Strategy

Welcome to ProfitablePilates.com, your hub for everything but the exercises. These blog posts are dedicated to the more strategic side of your Pilates business, whether that is leading a team or your own personal mindset, these posts are for both Studio Owners and Pilates Teachers.

Pilates Teachers, What Should You Write About?

Posted on by Lesley Logan

You became a Pilates teacher because you want to help people the way Pilates has helped you! And, then you found out you have to do a ton of other things to grow your Pilates business, get new clients and fill your classes and schedule. You get your website up and then you find out blogging isn’t dead and you have to write. And, you hear email isn’t dead and you have to send newsletters. What?! No one teaches these things in Pilates teacher training programs. What on earth are you supposed to write about?

Before you get writing let’s make sure you have a few things in place

  1. Your website lets you blog
  2. How often will you blog?
  3. Who are you blogging too?
  4. Your website captures emails and you have an account to send emails with something like MailChimp or Constant Contact
  5. How often will you send a newsletter?
  6. Who are you writing too?

Once you have those answers or at least some ideas then you can implement the following:

A: Write about what you are constantly answering. If people are asking you these questions they think you’re the expert and they are also asking the search engines these things.

B: Write about what you like to teach. If you don’t teach athletes don’t write about how Pilates is great for athletes. You want to write about what you feel you’re knowledgeable in and how you want to show up and teach each day.

C: The first paragraph is key! It needs the keywords that your clients and future clients are putting into the search engines. Give the good stuff away in the beginning and get them hooked.

Alright, I know you’re sitting here reading this and nodding your head and then slowly freaking out. This all sounds easier said than done. So, if you’re wanting to know how to blog watch my course here. If you’re needing help on newsletters, defining who you are writing to contact me here. Let’s work one on one. Your time is extremely valuable and we can get super clear on who you are writing to each week! It will make writing easier. I promise.

What are you going to write about this week? I’d love to hear in the comments below.

xx~LL 

3 Tips to Winning Your Clients Back

Posted on by Lesley Logan

Have you had a client go on vacation, have the best time and then come back to their life but not to their Pilates schedule? Or, that client that came 2x a week religiously, got sick, took a break and you haven’t seen them since. There’s a whole lot of feelings when situations like these happen. First, you’re worried? Are they ok? But, you see on social their totally fine. So, then, frustration and feeling rejected ensues. I mean, they loved class with you. Why aren’t they back? Did you do or say something wrong? Should you call them? Ugh, but it’s been weeks, so now it feels awkward! Am I right? When did running your Pilates business feel like dating?

Here’s the thing, we are not the right teacher for everyone all of the time. Sometimes it’s good for clients to take a break. But, what if it’s not. What if it’s the right client and teacher and you know that life has just gotten to them and you want to be there to bring them back, to return them to life? Can you get an old client back?

Yep, and here are three tips to winning clients back:

  1. Contact them! Ok, before you roll your eyes and stop reading this blog hear me out. You probably connected them once when they were supposed to return, maybe even twice. And then you stopped reaching out. I get it. It feels awkward. But, you don’t know what’s going on with them. You may have emailed them the day they got bad news. They saw your email but just couldn’t respond. So, call them, say hi, if you can help them with anything. Don’t ask them to come in just be supportive.
  2. Have a Newsletter: Yes, this works! If you were already writing a consistent newsletter and making sure all your clients opted into it then your love notes would be hitting them regularly. I have two clients that travel a ton and always respond to my newsletters when they are going to be back in LA.
  3. Create a Community at your space. Yes, you can do this even if you teach Privates only and even if you’re an independent contractor. So many of my clients are friends because they pass each other between sessions. That little 5 min break where I am washing my hands and using the ladies they are gabbing away. If you have classes this is easier if you introduce people and encourage them to say hi to their neighbor in class etc. But, the accountability of the others knowing they are missing class keeps them coming back. For those of us who mostly teach privates introduce your clients to each other as they pass. Over time they get quite comfortable gabbing away. They usually start by lamenting over how you torture them! It’s fun!

