The Studio CEO: Business Coaching For Yoga & Pilates Teachers & Studio Owners

Jackie Murphy
  • 4.9 (60)
  • Marketing
  • Updated Weekly

Welcome to The Studio CEO, the only podcast that empowers yoga and Pilates teachers and studio owners to step confidently into their roles as CEOs. If you're ready to take your business seriously, show up with passion, and scale your studio to new heights without burning out, you're in the right place. I’m your host, Jackie Murphy, an award-winning, certified business coach with 12+ years in the yoga industry I’ve seen firsthand what it takes to turn your passion into a powerful, scalable business. Join me as we dive into strategies, insights, and real-world advice to help you grow your revenue, build a thriving team, and create a business that serves you as much as you serve your clients. It's time to embrace your CEO mindset and make more money without working more.

  1. 17h ago

    The Profit Fix: Why 91% of Studios Are Broke (and the 3 Numbers That Change It)

    Send Jackie A Message! The Profit Fix: Why 91% of Studios Are Broke (and the 3 Numbers That Change It) Roughly 91% of boutique studios aren't sustainably profitable — and most owners are convinced that's a revenue problem. It isn't. In this episode, Jackie breaks down the three numbers that actually decide whether your yoga or Pilates studio pays you or just keeps you busy: rent, payroll, and marketing. You'll hear what healthy looks like, the real (uncomfortable) reason owners avoid their numbers, and exactly what to do about each one — so your studio finally gives you the money, freedom, and life you built it for. Because knowing your numbers isn't restriction, and it isn't fear. It's the most empowering thing you can do as an owner. Your numbers are the controls. In this episode: Why "protect payroll, protect rent, cut marketing" is exactly backward — and what that instinct is quietly costing youThe real reason we avoid our numbers (it feels disempowering, like opening a bill you're scared of) and how to flip itWhat healthy actually looks like: payroll, rent, and marketing as a percentage of revenueRent: how to negotiate it down — and the bigger move most owners miss, monetizing your space with a Premium Value Offer (PVO)Payroll: cut low-attendance classes, tie raises to attendance and performance (not tenure or certifications), and pay well without overpaying to keep someoneMarketing: why running Meta ads to find new people is non-negotiable, and how organic content supports itThe one brave action to take this weekTakeaway quote: "You don't have a revenue problem. This is a numbers problem. A sustainable business isn't a bigger grind — it's a machine that gives back." Your action this week: Pull your numbers and calculate three percentages — payroll, rent, and marketing, each as a percent of revenue. Just look at them honestly. It's the most CEO thing you'll do all year. Work with Jackie Murphy Say Hi on Instagram @studioceoofficial3 Marketing Mistakes Yoga & Pilates Business Owners Make: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/evergreen-3mm-organicJoin The Studio CEO Program: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/studioceo

  2. Jul 7

    More Than a Class: How to Become the Habit Members Can't Cancel

    Send Jackie A Message! Here's the deal: most studio owners pour time and money into the top of the funnel. New leads, new intro offers, new members. But if half of those new members quit within 90 days, you're filling a leaky bucket and going backwards. In this episode, Jackie Murphy breaks down why retention, not acquisition, is what makes a yoga or Pilates studio sustainably profitable. You'll learn the six retention plays that turn a brand new member into a years-long member: why the first 90 days decide everything, how to stop selling classes and start selling transformation, and how to become so woven into a member's life that canceling never crosses her mind. This isn't about being the best workout in town. Great workouts are everywhere now. It's about becoming irreplaceable. If you've ever signed up 40 new members and still felt stuck, this one is for you, y'all. TIMESTAMPED OUTLINE [02:44] The unlimited membership confession (and the guilt trap it created)[03:54] Why retention beats acquisition every time[06:16] The retention data every studio owner needs to see[08:56] Play 1: The first 90 days decide who stays[12:12] Play 2: Stop selling classes, start selling transformation[15:59] Play 3: Become way more than a class[16:45] Play 4: Build a community that lives off the platform[18:00] Play 5: Become the daily habit[19:30] Play 6: Track the one number that matters[20:25] Your three-step retention action plan for this weekKEY TAKEAWAYS ✓ Half of all new members quit within the first 90 days. That window is where the habit is made or lost.  ✓ Every additional visit a member makes in a month cuts her chance of cancelling next month by 33%.  ✓ Stop selling classes. Start selling transformation. The number of classes is the prescription, not a quota.  ✓ A structured onboarding (orientation plus three follow-up touch points) can keep 27% more of your members.  ✓ Without an emotional bond and a community, you're just a great workout. And a great workout is replaceable.  ✓ Nearly half of Gen Z says community, not the workout, is the number one reason they stick with fitness.  ✓ Show up in your member's daily life, not just on the mat or the reformer. That's what makes you uncancelable. PULL QUOTES "If all you sell is the class, you've already started to lose that person."  "Every class they take, every visit is a vote to stay."  "Stop letting the number of classes be the product and start letting it be the prescription."  "You're no longer a line item. You're part of who she is."  "When community spills out of your four walls and into their real lives, you've created the deepest stickiness there is." FAQ Why is member retention more important than getting new members? Acquisition without retention is a leaky bucket. You can sign up 40 new members, but if they quit within three months, your studio goes backwards. Keeping the members you already have is what makes a studio sustainably profitable. Why do so many new studio members quit in the first 90 days?  It takes around six months to wire in a fitness habit, and most people quit in month two or three, right before it locks in. The first 90 days are when the habit is either built or lost. How do I improve retention at my yoga or Pilates studio?  Build an onboarding system that drives frequency, sell the transformation instead of the class, and show up in your members' daily lives outside of class. Frequency builds the habit, and the habit keeps members for years. How many visits per month keep a member from cancelling?  Members who make four or more visits a month stay an average of seven months longer. Every extra visit in a given month cuts a member's chance of cancelling the next month by 33%. What does "stop selling classes" mean for a studio owner?  It means positioning your classes as the prescription for a result your member wants, not a quota she has to hit. When she's focused on the transformation, missing a class or two doesn't make her question her membership. Work with Jackie Murphy Say Hi on Instagram @studioceoofficial3 Marketing Mistakes Yoga & Pilates Business Owners Make: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/evergreen-3mm-organicJoin The Studio CEO Program: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/studioceo

