Still Doing It All Yourself? Here’s Why That’s Sabotaging Your Success - Pilates Business Podcast

Summary

Pilates Business Podcast: "Still Doing It All Yourself? Here’s Why That’s Sabotaging Your Success"

Release Date: April 7, 2025 | Host: Sarah Glanfield

Introduction to the Episode

In the episode titled "Still Doing It All Yourself? Here’s Why That’s Sabotaging Your Success," host Sarah Glanfield delves into the common challenges faced by boutique fitness studio owners who find themselves overwhelmed by juggling multiple roles. Drawing from over 13 years of experience in helping studio owners build profitable and sustainable businesses, Sarah identifies key mindset blocks and shares actionable strategies to transition from being an instructor to a confident CEO.

Shifting Roles: Instructor to CEO

Sarah begins by addressing the fundamental shift required for studio owners: transitioning from being the primary instructor to taking on the role of a CEO. She emphasizes that while passion for Pilates or any fitness modality is essential, excelling in business operations demands a different skill set.

“You can be the best instructor in the world, but that doesn't necessarily make you a great business owner,” Sarah asserts (02:30). She highlights that many studio owners are so entrenched in daily operations that they inadvertently cap their business growth and personal fulfillment.

Three Mindset Blocks Sabotaging Success

Sarah identifies three primary mindset blocks that hinder studio owners from achieving scalable success:

1. The "I Have to Do It All" Mentality

Many studio owners believe they must handle every aspect of their business to ensure its success. This belief often leads to burnout and stagnation.

“If you're doing everything, if you're the only one who can do everything, then it's possible that you are the bottleneck to growth in your business,” Sarah explains (06:45). She stresses the importance of delegating tasks to free up time for strategic decision-making and growth initiatives.

2. Fear of Stepping into the CEO Role

A significant number of studio owners fear embracing their role as leaders. Self-limiting beliefs such as “I'm not a business person” or “I hate telling people what to do” prevent them from fully stepping into leadership positions.

“Leadership is not about knowing everything. It's actually about having a vision for what you want for your business and guiding your team and your clients toward it,” Sarah encourages (10:15). She advises studio owners to shift their narratives, replacing negative self-perceptions with affirmations like “I am the leader of my business.”

3. The Belief That More Hours Equals More Growth

Many owners equate success with the number of hours worked, believing that pushing harder and longer will lead to business growth.

“More hours does not necessarily mean more growth. You might not need to work harder. You might just need to work a little bit smarter,” Sarah cautions (14:00). She urges studio owners to evaluate how they spend their time, distinguishing between revenue-generating activities and mere busy work.

Leadership Shifts for Success

To overcome these mindset blocks, Sarah outlines three crucial leadership shifts:

1. Setting Boundaries Around Time

Allocating specific time slots solely for CEO responsibilities is essential.

“Block out that time on your calendar. If it's not in my calendar, it will never ever happen,” Sarah advises (16:30). She recommends dedicating one to two hours each week for strategic planning, growth strategies, and high-level decision-making.

2. Building a Supportive Team

Delegation is key to scaling a business without overextending oneself. Sarah emphasizes the importance of hiring a team that can handle various operational tasks.

“The most successful studio owners, the most successful CEOs, they delegate, they build systems because they know that their time is too valuable to spend on every single little task,” she notes (18:45). Whether it’s a part-time front desk assistant or a virtual assistant, building a team alleviates the burden and fosters business growth.

3. Implementing Systems for Seamless Operations

Having robust systems in place ensures that the business runs smoothly, even in the owner’s absence.

“If your studio falls apart when you take a day off, then you have a systems problem,” Sarah states (20:10). She advises starting with one area, such as client onboarding or class scheduling, and developing a simple three to five-step process that can be automated or delegated.

Actionable Steps for Studio Owners

To consolidate these insights, Sarah provides actionable steps:

Delegate Tasks: Identify one task each week that can be handed off to a team member.
Set CEO Time: Schedule dedicated time for strategic business activities.
Build Systems: Develop simple processes for key business operations to ensure consistency and efficiency.