Here’s the thing, clients are going to disappear. But, there are some key things you can be doing in your business to mitigate those disappearances. And, here’s the thing, getting a new client costs a lot. It costs time and money and those are two things I don’t want you to waste. So, setting your clients and your business up to strengthen your retention is key. If you want to get clients back and also prevent losing the good ones be sure to join me on my next webinar.

In the meantime, go ahead, call them! What’s the worst thing that happens they block you? They don’t call you back? Ok, that’s at least an answer and so not the end of the world. You’ll feel free to go ahead and fill there spot with a client who is more dedicated.

xx~LL 

6 Things You Can Do Right Now to Get More Clients

Posted on by Lesley Logan

This one is for all my Pilates teachers, studio owners and fitness professionals looking to grow their classes, their schedule and who never want to worry about what’s gonna happen if a client moves. Yep, if you’re still reading then this blog is for you!

Here’s the deal, no matter how good you are a client will move, take a break, get sick or call it quits. It happens. And, it’s not personal. Remember that. But, if you are not doing these things below then you will find yourself scrambling to fill their time slots when they leave. If you are doing these tips below then you’ll feel calm and excited for the next client that will take their slots.

Ready to have a waitlist or a consistent flow of potential new clients?

Good! I was hoping you would say so.

  1. Have an updated website! When’s the last time you looked at yours?
  2. Grow your newsletter list and write to it consistently! I know, you’re not sure what to say. I’ll be talking about that more in my next webinar. So if you don’t already have a spot on your website to capture those emails.
  3. BLOG! If you have been following me for a while you are probably waiting for me to give you a reason to not blog. Guess what? Not gonna happen. Blogs help your SEO. Good SEO means people find your website and that means they get on your list and get to hear from YOU!
  4. Talk to your ideal client in all your posts. Yep, those FB, IG, Tweets, blogs, and newsletters. All of it! You need to be picturing one person. Your client avatar!
  5. ABG- Always be generous- this doesn’t mean don’t follow policies and charge your worth. But, it does mean focusing on the clients you have and making sure that you are helping them be a walking advertisement for you. Create a referral program, it doesn’t have to be complicated but it does make them feel like they want to share you with others because they feel special when you are generous with them in ways that you can be.
  6. Tell people who you are, what you do and why you are good at it! Too pushy? Fine, then tell people who you are, whom you are for and how you help make their lives better. Still no onboard? Tell 5 strangers you’re a Pilates teacher and see what happens! I bet you’ll have to tell them whom you are for and why they should take with you. You have to tell people what you are offering. All the time!

Which of these tips will you do this week?

xx~LL 

3 Tips to Get People to Read Your Newsletters and Blogs

Posted on by Lesley Logan

You know you that you have to write blog posts, write newsletters and have a presence on social media to help market your Pilates business. But, it can feel like all your efforts on falling on deaf ears when you post or hit send and literally hear crickets. Or, worse, when you hear people say they didn’t know you offered something you just announced in a newsletter. Ugh so annoying.  You know, when you email about a rate increase and then a client swears you never told them. So, why does this happen? How come when you post on social, publish a blog or send a newsletter you aren’t getting through to your clients? Simple, you’re not speaking to them.

I know, you are writing words on a paper. You took hours out of your week, read and re-read every post and yet nothing. Nada. No response. You wonder if it was the algorithm on Facebook or the time you sent on MailChimp or Constant Contact. But, algorithms and perfect timing are not the biggest culprits. Nope, the biggest reason people are not reacting to your words is that you are not writing to them. You’re writing to a general, average person. No to you client Cindy who wants results but doesn’t come consistently. You’re writing to a group of people you can’t describe because it’s just a random group, not Bob who needs more flexibility but hasn’t started his Pilates practice yet. You’re writing words but they are not speaking to anyone because you’re trying to speak to everyone.

