindof prime, you know, that that's
(06:26):
that kind of the filter.
And that, that have, that sharetheir insight and on what
they're seeing and I think.
Within this industry, you know,we, we do only see sort of a
small piece of the pie.
And so it's always fascinatingto meet people who are see are
in a kind of different part ofthe pie, right?
And, and have thoseconversations and the feedback
(06:47):
that I get from teachers andstudio owners is overwhelmingly
positive.
Even when I sometimes havepeople on that, I think to
myself, Ooh, this might rufflesome feathers, or not sure
whether this is really, you knowbut yeah, it's always I think,
insightful to hear otherpeople's perspective.
Olivia (07:06):
Because we definitely have the Pilates piece down,
like we understand the exercisesand like class programming and
all the stuff that goes intoteaching the classes.
But when you kind of go beyondthat role of just the teacher,
and now you're an owner and youhave employees and you have.
All these systems to do payrolland like all of this stuff that
(07:27):
needs to happen.
There are so like I love thatyou keep it central to Pilates
because that's definitely yourtarget audience, but the fact
that we all have to use someform of scheduling software and
we all have to have a studiowebsite or.
You know, if we have funnels toget people into programs, like
all of the sales piece that goesinto it.
So it is, you've identified amassive gap and I'm so glad that
(07:51):
your resources out there to, youknow, at least start to point
people in the right directionabout things that you may not
even have considered.
You know, when you were startingand said like, oh yeah, you
know, I want my own space, andit's like all of this stuff
comes with it too.
Seran (08:05):
Right.
I think sometimes it's like,okay, I just need a website and
my pricing that's it.
You know?
And, and, and, and that's okay.
And maybe a little of ins,Instagram maybe.
And, and I think, you know, thatwe, as you embark on that
journey, you discover and learna lot.
And I think the people that makeit all the way through are the
people that are supposed to bebusiness owners, you know.
I'm not sure that it's foreverybody, because it does
(08:26):
require a different, not evenjust information or knowledge,
but what I think- you know, oneof the things that I've learned
from coaching studio owners forwell over a decade and, and
having, and many moreconversations than that, you
know, well there's all thepeople who in touch and wanted
to talk about it and then neveractually went and followed
through opening a business isthat there is, you know, it does
(08:49):
take a certain type ofcharacter, right?
And there is a certain ofskillset that is gonna support
being successful in business.
And some people you can have itto some degree quite naturally.
Some people learn it over timeand I think that, you know, we
have to also be aware of some ofthose other things that are
(09:10):
needed.
So that's things like beingactually quite disciplined with
our time.
Being able to communicate quitewell, are all kind of skills
that if you don't have them.
You know, they, you will need tolearn them to really be able to
run a successful business.
There's many more, but there'sthat, that, you know, that
element of also learning as yougo and being open to learning as
(09:33):
you go and open to evolvingyourself and your skillset I
think is also one of those, the,the big sort of factors to
determining a successfuloutcome.
Olivia (09:44):
And I know Covid we talk about a lot because that was
such a massive shift forbusiness owners.
But at all times you're gonnahave to pivot in your business
or adapt or change and that canbe something that's scary, I
think for a lot of people.
Like we crave stability.
And so being able to makechanges in adaptations when
(10:07):
things aren't working.
Like maybe you come up with thisgreat plan and then it doesn't
go the way that you expect toand you can't just throw
everything out and all of thateffort.
I admire all of the studioowners that I've had the
pleasure of working for'cause Irecognize that it's not as
simple as, you know, askingpeople to teach classes at set
times, although that is part ofit.
There's so much that goes intoand like, I love that you
(10:30):
touched on the communicationbecause you've got a team and
you've gotta set expectationsfor them and you've gotta have
standards that you hold peopleto.
And it's not always fun becauseyou have to have tough
conversations and hold peopleaccountable.
But it is still important eventhough it's not the super fun,
"you get to say you're the ownerof your studio" kind of thing.
Seran (10:51):
Yeah, there's, there is, you know, there are gonna be
some tough days and there aregonna be some great days, you
know?
And I think that, you know, aslong as you are going into
things with their eyes wide openthat way, you're gonna do okay.
But there are a lot of theskills and you know, having a
team is one of them, right?
Deciding how to compensatepeople what's fair, but also
(11:12):
what's gonna help your businessto be profitable is one of those
very sort of challenging thingsthat we have to sort of navigate
early on.
Pricing your packages, how toand when to raise those prices.
And then how to have theconversation with your clients.
Well, how to sell, reallyimportant factor.
And then how to market.
And, that doesn't just meansocial media.
(11:33):
That means actually there's alot of other things you can
market your business that areactually, I think, far more
effective on a quicker basisthan social media is and then
there's, you know, being able tomanage your time.
And the difference I think goingfrom a teacher to becoming a
studio owner is that as ateacher, your top priority is a
(11:55):
hundred percent your teaching sothat you know that 55 minutes or
whatever it is that you, youteach your clients in that class
or that one-on-one session, andit's all about being the best
teacher you can be.
But when you step into the roleof a business owner, it's about
making the business the bestbusiness it can be.
And that might mean yes, youabsolutely probably need to have
(12:17):
fantastic teachers and teaching,but that probably also means
that you also need to perhapsthink about, you know.
Other parts of the business aswell.
And sometimes those other partsof the business are things that
only you as the studio owner cando or put energy into or design
or think about or be responsiblefor.
(12:37):
So it's also about where can youdelegate?
What makes the most sense?
How do you delegate?
How do you delegate well?
How do you set standards?
How do you train people?
How do you onboard people?
How do you manage your clients?
How do you build deeprelationships with your clients?
How do you engage them?
How do you sell to them?
That's one of the biggest shiftsI think, is that you go from
(12:58):
having sort of one primaryresponsibility to then you wear
a lot of hats.
And I think, you know, that issomething that a lot of people
are excited about because itsort of takes direction into
their own hands.
You know, their ultimate abilityto generate income becomes more
into their own sort of domain,their control.
(13:21):
And I think that that, you know,with a little bit of structure
and a little bit of support anda little bit of guidance, it is
a very easy transition to make.
It can be easy.
But again, I think you have togo into eyes wide open, right?
And you have to lead into it alittle bit and know it might
probably be quite uncomfortableat times.
You're gonna do things you neverthought about doing before and
(13:41):
gonna have to figure out how todo.
But it is, it is an excitingtime and it's, there's a lot of
opportunity in our industryright now, and I think it's a
fabulous time to be running andowning a Pilates studio.
Olivia (13:53):
Oh my gosh, yes.
I am not, and by any means asfar along as studio ownership,
but I've stepped into more of amanagement role at Club Pilates
in Chicago being one of the leadinstructors for the studios.
It's just resonating so muchwith me that like the things
that made you a great Pilatesteacher don't make you great in
(14:16):
the next position because, sure,like your ability to do it
yourself and figure it out isgreat when it's just for you and
you're solving a problem in yourclass.
But when you're suddenlyresponsible for teachers, you
going in and doing everythingfor them is not a great thing to
do.
Like, you want them to be ableto solve things for themselves
and understand, you know, whyyou would do something this way
(14:38):
over that way because you can'tbe every place at the same time
and every studio and every classthat's happening simultaneously
every day of the week.
When I'm talking with teacherswho are maybe just finishing
their teacher training andthey're looking at places to
teach that all of the stuff thatyou're sharing about is what I
tell them to look for whenthey're looking for studios to
(14:58):
teach at.
Like, Hey, is the communicationreally clear?
Are the teachers excited toteach at that studio?
Like when you look at thepricing, because you can kind of
guess how much you're gonna makebased on what is being charged
for classes.
You know, if it's$10 matclasses, you may not be making
the same as if you're at a placethat has$150 sessions or things
(15:19):
like that.
So as a business owner being soclear and so organized on that
front is gonna attract teachersto wanna work with you.
Because when a teacher takes aclass at your studio and talks
to the teacher there, they'regonna be like so thrilled about,
you know, their workingexperience at your studio.
Versus, you know, I've hadexperiences where, you know, you
(15:39):
don't have a lot of support fromthe owner and it really is, you
go in and you do the whole thingby yourself and you leave and
there isn't that community andthere isn't that communication.
I know that when I'm tellingpeople like, what they should
look for, what do you want outof the place that you're
teaching?
Like, do you want that support?
Do you want that kind of handsfree ness of it?
Pilates is fantastic and likeyou said, bottom line, more
(16:00):
people doing it is a victory andwe like, I want every studio
that opens to be supersuccessful and to meet the most
people that it can and to helpeveryone's lives improve.
The teachers that work there,the owner of the studio, and
also the people who are takingthe classes, taking advantage of
it.
Seran (16:19):
Yeah, absolutely.
Absolutely.
You are right and you know,everyone is looking for
different things, I think.
So it's about finding the rightspot for you and what your
expectations are.
Most folks would rather be at astudio that perhaps is well run
and well managed.
If you're at a studio wherethere is an owner who has
invested in their skillset as aleader and as a marketer and as
(16:44):
a business person, then your jobis probably safe and you
probably will be welcomed andtreated very, very well.
And because that person hasinvested in at least the
knowledge of what makes a goodbusiness.
And we know as a business ownerthat our biggest asset is our
teachers.
And so we wanna make sure thatour teachers are happy and we
(17:04):
wanna make sure that ourteachers are doing the best that
they can do in that role.
So, you know, great studioowners will make sure that their
teachers are, you know, not justfinancially happy, but because
there's more that goes into thisindustry than just that, but
that they feel like they are,you know, perhaps have a career
path, that there is progressionfor them perhaps in the studio
(17:25):
that they are you know, giventhe appropriate amount of, you
know freedom to, to teach theway that they want to teach and
that they are, you know,communicated with in a very
respectful way and all of thosegood things that help make it
really easy to work there.
Right.
Olivia (17:42):
Oh my gosh, yes.
So many, so many good things.
Tell me about Spring Three.
'cause does your podcast fallunder Spring Three?
What is hip hop happening in theSpring Three section of your
adventure?
'cause you've got this awesomepodcast and then you've got your
business where you're doing thecoaching as well.
Seran (17:58):
So Spring Three is the coaching and consulting arm of
what I do and, oh my gosh, wehave so many exciting things
happening in that world.
The majority of the way that Iengage and support studio owners
falls within my coaching programand my primary coaching program
is called Thrive.
And we've built that program tosupport studio owners no matter
(18:20):
what stage of business they'reat by giving the framework and
the structure to supportsuccess.
And so what is often missing isyes, the information, yes, the
tactics, but also the consistentfocus that is needed to be able
to show up as your best self inyour business and not get pulled
(18:43):
into the wrong direction, notstart questioning things that
perhaps don't really matter.
Like, oh, there's a studio opendown the street.
Oh my gosh, I'm just gonna sithere and put all my energy into
worrying about that, right?
And so instead of that, wecreate the structure and the
environment that supports.
Growth and progress and nomatter whether you are looking
(19:06):
to expand your studio or just tofill your studio or whether you
want to take time out of yourstudio.