Conclusion and Takeaways

Sarah wraps up the episode by recapping the three mindset blocks and the corresponding leadership shifts necessary for studio owners to transition into effective CEOs. She underscores that success lies not in working harder, but in working smarter by delegating, leading confidently, and systematizing operations.

“Your studio probably doesn't need more of you. It might need just a different version of you. One that leads with vision, not just effort,” Sarah concludes (21:50). She encourages listeners to embrace these changes to build a studio business that supports their personal and professional fulfillment.

Supporting Resources: Thrive Coaching Program

While the core message focuses on mindset and leadership shifts, Sarah also introduces her Thrive coaching program, designed to provide studio owners with strategic guidance, systems, and templates to streamline operations and elevate their business.

“Inside Thrive, you get access to processes, systems, and templates to help you streamline your operations,” she explains (19:50). This program is tailored for those ready to step into their CEO role and accelerate their business growth.

Key Quotes:

“You can be the best instructor in the world, but that doesn't necessarily make you a great business owner.” (02:30)
“If you're doing everything, if you're the only one who can do everything, then it's possible that you are the bottleneck to growth in your business.” (06:45)
“Leadership is not about knowing everything. It's actually about having a vision for what you want for your business and guiding your team and your clients toward it.” (10:15)
“More hours does not necessarily mean more growth. You might not need to work harder. You might just need to work a little bit smarter.” (14:00)
“Block out that time on your calendar. If it's not in my calendar, it will never ever happen.” (16:30)
“If your studio falls apart when you take a day off, then you have a systems problem.” (20:10)
“Your studio probably doesn't need more of you. It might need just a different version of you. One that leads with vision, not just effort.” (21:50)

Final Thoughts:

Sarah Glanfield's episode provides invaluable insights for boutique fitness studio owners striving for growth and sustainability. By addressing common mindset challenges and offering practical leadership strategies, she empowers studio owners to transform their businesses from being overly reliant on their efforts to thriving under strategic leadership.

Listeners are encouraged to reflect on their current business practices, identify areas for delegation, and embrace the CEO mindset to unlock their studio's full potential.

Transcript

Unknown Host (0:00)

Are you teaching non stop marketing on the fly and still not seeing the growth you want?

Sarah Glanfield (0:06)

Well, it's time to fix that.

Unknown Host (0:08)

Join me for my upcoming free training where I'm sharing the blueprint for studio business success. This is for those studio owners who are feeling overworked and underpaid. Inside, you'll learn the exact system to create predictable revenue, keep clients longer and grow your studio without burning out. Register now the links in the show notes or if you go to Instagram and send me a message with the word blueprint, I'll send you the link to access.

Sarah Glanfield (0:38)

Well, hey there studio owners. Do you ever feel like your business won't grow unless you are the one who does it all? Maybe you find yourself constantly stuck in the day to day and somehow you're still not seeing the growth that you want. Well, it's pretty common, which is why in today's episode, I'm diving into the three biggest mindset blocks that keep the most passionate and talented studio owners just like you stuck in a cycle of overwork. And I'm also going to share the leadership shifts that will finally help you step into your role as successful CEO.

Sarah Glanfield (1:20)

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.

Sarah Glanfield (1:47)

This is the Pilates Business Podcast.

Sarah Glanfield (1:53)

Well, hey there and welcome back to.

Unknown Host (1:55)

The Pilates Business Podcast.

