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Pilates Business Podcast
How the Pilates Journal Is Uniting Studios (and What It Means for Your Pilates Business) with CJ Zarb
00:24:40
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- [00:00]
A
What if our Pilates industry felt less like a collection of separate studios and more like a true community? Well, today's guest, CJ is the founder and editor in chief of the Pilates Journal, a platform that's bringing together instructors and studio owners and educators from all corners of the Pilates world. And her mission? Well, to elevate the industry by sharing knowledge and celebrating all styles of practice and creating a global community where every voice is heard. So if you've ever felt isolated in your business or your studio or your teaching and unsure where you fit into this fast evolving industry, then this conversation is for you. Well, hi there. I'm Sarah Glanfield. I'm a business and marketing strategist just for boutique fitness studio owners like you. If you're ready to be inspired and make a bigger impact, you're in the right place. All you need are a few key strategies, the right mindset, and some support along the way. Join me as I share the real life insights that will help you grow a sustainable and profitable studio. This is the Pilates Business Podcast. Well, hey there and welcome back to the Pilates Business Podcast. This is where we dive deep into what really it takes. What it really takes, I should say, to grow a thriving and sustainable boutique fitness studio business without burning yourself out. I'm Sarah Glanfield. I'm a business coach, marketing strategist, and former Pilates teacher. And I'm here to help you not just run your business, but to help you feel truly fulfilled by it. And if you've been listening for a while, you'll know that I'm a big believer in community. In fact, that's one of the reasons why I built out my own group coaching program. And that community is so important, especially for all of us out there around the world who are teaching in studios or in studios on our own. And it can be incredibly isolating to be teaching sometimes. And as a studio owner even so more so in some cases, you're often the one juggling all the things the teaching, the marketing, the managing of the team, the handling of the admin. And this is why today's episode is so special. Because I am joined by someone who not only do I deeply respect professionally, but who I've had the pleasure of working with actually since 2023. CJ Zab is the founder and editor in chief of the Pilates Journal. She's been a teacher for over a decade, and today CJ is dedicating a lot of her time to a mission that is really close to my heart and that is bringing the Pilates industry together through education and community. And that's what she's building inside of the Pilates Journal. But it's more than just a publication. It's a home for people just like you, for Pilates professionals. A place where you can see yourself be represented, where you can feel inspired and also connect with others who share our passion that we all have for the Pilates method. And not just online. There's events popping up all around the globe. So it's all about bringing people together in the same way. Room face to face as well. So welcome. CJ I'm so, so glad you're here. Finally we're doing this.
- [03:30]
B
Yes, finally we're doing this. It's great to be here, Saran.
- [03:34]
A
So why don't we dive in? I'm so curious to hear the story and to share the story with the listeners about how you came to the decision to create a journal for the Pilates industry. So maybe you can kind of take us back to the beginning and share with us a little bit about what really inspired you to create this platform, what needed, you see, in the industry that maybe wasn't being met.
- [04:03]
B
Yeah, absolutely. So the Pilates Journal was born from a love of connection and curiosity and community. I myself am still a Pilates teacher. I think it's really important to have that at the core of providing an industry publication like ours. And I found that at the time that there was so much information out there in the world that was sporadic or there were so many inspiring voices, but they existed in separate pockets. And so Pilates Journal was really born to really connect that community, connect those worlds. Teachers, educators, studios, and brands who wanted to celebrate what makes this, you know, the Pilates world and the Pilates community so special. I had done many different types of teacher training and continuing education through my Pilates career, but always felt like it was fragmented and there was no sense of unity or a place where it was safe to ask questions or be curious about what your next step in your Pilates career could look like. And so we wanted to create the Pilates Journal as that global Pilates community together. A space where we could, you know, bring incredible educators, explore ideas shaping the industry, and support the broader community at large. And give voice, I think, to so many people that are doing amazing things in their communities day by day, that perhaps they don't even realize the amazing things they're doing and. And truly show that Pilates is for everybody. So it was born from. From those principles and from my experience in the Industry and looking at it from afar, saying we could be so much more united together, regardless if we're looking at it from different streams in the method, but finding a way to unite and know that we're stronger together.
- [05:53]
A
Amazing. So you came into this without an experience in journalism or writing or online content of any sort, is that right?