If you want people to feel like you are telling them something then try these three tips out on your next piece:

  1. Post on the social channels they are using! I often see lots of teachers sharing info about their classes but in forums that are not where their client or future clients hang out. Or, I see tons of tweets about class schedule changes but the classes are for a demographic that isn’t using Twitter. You don’t need to be on every social platform. Do the research and be on the channels and forums your clients and future clients are spending time in.
  2. Know what your clients do when they are not doing Pilates. These special interests will help you talk to them in your posts. For example, let’s say your clients love to surf. Share news about surfers who have raved about Pilates. Write blog posts about how Pilates helps surfers. Create tips for doing Pilates for surfers. Then when surfers are searching for ways to better their surfing your posts will come up!
  3. What are their pain points. I know you know the benefits of Pilates. And, you have them on your website. But, how do these benefits solve your clients and future clients problems? Write down your clients pain points, their problems and then how does Pilates with you help them. When you write, blog or post keep these pain points in mind. People will do anything to solve their problems. Make it easy, tell them about their pain point and how you help them. They’re going to listen so fast!

These are just three simple tips you can start with today. And, I truly hope you do. One of my favorite authors Daniel Pink said on a podcast that if you have a service or product that can help solve someone’s problems you have a moral obligation to tell them. But, most of us think we said it once and it didn’t work, no one listened or no one cared. Wrong! They didn’t hear you. You were talking to general.

You have to talk directly to your ideal client. And, it’s going to take these three tips and getting really clear on who your client is. Who is your client avatar?

If you’re ready to define this avatar, if you’re ready to finally be heard, if you’re ready to get your magic out there then you should join me on my next webinar.

Not ready yet? No worries! Start with these three tips and see how even these small steps will create big change in your business.

Share your gifts my friends. Your clients are ready and waiting.

xx~LL

How to Fix the Problems in Your Pilates Business

Posted on by Lesley Logan

If you are looking at your week ahead and about to have a freak out about how o earth you’re going to get it all done you are so not alone! As Pilates instructors and studio owners, wives, husbands, partners, human beings there is a ton to do. You’ve got your clients, all the tasks that go along with that and you’ve got your life and all that happens in that. And, oh, that tiny thing like making money and propelling your business forward. How on earth can you do it all without freaking out?

  1. Know what your problems are and ask yourself why that problem exists.
  2. Create a plan of action that addresses this problem
  3. Hold yourself as accountable as you hold your clients
  4. Hold your clients accountable to the policies you told them about when they started
  5. Worry about what you can do and let others worry about the rest.

See, it’s so easy! F

Ha! Wouldn’t that be awful if I ended the blog there? “Here are you 5 tips for a week where you get it all done. Ok, GO!”

Look my fellow fitness pro you have a freaking ton going on. But, the first part of getting your business running the way you want it is to know what the problems are and why you have them.

Problem: You’re not making enough money

Why aren’t you making enough money?

-You are not teaching enough

-you are not charging your worth

-you’re not charging for late cancels

Fix: Set a goal that helps fix the problem. If you are not teaching enough but you are charging enough and holding others accountable then we got to get you known! We have to get your website working for you! We have to get your more clients.

If you are not charging enough we need to figure out how much you need to make, how many hours you want to work and find an average rate that will take all those sessions to add up to what you are desiring to make this year. I do this a lot when I coach others and in my AGENCY group.

If you are not holding people accountable to your policies then this is the week you remind people of what those are and you stick to them! Not only will you feel more respected but people will value their sessions with you more too!

See how these 5 steps help you solve your problems? What problem do you feel you have? Why is that problem occurring? What steps can you take this week to fix that problem and help you grow your business?