  3. Jun 30

    The 2027 Revenue Stream Almost No Studio Is Touching

    Send Jackie A Message! The recovery side of wellness (saunas, cold plunge, contrast therapy) is on track to nearly triple over the next decade to almost $27 billion, and almost nobody in the yoga and Pilates industry is moving on it yet. If you have been working harder than ever and growth has still stalled, this episode explains why. Here is the shift: your members do not want just a workout anymore. They want a result. McKinsey surveyed more than 9,000 consumers and found wellness has become a daily practice, with people buying outcomes like sleep, recovery, and energy. Meanwhile, most people who quit a studio do not leave over price. They leave because they stopped seeing results or got bored, and half are gone within 90 days. In this solo episode, Jackie Murphy breaks down what your members are really asking for, why studios are too slow to give it to them, and the one recovery move you can make this quarter to get a full year ahead of your market. Become the Studio CEO. TIMESTAMPED OUTLINE [00:00] The $27 billion recovery wave nobody in yoga and Pilates is riding yet[01:57] Why this is a "where is this going" conversation, not a quick tip[03:56] The belief keeping you stuck: a great class is the whole product[06:31] What is opening now: cycling 4%, Pilates 46%, yoga 27%[09:26] Recovery: the fastest moving, least crowded category in wellness[11:11] Three reasons recovery works for a yoga or Pilates studio[13:40] Four ways to start small (no $200K build-out required)[16:48] The CEO question that changes how you run your business[18:18] What is coming in two weeks and where to connect KEY TAKEAWAYS Your members stopped buying activity. They are buying outcomes: sleep, recovery, energy, longevity.Price is rarely why people quit. They leave because they stopped seeing results or got bored, and half leave within 90 days.Recovery revenue does not require another instructor, so you add income without adding payroll.A $59 recovery add-on at 40% member adoption can mean roughly $60K in new recurring revenue per year.You do not need a $200K build-out. Start with one layer and prove demand first.The studios that move now own the next decade. The ones who wait spend it catching up. PULL QUOTES "This is not a hustle problem. The market is moving underneath you, and this is the memo nobody sent." "A beautiful class used to be the whole product. It is not anymore." "You never got to vote on that. Your customer just changed their mind." "You do not have to build an empire to start. Pick the lightest version that fits your space and your brand." "Stop operating as a teacher who owns a studio and start running a wellness brand." FAQ Is recovery a real opportunity for yoga and Pilates studios? Yes. The fitness recovery market was about $8 billion last year and is projected to hit nearly $27 billion by 2035. Very few yoga and Pilates studios offer it yet, which is exactly why the window is open now. Do I need to build a sauna or cold plunge to start? No. Start with a weekly recovery or restorative class, partner with a local sauna or cold plunge spot, or add a simple product like compression boots. Prove demand first, then scale. How much revenue can a recovery add-on generate? As an example, 200 members at $129 a month with a $59 add-on adopted by 40% of members is about $5K in new monthly recurring revenue, or roughly $60K a year, without acquiring a single new member. Why do members really quit a studio? Price is usually not the top reason. Most people leave because they stopped seeing results or got bored, and about half quit within the first 90 days. Connect with Jackie on Instagram @studioceoofficial for weekly industry insights. Work with Jackie Murphy Say Hi on Instagram @studioceoofficial3 Marketing Mistakes Yoga & Pilates Business Owners Make: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/evergreen-3mm-organicJoin The Studio CEO Program: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/studioceo