- [06:03]
B
No, my background is actually in media and PR and communications. So my career very early on was in journalism and in TV journalism. And I really cut my teeth in those environments and then worked in sponsorships and events throughout my career. So I had sort of done those things very early in my career and then found a love of Pilates later. More more in detail later. I'd experienced Pilates very lucky as a child through the dance school that I was at. I was a dancer as a young child. And so I had a very, very privileged chance to see Pilates very early on in my life and see how it could be a great tool. And then I came back to it much later in life and went, this is something that I know is still really important to me, something that supported me post having children as well, and knew that this was a career that I absolutely adored and loved because I could help other people, I could be giving back to, to clients and community. And I realized that that was something that was really important to me. So starting to teach as a Pilates teacher and then realized there was this disconnect between what I was seeing and what I was hearing about in the industry and fragmented ideas. And I felt like I wanted to unify and bring people together so that we could understand more what. What incredible people are doing out there and hear more of those stories and learn from other people. I've always been someone with a love for learning, so for me, this was just a natural fit to create something like this.
- [07:41]
A
Yeah, it sounds like the perfect marriage of both of your experience and passions, which is always a fantastic place to be. Right. So tell us a little bit about, you know, the different. Because you cover a lot of different topics in the journal. So tell us a little bit about what are the. Some of the most popular topics that you see people really kind of looking at and wanting more of. What, what. What do you share in there and what do you see? Perhaps look, you're looking to kind of share going forward in some upcoming issues.
- [08:16]
B
Yeah, we cover a whole spectrum of articles and ideas in the Pilates Journal because we want to make sure, again, that there's something for everybody. You'll take an issue and there'll be some Things that truly resonate with you and some for someone else. There'll be completely different stories. Some of those stories talk specifically to studio ownership and how to run your business and the tools you might need to do that. And we'll work with people like yourself, Saran, to be able to tell those stories. But we'll also do lots of stories that talk about education and what your next career move might look like. Like. Or understanding a pathology in more detail. Or the ones that I find that are the most people love the most are those human interest stories where we found out someone's deeper story about how they started their journey or what challenges they faced, what adversity they may have gone through, or even people who have new ideas and are looking at different ways to approach the method. You know, there's so many interesting things that are happening within the Pilates community at large in terms of people, you know utilizing the method in different ways or pulling in different pieces of equipment or props or materials. And we give voice to what's happening in the industry. And these conversations also shape the future of the Pilates industry because we. We hear about how it's changing their businesses, how they're adapting, how they're understanding more of what their competitors are doing. Because, like in any business, you need to understand what your competitors doing, what their key differentiators are, how they're standing out amongst a crowd. And by giving that sort of information, we're giving you tools to be informed about what you should do next for your business, or maybe what you should do next for your career as a. As a teacher.
- [10:04]
A
Exactly. You know, it's always so wonderful to hear how people found Pilates and what they discovered through the method. And I know it's fascinating. I always find it fascinating, at least, and I'm sure you do, too. You've gotten the opportunity to meet and to talk with so many teachers from all over the world, and everyone's got a different story, but everyone can bring something new to that conversation. And it's always really wonderful to see what that path and journey that others have walked. Right. And to share it and to see that perhaps parallel yours or have a very different path to the path in the journey that you've been on. And I think being able to see that and be able to have a place where you can or be exposed to that is so powerful because it just opens up, you know, possibility for all the different ways that, you know, this industry can. Can hold so many different people in so many different journeys.
- [11:01]
B
Absolutely. And also, you know, we often speak with leading CEOs from the different brands that are very, you know, high profile in the industry, like the CEO of Merrithew and other brands. And we hear about their direction, where they want to shape the industry as well, where their key focuses and core markets are. And we hear about their strategies for the next 12 months. And in the next issue that we're doing, there will be something about their predictions for Pilates in the year ahead. And so it gives you an insight into what's next for the method and for education and for, you know, studio ownership. But I mean, we also cover stories like we did a story with Vicki from Vicalati's in Australia where she talks about introducing more classical work into a contemporary setting and how that works as well and how she makes it more accessible to her clients. Not taking away from the classical work which we know is so important, but it's also finding ways to bridge and make sense of it potentially for clients that may not have experienced it before. And if it means brings more people into Pilates and it makes more people stay in Pilates and perhaps they go to different studios over that time and they end up at your studio in five or 10 years time. There's end benefit and end goal for everybody in this if we're in it together.
- [12:20]
A
Yeah, yeah, absolutely, absolutely. So I gather that you recently did a quite a comprehensive industry survey. And I always, I know that, you know, I'm always asked, people are always curious to know, you know, what's happening, what are other people doing, what are the, what is the data say. And so maybe you could share a little bit about the findings from the survey and perhaps some of the insights that you gathered from doing that.