If you’re not sure then please contact me here. Let’s figure out a plan together that is possible. There are enough clients to go around and your tribe is awaiting your arrival.

xx~LL

3 Reasons You Are Not Teaching Your Ideal Client

Posted on by Lesley Logan

It’s another week and you’re still teaching the same clients. You love them but you wish that you were teaching more athletes, more privates, more classes or just more inspiring Or, maybe you’re not teaching any session and you’re freaking out! How are you going to pay the bills? Was teaching a good idea? How come that teachers schedule is full? Whether or not your schedule is full or not has little to do with feeling fulfilled. You yearn to be teaching a particular group of clients and you feel like you’re ready and waiting but where are they? Why don’t they realize that you’re THE TEACHER for them?

#1 They don’t know you! I know, how is that possible? You’re posting away on the social channels, you’re going studio to studio teaching or trying to teach and you’re telling all your friends how much you love what you do. Why then does nobody, or at least the body’s that you are the best teacher for unaware of your magic? Simple, you haven’t told them. Sure, you told your friends and the platforms but you haven’t told the people who know your people. You haven’t blogged so the search engines can’t tell people who you are. You haven’t gotten out to the communities where your client is. And, if you have then you haven’t been clear about who you are what you do and why you rock at it!

#2 You’re not clear on who you want to teach. As much as you want everyone to love you and what you do it’s not possible. And, I know it’s scary to niche down or turn people away but it’s better to only teach the clients you are right for. Because they will refer you more people like them! Say yes to the wrong clients and either they won’t sign up with you or they will and they’ll refer more people like them. And, sure, you’ll be busy but busy with peeps who drain you and make you wonder if teaching is right for you. Can you change your mind? Sure, will everyone in your schedule fit 100% into your box…nope. But, the clearer you are the more people who will hear your awesomeness and over time the more people who will light your fire and challenge your teachings.

#3 You’re not clear on why you rock. Maybe you don’t think you rock? Or, maybe you’re afraid to shout from the rooftops that you are really good at something. Perhaps you think people won’t need or like what you are the best at? And if your answer “LL, I’m brand spanking new how can I be the best at anything?” Well, my newbie, you do something great! Just ask those who you practiced teaching on why they kept coming back. They’ll tell you! And, take that feedback and run with it! Over time your other gifts will reveal themselves.

Did I call out your excuse? If I didn’t don’t worry, there can be endless reasons why you’re teaching your ideal client but don’t let all of them turn into excuses that you get to keep around. Let’s talk about what you are doing and what you can do be doing more.

I’ve heard there is no money in Pilates, Yoga, etc etc. WRONG! And, if you hear someone say that you send them to me. There is money in doing whatever it is you’ve been called to do. But, you gotta let people know! They are not mind readers. They’ve got a lot going on and they need you to shout loud and clear why you’re the person for them.

And an easy spot you can do this is your website! Do you have one? How’s it working for you? I’ve got a 1-hour webinar that will help you break down exactly what you need on your site (and what you don’t) coming up. Let’s make your website work for you! And, if you’re not sure to contact me here.

xx~LL 

How Often Do You Think about Pebbles in your Pilates Business?

Posted on by Lesley Logan

“Who could love a pebble in their shoe?” One of the harshest lines ever said in a movie from the movie Ever After is what comes to my mind when I think about pebbles. But, what if Pebbles were what we should be thinking about in our Pilates business? What if theoretical pebbles were what would propel your business forward? Well, my Pilates instructors and Pilates studio owners I am here to share that you should be more concerned about making room for pebbles than you have been.

One of the questions I am often asked is “How do you do it all?” And, to be perfectly frank I don’t exactly know what “do it all” means. I do happen to do a lot of things. And, to the outsider, it may seem like I am some sort of magician or more special or lucky because I can “do it all.” But, while I would say I am quite unique as a human my ability to do it all has nothing to do with my uniqueness. It has everything to do with my time management.