  4. Jun 23

    The Fear That It Will All Run Out

    Send Jackie A Message! She wants to plan a Black Friday sale--but is afraid it'll ruin her monthly recurring revenue... That's where this episode starts — with a real conversation I had this week with a studio owner who is winning by every number you could name, and is still quietly afraid it's all about to run out. If you've ever talked yourself out of a sale, a price increase, or hiring the help you need because some part of you whispered "what if it dries up" — this one is for you. We get into where that fear really comes from, why hitting a bigger number never makes it go away, and the loop it traps you in: the fear makes you play it safe, playing it safe keeps your studio small, and then you read your small numbers as proof the fear was right. I'll show you how to break that loop — not with a pep talk, but by becoming an evidence collector for a new belief. Plus the one simple practice you can start today that tells you whether it's safe to grow. In this episode: Why the fear that it will "run out" lives in almost every studio owner — and why it's not a flawThe reason your best year doesn't quiet the fear (and can make it louder)The hidden loop where scarcity thinking quietly creates the exact result you're afraid ofHow a belief really changes — and why willpower and affirmations don't do itThe evidence practice that retrains the belief at the rootThe one number that tells you you're cleared to make your next bold moveThe one thing to do this week: Start an evidence file. Write down how many brand-new people started a membership or intro offer in the last 30 days, plus three proofs that you can keep building. Read it every time the fear shows up. A few lines worth replaying: "It's going to run out is a thought, not a fact.""Your brain wrote down every fear and never once wrote down the survival.""You survived the exact thing you're terrified of, and you're still standing.""A belief is just a thought you've practiced so many times it feels true."Work with Jackie Murphy Say Hi on Instagram @studioceoofficial3 Marketing Mistakes Yoga & Pilates Business Owners Make: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/evergreen-3mm-organicJoin The Studio CEO Program: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/studioceo

  5. Jun 9

    Are you overpaying or mispaying?

    Send Jackie A Message! Most studio owners think overpaying is a money problem. It isn't. This week I had the same conversation with four different studio owners. Different people, different numbers, but the same thing underneath every time. And not one of them was actually dealing with a pricing issue. They were mispaying, paying for a title when they were getting a task, paying for a role they weren't using yet, paying for a feeling instead of a result. In this episode, I walk you through it the way I would on a coaching call. We start with the circumstance, get honest about the thought creating it, and look at what it's actually costing you to keep operating that way. In this episode: Why the dollar amount can never tell you if you're overpaying, and what actually does. The five feelings that quietly drive every overpaying decision, and how to spot which one is running the show for you. Why hiring a "savior" sets you and your new team member up to fail. How you can end up overpaying and under-delegating at the same time. The difference between full-time and committed, and why buying one to feel the other keeps you stuck. The one question to ask yourself the next time you reach for your wallet that gets your money back on the spot. Here's the truth underneath all of it: overpaying was never a money problem. It's a leadership-avoidance problem wearing a really kind face. And the fix isn't to go be stingy. It's to stop using money to buy your way out of leading. Work with Jackie Murphy Say Hi on Instagram @studioceoofficial3 Marketing Mistakes Yoga & Pilates Business Owners Make: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/evergreen-3mm-organicJoin The Studio CEO Program: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/studioceo

  6. Jun 2

    My Client Made More Money Last July Than in January. Here's How.