And so the studio owners that Iget to work with are all so
incredibly, they are such, theyhave such great energy.
They are so dedicated to helpingtheir clients and showing up for
their businesses and help themsupport them.
(19:28):
And I have done, since theinception of Thrive, which was
March of 2020, was when we firstkind of pulled this group
together.
And we still have 10%, no, morethan 10% of our members.
Have been in the program sinceday one.
Olivia (19:44):
Wow.
Seran (19:44):
Over the course of that time, they just lean into the
structure and the support andthe resources that we do, and
the program's adapted andevolved as time has gone on and
based on what we are seeing theyneed.
And so we give them playbooksfor everything on how to build a
referral program, host an openhouse, build out automations.
We get give guidance on whichsoftware is best for them.
(20:06):
We have weekly coaching calls inthe program, mastermind breakout
sessions, trainings, and it'sreally sort of like the train
that you step on that just leadsyou forward to, you know, that
destination of wherever it isthat you want to go.
There's not one formula.
There's not, you have to have amembership.
It is, okay, let's talk aboutyour business.
We do a full businessassessment.
(20:28):
Where are you at in yourbusiness?
And then here's ourrecommendations for where to
focus next.
And then let's build out just a90 day timeline for how you
wanna take the time that you mayhave to focus on your business.
And if you're teachingfull-time, that might just be
two or three hours a week,right?
So let's make sure that whateveryou're doing in those two to
three hours a week are havingthe biggest impact on growing
(20:50):
your business.
So that might be focusing onperhaps the marketing, maybe
it's focusing on, let's makesure you understand what's
happening with your profitmargin, your numbers.
Maybe it's focused on, okay, weneed to hire on trained
teachers, so we help you figureout where do you take that very
precious time that you have tofocus on your business and make
sure that it is optimized andyou're not wasting that time or
(21:13):
spending it doing worrying aboutsomething that is not actually
helping you to grow.
Olivia (21:18):
I think it's a huge testament to your program that
you've had people who've stuckwith you through ups and downs
and twists and turns in theirbusiness.
Like that is really incredibleto have built that community of
people who are, you know, notjust there to get answers, but
willing to grow and reallyinvest and live that process,
(21:40):
like that's really remarkable.
Seran (21:43):
Well, and we've had women come in who are, you know, they,
they built a business and thenthey wanna have a baby.
And so we build the businessaround them wanting to take time
out, not just to have the baby.
Right.
Which is how corporate Americawould look at it,
Olivia (21:56):
Mm-hmm.
Seran (21:57):
But take time out so that they can then spend time with
their child, right.
As they up.
Olivia (22:01):
Which would be ideal.
Yeah.
Yeah, exactly.
Seran (22:03):
it.
And so, we've had, you know,ladies have come in and had one,
two plus babies, or they've beenable to take weeks out of their
business to go and spend timewith them, with, with be with
their kids perhaps during thesummer when they're off school.
We've got ladies who are inthere who have got aging parents
and they need to take care ofthem.
And being able to build abusiness that supports them.
(22:26):
And, you know, all of us womenat every stage of our life,
because we're mostly women inthis industry, who, and, and you
know, and men too.
And I believe we should allbuild this business for whatever
stage of life that we are at.
And I think it's entirelypossible, but I do think you
have to have a little bit ofstructure in place to be able to
facilitate that.
And so it's been beautiful tosee, really lovely to see that.
(22:48):
And I'll say for me, on a verypersonal level, I think that is
one of the most fulfillingthings that I have been able to
be a part of is helping women tobe able to have kids and take
care of other people in theirlife and live their life and
enjoy their life and it not be achoice of either or.
I think as a business owner, Ithink you should have that
(23:09):
choice.
Like I want to be with my kidsnext week, I want to build a
business that allows me to dothat.
So I think that is truly, Ithink, one of the best parts of
the whole thing.
But we do have a fantasticcommunity, and I will say that
when you bring people togetherwho are like-minded, have great
energy, so generous and sosupportive with each other.
Their friendships are so deep.
(23:31):
In fact, last year we hosted ourfirst, actually it's not the
first time I've done it, but itis officially the first retreat
we did for Thrive, my groupcoaching program.
And it was just like, bestfriends were made, or, you know,
and we all knew each other.
We didn't ever actually met,right.
So I'd seen each other, we'dseen, we'd see each other every
single week, every single weekon Zoom for five years.
(23:51):
And here we are now in a roomtogether.
There's no, oh, let's settle in,let's get to know each other.
We all know each other already,and we had a blast.
So we're now, we asked, we'redoing it again this year.
Olivia (24:00):
Oh my gosh, I love it.
And like what an inspiration.
That almost feels like somethingthat's like too, I thought it
was like too big to hope for,but you're telling me that it's
completely not, that you candesign a business in a way that
you can have a life that isoutside of your business because
it, it has been, in the past avery zero sum game.
(24:21):
It's an either or.
You're either gonna put all ofyour time over here and like
have a family, which of courseyou want.
And then, or you could have abusiness which is your child,
and you have to spend a millionpercent of your life on it.
So to be able to have a businessthat supports you, supports the
people who work in it, supportsthe people who take advantage of
your services, but also be ableto have other priorities in your
(24:44):
life is the dream like that isideal.
So the fact that that'spossible-
Seran (24:51):
It is.
Olivia (24:52):
is just an absolute inspiration.
Seran (24:54):
Yes.
Yes.
Olivia (24:55):
You could do it, exactly.
Seran (24:56):
You can.
It's allowed.
Olivia (24:58):
Exactly as you said, it takes planning and
intentionality.
Seran (25:02):
I will add because I am a realist is that it does mean
that there is, like, you have toaccept perhaps like a b plus
situation.
Right?
And that means that like, notevery week is gonna be great,
right?
And you may not see like doubledigit growth when you are not
working in your business becauseyou're taking time off, right?
(25:22):
But that might be okay becausewhat it means is that you still
have a business and that you areable to go back to it and you
can grow it and you know how togrow it.
It's just that for that monthwhere you decided to take some
time off- Business is a numbersgame.
If you are an earner in yourbusiness or revenue generator
and you're taking time off, thenthat is gonna impact your
numbers.
But if you built your businesswell, your business can still
(25:46):
generate revenue.
Right.
And ideally, and that happenstypically honestly, when you
have other people who work foryou as well.
Right?
That's the only
Olivia (25:54):
because you can, you can share the,
Seran (25:57):
You can
Olivia (25:57):
load of that.
Seran (25:58):
Yeah.
I really don't wanna paint thepicture that it's like this
perfect, charming, like,beautiful world.
It's full of rainbows andeveryone is like, you know,
happy and like glowing everyday.
But you know, let me tell you,when you've got three kids at
home and you're, is, I don'tthink you're glowing that much,
but but it does, you do still,it's, it's not the same level of
stress.
(26:18):
And you get to decide what yourdeadlines are and what your
goals are.
You can take in considerationwhat is happening in your
personal world and build yourbusiness and your goals around
that.
And so you get to decide like,what does success look like for
you?
That is one of the most powerfulthings we do in the program is
we say, okay, talk me throughwhat success looks like.
(26:40):
And everyone is different, butwhen we start to really think
about what success looks likefor ourselves, we can start to
really tune out a lot of noise.
Because some people will come tome and they'll say, well, you
know, I don't wanna build afranchise.
I don't wanna build fivestudios.
I don't wanna do that.
And I, and I'm like, okay, tellme what you-
Olivia (27:00):
Then don't.
Seran (27:01):
right.
I don't, that's great.
Cool.
Like, what do you want?
Let's do what you want.
There's no rules around whatequals success.
Right.
So you decide what success lookslike and then let's, let's build
it.
Olivia (27:14):
I love that because again, I'm saying the same thing
to Pilates teachers wherethey're like, well, I wanna be a
Pilates teacher.
And I'm like, okay, well when doyou wanna teach?
How many classes do you wannateach?
Where do you wanna teach?
How do you wanna teach?
What kinds of people do youwanna teach?
And sometimes just sitting downand taking that first step and
being like, what?
Because like you said, you getall this motivation and you, you
(27:36):
have this idea and, but it'slike kind of amorphous and it's
not really pinned down and youjust sort like, I want this
thing but without defining thatthing, it's very difficult to
make a path to that thing.
So being able to be specificabout what you want so that you
can create your business ordevelop your business in a way
that supports that dream.
(27:58):
Like you said, you don't have tofocus on the things that you
don't want because you're veryspecific about what you do want
and you're putting your energythere.
Seran (28:05):
Yeah.
And you know what they say,where you put your energy,
that's what grows, right?
And they see that all the time.
You know, we, we shift mindsetsquite a lot inside of Thrive.
It has just such profound impacton, the happiness of the studio
owner, of the teacher, but alsoon the outcomes, their results,
their growth is there.
Olivia (28:25):
I love it.
So let's talk about where we seePilates right now because 2025
is a huge year and the landscapehas shifted and changed, I think
a lot in the past five years.
So tell me a little bit aboutmaybe from your Thrive community
or just in general, what are youseeing happening in the industry
(28:47):
right now?
Seran (28:48):
Yeah, a lot.
Right?
It has evolved enormously.
Pilates, I mean, the boutiquefitness industry in and of
itself has, you know, grownmassively in the last five
years.
Pilates is a part of that, hasjust, you know, wow.
Crazy.
Beyond what we ever thought wewould see, I think, for many of
us who you, like you guys havebeen in this industry for a long
(29:09):
time.
We are seeing a lot of dollarsflow in to building larger
brands and franchises and as weare seeing them pop up across
every corner, in every town,every city in the country, and
around the world.
And what that means is thatthere's demand for this, right?
(29:31):
What that means is that thereare people who have done
actually a lot of research andthey are seeing that there is
demand.
We are seeing still that thereis continuing to be demand for
Pilates and for movement.
And that's only a good thing.
And I think that a lot of peopleget scared about the growth.
(29:51):
A lot of people have all, itactually brings up all sorts of
feelings for lots of differentpeople of different ways.
But I think that any teacher inthis industry, This is a, a
great time to be a Pilatesteacher.
You're in demand, you're neededand in demand.
And so the best that you can beat that will only help you grow
(30:13):
and be able to have a reallyfruitful career.
We are seeing, the bigfranchise, the big corporations
building out large number ofstudios.
But on a sort of the grassrootslevel, you know, I'm helping
studio owners open new studiosevery single week.
Just last week I had threeconversations with a teacher who
was wanting to move out of theirhome studio, or were teaching
(30:34):
somewhere in another space andwe're looking to move into a
larger space or have their firstbrick and mortar studio.
And so there is a lot ofactivity in the industry right
now.
And I think one of the thingsthat, you know, I think everyone
is, is talking aboutcompetition.
It exists as a business ownerspecifically.
It is a lot of competition and Ithink one of the things that is
(30:57):
really critical if you arefinding yourself in that
situation where you feel likethere is a lot of competition,
that doesn't necessarily meanthat your business is not going
to work at all.