There are many ways to manage your time. A lot are obvious and some are not so obvious. I’ll be going over a lot of those not so talked about ways specifically for Pilates and fitness pros in my next webinar. But, just in case you’re not ready to completely bite the bullet and tackle your time management techniques here is one tried and true way that will help you create more time growing your business and less time keeping your business and life status quo. If you’re ready to talk about growth aka pebbles read on!

Picture a mason jar. It’s empty and its lid is laying next to it. Also, next to the jar is three piles, rocks, sand, and pebbles. They will all fit in the jar if they go in the correct order. Put them in the wrong order and the lid won’t fit. So, what goes in first? Well, you need to know what they represent to figure it out.

The Rocks symbolize appointments. These are your sessions, your client’s sessions, meetings etc. These are the things that can only happen when they happen. I do excellent thinking at 4:30 am but not many clients want 4:30 am sessions. So, my rocks go in the schedule where only rocks can go- When I am teaching or taking sessions

The sand represents admin. You know the stuff you don’t want to do but you have to do. There is nothing creative or exciting about admin. This is the bills, the emails, the mail, the blah blah blah.

Pebbles are anything that propels your business forward. This can be the marketing, promotions or advertising you keep saying you’re going to do but then get too busy doing other stuff (ahem SAND) to get to it. It’s also the scary stuff. You don’t know the answer to kind of stuff. But, the stuff that gets you excited about what could be if it worked out!

So, what order should these piles go in the jar?

Grab a blank calendar.

Write in your rocks first. Then your Pebbles!!!!! Finally the Sand.

Yep, that is the order! You should be focusing on what propels your business forward before you deal with the humdrum of the admin.

Be honest, you can deal with bill pay while binging out on Netflix.

You can clean the studio while listening to your favorite podcast.

But, you can’t be creative on a newsletter while you’re watching your favorite TV show.

You can’t research ways to market your business while listening to a mystery thriller.

When you are working on the stuff that will uplevel you and your business it needs to be scheduled and that time should be protected.

When will you work on your pebbles this week?

xx~LL

PS if you need more help managing your time you’re not alone. This webinar is selling out! You can join me live or enjoy the replay for up to a week. Click here to join.

Are You Hiring Out of Desperation or Alignment?

Posted on by Lesley Logan

Hiring anyone is a gamble. It doesn’t matter if you are an independent instructor or studio owner at some point you will need to hire help or team members. And, the choices you make can help propel your business forward or cost you time and money. And, while the adage saying “hire slow and fire fast” might be in the forefront of your brain that doesn’t quite explain the things to keep in mind when hiring slow or firing fast. And, what do you do when you have to hire fast? How do you know you are hiring out of desperation?

In my years managing retail stores and studios, there were times when I needed to hire someone ‘yesterday!’ The goals and demands required help sooner than I had anticipated. And, then there were the times when someone quit and even with a two-weeks notice I still had yet to find a replacement. I learned the hard way in my retail days the problems that came along with hiring out of desperation and need rather than listening to my gut or taking a hit on the bottom line and waiting for the right person to come along.

When you hire out of desperation you:

  1. Often lie to yourself about the likelihood that this is a good match
  2. You waste time training, onboarding and holding that person accountable to the expectations of the job.
  3. Lose the opportunity to meet and find the right person
  4. Affect the client experience and could potentially lose clients and money as well as time.
  5. Create a potentially toxic environment for your whole team and could end up needing to do more damage control than the hire was worth

When you hire out of alignment you: 

  1. Choose people based on their goals and abilities cohabitating with your goals and needs
  2. Create a team that is stronger and cohesive
  3. Use your time and energy wisely
  4. Empower those around you
  5. Increase client experience and growth of the community

Are you sitting there reading this and feeling like you have a team member, web developer, a social media consultant who may have been hired out of desperation? That’s ok! We have all been there. And, while I would love to sit here and say that if you hire out of alignment it’s all rainbows and dollar signs I can’t. There are no guarantees. However, in my experience, if you take the time to hire based on alignment even if the relationship is short-lived the experience is positive and creates space for growth!

