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There are a lot of things that contribute to healthy retention in boutique fitness: a great intro offer, thoughtful follow-up, friendly front desk staff, community, member perks, strong instructors, and of course, a great workout. But a client can love your space, like your team, enjoy the music, and still leave class feeling confused, behind, overwhelmed, or unsuccessful. If that keeps happening, they may not come back. In this episode, Shay talks with Oreet, creator and founder of SharQui, The Bellydance Workout, about the retention problem that may be hiding inside your programming, your teaching strategies, and the way your instructors are actually leading people through the experience you're selling. They dig into cognitive overload, cueing, repetition, predictability, accessibility, and why helping people feel successful early may be one of the most important retention strategies a studio can build. They also talk about why instructors often make classes more complicated because they're bored, why too much novelty can make people feel behind, and why a class can look incredible from the outside while the people taking it are struggling to keep up. Because retention isn't only about whether or not you offer a killer workout or stellar hospitality. It's also about whether the people you've attracted through your marketing efforts feel capable, supported, and ultimately like they belong. If this conversation makes you realize that the experience in your studio changes too much depending on who's teaching, or that your programming and teaching standards need to be clearer and more consistent, that's exactly the kind of work we help with at Fitcarma. Through Experience Design and Playbook development, we help studio owners define the experience they want to create, then turn it into programming, teaching standards, instructor behaviors, and systems their teams can actually deliver. Book a Fit Call: https://clientportal.fitcarma.com/schedule/6aac4e5f2b1dae98d13969e8 Learn more about Fitcarma: https://www.fitcarma.com/ Learn more about Oreet and SharQui: https://www.sharqui.com/ Listen to DanceFit Biz Builders: https://sharqui.kartra.com/page/podcast

There is always something fitness businesses are being told they need to do next. A new modality. A new piece of technology. A new way to personalize the workout. A new platform. A new consumer trend. And usually, somewhere in the conversation, there's an underlying warning: keep up or get left behind. If you own a studio or have built a career in this industry, it can make you wonder how the hell you're supposed to build something that lasts when the definition of what people want seems to keep changing. So instead of trying to predict what fitness will look like five years from now, we wanted to ask a different question: What survives every era of fitness? And there may be no one better to ask than Lacey Stone. Over more than two decades, Lacey has built an extraordinarily successful career across version after version of this industry. From Equinox and the rise of boutique fitness to television, celebrity training, her own businesses, virtual fitness and everything that came after, she hasn't just witnessed enormous change. She's continued to find people who want what she has to offer through all of it. In this conversation, we look at what her career can teach us about building something people continue to choose even when the container around it changes. We talk about why there's no single "golden era" of fitness, what gets lost when instructors become executors instead of creators, why putting people in the same room doesn't automatically create community, what it really means to read a room, how Lacey uses music and the people themselves to shape an experience, and why the parts of you that might seem the least scalable could be some of the most valuable things you have. If you've been feeling pressure to chase what's next, wondering whether your studio is doing enough to keep up, or trying to figure out what you should change and what you absolutely shouldn't, press play. CONNECT WITH LACEY Lacey Stone Fitness Visit Lacey Stone Fitness Train with Lacey online Explore Lacey's virtual training platform Follow Lacey on Instagram @laceystonefitness WORK WITH FITCARMA You know there's something special about what you've built. We help you get clear on what makes you worth choosing, articulate your value beyond the workout, and create an experience people feel something about and want to come back to again and again. Book a free Fit Call with Barry + Shay