And it also doesn't mean thatyou have to charge bottom dollar
for what you want to do, butwhat it does mean is that you do
(31:18):
have to be able to build a brandaround your studio, and that
brand has to showcase the valuethat your studio adds to your
client's lives.
And that means that you have tobe exceptionally good at
marketing and own the value ofwhat you do and knowing how to
communicate that with anaudience that is going to be
(31:39):
interested in being your client.
And so if you are not investingin your marketing skills and
learning a little bit about howto communicate and how to build
a brand as a teacher, and ifyou're looking to open a studio,
then that's what I would do inthe 12 months preceding opening
your studio is get savvy withthat.
Because there is competition andI'm not gonna sugarcoat it like
(32:03):
that makes it a tougherenvironment, but it also means
that there's opportunity,there's more people out there
who want Pilates.
It's not just about showing upand opening a door.
It's also about, you know,overcoming all the noise and
being able to find the rightpeople for your business.
It's not okay just to, you know,put a sign up and open the door.
We do have to be proactive aboutmarketing in this world, which
(32:24):
is something that we probablyalways should be doing anyway,
but I think especially so,especially if you're in an area
where there's a lot ofcompetition.
I'm not seeing this slow down,you know, I'm not seeing the
demand slow at all.
I'm seeing, you know, manystudio owners and their biggest
problem is that they have fullywaitlisted classes.
And so, I don't see this slowingdown soon.
Olivia (32:47):
I mean, I definitely agree that the demand increase
has been huge.
Like I jokingly say all thetime, because I am lucky to
teach in a studio that is verygood at articulating the value
of what they're offering, so Ido have nice and full classes,
and so I'll say all the time,you know, the word is out,
Pilates is in.
(33:07):
Because it's in, like in themainstream consciousness.
It's not just this fringe, oh,it's really good for dance
conditioning or something likethat.
It really is.
I have clients who are coming tome who are recovering from a
knee replacement, and alsoclients who are coming to me
because their favorite popstar's doing Pilates, you know,
(33:29):
and so the interest is there,and it's not all rehab, and it's
not all, you know, get fit andit's not all super intense
athletic people looking forPilates.
It really is this wide range.
I love that you said, you know,even though there's competition
and that does make it moredifficult, we're not all talking
(33:49):
to the same person when we'reasking people to come to our
studio.
That people have needs and wefit niches some better than
others.
And there's definitely interest.
Seran (34:00):
The audience has grown and the number of studios has
grown, and so, you know, it'sstill a lot of demand and still
a good time to own a studio.
Really good time.
Olivia (34:10):
Yeah, and I love also that you said because.
I get excited every time I talkto someone on the podcast, I'm
like, Ooh, I'm gonna do this andI'm gonna do this, and I'm gonna
do this.
That I love that you said thatin the 12 months leading up to
opening your studio, becausethis isn't, like you said, that
you, it just goes from, I mean,the paperwork alone takes time,
but like, it's not somethingwhere you're just like, all
right, I'm gonna open a businessand then it's there.
(34:32):
Like it takes a lot of prepwork.
And I appreciate that you'reputting that in kind of the
scheme of things that it's notjust even the running the
business.
It's like how do we even get tothe business opening its doors
and then inviting people in?
Seran (34:48):
I mean, you know, I think there is definitely a lag when
it comes to marketing efforts.
And that lag is long.
Not like a day or a week, it'slike many months.
I always say, if you're thinkingabout opening a studio, the best
time to start your marketing wasyesterday because you can't
start early enough to build anaudience, especially with, you
(35:09):
know, the access we have tosocial, to digital media.
There's no bad time to start tobuild a following.
And it all helps.
It all really helps.
So if you're sitting on yourhands waiting for the sign to go
up before you, you know, startposting on Instagram then?
I would say like, oh, that was,that's a shame.
(35:29):
Let's start now.
The more proactive you can be inthe environment that we're in,
especially if, you know, youdon't have a tremendous amount
of funding behind you in termsof marketing.
If you're not gonna run amassive pre-opening digital
media campaign that isprofessionally run by ad
specialists, then you know, wehave to get savvy with all of
(35:50):
our organic efforts.
Olivia (35:51):
Yeah, and I love also because I do think that Pilates
and obviously biased working inPilates, but I do think that
there is like a long term demandthat we're gonna see.
I don't think that this is likea flash in the pan fad with like
a very silly piece of workoutequipment that everyone's doing
(36:12):
for one summer and then it kindof like fizzles out.
Like I think that Pilates itselfhas endured to like near
extinction to stick around.
I just love that it's broadeningits appeal to people because
there are, as with all things,like, I feel like every mom in
every show on Netflix doesPilates, and there's always like
(36:33):
a line where like the mom's inPilates, but they'll see her
when she gets home or something.
Seran (36:37):
Yeah.
Olivia (36:38):
It's in people's consciousness in a way that I
think because Pilates teachershave really, like, it's not a
one size fits all thing thatwe're, that we're giving people.
It is so client centered.
It's so focused on, you know,the people that we're working
with and the people whose livesare being absolutely changed.
I see a little bit more likeenduring legacy of Pilates
(37:01):
sticking around, especially withwhen we have digital media and
we can connect with people in aninstant, anywhere in the world.
Seran (37:08):
Yeah.
Well we know we can do Pilatesany age.
We've seen it.
Right.
I know I had clients who werewell into their nineties when I
taught, and the clients whowere, you know, just in high
school even.
And so we know it covers allages.
And I think, we look at thewellness industry as a whole as
well.
'Cause that has an impact on ourindustry too.
(37:30):
We know people are more savvyand conscious than ever about.
Let's throw it out there.
The word of the day (37:36):
longevity.
Right?
And how many more people arereally focused on that.
And with the growth in thenumber of wearables of data
tracking that happens, we knowjust people are just more keen
and interested in being healthythan they've ever been before.
We look at the data around sortof millennials and Gen Z and how
(38:00):
those folks view Pilates andfitness in general and wellness,
you know, there's, it's where atremendous amount of the
industry growth is coming from.
And so, and you know, anyone, Iwould imagine anyone who really
enjoys Pilates in their twentiesand thirties is only gonna enjoy
it more in their forties andfifties and sixties because it's
(38:21):
so accessible.
Right?
Especially if you know a littlebit about what it can do and how
to do it.
It is such a lifelong movementpractice, and so I completely
agree.
I think it's for sure gonna beis is here to stay.
I have no doubt.
And you know, I've been doingPilates.
I took my first Pilates class inNew York City when I was 23, and
(38:42):
you know, it's, I'm, I'm stillhere, right?
Many, many, many years later.
I've got everyone I know doingit, and they're not doing it
because I've like coerced theminto coming to a class with me.
It's because they are like, oh,I wanna try this place, this new
Pilates studio that's open.
And everyone is doing it.
And so, you know, the cat's outthe bag.
Everybody knows.
Olivia (39:01):
It's like positive peer pressure, like it's peer
pressure that improves your lifeinstead of helps you make bad
choices.
So I love that.
Seran (39:08):
Yeah.
Olivia (39:08):
I love that for us.
Seran (39:09):
For sure.
Yeah, it's great, and, and Ithink, you know, on top of that,
it does have a lovely sense ofcommunity.
Most of the studios that offerPilates are smaller groups, and
I think that also helps a lotwith navigating, just like the
craziness of the world that welive in and how online it all
is.
(39:29):
And then, you know, you get togo to a class of 10 people, or
12 people, or eight people orwhatever it is, or even just
one-on-one.
And you, get to chat with peopleface to face.
It's like, whoa, what's thisabout?
It creates the anchor point Ithink for so many people in the
world that are in today,especially for folks that remote
work.
I do think boutique fitness andPilates is, is gonna be strong
(39:51):
for a long time.
Olivia (39:53):
Yeah, no, it is a good moment to be in.
And I think also, you know, asmore studios open and more
studio owners are in the space.
Like as a teacher, you're alsoin a really great position to
like work with some of the bestpeople in the industry as well.
I'm very spoiled in Chicago thatI have lots of options and lots
of super cool studios and supercool people, but even in more
(40:16):
rural areas, as you know, peoplerecognize that a studio is one
way of having a studio, or maybeit's a community space where
you're hosting classes kind ofby yourself and you are your own
business, but it's not maybe afull studio just yet, or even
you have an online space.
Like there's so many ways to bea Pilates teacher and to have a
(40:40):
Pilate studio, and so I'm kindof excited to see this.
Like I've worked for a studiothat only had a virtual
component and I only did virtualclasses and I had people all
over the country, which is likewild that we can do that.
But I've also, you know, workedfor brick and mortar and then,
you know, all of the excitementthat comes when a, when a new
studio opens.
And I know that that's like thebig fun thing.
(41:00):
And then you have to like do theday to day forever and ever and
ever.
But like, it's so fun.
We've got a studio opening inLakeview and like, it's just,
it's so exciting to be able tointroduce a new neighborhood of
people to something that youknow is just gonna make their
lives better.
Seran (41:16):
absolutely.
It's fantastic.
What a great feeling, right?
Yeah.
Olivia (41:20):
It is, and like I feel so lucky that, you know, we, the
work that we do in any capacityfrom teacher to owner to even
yourself as a coach in thisspace as well, that like.
It's just wins for everyone.
Like that's, that's what, likeevery person who comes to a
(41:40):
class, every teacher who'shired, every studio that opens
is just making the world betterand brighter.
And I'm so appreciative as ateacher to the business owners
that have put their time andtheir intention and their
efforts into making these thingshappen.
Because I don't know if I havethat personality.
So I'm so glad that there arepeople who have it,
Seran (42:03):
Yeah.
Olivia (42:03):
are doing that so that I can shine in the role that I'm
in.
Seran (42:06):
Yeah.
There's a place for everybodyfor sure.
Maybe one day.
Maybe one
Olivia (42:10):
I dunno.
Sometimes I'm just really tired.
Seran (42:14):
I,
Olivia (42:15):
I'm just tired.
Oh my goodness.
But I know, I think about it andthen I talk to someone awesome
like you, and I'm like, but youcould though.
And I'm like, oh man.
Just one thing at a time.
One thing at a time.
Seran (42:26):
It could be all yours.
You have to want it, you know,you do have to want it.
But yeah, it could be veryfulfilling.
It can be very fulfilling.
Olivia (42:33):
So what is next for you?
You're doing all these amazingthings for all of these other
amazing people.
How do you see Spring Threeevolving?
How do you see your podcastevolving?
Like what is next for you?
Seran (42:46):
Well, we are gonna keep on doing what we do best, which
is supporting our amazing groupof studio owners and helping
them to continue to evolve andgrow and navigate, you know,
whatever life throws our way.
and you know, we have got a, wehave, we have evolved the
program a lot thrive to to.
(43:07):
be as much support as we canpossibly figure out how to give
our studio owners.
And so we will, we are gonnacontinue to do that, but we've
got our retreat coming up at theend at the beginning of November
this year in sunny Florida.