If you are ready for tips on best hiring practices, questions to ask, answers to pay attention to and what to do when you’ve made a mistake then join me on my next webinar all about hiring! It’s not just about hiring staff that work in your studio. It’s also great advice for hiring people who will create your website or consult with you in other ways. Find out the details on how to watch https://webinars.profitablepilates.com/hiring-help-teachers-vas-and-more/here.

Hiring can be stressful and exhausting but it doesn’t have to be! We can get you to a place where you welcome the hiring opportunities.

xx~LL 

 

3 Reasons You Need to Be Writing Newsletters

Posted on by Lesley Logan

Perhaps you have heard email is dead. But, do you really believe that? I mean, how many mornings is your email the first thing you look at? It’s ok. Statistically speaking most people check their email before they even get out of bed! Which means, they are interested in what’s in their inbox. And, they are not opening it to see what spam they got. Nope, they are looking to see what they need to know! What should they be buying, sharing or doing? And, if you’re sitting there wishing your clients came in more often, scheduled more regularly and thought about their Pilates practice as much as you do then you need to be in their mind’s eye as much as Amazon and their other email subscriptions.

Still not sure you need to be writing newsletters? Here are 3 (and trust me I could have gone on for an hour writing up other reasons) reasons why you need to be writing newsletters for your business:

  1. Email marketing is 40% more effective than Facebook and Instagram ads– With email you get to share more information, tell a longer story, engage in conversation and connect with your community. You have more control over who sees your message and you can reach out to them as often as you want. Because people gave you permission to send them email it means they want to hear from you. So, when they get an email from you they open it. On social media, you have less control over who sees it and who scrolls right on by!
  2. For every $1 spent on email marketing, you receive $44 in return– statistically speaking those who spend time making a living through email marketing earn a $43 return on every $1 they spend to market! That’s insanely awesome! As a Pilates teacher or studio owner your newsletter marketing will most likely be free to nominal in expenses depending on your list size. Which means your profits earned from reaching out to your list will be even better!
  3. Time efficient communication– you do not have the time or ability to have you or your team call, text or email every client you have had, or who have inquired about Pilates to get them the info they need. It’s not cost-effective to text every client about your vacation dates. And, worse, clients will slip through the cracks on those busy weeks! Sending regular communication to those past, current and potential clients not only allows you a touch point with your clients, but it also allows you the opportunity to share with them what they need to know!

If you are already sending newsletters and or building your list congrats! If you are not feeling they are effective, or, are wanting to start but don’t know what to write about or how often to send then my next webinar is for you! We’ll be spending one hour covering what to write about, how often to send, how to build your list and best tools to use. Snag your spot to watch live or receive the replay here.

xx~LL 

Fill Your Classes, Grow Your Community and More!

Posted on by Lesley Logan

If you have classes on your schedule this week’s blog is for you! You know you need more people to attend and love your classes then you could possibly have room for if they all came. But how do you continue to fill and grow your classes? You’re busy too.  You have students who love your classes but life gets busy and they can’t always make it to your fitness class as consistently as they want. But, fliering up the neighborhood and posting daily on your Facebook feed is not as fruitful as one would like. And, you have better things to do than pollute your neighborhood and more fun things to share with those on your social profiles. So, how do you get those mats, reformers and other classes filled? You have to be a magnet! But, what does that even mean?

Definition of Magnet: a person or thing that has a powerful attraction.

I know, some of you are reading this and thinking “I am shy.” Or, “I don’t have time.” It’s easy for those who are outgoing or young to be a “magnet.”  But, if you have empty classes you have to take the time.  And whether you are shy or outgoing you can still create a powerful attraction for you and your classes. Because it’s not about shouting from the rooftops or walking up to strangers.