    Send Jackie A Message! Every summer, studio owners brace for the same thing: attendance drops, members travel, energy shifts. So you white-knuckle through it and wait for September. Here's the problem—summer isn't your slow season. It's your setup quarter. What you do in your yoga or Pilates studio in June determines whether your fall is full of momentum or a slow climb back from a standstill. In this solo episode, Jackie Murphy breaks down the misconception costing studio owners money: that when attendance drops, revenue has to drop too. It doesn't. She explains how a premium value offer can make summer one of your highest-revenue months, the schedule analysis every owner should run before the season, and the pause policy that keeps members coming back. If you've been treating summer as something to survive, this will change how you run your studio this quarter—and set up your strongest January yet. TIMESTAMPED OUTLINE [00:00] Why we're talking about summer now[03:00] Summer is your setup quarter: June 2026 decides January 2027[05:00] The misconception: attendance drops, so revenue must too[07:00] The Premium Value Offer (PVO) and why summer is the time to sell it[09:30] Divorcing attendance from revenue in your head[11:00] Move #1: Run a schedule analysis on your real data[13:30] Knowing your break-even number for every class[16:00] Move #2: Tighten your pause policy[17:30] Pick one move and actually implement itKEY TAKEAWAYS ✓ Summer is your setup quarter—June 2026 determines January 2027. ✓ Attendance and revenue are not the same thing. Attendance can drop while revenue grows. ✓ A premium value offer (four figures+) grows summer revenue even when class numbers dip. ✓ Don't wait for attendance to drop and react—run a schedule analysis on your own data now. ✓ Booking software isn't always accurate. You usually have to collect the data yourself. ✓ A leaner, fuller schedule beats a robust, half-empty one—for your bottom line and your students. ✓ Lock in every pause with a start, end, and restart date from day one so members come right back. ✓ Pick one move and implement it. If you listen and don't take action, what's the point? QUOTES "Summer is actually your setup quarter."  "What you're doing in June of 2026 determines what your January of 2027 looks like."  "Attendance and revenue are not the same thing. Summer is when that distinction matters most."  "Just because attendance drops doesn't mean your revenue has to."  "It can be your highest month of the whole year, and attendance could be the lowest."  "If you just listen to this and don't take action, what's the point, my friend?" FAQ Can my studio revenue grow even if summer attendance drops? Yes. Attendance and revenue are two different numbers. With the right offer in place, summer can be one of your highest-revenue months even while attendance is at its lowest. What is a premium value offer for a yoga or Pilates studio? A PVO is something outside your normal membership, typically four figures or higher, designed to help members reach a new result—often a teacher training, but not always. Why is summer a good time to sell a high-ticket offer? Members often have more time and headspace in summer. If they're sticking with you through the season, that's when you have the capacity to extend a bigger offer. Should I change my class schedule for the summer? Be proactive, not reactive. Review your schedule at the start of summer using the last six months of data, then make strategic adjustments instead of scrambling later. How should a studio handle membership pauses over summer? Set a clear start, end, and restart date the moment a member requests a pause. Booking the restart from day one removes the "should I come back?" decision. When should I start planning my summer strategy? Now. Your schedule, offers, and pause policy heading into summer determine your fall momentum and your following January. Work with Jackie Murphy Say Hi on Instagram @studioceoofficial3 Marketing Mistakes Yoga & Pilates Business Owners Make: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/evergreen-3mm-organicJoin The Studio CEO Program: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/studioceo

  7. May 26

    The 3 Things Your Teachers Tell Me When You're Not in the Room

    Send Jackie A Message! Before every onsite VIP day, I send an anonymous upward feedback survey to my client's team. It's the fastest way to read the real culture of a studio, the stuff owners can't see because they're too close to it. And after running this survey at studio after studio, the same three things come up every single time. In this episode, I'm pulling back the curtain on exactly what your teachers say when no name is attached to their answer. Not to make you nervous, but to give you a head start, because there's a very good chance your teachers are feeling the same way right now. TIMESTAMPS [00:00] Welcome [02:15] What a VIP day is, and the anonymous upward feedback survey explained [04:30] Why this survey matters: leading a mostly part-time, passion-driven team [06:10] #1 Teachers want more feedback on their teaching [08:00] The 3-to-1 feedback ratio and the one-thing-only rule [10:15] #2 Teachers want more continuing education [12:30] How to build a CE budget and quarterly cadence without losing time or profit [14:20] #3 The one that surprises owners: teachers want more business communication [17:00] What teachers actually want to know about the numbers [18:30] The fear of transparency, and the question to sit with if it feels loud [20:40] The simplest move of all: just ask KEY TAKEAWAYS An upward feedback survey is the fastest way to read the real culture of your studio, because owners are usually too close to see it themselves. When you give a teacher feedback, name three specific things you loved for every one thing to work on. Give just one thing, then follow up in two weeks. Set a continuing education budget at the start of the year and aim for one event per quarter. Who shows up tells you who your all-in teachers are. You cannot over-communicate with your team, but you can communicate badly. Streamlined beats scattered group texts every time. Sharing your membership goal and progress rarely leads to raise requests. It usually makes teachers more bought in and more willing to help you grow. PULL QUOTES "Your teachers are hungry to grow. They are just waiting for someone to help them." "Give one clear thing to work on. If you overwhelm them with too much, nothing gets integrated." "I have never walked into a VIP day and heard that an owner over-communicates. Only the opposite." "If you want to know what your teachers want, ask them." FAQ Q: What is an upward feedback survey? A: An anonymous survey that lets your team give honest feedback to the person who leads them. It surfaces what it is really like to teach at your studio. Q: How often should I give teachers feedback on their classes? A: You do not need to be in every class every week. Aim for intentional, specific feedback with a two-week follow-up so teachers can actually improve. Q: Will sharing business numbers make my teachers ask for raises? A: Rarely. Teachers do not see your full P&L, so they lack the whole picture. You decide what to share. Most teachers just want to help you hit the goal. Q: How much continuing education should I offer? A: One event per quarter is plenty. Use the feedback patterns you notice across your team to choose what to teach. Have a topic you want covered on the podcast? DM Jackie on Instagram @studioceoofficial or email the support team. Work with Jackie Murphy Say Hi on Instagram @studioceoofficial3 Marketing Mistakes Yoga & Pilates Business Owners Make: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/evergreen-3mm-organicJoin The Studio CEO Program: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/studioceo