Which will be a lovely
Olivia (43:22):
Oh wow.
Seran (43:23):
spot.
Every part of the word retreatis exactly what it is.
So I'm so excited.
We are continuing to, you know,look for all the different ways
that we can help support ourstudio owners and, you know, as
much as I can see and work withthose people who are passionate
about their movement practice,you know, that's what keeps us
going at Spring Three is, youknow, when we meet with a studio
(43:47):
owner who wants to just get whatthey do into more people's
bodies, right?
Move more people, then they'rethe in the perfect place when
they work with us.
It is what drives us all, and wedon't overlook that fact when we
work together, it's not justabout the numbers.
It's not just about any of thatstuff.
It's about, hey, like.
(44:08):
Look what happened in yourbusiness this week, right?
Look how many people you helped.
Look how many people move theirbodies because you opened your
studio and because you showed upand because you taught, and then
because you trained that teacheror bought that
Olivia (44:20):
Mm-hmm.
Seran (44:20):
teach, and because you hosted that amazing workshop and
had a little community gatheringafterwards, how many people left
feeling fantastic aboutthemselves and their life and
community and all these thingsand all of the ripple effects
that happen.
And so, yeah, I wanna just keepdoing more of that.
Olivia (44:39):
I mean, that is a lot, to be fair.
That is already quite a bit.
What does your, if I can ask,what does your business look
like in terms of like who helpsyou do all of the things that
you do?
Because I am pretty sure thatyou're Wonder Woman, but at the
same time, like I imagine thatthere's
Seran (44:56):
Fabulous
Olivia (44:57):
some help.
Seran (44:57):
I have a
Olivia (44:58):
Yeah.
Seran (44:58):
Yeah.
I mean, you know, I learnedearly on I found that I was the
bottleneck in my business.
I'm the bottleneck in mybusiness, and I still am
actually.
And I realized that I couldn't-I have three kids.
I can't keep adding more hoursto this, I need to have someone
else add more hours because thisbusiness needs more hours to
continue to deliver what Iwanted to deliver.
(45:20):
I learned early on that neededother people to help me.
And then it's about figuring outthe right mix of people.
You learn as you go a little bitabout what, what you are good at
delegating and what needs tofall under your responsibility.
Everything that I do and havedone, I would say for, since
over the last three years, Ilook to grow in a way that is
independent of me because I'm atmy limit for how much time I can
(45:43):
give the business.
And so it's sort of like, okay,so how can I do more of this
without doing more hours.
Right.
And that's called scale.
And we like scale a lot.
And now I am adding other folksinto my business and so I have
got behind the scenes.
So for my podcast, I have afabulous virtual assistant who,
oh my gosh, she just, she'sincredible.
She's been with me for threeyears.
(46:03):
She takes care of a lot of theoperational stuff.
She does a lot of, all of mysocial media, my graphic design,
and she's an angel.
I couldn't, the businesscouldn't function without her.
And I also have a podcast editorwho takes care of to all that.
'Cause I couldn't get my headaround doing.
So I have got podcast editor anda VA that helps me with all of
my social media and three folkswho work with me and work with
(46:26):
my members inside of my Thriveprogram.
And I've got like two, well oneis a full-time customer success,
Olivia (46:32):
Mm-hmm.
Seran (46:33):
person who helps me to help them or helps them to
navigate their business journey.
And she helps point them in theright direction, gives them
support with different tools.
You know, all of that stuff.
And then I've got another coachwho joins our calls and is an
extra kind of sounding board forbusiness advice, but also is she
is focused on hiring and hr.
(46:55):
And so she has a lot of theknowledge around the legalities
around all of that, which
Olivia (46:58):
Mm-hmm.
Seran (46:59):
helpful as anyone who's hired, anyone will know or
managing anyone will know.
And then I also have an, anexecutive assistant who works
very closely with me and she'ssort of like my second set of
hands.
So
Olivia (47:11):
Mm-hmm.
Seran (47:11):
do, she also knows how to do, which is really helpful
because that means that I canhand off to her and all of those
sorts of things.
So we've got a, a reallywonderful team.
You know, you get lucky andunlucky sometimes, and I'm very
lucky with having a great teamand they are the magic behind
the scenes for sure.
Olivia (47:29):
But it also like, I love that you have the team and I
also, the reason I asked aboutit as like a thing, because I
think a lot of people think theyhave to do everything by
themselves and they don't alwaysrealize that there are things
that they can really add valuein when they're doing and some
things like editing podcastsdoesn't really help people the
(47:49):
same way as recording thepodcast or brainstorming the
topic for the podcast or doingthe research and getting the
super cool person to talk onsomething in the podcast.
I ask that just to show anddemonstrate and also continue to
remind myself that it's good tohave people who are really great
at things that you're not reallygreat at or can do things faster
(48:09):
and free you up to do otheramazing things.
Because when you talk aboutscaling, that's also part of
scaling is that eventually thereare 24 hours in a day and you've
got two hands and three kids,and that's a long math equation.
Seran (48:22):
Exactly.
That's a very, very long mathequation for sure.
Yeah, and I think, you know,you've gotta know, it it, I
think, I think hiring the secondbiggest challenge after opening
a studio, honestly, becausethere's a lot that goes with
that as, even as just, even thegetting your head around the
idea that now you're the bosswhen perhaps you've never been a
(48:44):
boss before.
How to be a boss.
I see a lot of train wrecksituations where people have
this idea of what they should beas a boss, and
Olivia (48:53):
Hmm.
Seran (48:53):
to be, do they have to be someone who is bossy or not,
right?
Or how do you not be?
And then they spend a lot oftime trying not to be the boss
when they are the boss.
And people are hoping
Olivia (49:02):
Mm.
Seran (49:02):
that they're gonna be the boss and tell'em what to do, but
then they don't wanna tellpeople what to do because they
don't wanna be the boss.
And that whole thing is anotherthing.
And so you navigate that and youlearn along the way a little
bit.
And maybe if you've been verylucky, you've had a great role
model and you've seen what'spossible when you've had really
great leadership and, you know,that means that you can lead
(49:24):
people and you can train peopleand you can delegate and
communicate well.
And I think one of the mostimportant things that you can do
whenever you are delegating orhiring creating a role or
sharing the load is to really beclear about what it is that
you're delegating, what task,what done looks like, what not
(49:45):
finished looks like.
And then, you know, gettingclear on what the sort of the
communication circle is.
You know, when does the feedbackloop start and end?
And I find that those are thesorts of things that often trip
people up when it comes tohiring.
And so the more transparent thatyou can be and and clear about
all of that, the better.
But yes, team, team is key.
Olivia (50:07):
Because like when it works, it's fantastic, but when
it doesn't work like it ispulling teeth and that's really
tough.
So I'm glad that you've gotstrategies to
Seran (50:18):
Yeah.
Olivia (50:19):
in in a more positive direction or
Seran (50:21):
Yeah.
I mean,
Olivia (50:21):
productive direction.
Seran (50:22):
you wanna hire people for their not just their skillset.
You wanna also hire people for,you know, who they are and what
they care about, which is, youknow, if you're gonna be working
closely with someone, like youhave to get along with them and
you have to kind of be on thesame wavelength, you know what I
mean?
Sometimes I see studios will,will hire teachers just because
they need a teacher and
Olivia (50:43):
Hmm.
Seran (50:44):
for
Olivia (50:45):
Mm-hmm.
Seran (50:45):
And then, you know, things go south pretty quick and
everyone feels rubbish at theend of it.
And so, you know, it'simportant, like you said
earlier, you know, you've gottafind the right fit for you, for
the business.
Olivia (50:58):
Well, definitely.
Seran, is there anything elseyou wanna chime in and share?
Last parting thoughts?
Seran (51:04):
Now I would like to say that I think that, you know, as
a Pilates teacher you are doingthe most important work there is
to do.
And no matter how you feel atthe end of the day when you've
been teaching all day, theripple effects of your work go
far and deep, and you don't seethat every day, but it does and
(51:26):
it is important work that you'redoing.
Kudos to all of you who arelistening, who are teachers and
teach.
Keep doing it.
It is needed.
More needed now than ever beforeand I'm so grateful to all the
teachers because we arecontinuing to see just how
amazing this method really is.
It's fantastic.
Olivia (51:44):
Thanks so much, Seran.
Seran, I am so excited to have you back on the show.
I can't believe that it's beenfour years.
I can't imagine that time goesas fast as it does.
But you are on the podcast backin 2021 and I'm so, so excited
to have you back.
Thanks for joining me.
Seran (00:22):
Of course.
I'm so glad to be here.
And again, yes, same.
I can't believe that was thelast time we spoke.
It felt like it was like twomonths ago.
Olivia (00:30):
Yeah, that's how it feels.
Every time I talk to someone I'mjust like, oh my gosh.
Like I feel like we just didthat and it was three years ago
at least.
So thanks so much for comingback on.
Tell me, just so in caselisteners don't have that
episode fresh in their mind,tell me a little bit about you
and Spring Three and now yourPilates podcast as well.
Seran (00:48):
That's right.
So I'm Seran Glanfield.
I'm the founder of Spring ThreeStudio Business Consulting.
I've been coaching andconsulting studio owners for
over a decade, and the majorityof my my studio owners are in
the Pilates space because beforeI became a consultant, I was a
Pilates teacher and before thatI worked in finance and
(01:10):
marketing.
So I essentially married thosetwo worlds together to do what I
do now.
And I think shortly after wespoke or right around we last
spoke in 2021, I launched thePilates Business podcast and
yeah, it has had weekly episodesever since it launched and has
brought me to have conversationswith so many interesting people
(01:32):
who are part of the industrywhich is one of the, I think,
the most fabulous things abouthaving a podcast.
Olivia (01:37):
Oh, it definitely is.
Seran (01:38):
And, and, and today I get to work with a wonderful group
of studio owners and supportthem as they build their
businesses to the versions ofsuccess that they want for
themselves.
And what I mean by that is thatI don't think that there is one
way or one type of successfulbusiness out there for studios.
I think that we all come to thisworld and come into this
(02:01):
entrepreneurial movement worldwith, you know, an idea for what
we want to do.
And so I'm simply here to helpmake sure that follow through on
that and build it into somethingthat is fulfilling and also
profitable.
Olivia (02:16):
I love that so much because it's a, it's, we, I say
over and over again, liketeacher training can't cover
everything.
And I know that a lot ofteachers, they'll teach for a
while and then they'll decidethey wanna set up their own
space, they wanna have their ownthing where they get to make all
the rules and it's a greatdesire, but like the making it
(02:37):
happen is not always super duperclear, and it's not something
that is necessarily intuitiveall the time.
So I love that you have thisreally incredible resource for
business owners to make theirbusiness work because we know
that Pilates already works.
Like it's not a question of thePilates, but like sometimes the
implementation of the studio islike, it's not an easy thing to
(03:00):
do, certainly.
And so I really appreciate thatyou're there offering that
guidance.