Answer these questions to guide you in sharing your attraction to the right people:

  1. How Known are you in your community? What events can you partner up with to share who you are and how you rock?
  2. Who do you want to come to your classes?
  3. Why should they come to your classes?
  4. What problems do you solve that they are searching for the answers to?
  5. What do you want to be a good example of?
  6. Who do you want to lead?
  7. Where can you lead your community?

Being a magnet is not the same as being instafamous or the most popular teacher at your studio or gym. It requires being consistent, authentic, vulnerable and not being afraid to share your gifts.

It’s not about discounts, coupons, perfect pictures or the best clothes and hair. People care about being seen. They care about their problems being solved. They care about what they care about.

How can you get them to see and feel how taking class with you will help them?

Answer that question and you will have discovered the keys to the kingdom of filling your classes no matter where you teach or even the time you teach!

For more tips on this join me and Erica Hood for a webinar on “being a magnet of attraction” at my next webinar. Or, send your answers to the questions above to me here. And, mark your calendars for upcoming webinars on newsletters and how to make the leap! All designed to help you become more known and do more of what you love-teaching Pilates!

Busting Pilates Business Myths

Posted on by Lesley Logan

Thoughts often become facts. Have you heard that before? What about, “don’t believe everything you think?” I think these two often used statements are incredibly important to remember when you are running your own Pilates business. It doesn’t matter if you are a Pilates Studio owner or a Pilates instructor. It is easy to slip and fall into traps and beliefs that will more than likely hold you back or keep you from trying out new things that could grow your business. What are some of the myths that I think need busting?

  1. The people here only want classes or only want privates: Last I checked no community got together and said: “let’s make sure all Pilates studios only offer us, classes/privates.” Clients want what will help them solve their problems. What is your future client’s problem? How do you solve that problem?
  2. We can’t raise our rates because everyone is looking for a deal: Please see my response to Myth #1 and then take a good look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself you offer value to your clients and deserve to be paid your worth. People are not choosing your competitor based on their prices. They are not going to the studio down the street because it’s cheaper. That studio is giving them something that they are looking for. How can you be the answer to your ideal client’s problem? You solve their problem they will reconfigure their budget to get to you! Want to consider raising your rates? Check out the latest webinar here.
  3. There are so many Pilates studios here: Your competition is not going to kill your business. You not defining who you are, what you do and how you rock your clients’ worlds will. Too often we tell people what we think they should hear. We are not listening to what they need and showing them how we are the answer they have been looking for. That’s amazing that you won muscle competitions and have five certifications. I’m not discounting that. But, how do you help them? If you spend your time sharing with your community what you can do for them that is different than anyone else there can be ten studios on your block and you’ll still be successful!
  4. You have to stick to the Pilates “business model”: First, I actually have no idea what this means. But, I think it refers more to having a studio that has lots of teachers, runs classes, privates and has teachers rent. People work 6 days a week and do morning and evening shifts. I’ll admit I thought I couldn’t own a studio because I didn’t want to manage any more teachers or manage a schedule. Glad I didn’t believe in this myth. Because now I have a great walk up studio with everything I need and it’s all by myself. The truth is you can run your Pilates business any way you want that is legal. If you want to be a solo-preneur go for it! If you want to only have classes only have classes. If you want to have privates only do that. Your business will be more successful when you create a space that highlights your strengths and how you want to offer your gift. Will it be difficult? Yep, but copying the studios in your neighborhoods business model isn’t any easier!
  5. You have to work a certain schedule: If you truly want to do Pilates as a business for the long haul I absolutely need you to teach the times that are best for you! Sure, in the beginning, you may be teaching all of the place and random times trying to figure out who you are as a teacher and what times work best for you. But, once you’ve got a good idea of when you are at your best it’s time to get some boundaries and set an ideal schedule and focus on filling that. It’s imperative for self-care, consistent growth in your business and for you to feel like your business works for you instead of the other way around!