- [12:49]
B
Absolutely. So we do an industry survey every, every year. So every 12 months we really ask to try and get a pulse or a temperature check on how everyone's feeling, what their concerns are, what they're seeing more of or how they're adapting in their, in their studio environments. No surprises. That, you know, group reformer is definitely on the rise. I think many people are seeing that and you know, we've seen a surge of 50% of studios are increasing the number of group reformer classes. They're running, they're adapting, they're becoming more agile to what the market needs. And that's not to suggest that's suitable for every studio either. You know, everyone should be have a goals for their studios in the direction they want to be. But it's important to understand what's driving clients to studio and how they're going about it. So that that group, Reformer, I think is no surprise to many of us. But on the flip side, we're also seeing that, you know, 40% of studios are also introducing new services in the past year. They're really looking at new ways to engage with their clients, new ways to engage with their members. You know, examples that were given were, you know, adding infrared saunas into their businesses or myotherapy or adding more holistic wellness practices into their Pilates studio so they retain their clients or members for longer. So that's really interesting that we're in this phase where wellness and the wellness boom, which the rets of the fitness industry is seeing is starting to come into the Pilates space. So I think there's lots of opportunity there and we'll talk more about that at the Pilates Journal Expo as well. And then the other thing we're seeing with the industry report was that, you know, 40% of those surveys also said they plan to expand their services or their studio rather in the next 12 months. That's a huge amount of people really thinking about what is that next step for me, what does that look like? So these stats really suggest there is a surge of all of us wanting to do more in our businesses to retain our clients and keep them for longer.
- [15:00]
A
Yeah, absolutely. That ties in with exactly what we're seeing amongst the studio owners that I work with as well. And there is a tremendous amount of possibility out there in so many different ways to generate additional revenue streams and expand in so many different ways. And I think, you know, in a lot of, in a lot of cases it's about sort of really defining what it is that you really want for your business and then proceeding with what then that. What that strategy then should look like. And you know, I think for those people who are smart and looking to build very sustainable businesses, I think that, you know, to be more. To be strategic about it is very sensible and you know, expansion where you, where you can is. Is a. Is a good idea. And if your brand is aligned with a perhaps a wider wellness focus, then adding additional services is always. Is a really nice thing to do because your clients probably already want it as well. And it's so. It's so amazing to be to business owner at this time. You know, with the, as you mentioned, the increased focus on wellness as a whole, access to the wellness data that we have at our fingertips today from all the different wearables that we all are wearing all the time.
- [16:17]
B
Yeah.
- [16:18]
A
You know, there's so Many different avenues to, to, to pursue when it comes to growth. It's just, it is a great time to be in this industry.
- [16:25]
B
For sure.
- [16:26]
A
For sure.
- [16:27]
B
And there's just so many different ways you can differentiate. There's so many different ways you can take your business in or stick to your lane and be really true to the way you deliver the method and be really comfortable with that as well. You know, sometimes I also understand that some people go, there's so much out there that I feel overwhelmed that I should be doing more. There's also the license to say, well, they're the things I won't be doing. And that's okay if that's, if that's where you want to be as well.
- [16:51]
A
A hundred percent. In fact, you know, I think, I think what, I think that sometimes that is the smartest thing to do. Yes. Right.
- [16:58]
B
Yes.
- [16:59]
A
To say, actually this is, that's not in my wheelhouse, you know, that's not, that doesn't fit with our brand. So, yeah, completely, you know, allow yourself to focus on the things that you, you want and want to do and want to do really, really, really, really well. So there's room for both and there's room for. All right. And that's the, that's exactly what, what you're, you're building the Pilates Journal on as well. Right. So tell us a little bit. You mentioned it. You gave us a little bit of a sneak peek, but you mentioned the Expo. So tell us a little bit about how your expos came to be and then a little bit about what might be coming up in January.