Seran (03:04):
I have to say I love what I do because I get to help other
people to, know, live out whatthey really, that that idea that
they have and what they want toachieve and what they want to
build, you know, it's incrediblycreative and sometimes, you
know, we're not, like you said,we're not taught how to be
entrepreneurs and, and I thinkin any, in any industry really.
(03:25):
And so you know, if we, if I canhelp you navigate that a little
bit simpler and easier, and witha bit more clarity and
direction, without wastingenergy, time, and money, then
that's just better for everyone,right?
Because that means thateveryone's moving and
everyone's, you know, helpingother people to move.
And that's what we're all hereto do.
Olivia (03:44):
Oh my gosh, yes.
And tell me about the PilatesBusiness podcast.
First of all, humongous props toyou for having weekly episodes
for that long.
Like that is an significantaccomplishment.
It is not easy.
I, from one podcaster toanother, I can tell you that
that is a lot of effort and likeconsistency on your part.
So like huge props on that.
(04:05):
But tell me a little bit abouthow it started and how it's
evolved and changed over fouryears.
Seran (04:12):
Well, yeah, and I will say it is, there are some weeks
where I am like scrambling atthe last minute to record an
episode.
Like last week I was, you know,at last couple of weeks I had
been really sick and I keptputting it off'cause I kept
thinking I cannot do this withhow I sound right now is a
terrible congestion.
So there is certainly some weekswhere it is, you know, the last
minute situation and then thereare other- but I try very hard
(04:35):
to have a bit of a plan and,and, and to work ahead of time.
And the reason, you know, Ithink like many of all
businesses or ideas or thingsthat we want to get to, you
know, I think I had the idea andthe thought about it initially
in like 2016 or 2017, and Ididn't launch it until about
four years later.
So that tells you, you know, thetimeframe.
(04:55):
And I was at the point where itwas, you know, we had been
through the Covid shutdowns andI was you know, I think in a
place where I just had trulyseen the power of community,
because during that time, youknow, I was able to sort of pull
(05:18):
together all of my contacts, allof the people in my world that I
had worked with or gotten toknow over the years to talk
about how to get through all ofthose challenges that we faced
at that time from a businessperspective.
And I just was feeling thatthere was a gap for this type of
information and, you know, I sawfirsthand how needed it was
(05:40):
during that time and I felt likeit would be, be doing a
disservice to our industry andour community if I didn't share
something at least about what wehave seen in our learning at
that time.
And so that's really what kickedme into gear as it were.
And like I said, since then ithas been, you know, we had, I
have had people on the podcastand we, you know, I do, I do
(06:04):
weekly episodes.
I have interviews with studioowners, I have interviews with
software companies.
I have interviews with brandingexperts.
I have interviews with meta adsexperts with mindset coaches.
With, I mean, all, you knowanyone who has an association to
the industry, and that's my kindof prime, you know, that that's
(06:26):
that kind of the filter.
And that, that have, that sharetheir insight and on what
they're seeing and I think.
Within this industry, you know,we, we do only see sort of a
small piece of the pie.
And so it's always fascinatingto meet people who are see are
in a kind of different part ofthe pie, right?
And, and have thoseconversations and the feedback
(06:47):
that I get from teachers andstudio owners is overwhelmingly
positive.
Even when I sometimes havepeople on that, I think to
myself, Ooh, this might rufflesome feathers, or not sure
whether this is really, you knowbut yeah, it's always I think,
insightful to hear otherpeople's perspective.
Olivia (07:06):
Because we definitely have the Pilates piece down,
like we understand the exercisesand like class programming and
all the stuff that goes intoteaching the classes.
But when you kind of go beyondthat role of just the teacher,
and now you're an owner and youhave employees and you have.
All these systems to do payrolland like all of this stuff that
(07:27):
needs to happen.
There are so like I love thatyou keep it central to Pilates
because that's definitely yourtarget audience, but the fact
that we all have to use someform of scheduling software and
we all have to have a studiowebsite or.
You know, if we have funnels toget people into programs, like
all of the sales piece that goesinto it.
So it is, you've identified amassive gap and I'm so glad that
(07:51):
your resources out there to, youknow, at least start to point
people in the right directionabout things that you may not
even have considered.
You know, when you were startingand said like, oh yeah, you
know, I want my own space, andit's like all of this stuff
comes with it too.
Seran (08:05):
Right.
I think sometimes it's like,okay, I just need a website and
my pricing that's it.
You know?
And, and, and, and that's okay.
And maybe a little of ins,Instagram maybe.
And, and I think, you know, thatwe, as you embark on that
journey, you discover and learna lot.
And I think the people that makeit all the way through are the
people that are supposed to bebusiness owners, you know.
I'm not sure that it's foreverybody, because it does
(08:26):
require a different, not evenjust information or knowledge,
but what I think- you know, oneof the things that I've learned
from coaching studio owners forwell over a decade and, and
having, and many moreconversations than that, you
know, well there's all thepeople who in touch and wanted
to talk about it and then neveractually went and followed
through opening a business isthat there is, you know, it does
(08:49):
take a certain type ofcharacter, right?
And there is a certain ofskillset that is gonna support
being successful in business.
And some people you can have itto some degree quite naturally.
Some people learn it over timeand I think that, you know, we
have to also be aware of some ofthose other things that are
(09:10):
needed.
So that's things like beingactually quite disciplined with
our time.
Being able to communicate quitewell, are all kind of skills
that if you don't have them.
You know, they, you will need tolearn them to really be able to
run a successful business.
There's many more, but there'sthat, that, you know, that
element of also learning as yougo and being open to learning as
(09:33):
you go and open to evolvingyourself and your skillset I
think is also one of those, the,the big sort of factors to
determining a successfuloutcome.
Olivia (09:44):
And I know Covid we talk about a lot because that was
such a massive shift forbusiness owners.
But at all times you're gonnahave to pivot in your business
or adapt or change and that canbe something that's scary, I
think for a lot of people.
Like we crave stability.
And so being able to makechanges in adaptations when
(10:07):
things aren't working.
Like maybe you come up with thisgreat plan and then it doesn't
go the way that you expect toand you can't just throw
everything out and all of thateffort.
I admire all of the studioowners that I've had the
pleasure of working for'cause Irecognize that it's not as
simple as, you know, askingpeople to teach classes at set
times, although that is part ofit.
There's so much that goes intoand like, I love that you
(10:30):
touched on the communicationbecause you've got a team and
you've gotta set expectationsfor them and you've gotta have
standards that you hold peopleto.
And it's not always fun becauseyou have to have tough
conversations and hold peopleaccountable.
But it is still important eventhough it's not the super fun,
"you get to say you're the ownerof your studio" kind of thing.
Seran (10:51):
Yeah, there's, there is, you know, there are gonna be
some tough days and there aregonna be some great days, you
know?
And I think that, you know, aslong as you are going into
things with their eyes wide openthat way, you're gonna do okay.
But there are a lot of theskills and you know, having a
team is one of them, right?
Deciding how to compensatepeople what's fair, but also
(11:12):
what's gonna help your businessto be profitable is one of those
very sort of challenging thingsthat we have to sort of navigate
early on.
Pricing your packages, how toand when to raise those prices.
And then how to have theconversation with your clients.
Well, how to sell, reallyimportant factor.
And then how to market.
And, that doesn't just meansocial media.
(11:33):
That means actually there's alot of other things you can
market your business that areactually, I think, far more
effective on a quicker basisthan social media is and then
there's, you know, being able tomanage your time.
And the difference I think goingfrom a teacher to becoming a
studio owner is that as ateacher, your top priority is a
(11:55):
hundred percent your teaching sothat you know that 55 minutes or
whatever it is that you, youteach your clients in that class
or that one-on-one session, andit's all about being the best
teacher you can be.
But when you step into the roleof a business owner, it's about
making the business the bestbusiness it can be.
And that might mean yes, youabsolutely probably need to have
(12:17):
fantastic teachers and teaching,but that probably also means
that you also need to perhapsthink about, you know.
Other parts of the business aswell.
And sometimes those other partsof the business are things that
only you as the studio owner cando or put energy into or design
or think about or be responsiblefor.
(12:37):
So it's also about where can youdelegate?
What makes the most sense?
How do you delegate?
How do you delegate well?
How do you set standards?
How do you train people?
How do you onboard people?
How do you manage your clients?
How do you build deeprelationships with your clients?
How do you engage them?
How do you sell to them?
That's one of the biggest shiftsI think, is that you go from
(12:58):
having sort of one primaryresponsibility to then you wear
a lot of hats.
And I think, you know, that issomething that a lot of people
are excited about because itsort of takes direction into
their own hands.
You know, their ultimate abilityto generate income becomes more
into their own sort of domain,their control.
(13:21):
And I think that that, you know,with a little bit of structure
and a little bit of support anda little bit of guidance, it is
a very easy transition to make.
It can be easy.
But again, I think you have togo into eyes wide open, right?
And you have to lead into it alittle bit and know it might
probably be quite uncomfortableat times.
You're gonna do things you neverthought about doing before and
(13:41):
gonna have to figure out how todo.
But it is, it is an excitingtime and it's, there's a lot of
opportunity in our industryright now, and I think it's a
fabulous time to be running andowning a Pilates studio.
Olivia (13:53):
Oh my gosh, yes.
I am not, and by any means asfar along as studio ownership,
but I've stepped into more of amanagement role at Club Pilates
in Chicago being one of the leadinstructors for the studios.
It's just resonating so muchwith me that like the things
that made you a great Pilatesteacher don't make you great in
(14:16):
the next position because, sure,like your ability to do it
yourself and figure it out isgreat when it's just for you and
you're solving a problem in yourclass.
But when you're suddenlyresponsible for teachers, you
going in and doing everythingfor them is not a great thing to
do.
Like, you want them to be ableto solve things for themselves
and understand, you know, whyyou would do something this way
(14:38):
over that way because you can'tbe every place at the same time
and every studio and every classthat's happening simultaneously
every day of the week.
When I'm talking with teacherswho are maybe just finishing
their teacher training andthey're looking at places to
teach that all of the stuff thatyou're sharing about is what I
tell them to look for whenthey're looking for studios to
(14:58):
teach at.
Like, Hey, is the communicationreally clear?
Are the teachers excited toteach at that studio?
Like when you look at thepricing, because you can kind of
guess how much you're gonna makebased on what is being charged
for classes.
You know, if it's$10 matclasses, you may not be making
the same as if you're at a placethat has$150 sessions or things
(15:19):
like that.
So as a business owner being soclear and so organized on that
front is gonna attract teachersto wanna work with you.
Because when a teacher takes aclass at your studio and talks
to the teacher there, they'regonna be like so thrilled about,
you know, their workingexperience at your studio.
Versus, you know, I've hadexperiences where, you know, you
(15:39):
don't have a lot of support fromthe owner and it really is, you
go in and you do the whole thingby yourself and you leave and
there isn't that community andthere isn't that communication.
I know that when I'm tellingpeople like, what they should
look for, what do you want outof the place that you're
teaching?