There are so many more myths to bust! If I didn’t talk about one you’re curious about post it below in the comments are email me here. Aside from great advances in technology, there are some amazing tools out there that allow you to create the Pilates business that meets your needs. So, what beliefs are you willing to let go of?

xx~LL 

Is It Time to Make a Leap in your Business?

Posted on by Lesley Logan

One of the questions I often answer is how do I go from my current job to teaching Pilates full-time? Sometimes, it isn’t even in the form of a question. It’s more of a wish or dream. “One day I will be able to teach fulltime. I don’t know when yet.” But, “leaps” can be more than just going from your old job, the one that paid the bills to dream job- TeachingPilatess Full time. I have been talking with many teachers lately about if they should quit teaching a particular class or if they should say yes to teaching a class at a different location. And, it’s not just teachers who are in wonder of what to do. Where to go! Studio owners also have to make choices. You may be reading this wondering if you should cancel certain classes, add others, raise rates, hire more teachers, etc. How do you know when it is time to make the “leap.”

Well, I wish I could promise you this blog would be able to give you specific dates, times, benchmarks to hit before you leap. But, I cannot do that. Every single one of you is a unique teacher, owner or apprentice. You have your own history, your own goals and your own vision for what your life will look like.

But, what I can do is give you some questions to ask yourself when you are wondering which way to go or what choice to make:

  1. If it’s 1, 2, or 5+ years from now would you still be doing ____? If you are currently teaching a class at 6am. And, in a year or two years you want to only be teaching 9-1am and your choices are to take on another 6am class or lose the one you have it may be time to let go of that class instead of doubling down. Sometimes we need a little push to force us to get closer aligned with who we want to be and what we want to do. There are always choices. You get to make a choice. Each choice is like a door. You can continue to walk through the door you know even though it leads you towards something that doesn’t rock your soul or pay the bills. Or, you can choose the door that more closely aligns with where you hope to be in the future. It won’t be easy but a year from now you’ll be closer to where you want to be.
  2. Filter through your vision. Have a 30k foot view of your life. Be super clear on this. If you are it won’t change all that much over time. Be firm in your goals/vision. But, be flexible in how you get there. Sometimes we are so firm in our vision that we are too firm in the path. We hire the wrong teachers, say yes to the wrong clients and take ourselves further from the actual vision. As you meet teacher you are considering to hire, interview for studios you are thinking of working for or meeting potential clients. If you filter the choice through your vision and it aligns go for it. If it doesn’t align be confident in saying ‘no.’
  3. Never discount yourself. If you discount yourself, try to compete with the discounted rates of the competition you will eventually be discounted. And, worse you may not be able to leave your other job, other locations or for the studio owners you may not be able to expand or stay open! Honor your value, charge your worth, raise your rates if you need to and feel confident in the awesomeness you are. The benefits of working with you are only felt when the energy exhange (rate for the session) is aligned with your worth. Otherwise, the client discounts your value and you eventually resent teaching for less than you should. Or worse, you can’t afford to teach and we lose and awesome teacher!

There are so many other tips I could give you to help you decide if it is time to leap. But, one more I will leave you with is that it doesn’t always need to be a leap or a free fall. It can be a bridge that you build. Create a pathway for you to go from where you are now to where you want to go. If you want to be teaching full-time book out the hours you can now and overtime pull back on your other gig. Have a clear idea of when you’ll have enough runway to leave the gig to teaching full time. If you want to be hiring teachers for your studio be clear on your studio vision and goals. Create the bridge by having set expectations, benefits, policies and procedures in place before you begin to interview. Show the “bridge” the studio goals to future teachers and see if they feel its a bridge they can cross.

As the holiday come upon us and the beginning whispers of “new years resolutions” begin it’s a good time to get clear on your big vision and evaluate what you’re currently saying yes to. Maybe it is time to leap!

If you want to get clearer on this contact me here. Think you need to raise your rates? Join me here!

xx~LL