- [17:35]
B
Yeah, absolutely. So, yes, we've been running the Parties Journal Expo for a few years now in Sydney and we've really been bringing together people to inspire them and create a sense of community that you cannot beat that one on one personal interaction. If you've ever been to a conference, you will know, but we knew that the us and, and so many of you really wanted to have us come and be in la. So we're holding the first Pilates Journal Expo in January in Huntington Beach. The dates are the 10th and 11th of January. And the reason we're bringing this event is because obviously we do. So much of what we do is sharing so many amazing stories through the journal, bringing people together in person over a two day weekend at a beautiful location that feels like you're on holidays to me. Sounds like the perfect experience to learn and grow. So over that weekend you can expect to deep dive into all sorts of different workshops with some really leading Industry figures from the likes of Andrea Spear to Sean Vergara to Shelley Power, Tracy Mallet, Maria Leone. So many incredible powerhouses are really excited behind the expo as well and the initiatives we're bringing over the weekend, as I said, workshops. But there's lots of business panels as well, where you can come and hear about not just your studio and, and the direction of the studio, but you can also hear about the latest trends in the industry over the last 12 months. There'll be also presentations about what's shaping the future of Pilates and what the studio of the future looks like. Like, so you really get an idea and a sense of where the industry is going. And there'll be an expo hall full of vendors with exciting equipment there as well. You'll see all different types of equipment providers there, so you really get a chance to see what's in the market. Often at these events you don't see everything. Here's your chance to come and see what's available. And if you want to get wholesale deals or better deals, you can. You'll see the latest innovations in technology as well and software where so you'll have a real sense of all different types of Pilates equipment and accessories and so forth at the event. There's networking, there's networking drinks. You don't have to drink, you can just come and network. But the whole idea is that you spend the whole weekend together.
- [20:00]
A
Yeah, yeah, exciting. It's so fun, so fun to get together. We were just saying before I hit record, you guys, that it's so great to see people in person and to really, you know, you often, you follow a lot of people online. You may have connected, connected with them on social media. You may, and, and then, and then getting to meet people face to face and, and, or hear them speak or attend their workshop or, you know, perhaps even meet with some software providers that you've been curious about and you know, getting to actually ask questions and so on is always, it's always just so powerful to inspire you. And I think, you know, January is a good time, right. We want to all be kicking off 2026 feeling good with, you know, armed with, you know, great ideas for growth. So it's going to be a good time. Tell us a little bit before we, as we come to wrap up. Tell me a little bit about what's next for you and obviously the Expo. But beyond that, what do you see happening for the parties journal over the course of the next 12 months or so?
- [21:02]
B
Yeah, so it's an exciting time at The Parties Journal. We want to keep telling amazing stories. If you have short stories to tell, please reach out. We will keep running more events, so that's an exciting development that's in the background. And obviously our January event is really that sort of saying we're here and we want to do so much more with the community. We want to share so many more amazing stories at those events. And more broadly, we'll also be doing more work to invest in our Pilates Journal awards programs. Our awards program where we acknowledge, give voice and recognize those doing so many good things in the community. So our awards program will continue to grow, our events will continue to grow, and the Journal continue to be that independent source of information about the best Pilates courses in the market, the best reformers in the market, the best equipment more broadly in the market. We want to keep abreast of keeping you across what's happening in the industry and where you can take either your business or your career or just enjoy your Pilates sessions and know that you've got us as a community to lean on.
- [22:11]
A
So great. Well, thanks so much, CJ for coming on and sharing a little bit more about the Journal and the Expo. Before we close out, why don't you let us know where is the best place for folks to find more information about both of those things and to connect with you?
- [22:29]
B
Absolutely. So if you're looking to find out more and read more interesting stories, head to pilatesjournal.com it's free to subscribe. We deliberately want it to be free to subscribe. So it is inclusive and accessible for anybody who's interested in Pilates. So share it with your friends. And for the Expo, you can head to pilatesjournal expo.com and you can get your tickets there for the event. Early bird tickets are still available, so get in quick. It's completely worth it. The whole weekend is catered for. It's an entire experience. It's very rare that you get this many educators in a room over two days, over a weekend. So you won't be disappointed. So make sure you join us.
- [23:13]
A
Fantastic. Thanks so much for joining. It was great to chat with you.
- [23:17]
B
I felt like we could have chatted for hours, Saran, but I'm sure we'll do it again sometime. We will for sure.
- [23:24]
A
Well, thank you all for listening in to our conversation as well. And I hope this was helpful to you as you go about building your boutique fitness studio business and as your career as a teacher. And if you enjoyed what you heard today, I'd be so appreciative if you could take a quick minute to wherever you're listening to this and rate and review this podcast. It'll mean a ton to me, but it also helped to keep get this podcast out there into our amazing community so that more teachers and studio owners just like you can feel encouraged and supported on their journey in our industry. Thanks so much for listening. Did you love this episode and want more? Head to spring3.com and check out my free resources that will help you run a profitable and fulfilling studio business. And before you go, one last reminder. There is no one way to do what you do, only your way. So whatever it is that you want to do, create or offer, you've got this. Thanks again for joining me today and have a wonderful rest of your day.