Like, do you want that support?
Do you want that kind of handsfree ness of it?
Pilates is fantastic and likeyou said, bottom line, more
(16:00):
people doing it is a victory andwe like, I want every studio
that opens to be supersuccessful and to meet the most
people that it can and to helpeveryone's lives improve.
The teachers that work there,the owner of the studio, and
also the people who are takingthe classes, taking advantage of
it.
Seran (16:19):
Yeah, absolutely.
Absolutely.
You are right and you know,everyone is looking for
different things, I think.
So it's about finding the rightspot for you and what your
expectations are.
Most folks would rather be at astudio that perhaps is well run
and well managed.
If you're at a studio wherethere is an owner who has
invested in their skillset as aleader and as a marketer and as
(16:44):
a business person, then your jobis probably safe and you
probably will be welcomed andtreated very, very well.
And because that person hasinvested in at least the
knowledge of what makes a goodbusiness.
And we know as a business ownerthat our biggest asset is our
teachers.
And so we wanna make sure thatour teachers are happy and we
(17:04):
wanna make sure that ourteachers are doing the best that
they can do in that role.
So, you know, great studioowners will make sure that their
teachers are, you know, not justfinancially happy, but because
there's more that goes into thisindustry than just that, but
that they feel like they are,you know, perhaps have a career
path, that there is progressionfor them perhaps in the studio
(17:25):
that they are you know, giventhe appropriate amount of, you
know freedom to, to teach theway that they want to teach and
that they are, you know,communicated with in a very
respectful way and all of thosegood things that help make it
really easy to work there.
Right.
Olivia (17:42):
Oh my gosh, yes.
So many, so many good things.
Tell me about Spring Three.
'cause does your podcast fallunder Spring Three?
What is hip hop happening in theSpring Three section of your
adventure?
'cause you've got this awesomepodcast and then you've got your
business where you're doing thecoaching as well.
Seran (17:58):
So Spring Three is the coaching and consulting arm of
what I do and, oh my gosh, wehave so many exciting things
happening in that world.
The majority of the way that Iengage and support studio owners
falls within my coaching programand my primary coaching program
is called Thrive.
And we've built that program tosupport studio owners no matter
(18:20):
what stage of business they'reat by giving the framework and
the structure to supportsuccess.
And so what is often missing isyes, the information, yes, the
tactics, but also the consistentfocus that is needed to be able
to show up as your best self inyour business and not get pulled
(18:43):
into the wrong direction, notstart questioning things that
perhaps don't really matter.
Like, oh, there's a studio opendown the street.
Oh my gosh, I'm just gonna sithere and put all my energy into
worrying about that, right?
And so instead of that, wecreate the structure and the
environment that supports.
Growth and progress and nomatter whether you are looking
(19:06):
to expand your studio or just tofill your studio or whether you
want to take time out of yourstudio.
And so the studio owners that Iget to work with are all so
incredibly, they are such, theyhave such great energy.
They are so dedicated to helpingtheir clients and showing up for
their businesses and help themsupport them.
(19:28):
And I have done, since theinception of Thrive, which was
March of 2020, was when we firstkind of pulled this group
together.
And we still have 10%, no, morethan 10% of our members.
Have been in the program sinceday one.
Olivia (19:44):
Wow.
Seran (19:44):
Over the course of that time, they just lean into the
structure and the support andthe resources that we do, and
the program's adapted andevolved as time has gone on and
based on what we are seeing theyneed.
And so we give them playbooksfor everything on how to build a
referral program, host an openhouse, build out automations.
We get give guidance on whichsoftware is best for them.
(20:06):
We have weekly coaching calls inthe program, mastermind breakout
sessions, trainings, and it'sreally sort of like the train
that you step on that just leadsyou forward to, you know, that
destination of wherever it isthat you want to go.
There's not one formula.
There's not, you have to have amembership.
It is, okay, let's talk aboutyour business.
We do a full businessassessment.
(20:28):
Where are you at in yourbusiness?
And then here's ourrecommendations for where to
focus next.
And then let's build out just a90 day timeline for how you
wanna take the time that you mayhave to focus on your business.
And if you're teachingfull-time, that might just be
two or three hours a week,right?
So let's make sure that whateveryou're doing in those two to
three hours a week are havingthe biggest impact on growing
(20:50):
your business.
So that might be focusing onperhaps the marketing, maybe
it's focusing on, let's makesure you understand what's
happening with your profitmargin, your numbers.
Maybe it's focused on, okay, weneed to hire on trained
teachers, so we help you figureout where do you take that very
precious time that you have tofocus on your business and make
sure that it is optimized andyou're not wasting that time or
(21:13):
spending it doing worrying aboutsomething that is not actually
helping you to grow.
Olivia (21:18):
I think it's a huge testament to your program that
you've had people who've stuckwith you through ups and downs
and twists and turns in theirbusiness.
Like that is really incredibleto have built that community of
people who are, you know, notjust there to get answers, but
willing to grow and reallyinvest and live that process,
(21:40):
like that's really remarkable.
Seran (21:43):
Well, and we've had women come in who are, you know, they,
they built a business and thenthey wanna have a baby.
And so we build the businessaround them wanting to take time
out, not just to have the baby.
Right.
Which is how corporate Americawould look at it,
Olivia (21:56):
Mm-hmm.
Seran (21:57):
But take time out so that they can then spend time with
their child, right.
As they up.
Olivia (22:01):
Which would be ideal.
Yeah.
Yeah, exactly.
Seran (22:03):
it.
And so, we've had, you know,ladies have come in and had one,
two plus babies, or they've beenable to take weeks out of their
business to go and spend timewith them, with, with be with
their kids perhaps during thesummer when they're off school.
We've got ladies who are inthere who have got aging parents
and they need to take care ofthem.
And being able to build abusiness that supports them.
(22:26):
And, you know, all of us womenat every stage of our life,
because we're mostly women inthis industry, who, and, and you
know, and men too.
And I believe we should allbuild this business for whatever
stage of life that we are at.
And I think it's entirelypossible, but I do think you
have to have a little bit ofstructure in place to be able to
facilitate that.
And so it's been beautiful tosee, really lovely to see that.
(22:48):
And I'll say for me, on a verypersonal level, I think that is
one of the most fulfillingthings that I have been able to
be a part of is helping women tobe able to have kids and take
care of other people in theirlife and live their life and
enjoy their life and it not be achoice of either or.
I think as a business owner, Ithink you should have that
(23:09):
choice.
Like I want to be with my kidsnext week, I want to build a
business that allows me to dothat.
So I think that is truly, Ithink, one of the best parts of
the whole thing.
But we do have a fantasticcommunity, and I will say that
when you bring people togetherwho are like-minded, have great
energy, so generous and sosupportive with each other.
Their friendships are so deep.
(23:31):
In fact, last year we hosted ourfirst, actually it's not the
first time I've done it, but itis officially the first retreat
we did for Thrive, my groupcoaching program.
And it was just like, bestfriends were made, or, you know,
and we all knew each other.
We didn't ever actually met,right.
So I'd seen each other, we'dseen, we'd see each other every
single week, every single weekon Zoom for five years.
(23:51):
And here we are now in a roomtogether.
There's no, oh, let's settle in,let's get to know each other.
We all know each other already,and we had a blast.
So we're now, we asked, we'redoing it again this year.
Olivia (24:00):
Oh my gosh, I love it.
And like what an inspiration.
That almost feels like somethingthat's like too, I thought it
was like too big to hope for,but you're telling me that it's
completely not, that you candesign a business in a way that
you can have a life that isoutside of your business because
it, it has been, in the past avery zero sum game.
(24:21):
It's an either or.
You're either gonna put all ofyour time over here and like
have a family, which of courseyou want.
And then, or you could have abusiness which is your child,
and you have to spend a millionpercent of your life on it.
So to be able to have a businessthat supports you, supports the
people who work in it, supportsthe people who take advantage of
your services, but also be ableto have other priorities in your
(24:44):
life is the dream like that isideal.
So the fact that that'spossible-
Seran (24:51):
It is.
Olivia (24:52):
is just an absolute inspiration.
Seran (24:54):
Yes.
Yes.
Olivia (24:55):
You could do it, exactly.
Seran (24:56):
You can.
It's allowed.
Olivia (24:58):
Exactly as you said, it takes planning and
intentionality.
Seran (25:02):
I will add because I am a realist is that it does mean
that there is, like, you have toaccept perhaps like a b plus
situation.
Right?
And that means that like, notevery week is gonna be great,
right?
And you may not see like doubledigit growth when you are not
working in your business becauseyou're taking time off, right?
(25:22):
But that might be okay becausewhat it means is that you still
have a business and that you areable to go back to it and you
can grow it and you know how togrow it.
It's just that for that monthwhere you decided to take some
time off- Business is a numbersgame.
If you are an earner in yourbusiness or revenue generator
and you're taking time off, thenthat is gonna impact your
numbers.
But if you built your businesswell, your business can still
(25:46):
generate revenue.
Right.
And ideally, and that happenstypically honestly, when you
have other people who work foryou as well.
Right?
That's the only
Olivia (25:54):
because you can, you can share the,
Seran (25:57):
You can
Olivia (25:57):
load of that.
Seran (25:58):
Yeah.
I really don't wanna paint thepicture that it's like this
perfect, charming, like,beautiful world.
It's full of rainbows andeveryone is like, you know,
happy and like glowing everyday.
But you know, let me tell you,when you've got three kids at
home and you're, is, I don'tthink you're glowing that much,
but but it does, you do still,it's, it's not the same level of
stress.
(26:18):
And you get to decide what yourdeadlines are and what your
goals are.
You can take in considerationwhat is happening in your
personal world and build yourbusiness and your goals around
that.
And so you get to decide like,what does success look like for
you?
That is one of the most powerfulthings we do in the program is
we say, okay, talk me throughwhat success looks like.
(26:40):
And everyone is different, butwhen we start to really think
about what success looks likefor ourselves, we can start to
really tune out a lot of noise.
Because some people will come tome and they'll say, well, you
know, I don't wanna build afranchise.
I don't wanna build fivestudios.
I don't wanna do that.
And I, and I'm like, okay, tellme what you-
Olivia (27:00):
Then don't.
Seran (27:01):
right.
I don't, that's great.
Cool.
Like, what do you want?
Let's do what you want.
There's no rules around whatequals success.
Right.
So you decide what success lookslike and then let's, let's build
it.
Olivia (27:14):
I love that because again, I'm saying the same thing
to Pilates teachers wherethey're like, well, I wanna be a
Pilates teacher.
And I'm like, okay, well when doyou wanna teach?
How many classes do you wannateach?
Where do you wanna teach?
How do you wanna teach?
What kinds of people do youwanna teach?
And sometimes just sitting downand taking that first step and
being like, what?
Because like you said, you getall this motivation and you, you
(27:36):
have this idea and, but it'slike kind of amorphous and it's
not really pinned down and youjust sort like, I want this
thing but without defining thatthing, it's very difficult to
make a path to that thing.
