Podcast Summary: How Pilates Studio Owners Are Turning Classes Into Recurring Revenue

Pilates Business Podcast

Host: Seran Glanfield
Guest: Allison Yazdian, CEO of Uscreen
Date: December 8, 2025

Episode Overview

This episode dives into how Pilates and boutique fitness studio owners can expand their businesses beyond the studio walls by leveraging on-demand video, live streaming, and digital memberships to build scalable, recurring revenue streams. Host Seran Glanfield interviews Allison Yazdian, CEO of Uscreen—a leading video monetization platform that's empowering fitness professionals to create their own branded video membership businesses. They address the evolution of the digital fitness landscape since COVID-19, practical steps for getting started, key success strategies, and new trends for scaling online income.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Uscreen Mission and Allison Yazdian’s "Why"

Timestamp: 03:30–07:34

• Allison shares growing up with entrepreneurial parents and experiencing firsthand the emotional and financial ups and downs of running a business.
• She describes her career path of supporting entrepreneurs across industries (real estate, dental, influencer marketing).
• Noticed a major pain point for creators: Building a business on "rented land" (i.e., social platforms where algorithms dictate reach and monetization).
  • Quote: "They really feel like they're beholden to the algorithm... Their revenue is unsustainable or at least not recurring because it really depends on the brand deals that are coming in." (05:08, B)
• Uscreen enables creators—especially in fitness—to own their content, control their audience relationships, and monetize directly through subscription models.
• Personal note: Pilates is central to Allison’s well-being, motivating her mission to help instructors share their expertise globally.

2. Evolution of the Digital Fitness Landscape Post-COVID

Timestamp: 07:38–11:26

• Major spike in online fitness due to COVID, followed by a correction—yet demand for digital experiences persists.
• Growing trend: "Walled garden" memberships (private, branded spaces with curated content for loyal communities).
• The hybrid model: Combining in-person and digital offerings, with features like community areas, live streams, challenges, and integration across web/mobile/TV.
  • Quote: “We have live stream capability, we have a whole community feature—sort of like a Facebook and Discord, all within Uscreen. All of these things create a much more engaging experience...” (09:56, B)

3. Niching Down & Community Engagement for Monetization

Timestamp: 11:26–13:48

• Success often comes from specialization. Top-performing creators start with niche audiences (e.g., pre/postnatal Pilates, Pilates for longevity).
• Authenticity and personalized connection are key—people subscribe for both content and relationship with the instructor.
• Uscreen fitness creators generated $103M in revenue last year; 13% earned six figures, showing potential extends beyond celebrities or viral influencers.
  • Quote: “Historically you could only really make money if you were actively teaching... This is a way for you to build this infrastructure, record the content, and give access to your community... and you have that passive income.” (13:25, B)

4. How to Get Started: Platform Usability & Key Features

Timestamp: 13:48–15:57

• Uscreen is built for accessibility: Simple to upload content, set up on-demand pricing, and evolve into subscriptions.
• User support includes onboarding, success teams, and strategic guidance based on industry benchmarks.
• Built-in tools: CRM, marketing funnels, automation, community engagement, and retention tools.
  • Quote: “We also have a lot of tools and content that actually helps you think about strategy... We built in marketing funnels, automations, a CRM, community, and other tools that really help drive engagement.” (14:23, B)

5. Breaking the “You Need a Massive Audience” Myth

Timestamp: 15:57–18:57

• Engaged, smaller communities can be more profitable than large, passive followings.
• Case studies:
  • Katia (London studio owner): Added $8,200/month in online revenue.
  • Leah Micelli: 6x’d her income to $28,000/month after platform migration.
  • Studio Bloom (pre & postnatal): Exceeds $1M in annual recurring revenue.
  • Quote: “You can actually have a pretty small following and be able to create like a really nice business out of it with recurring revenue.” (18:17, B)

6. Must-Have Platform Features for Growth

Timestamp: 18:57–21:47

• Own your branded destination (white-label website + mobile/TV apps).
• Use integrated marketing (email capture, promos, onboarding funnels) to drive conversions.
• Retention features: Gamification (badges, streaks), live streams, community areas, challenges, wearable integrations (e.g., Apple Watch).
  • Quote: “We’ve built in a lot of features to allow them to communicate and automate emails to their various segments of community...” (20:14, B)

7. Addressing Online Engagement & Retention

Timestamp: 21:47–23:37

• Digital engagement is more challenging than face-to-face—strategic use of live content, community interaction, and personalized experiences is essential.
• Uscreen is investing in AI to better personalize content recommendations and engagement.
  • Quote: “We’re investing a lot at Uscreen in creating more personalized experience based on watch history... using artificial intelligence so that... you're getting the best workout once they're on your site.” (23:22, B)

8. What’s Next: Future Trends and Uscreen Innovations

Timestamp: 23:37–27:13

• Launch of a dedicated coaching division to help instructors maximize outcomes.
• Tech improvements:
  • Local currency checkout (boosts international conversions)
  • Enhanced CRM/marketing automation ("set it and forget it" sequences, audience segmentation, analytics)
  • Automation and AI insights for data-driven business growth
  • Continuous updates to community, user experience, and engagement features
  • Quote: “We’re continuing to invest in analytics... giving you AI insights based on what we’re seeing in the data, as well as recommendations of the actions that you should take.” (25:11, B)

Memorable Quotes

• On the shift from teaching to earning at scale:
  "This is the entrepreneur's dream: making money in your sleep."
  — Allison Yazdian (13:39)

• On what really drives online success:
  "Follower count is such a vanity metric. The relationships you have in-person, the engagement you have—those are what matter."
  — Allison Yazdian (16:55)

• On Uscreen’s customer-centric approach:
  "One of my favorite parts about Uscreen is we are all so customer obsessed... we really feel like we’re supporting our parents, our siblings, our nieces, our uncles, everyone in our community."
  — Allison Yazdian (26:38)

Important Timestamps

• 03:30: Allison explains her journey and passion for empowering entrepreneurs.
• 08:34: How digital fitness is evolving post-pandemic; why private, branded platforms are on the rise.
• 13:48: Discussion of what’s required to get started and real-world platform usability.
• 16:51: Real talk about audience size and earning potential.
• 19:47: Essential platform features for acquiring and retaining subscribers.
• 23:37: Future trends: coaching, tech features, AI, international expansion.

Closing Takeaways

• Unique Value Wins: The most successful online Pilates businesses are rooted in authentic, niche offerings—mirroring what works in in-person studios.
• No Need for Huge Audiences: Real, committed engagement matters far more than follower count.
• Technology Empowers, But Strategy Sustains: Uscreen provides intuitive, all-in-one tools and strategic guidance to bridge the gap between teaching in-person and earning recurring online income.
• Continuous Improvement Matters: Uscreen invests in new features, customer support, and AI-driven personalization to keep creators competitive and profitable in this evolving digital space.