How do you create fitness classes that members actively choose, talk about, and have a hard time replacing? For boutique fitness studio owners, stronger member retention and loyalty often start with something most studios leave largely to chance: how people actually experience and remember a class. In this episode, Fitcarma Experience Designer Shay Kostabi introduces The Two Moment Rule, our framework for intentionally shaping the two moments that can carry disproportionate weight in how members remember an experience: the emotional peak and the ending. We explore the psychology behind the peak-end rule and how it applies specifically to boutique fitness, group fitness class design, instructor training, music, coaching, emotional arc, and class structure. You'll learn why the hardest part of a workout isn't automatically the most memorable, how Convergence happens when movement, music, coaching, energy, and emotion work together toward the same emotional outcome, why constant intensity can actually cause members to disengage through what we call The Mad Max Effect, and why a class that simply stops is very different from an experience that ends with true Resolution. If the best parts of your class experience exist only inside the instincts of your strongest instructors, your brand doesn't own that experience yet. At Fitcarma, our Experience Design work draws from established research in psychology, behavioral science, flow, belonging, memory, and human performance, then translates those principles specifically into boutique fitness. We help studio owners turn those insights into a proprietary class experience that can be built into class architecture, coaching methodology, instructor training, observation standards, and a Playbook your entire team can use. Your members are going to remember these moments whether you plan for them or not. You might as well make them count. Want to build a more distinctive, memorable, and difficult-to-replace class experience for your studio? Book a Fit Call with us: https://fitcarma.com/northstar Research referenced Fredrickson, B. L., & Kahneman, D. (1993). "Duration Neglect in Retrospective Evaluations of Affective Episodes." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65(1), 45–55. DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.65.1.45 Alaybek, B., Dalal, R. S., Fyffe, S., Aitken, J. A., Zhou, Y., Qu, X., Roman, A., & Baines, J. I. (2022). "All's Well That Ends (and Peaks) Well? A Meta-Analysis of the Peak-End Rule and Duration Neglect." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 170, 104149. DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2022.104149 Film referenced Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), directed by George Miller. Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, Kennedy Miller Mitchell.

The fitness industry has never known more about programming, performance, and optimization. So why are so many people still unconvinced that fitness is for them? In this episode, Barry and Shay sit down with 2026 IDEA Fitness Leader of the Year Jessica H. Maurer to examine what our industry keeps missing: the human being in front of us. Together, they unpack why shame may grab attention but fails to create lasting motivation, why enjoyment and challenge are not opposites, and how our obsession with proving that one method is better than another prevents people from finding movement they genuinely love. They also explore why "soft skills" are really power skills, why attention is not retention, and why belonging often matters more than the perfect program, system, or sales funnel. This conversation will challenge the way you market, teach, lead, and measure success. Because the future of fitness will not be built by whoever knows the most about exercise. It will be built by the people who understand people.   Connect With Jessica: Website: jhmfitness.com Instagram: @jessicahmaurer LinkedIn: Jessica H. Maurer Speaking and event inquiries: [email protected]

Why do people stop coming to your fitness studio? It's easy to blame motivation, discipline, busy schedules, streaming workouts, or short attention spans. But what if the real problem is something deeper? In this episode, Shay Kostabi of Fitcarma explores a belief-shifting idea for fitness studio owners, boutique fitness leaders, and group fitness entrepreneurs: People don't come back because they should. They come back because of how the experience made them feel. If you want to create a fitness class people MUST come back for, this video will help you rethink what actually drives retention, loyalty, word of mouth, and long-term client connection. Inside this episode, we cover: • Why the fitness industry has been asking the wrong question • What actually makes a fitness class unforgettable • Why harder, sweatier, more punishing is not the answer • How to create a group fitness experience people want to return to • The role of brand strategy in building a studio people choose beyond the workout • The role of experience design in making clients feel alive, seen, connected, and part of something • How to build a fitness brand that moves people • Why studio systems, standards, and team alignment matter if you want the experience to be consistent This is for you if you're a: - fitness studio owner - boutique fitness owner - Pilates studio owner - group fitness entrepreneur - fitness educator - studio leader trying to improve retention and create a stronger client experience At Fitcarma, we help studio owners build a brand that moves people and design experiences that make people feel something they want to come back for. If you're ready to stop chasing trends and start building a studio experience people talk about, remember, and return to, you're in the right place. Book a free Fit Call: https://fitcarma.com/northstar Subscribe for more on: brand strategy for fitness studios, boutique fitness marketing, experience design, client retention, studio growth, instructor development, and building a fitness business people feel connected to.