So being able to be specificabout what you want so that you
can create your business ordevelop your business in a way
that supports that dream.
(27:58):
Like you said, you don't have tofocus on the things that you
don't want because you're veryspecific about what you do want
and you're putting your energythere.
Seran (28:05):
Yeah.
And you know what they say,where you put your energy,
that's what grows, right?
And they see that all the time.
You know, we, we shift mindsetsquite a lot inside of Thrive.
It has just such profound impacton, the happiness of the studio
owner, of the teacher, but alsoon the outcomes, their results,
their growth is there.
Olivia (28:25):
I love it.
So let's talk about where we seePilates right now because 2025
is a huge year and the landscapehas shifted and changed, I think
a lot in the past five years.
So tell me a little bit aboutmaybe from your Thrive community
or just in general, what are youseeing happening in the industry
(28:47):
right now?
Seran (28:48):
Yeah, a lot.
Right?
It has evolved enormously.
Pilates, I mean, the boutiquefitness industry in and of
itself has, you know, grownmassively in the last five
years.
Pilates is a part of that, hasjust, you know, wow.
Crazy.
Beyond what we ever thought wewould see, I think, for many of
us who you, like you guys havebeen in this industry for a long
(29:09):
time.
We are seeing a lot of dollarsflow in to building larger
brands and franchises and as weare seeing them pop up across
every corner, in every town,every city in the country, and
around the world.
And what that means is thatthere's demand for this, right?
(29:31):
What that means is that thereare people who have done
actually a lot of research andthey are seeing that there is
demand.
We are seeing still that thereis continuing to be demand for
Pilates and for movement.
And that's only a good thing.
And I think that a lot of peopleget scared about the growth.
(29:51):
A lot of people have all, itactually brings up all sorts of
feelings for lots of differentpeople of different ways.
But I think that any teacher inthis industry, This is a, a
great time to be a Pilatesteacher.
You're in demand, you're neededand in demand.
And so the best that you can beat that will only help you grow
(30:13):
and be able to have a reallyfruitful career.
We are seeing, the bigfranchise, the big corporations
building out large number ofstudios.
But on a sort of the grassrootslevel, you know, I'm helping
studio owners open new studiosevery single week.
Just last week I had threeconversations with a teacher who
was wanting to move out of theirhome studio, or were teaching
(30:34):
somewhere in another space andwe're looking to move into a
larger space or have their firstbrick and mortar studio.
And so there is a lot ofactivity in the industry right
now.
And I think one of the thingsthat, you know, I think everyone
is, is talking aboutcompetition.
It exists as a business ownerspecifically.
It is a lot of competition and Ithink one of the things that is
(30:57):
really critical if you arefinding yourself in that
situation where you feel likethere is a lot of competition,
that doesn't necessarily meanthat your business is not going
to work at all.
And it also doesn't mean thatyou have to charge bottom dollar
for what you want to do, butwhat it does mean is that you do
(31:18):
have to be able to build a brandaround your studio, and that
brand has to showcase the valuethat your studio adds to your
client's lives.
And that means that you have tobe exceptionally good at
marketing and own the value ofwhat you do and knowing how to
communicate that with anaudience that is going to be
(31:39):
interested in being your client.
And so if you are not investingin your marketing skills and
learning a little bit about howto communicate and how to build
a brand as a teacher, and ifyou're looking to open a studio,
then that's what I would do inthe 12 months preceding opening
your studio is get savvy withthat.
Because there is competition andI'm not gonna sugarcoat it like
(32:03):
that makes it a tougherenvironment, but it also means
that there's opportunity,there's more people out there
who want Pilates.
It's not just about showing upand opening a door.
It's also about, you know,overcoming all the noise and
being able to find the rightpeople for your business.
It's not okay just to, you know,put a sign up and open the door.
We do have to be proactive aboutmarketing in this world, which
(32:24):
is something that we probablyalways should be doing anyway,
but I think especially so,especially if you're in an area
where there's a lot ofcompetition.
I'm not seeing this slow down,you know, I'm not seeing the
demand slow at all.
I'm seeing, you know, manystudio owners and their biggest
problem is that they have fullywaitlisted classes.
And so, I don't see this slowingdown soon.
Olivia (32:47):
I mean, I definitely agree that the demand increase
has been huge.
Like I jokingly say all thetime, because I am lucky to
teach in a studio that is verygood at articulating the value
of what they're offering, so Ido have nice and full classes,
and so I'll say all the time,you know, the word is out,
Pilates is in.
(33:07):
Because it's in, like in themainstream consciousness.
It's not just this fringe, oh,it's really good for dance
conditioning or something likethat.
It really is.
I have clients who are coming tome who are recovering from a
knee replacement, and alsoclients who are coming to me
because their favorite popstar's doing Pilates, you know,
(33:29):
and so the interest is there,and it's not all rehab, and it's
not all, you know, get fit andit's not all super intense
athletic people looking forPilates.
It really is this wide range.
I love that you said, you know,even though there's competition
and that does make it moredifficult, we're not all talking
(33:49):
to the same person when we'reasking people to come to our
studio.
That people have needs and wefit niches some better than
others.
And there's definitely interest.
Seran (34:00):
The audience has grown and the number of studios has
grown, and so, you know, it'sstill a lot of demand and still
a good time to own a studio.
Really good time.
Olivia (34:10):
Yeah, and I love also that you said because.
I get excited every time I talkto someone on the podcast, I'm
like, Ooh, I'm gonna do this andI'm gonna do this, and I'm gonna
do this.
That I love that you said thatin the 12 months leading up to
opening your studio, becausethis isn't, like you said, that
you, it just goes from, I mean,the paperwork alone takes time,
but like, it's not somethingwhere you're just like, all
right, I'm gonna open a businessand then it's there.
(34:32):
Like it takes a lot of prepwork.
And I appreciate that you'reputting that in kind of the
scheme of things that it's notjust even the running the
business.
It's like how do we even get tothe business opening its doors
and then inviting people in?
Seran (34:48):
I mean, you know, I think there is definitely a lag when
it comes to marketing efforts.
And that lag is long.
Not like a day or a week, it'slike many months.
I always say, if you're thinkingabout opening a studio, the best
time to start your marketing wasyesterday because you can't
start early enough to build anaudience, especially with, you
(35:09):
know, the access we have tosocial, to digital media.
There's no bad time to start tobuild a following.
And it all helps.
It all really helps.
So if you're sitting on yourhands waiting for the sign to go
up before you, you know, startposting on Instagram then?
I would say like, oh, that was,that's a shame.
(35:29):
Let's start now.
The more proactive you can be inthe environment that we're in,
especially if, you know, youdon't have a tremendous amount
of funding behind you in termsof marketing.
If you're not gonna run amassive pre-opening digital
media campaign that isprofessionally run by ad
specialists, then you know, wehave to get savvy with all of
(35:50):
our organic efforts.
Olivia (35:51):
Yeah, and I love also because I do think that Pilates
and obviously biased working inPilates, but I do think that
there is like a long term demandthat we're gonna see.
I don't think that this is likea flash in the pan fad with like
a very silly piece of workoutequipment that everyone's doing
(36:12):
for one summer and then it kindof like fizzles out.
Like I think that Pilates itselfhas endured to like near
extinction to stick around.
I just love that it's broadeningits appeal to people because
there are, as with all things,like, I feel like every mom in
every show on Netflix doesPilates, and there's always like
(36:33):
a line where like the mom's inPilates, but they'll see her
when she gets home or something.
Seran (36:37):
Yeah.
Olivia (36:38):
It's in people's consciousness in a way that I
think because Pilates teachershave really, like, it's not a
one size fits all thing thatwe're, that we're giving people.
It is so client centered.
It's so focused on, you know,the people that we're working
with and the people whose livesare being absolutely changed.
I see a little bit more likeenduring legacy of Pilates
(37:01):
sticking around, especially withwhen we have digital media and
we can connect with people in aninstant, anywhere in the world.
Seran (37:08):
Yeah.
Well we know we can do Pilatesany age.
We've seen it.
Right.
I know I had clients who werewell into their nineties when I
taught, and the clients whowere, you know, just in high
school even.
And so we know it covers allages.
And I think, we look at thewellness industry as a whole as
well.
'Cause that has an impact on ourindustry too.
(37:30):
We know people are more savvyand conscious than ever about.
Let's throw it out there.
The word of the day (37:36):
longevity.
Right?
And how many more people arereally focused on that.
And with the growth in thenumber of wearables of data
tracking that happens, we knowjust people are just more keen
and interested in being healthythan they've ever been before.
We look at the data around sortof millennials and Gen Z and how
(38:00):
those folks view Pilates andfitness in general and wellness,
you know, there's, it's where atremendous amount of the
industry growth is coming from.
And so, and you know, anyone, Iwould imagine anyone who really
enjoys Pilates in their twentiesand thirties is only gonna enjoy
it more in their forties andfifties and sixties because it's
(38:21):
so accessible.
Right?
Especially if you know a littlebit about what it can do and how
to do it.
It is such a lifelong movementpractice, and so I completely
agree.
I think it's for sure gonna beis is here to stay.
I have no doubt.
And you know, I've been doingPilates.
I took my first Pilates class inNew York City when I was 23, and
(38:42):
you know, it's, I'm, I'm stillhere, right?
Many, many, many years later.
I've got everyone I know doingit, and they're not doing it
because I've like coerced theminto coming to a class with me.
It's because they are like, oh,I wanna try this place, this new
Pilates studio that's open.
And everyone is doing it.
And so, you know, the cat's outthe bag.
Everybody knows.
Olivia (39:01):
It's like positive peer pressure, like it's peer
pressure that improves your lifeinstead of helps you make bad
choices.
So I love that.
Seran (39:08):
Yeah.
Olivia (39:08):
I love that for us.
Seran (39:09):
For sure.
Yeah, it's great, and, and Ithink, you know, on top of that,
it does have a lovely sense ofcommunity.
Most of the studios that offerPilates are smaller groups, and
I think that also helps a lotwith navigating, just like the
craziness of the world that welive in and how online it all
is.
(39:29):
And then, you know, you get togo to a class of 10 people, or
12 people, or eight people orwhatever it is, or even just
one-on-one.
And you, get to chat with peopleface to face.
It's like, whoa, what's thisabout?
It creates the anchor point Ithink for so many people in the
world that are in today,especially for folks that remote
work.
I do think boutique fitness andPilates is, is gonna be strong
(39:51):
for a long time.
Olivia (39:53):
Yeah, no, it is a good moment to be in.
And I think also, you know, asmore studios open and more
studio owners are in the space.
Like as a teacher, you're alsoin a really great position to
like work with some of the bestpeople in the industry as well.
I'm very spoiled in Chicago thatI have lots of options and lots
of super cool studios and supercool people, but even in more
(40:16):
rural areas, as you know, peoplerecognize that a studio is one
way of having a studio, or maybeit's a community space where
you're hosting classes kind ofby yourself and you are your own
business, but it's not maybe afull studio just yet, or even
you have an online space.