  8. May 12

    How Talia Increased Revenue By 108% in 6 Months

    Send Jackie A Message! You opened your studio with a vision, and somewhere along the way, you started throwing offer after offer at the wall out of pure desperation. New class pack. New workshop. New retreat. Sound familiar? In this episode, Jackie sits down with Grow Mastermind client Talia Blackburn, owner of Refuge Healing Studio in Greensboro, NC, who doubled her monthly recurring revenue from $3,500 to $7,500 in six months — a 108% increase. She didn't add ten new offers. She got clear on the one thing she was selling, restructured her pricing, and started using email like a real CEO.  If you're a studio owner doing everything and still not seeing the numbers move, this one's for you. Timestamped Outline [00:00] Introduction [02:30] How Yoga with Adriene started everything [09:00] The music teacher backstory [15:30] The grandmother who pushed her to finally open [19:30] Funding Refuge without investors [26:30] Joining the Grow Mastermind & the first pricing changes [33:00] From monthly newsletter to strategic email [36:30] Tagging warm leads [39:00] The CEO mindset shift that ended panic-marketing Key Takeaways ✓ Doubling MRR doesn't require ten new offers. One clear offer sold the right way does. ✓ A $20 drop-in isn't a deal. It's an invitation to never become a member. ✓ Pricing based on the studio across town isn't strategy. You don't have their P&L. ✓ Cold, warm, and hot leads need three different email conversations. ✓ The CEO mindset is getting brutally clear on what matters most right now. ✓ Your team can only sell what they understand. Share the numbers and watch them step up. Quotes "I was throwing out offer after offer out of desperation, out of panic." — Talia "If this is between my fear and the work, I can deal with the fear." — Talia "You don't want them to afford a drop-in. You want membership to make sense." — Jackie "You don't know their P&L. You could be copying a business in the red every month." — Jackie "My churn — I haven't seen churn at all." — Talia FAQs Is $20 too low for a yoga drop-in? For most boutique studios in 2026, yes. A drop-in isn't supposed to be a deal — it's supposed to make membership the obvious move. Should I price based on competitor studios? No. You don't have their P&L. They could be operating in the red. Price based on your own expenses and revenue goals. How do I double my studio's monthly recurring revenue? Restructure your pricing so membership is the obvious choice, then nurture your existing leads through segmented email. New offers are rarely the answer. How often should I email my studio list? A monthly newsletter is not a strategy. Segment by lead temperature and email weekly at minimum. How do I stop members from canceling? Stay in consistent communication. Nurture members through email and create an experience worth staying for. Should I add multiple offers to my studio? Eventually, yes — but not all at once. Get one offer (usually membership) humming first, then layer. What's the biggest mindset shift for studio owners? Stopping the panic-marketing cycle. Focused execution beats scattered effort every single time. Work with Jackie Murphy Say Hi on Instagram @studioceoofficial3 Marketing Mistakes Yoga & Pilates Business Owners Make: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/evergreen-3mm-organicJoin The Studio CEO Program: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/studioceo

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About

Welcome to The Studio CEO, the only podcast that empowers yoga and Pilates teachers and studio owners to step confidently into their roles as CEOs. If you're ready to take your business seriously, show up with passion, and scale your studio to new heights without burning out, you're in the right place. I’m your host, Jackie Murphy, an award-winning, certified business coach with 12+ years in the yoga industry I’ve seen firsthand what it takes to turn your passion into a powerful, scalable business. Join me as we dive into strategies, insights, and real-world advice to help you grow your revenue, build a thriving team, and create a business that serves you as much as you serve your clients. It's time to embrace your CEO mindset and make more money without working more.

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