What's the number nobody talks about? For boutique fitness studio owners, it's the sale price. But this episode isn't just for owners preparing to sell. It's for anyone who wants to build a studio that is more valuable, more transferable, and less dependent on them carrying the whole business. Shay and Barry sit down with Mitch McGinley, founder of Boutique Fitness Broker and author of The Number Nobody Talks About: How to Prepare, Price, and Sell Your Boutique Fitness Studio. Mitch helps yoga, Pilates, and boutique fitness studio owners prepare for successful exits. After buying and selling his own yoga studio with his wife Karson, he became the person other studio owners turned to when they were ready to sell. Since then, he has helped close 70+ studio transactions totaling $30M. In this conversation, we talk about what buyers are actually looking for, why owner-dependence creates risk, how systems and team training build confidence, and why a strong brand is not just a marketing asset... it's an operational asset. Whether you want to sell in two years, ten years, or never, this episode will change the way you think about the business you're building. Connect with Mitch or request a free copy of his book while supplies last: Website: https://boutiquefitnessbroker.com/ Email: [email protected] Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boutiquefitnessbrokers Ready to build a brand and business that can last beyond you? Book a Fit Call with us: https://fitcarma.com/northstar

Most studio owners think they have a marketing problem. But what if the real issue is that your brand story, follow-up systems, and in-studio experience aren't working together? In this episode, we sit down with Zach Mills, founder of ONBRND Marketing, to talk about why ads alone won't fix a broken funnel, how to tell where your leads are actually falling off, and why studios need more than "sweat, burn, results" messaging to stand out. Zach also shares why brand clarity makes marketing easier, how strong systems turn leads into members, and what studio owners should look at before spending another dollar on Meta ads. As part of the Fitcarma family, you can get your first month of marketing management completely free when you mention Fitcarma. Learn more at onbrndmarketing.com. Book a Fit Call with Fitcarma at fitcarma.com/northstar

Fitness is changing. Not because there's a hot new workout on the menu, but because people are craving something more meaningful than a class they try once and forget. In this episode, we sit down with Jack Thomas, founder and CEO of The Fit Guide and host of the Five Star Fitness podcast. Imagine if boutique fitness had the equivalent of Michelin stars or Forbes Travel Guide ratings. Not based on hype or follower count, but based on anonymous visits and real standards. That's what Jack is building with The Fit Guide. We talk about why the old definition of excellence has been loud, the hardest workouts, the hottest trainers, the flashiest build-outs, and why the next era is about something deeper: trust, consistency, and an experience people want to come back to and bring their friends into. In this conversation, we zoom out, define the five-star standard, and unpack what it takes to actually deliver it consistently.   Reach out to The Fit Guide: [email protected]

In this episode, Shay breaks down the hidden energy leaks that drain trust, culture, consistency, and scalability inside boutique fitness businesses... even the really good ones! From hiring the wrong people for the right reasons, to rushed onboarding, unclear standards, weak internal messaging, and teams with no real path for growth, this episode is a deep dive into what may actually be keeping your studio stuck, strained, or harder to lead than it should be. The answer is not to become more rigid or corporate, but rather, building the kind of foundation that protects the magic, strengthens the team, and allows your business to grow without losing its soul. If your classes are full but things still feel messy behind the scenes, this episode will help you spot the cracks, strengthen the weak spots, and think differently about the systems your business needs next. In this episode, we cover: • why growth often reveals the gaps • the difference between talent and alignment • why onboarding and in-house training matter more than most owners realize • how selective standards erode trust • why your team needs more than tasks, they need language, meaning, and a path • the kinds of systems that support the magic instead of replacing it   Ready to assess what may be holding your studio back? Download the Studio Systems Health Check: https://www.fitcarma.com/studiosystems   Want support strengthening the foundation of your business? Book a Fit Call: https://fitcarma.com/northstar

Your social media feed can be an invitation into your brand world, or a fancy display case. You didn't open a studio to perform. You opened it to help people feel stronger, steadier, more themselves. If your posts impress colleagues but the person walking in after a long day doesn't see themselves in it, something's out of alignment. In this conversation, we put the member back at the center, so your words feel like a welcome, your visuals feel like a promise, and your feed feels like the doorway into a room where they belong.   Shout-outs Kink Pilates: @kink_pilates; @kinkpilates_academy RE:FORM LAB: @reformlabpilates   Book a North Star Session fitcarma.com/northstar