Like there's so many ways to bea Pilates teacher and to have a
(40:40):
Pilate studio, and so I'm kindof excited to see this.
Like I've worked for a studiothat only had a virtual
component and I only did virtualclasses and I had people all
over the country, which is likewild that we can do that.
But I've also, you know, workedfor brick and mortar and then,
you know, all of the excitementthat comes when a, when a new
studio opens.
And I know that that's like thebig fun thing.
(41:00):
And then you have to like do theday to day forever and ever and
ever.
But like, it's so fun.
We've got a studio opening inLakeview and like, it's just,
it's so exciting to be able tointroduce a new neighborhood of
people to something that youknow is just gonna make their
lives better.
Seran (41:16):
absolutely.
It's fantastic.
What a great feeling, right?
Yeah.
Olivia (41:20):
It is, and like I feel so lucky that, you know, we, the
work that we do in any capacityfrom teacher to owner to even
yourself as a coach in thisspace as well, that like.
It's just wins for everyone.
Like that's, that's what, likeevery person who comes to a
(41:40):
class, every teacher who'shired, every studio that opens
is just making the world betterand brighter.
And I'm so appreciative as ateacher to the business owners
that have put their time andtheir intention and their
efforts into making these thingshappen.
Because I don't know if I havethat personality.
So I'm so glad that there arepeople who have it,
Seran (42:03):
Yeah.
Olivia (42:03):
are doing that so that I can shine in the role that I'm
in.
Seran (42:06):
Yeah.
There's a place for everybodyfor sure.
Maybe one day.
Maybe one
Olivia (42:10):
I dunno.
Sometimes I'm just really tired.
Seran (42:14):
I,
Olivia (42:15):
I'm just tired.
Oh my goodness.
But I know, I think about it andthen I talk to someone awesome
like you, and I'm like, but youcould though.
And I'm like, oh man.
Just one thing at a time.
One thing at a time.
Seran (42:26):
It could be all yours.
You have to want it, you know,you do have to want it.
But yeah, it could be veryfulfilling.
It can be very fulfilling.
Olivia (42:33):
So what is next for you?
You're doing all these amazingthings for all of these other
amazing people.
How do you see Spring Threeevolving?
How do you see your podcastevolving?
Like what is next for you?
Seran (42:46):
Well, we are gonna keep on doing what we do best, which
is supporting our amazing groupof studio owners and helping
them to continue to evolve andgrow and navigate, you know,
whatever life throws our way.
and you know, we have got a, wehave, we have evolved the
program a lot thrive to to.
(43:07):
be as much support as we canpossibly figure out how to give
our studio owners.
And so we will, we are gonnacontinue to do that, but we've
got our retreat coming up at theend at the beginning of November
this year in sunny Florida.
Which will be a lovely
Olivia (43:22):
Oh wow.
Seran (43:23):
spot.
Every part of the word retreatis exactly what it is.
So I'm so excited.
We are continuing to, you know,look for all the different ways
that we can help support ourstudio owners and, you know, as
much as I can see and work withthose people who are passionate
about their movement practice,you know, that's what keeps us
going at Spring Three is, youknow, when we meet with a studio
(43:47):
owner who wants to just get whatthey do into more people's
bodies, right?
Move more people, then they'rethe in the perfect place when
they work with us.
It is what drives us all, and wedon't overlook that fact when we
work together, it's not justabout the numbers.
It's not just about any of thatstuff.
It's about, hey, like.
(44:08):
Look what happened in yourbusiness this week, right?
Look how many people you helped.
Look how many people move theirbodies because you opened your
studio and because you showed upand because you taught, and then
because you trained that teacheror bought that
Olivia (44:20):
Mm-hmm.
Seran (44:20):
teach, and because you hosted that amazing workshop and
had a little community gatheringafterwards, how many people left
feeling fantastic aboutthemselves and their life and
community and all these thingsand all of the ripple effects
that happen.
And so, yeah, I wanna just keepdoing more of that.
Olivia (44:39):
I mean, that is a lot, to be fair.
That is already quite a bit.
What does your, if I can ask,what does your business look
like in terms of like who helpsyou do all of the things that
you do?
Because I am pretty sure thatyou're Wonder Woman, but at the
same time, like I imagine thatthere's
Seran (44:56):
Fabulous
Olivia (44:57):
some help.
Seran (44:57):
I have a
Olivia (44:58):
Yeah.
Seran (44:58):
Yeah.
I mean, you know, I learnedearly on I found that I was the
bottleneck in my business.
I'm the bottleneck in mybusiness, and I still am
actually.
And I realized that I couldn't-I have three kids.
I can't keep adding more hoursto this, I need to have someone
else add more hours because thisbusiness needs more hours to
continue to deliver what Iwanted to deliver.
(45:20):
I learned early on that neededother people to help me.
And then it's about figuring outthe right mix of people.
You learn as you go a little bitabout what, what you are good at
delegating and what needs tofall under your responsibility.
Everything that I do and havedone, I would say for, since
over the last three years, Ilook to grow in a way that is
independent of me because I'm atmy limit for how much time I can
(45:43):
give the business.
And so it's sort of like, okay,so how can I do more of this
without doing more hours.
Right.
And that's called scale.
And we like scale a lot.
And now I am adding other folksinto my business and so I have
got behind the scenes.
So for my podcast, I have afabulous virtual assistant who,
oh my gosh, she just, she'sincredible.
She's been with me for threeyears.
(46:03):
She takes care of a lot of theoperational stuff.
She does a lot of, all of mysocial media, my graphic design,
and she's an angel.
I couldn't, the businesscouldn't function without her.
And I also have a podcast editorwho takes care of to all that.
'Cause I couldn't get my headaround doing.
So I have got podcast editor anda VA that helps me with all of
my social media and three folkswho work with me and work with
(46:26):
my members inside of my Thriveprogram.
And I've got like two, well oneis a full-time customer success,
Olivia (46:32):
Mm-hmm.
Seran (46:33):
person who helps me to help them or helps them to
navigate their business journey.
And she helps point them in theright direction, gives them
support with different tools.
You know, all of that stuff.
And then I've got another coachwho joins our calls and is an
extra kind of sounding board forbusiness advice, but also is she
is focused on hiring and hr.
(46:55):
And so she has a lot of theknowledge around the legalities
around all of that, which
Olivia (46:58):
Mm-hmm.
Seran (46:59):
helpful as anyone who's hired, anyone will know or
managing anyone will know.
And then I also have an, anexecutive assistant who works
very closely with me and she'ssort of like my second set of
hands.
So
Olivia (47:11):
Mm-hmm.
Seran (47:11):
do, she also knows how to do, which is really helpful
because that means that I canhand off to her and all of those
sorts of things.
So we've got a, a reallywonderful team.
You know, you get lucky andunlucky sometimes, and I'm very
lucky with having a great teamand they are the magic behind
the scenes for sure.
Olivia (47:29):
But it also like, I love that you have the team and I
also, the reason I asked aboutit as like a thing, because I
think a lot of people think theyhave to do everything by
themselves and they don't alwaysrealize that there are things
that they can really add valuein when they're doing and some
things like editing podcastsdoesn't really help people the
(47:49):
same way as recording thepodcast or brainstorming the
topic for the podcast or doingthe research and getting the
super cool person to talk onsomething in the podcast.
I ask that just to show anddemonstrate and also continue to
remind myself that it's good tohave people who are really great
at things that you're not reallygreat at or can do things faster
(48:09):
and free you up to do otheramazing things.
Because when you talk aboutscaling, that's also part of
scaling is that eventually thereare 24 hours in a day and you've
got two hands and three kids,and that's a long math equation.
Seran (48:22):
Exactly.
That's a very, very long mathequation for sure.
Yeah, and I think, you know,you've gotta know, it it, I
think, I think hiring the secondbiggest challenge after opening
a studio, honestly, becausethere's a lot that goes with
that as, even as just, even thegetting your head around the
idea that now you're the bosswhen perhaps you've never been a
(48:44):
boss before.
How to be a boss.
I see a lot of train wrecksituations where people have
this idea of what they should beas a boss, and
Olivia (48:53):
Hmm.
Seran (48:53):
to be, do they have to be someone who is bossy or not,
right?
Or how do you not be?
And then they spend a lot oftime trying not to be the boss
when they are the boss.
And people are hoping
Olivia (49:02):
Mm.
Seran (49:02):
that they're gonna be the boss and tell'em what to do, but
then they don't wanna tellpeople what to do because they
don't wanna be the boss.
And that whole thing is anotherthing.
And so you navigate that and youlearn along the way a little
bit.
And maybe if you've been verylucky, you've had a great role
model and you've seen what'spossible when you've had really
great leadership and, you know,that means that you can lead
(49:24):
people and you can train peopleand you can delegate and
communicate well.
And I think one of the mostimportant things that you can do
whenever you are delegating orhiring creating a role or
sharing the load is to really beclear about what it is that
you're delegating, what task,what done looks like, what not
(49:45):
finished looks like.
And then, you know, gettingclear on what the sort of the
communication circle is.
You know, when does the feedbackloop start and end?
And I find that those are thesorts of things that often trip
people up when it comes tohiring.
And so the more transparent thatyou can be and and clear about
all of that, the better.
But yes, team, team is key.
Olivia (50:07):
Because like when it works, it's fantastic, but when
it doesn't work like it ispulling teeth and that's really
tough.
So I'm glad that you've gotstrategies to
Seran (50:18):
Yeah.
Olivia (50:19):
in in a more positive direction or
Seran (50:21):
Yeah.
I mean,
Olivia (50:21):
productive direction.
Seran (50:22):
you wanna hire people for their not just their skillset.
You wanna also hire people for,you know, who they are and what
they care about, which is, youknow, if you're gonna be working
closely with someone, like youhave to get along with them and
you have to kind of be on thesame wavelength, you know what I
mean?
Sometimes I see studios will,will hire teachers just because
they need a teacher and
Olivia (50:43):
Hmm.
Seran (50:44):
for
Olivia (50:45):
Mm-hmm.
Seran (50:45):
And then, you know, things go south pretty quick and
everyone feels rubbish at theend of it.
And so, you know, it'simportant, like you said
earlier, you know, you've gottafind the right fit for you, for
the business.
Olivia (50:58):
Well, definitely.
Seran, is there anything elseyou wanna chime in and share?
Last parting thoughts?
Seran (51:04):
Now I would like to say that I think that, you know, as
a Pilates teacher you are doingthe most important work there is
to do.
And no matter how you feel atthe end of the day when you've
been teaching all day, theripple effects of your work go
far and deep, and you don't seethat every day, but it does and
(51:26):
it is important work that you'redoing.
Kudos to all of you who arelistening, who are teachers and
teach.
Keep doing it.
It is needed.
More needed now than ever beforeand I'm so grateful to all the
teachers because we arecontinuing to see just how
amazing this method really is.
It's fantastic.
Olivia (51:44):
Thanks so much, Seran.
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