What does it really take to build a brand that moves people? In this conversation, Jeff Zwiefel (former President & COO of Life Time) pulls back the curtain on the principles and systems behind one of the most trusted names in fitness. We unpack how a clear North Star, codified standards, and aligned teams create a consistent experience at scale, without losing soul. If you're a studio owner, program director, or instructor leader, this episode is a blueprint: start with purpose, translate it into the way your experience is taught and hosted, build systems for reliability, hire and train for alignment, and innovate only when it serves the mission. Jeff's insights validate everything we teach at Fitcarma about turning brand into an operating system, so your promise is felt in every class, every interaction, every location. What you'll learn Why a North Star is the foundation for scale and trust The tenets of a Life Time–level experience (and how to translate them to any size studio) How standards, training, and culture make consistency teachable What "innovation with integrity" looks like (evolve without diluting your identity) Discover your North Star Ready to lead with clarity? Apply for a North Star Brand Strategy Session with Fitcarma and turn these principles into your playbook: fitcarma.com/northstar. Build a brand that moves people, and give your team the structure to deliver it every day.

You've built something powerful. An experience your community loves. But behind the scenes, you're wearing too many hats, struggling to replicate the magic, and wondering how to get your team to carry the brand with the same heart you do. Sound familiar? In this episode, we unpack the real reasons team buy-in feels so hard, and what actually works when you're trying to scale your studio without losing the soul of what makes it special. We'll walk you through: - Why instructors sometimes resist feedback (and how to shift it) - What buy-in really means (and how to earn it) - How to create brand-aligned guardrails without stifling creativity - Why clear identity and values must come before systems - How to build something scalable (without being in the room) Whether you're opening your third location or just tired of doing everything yourself, this episode will help you take the next step with clarity, confidence, and soul. Want something you can use right now to support your team's growth and alignment? Grab the 360 Performance Review Toolkit: your go-to resource for leading effective, empowering reviews that actually move the needle. It's packed with: -Clear review structures -Customizable templates -Goal-setting & growth tools -Conversation scripts & best practices Plus: -Check out the 10-minute companion episode on Off the Mic for quick wins and action steps. -And if you purchase before the end of summer, you'll also get the Workshop Magic Toolkit: ice breakers and team-building exercises to make trainings more fun, bonding, and impactful. GET IT NOW: grab it now and start creating the shift your studio needs. Want help defining your brand's story, message, and mission? Book a North Star Session: https://fitcarma.com/northstar Want your team to deliver your brand experience every time? Explore Shay's Playbook Services: https://www.fitcarma.com/workwithus — Subscribe, tag us with your takeaways, and share this episode with your leadership team. You don't have to carry it all alone, and you shouldn't.

What if music isn't just a good playlist in your classes, but the most powerful tool you have to transform how your clients feel, heal, and remember your brand? In this unforgettable episode of the Fitcarma Podcast, we sit down with Emma Marshall, researcher, educator, and author of Music is Medicine, to explore the deep, untapped potential of music as a tool for nervous system regulation, emotional imprinting, and embodied experience. Emma's story begins with a collapse—burnout, illness, and a body that wouldn't respond to words. What brought her back was rhythm, movement, basslines, repetition, and dance. Her work now bridges global sound traditions, neuroscience, and somatic healing to show us how music isn't entertainment. It's technology for healing, connection, and community. Whether you're a studio owner, creative director, or fitness leader, this conversation will reframe how you think about music inside your brand experience. We discuss: Why your playlists might be overstimulating your clients instead of regulating them The key moments in a class where music can shift emotional states How rhythm creates memory, loyalty, and trust in your brand Why reclaiming ritual in group fitness may be the future of retention How to lead your team toward more intentional, immersive experiences If you care about client retention, emotional resonance, and becoming a studio people don't just attend but truly feel, this is a must-listen. 🔗 Connect with Emma Marshall Website: https://mimhq.co.uk Book: Music is Medicine on Amazon 💫 Want to align your message, your product, and your team? Book a North Star Brand Strategy Session with us: 👉 https://signup.fitnesscareermastery.com/northstar/

Ashley Marand Iwanicki is the founder and CEO of The Collective Studios, a boutique fitness brand in New Hampshire that's redefining what it means to lead with purpose, build community, and create experiences that actually move people. In this powerful conversation, Ashley shares how a vivid dream sparked the vision for her studio, what it means to build a brand rooted in expansion and belonging, and the bold leadership decisions that helped her scale with soul. As a Fitcarma brand, Ashley partnered with us to clarify her message and elevate the Collective Studios identity into something bigger than a studio—it's now a brand people feel. In this episode, we go behind the scenes of what it really takes to build something that resonates on every level. You'll hear us dive into: The moment she realized fitness had to be more than workouts How Collective Studios blends performance with purpose What it really takes to develop a high-performing, empowered team The systems that drive consistency and connection across locations Why staying in the messy middle is part of the magic And how transformation begins with creating the conditions for people to return to themselves This episode is part of our new Brands That Move People series, where we spotlight founders who are doing things differently—and doing it well. If you're a studio owner, instructor, or creative leader in the fitness space, this one will leave you fired up. 🔗 Connect with Ashley: @ashleymarandhealth 🔗 Learn more about her studio: @thecollective_studios

Episode Description & Show Notes: This week, a fitness influencer went viral for saying people over 200 pounds shouldn't be allowed in Pilates class—and that instructors with a "gut" shouldn't be teaching. Yes, she deleted the video. But the damage was done. Thousands of people agreed with her. This is the fitness industry we're still up against. And in this episode, we're not just pushing back—we're burning the whole narrative down. We break down 13 research-backed reasons why building your fitness brand around body transformation isn't just unethical—it's lazy, outdated, and costing you money. What we cover: Why transformation-based branding leads to low retention and high churn How extrinsic motivation backfires (and what the neuroscience says) The impact of shame-based messaging on mental health How to actually build emotional loyalty that fuels long-term growth Why purpose-driven brands scale better—and feel better This episode is part reckoning, part guidebook. We brought the science, the lived experience, and the tools to help you build a brand that doesn't just sell workouts—but moves people. Whether you've already left the old model behind or are still working your way out of it—this one's for you. If this message resonates, share it. Post it. Text it to your team. Forward it to another studio owner. This is how we shift the industry—together.   SPRING INTO SUMMER AUDITS (Limited-Time Offer) Want to be sure your brand is saying what it's supposed to—and that your class experience is reinforcing it? Brand Strategy Audit with Barry – $150 Experience Architecture Audit with Shay – $150 Bundle both for $250 We'll review your messaging, experience delivery, and help you align your brand with what actually works—ethically, emotionally, and financially. DM us "AUDIT" on Instagram or email us at [email protected]   Citations & Research Sources McGonigal, K. (2020). The Joy of Movement: How Exercise Helps Us Find Happiness, Hope, Connection, and Courage. https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/562466/the-joy-of-movement-by-kelly-mcgonigal/ Singh, B. et al. (2023). Effect of Physical Activity on Symptoms of Depression and Anxiety in Adults: A Meta-Review of Meta-Analyses. British Journal of Sports Medicine. https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2023/02/16/bjsports-2022-106195 Ducharme, J. (2022). Mental Health Benefits Are Getting Americans Back to the Gym. TIME Magazine. https://time.com/6233766/mental-health-benefits-exercise/ Inspire360 (2023). Mental Health Issues Are on the Rise: How the Fitness Industry Can Help. https://blog.inspire360.com/mental-health-and-the-fitness-industry/ Mintel (2023). Exercise Trends and Mental Wellness in the U.S. https://www.mintel.com (requires subscription access) Mindbody Wellness Index (2022–2023). Top Reasons Americans Exercise. https://www.mindbodyonline.com/business/education/blog/wellness-index Clear, J. (2018). Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones. https://jamesclear.com/atomic-habits Harvard Business Review (Reichheld & Schefter, 2000). The Economics of E-Loyalty. https://hbr.org/2000/07/the-economics-of-e-loyalty Blink Fitness. Mood Above Muscle Campaign Case Study. https://www.blinkfitness.com/about/mood-above-muscle PubMed (Tiggemann & Zaccardo, 2015). "Fitspiration" on Social Media: Body Image Effects of Fitspo vs. Self-Compassion. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26176993/ Two Brain Business (2019). The Real Problem With 6-Week Challenges. https://twobrainbusiness.com/the-real-problem-with-6-week-challenges/ Marshall, E. (2025). Music Is Medicine: How Rhythm Heals the Body and Moves the Soul. https://musicismedicine.co Fitcarma Brand Strategy Guide (2025). Internal brand framework. https://fitcarma.com