Sarah Glanfield (1:57)

I'm your host, Sarah Glanfield. And if we've never met before, welcome. And you probably should know that I've been doing this a while, Almost, I think 13 years now. I've been helping boutique fitness studio owners just like you to build profitable and sustainable, but perhaps most importantly, deeply fulfilling studio businesses. And every now and again we're going to come across some challenges. We're going to find some things that pop up and perhaps hold us back a little bit. And so today I want to share with you particularly one of those things that I see quite often, and that is a topic that many studio owners struggle with. And I think it's true for perhaps business owners across many different sectors. And that is the shift from being an instructor or a teacher to becoming the CEO and leader of your business. Now, I know from speaking to hundreds of studio owners over the years that most of you did not start your studio because you just happen to love business and marketing and numbers. You probably started it because you're passionate about the movement, about Pilates, about yoga, about barre spin, dance, cardio, and all of the other incredible modalities that you offer in your studio. And deep down underneath it all, you do what you do because you want to share that with others. You want others to feel their best as well. And I absolutely love that about this industry. But the reality is that you can be the best instructor in the world, but that doesn't necessarily make you a great business owner. In fact, what we find is that there are two very different skill sets that you need to be good at both. And most likely you've invested in your skills as a teacher, as a movement practitioner, as a, an instructor. And perhaps there is a not been quite as much of an investment in developing your skills as a business owner. And that's very, very natural and very normal. And that's usually when people get in touch with me, when they realize that they've taken their business as far as they can go, or they're uncertain about what's possible or next for them. And so that shift from being an instructor, I think, to being a CEO is actually one of the hardest transitions for boutique fitness studio owners, because it requires you to do a couple of things. It requires you to not only have the awareness of perhaps that lack of skills, perhaps holding you back, but it also requires you to do something about it. So I want to share with you today some of the things that often are holding studio owners back from really tapping into that potential that their business holds. So if you're constantly in the weeds, maybe you're the one teaching a lot of the classes or a lot of the private sessions that you're teaching, you're adding the admin work alongside that, and it's a constant juggle. Or maybe you have a small team or are growing a team and you're having a hard time stepping into that leadership role. You are not alone. And that's why today I want to talk about some of the mindset blocks that often will keep studio owners stuck more in that overworked instructor role than in that leadership role. And I'm also going to share a little bit about what it takes to be a good leader and what those skills look like. And then because I care about your progress and growth and having your business grow with you, I'm going to share some actionable steps designed to really free up your time and focus on that growth instead of just surviving. So let me talk about perhaps the biggest mindset block that I see. And this is something that perhaps people are not even that vocal about when we first talk. And that is the mindset block of the I have to do it all mentality or I am the only one who can do this in my business. And this is the belief that really you have to do everything for your studios to succeed, right? And this, this might sound familiar, especially if you have been, you've perhaps built your business up yourself and you have been a teacher or are a teacher in the business. Perhaps you're also the client relationship person, you're the front desk scheduler, you are the social media manager, you are hr, you're the cleaner and all of those other things in between. And I get it that perhaps when you start a business, you are most likely going to wear many, many, many hats. But it's likely that you might also still be there many years later when your business has grown. And if you're still wearing all the hats, then the reality is you're not setting yourself up for scale. You're instead setting yourself up for burnout. And that is not a good place to be, my friend. So the truth is, if you are doing everything, if you're the only one who can do everything, then it's possible that you are the bottleneck to growth in your business. Now, the most successful studio owners, the most successful CEOs, they delegate, they build systems because they know that their time is too valuable to spend on every single little task. So the mindset shift that you have to make at some point in your business, and it might, might be day one or it might be year one, or might be year four, is that instead of I have to do it all, ask yourself, what is one task that I can delegate this week? Now, I want you to start small and maybe it's handing off perhaps putting together content for your marketing efforts, maybe it's delegating to a front desk person more of that scheduling or more of that subbing requests and so on, bringing in someone to help you and sit in that role of being able to, perhaps you hand things off to, is going to help your business to grow, without a doubt. And the goal is not to overhaul your entire studio overnight. It's likely this will be a process for you to as you develop that skill of delegation and as you train folks in your business. But it's, it's about starting to reclaim your time bit by bit and allowing yourself to perhaps focus on Some of the needs that your business has of you that you cannot focus on if you're doing all of these small tasks that you can perhaps delegate. So instead of thinking, I have to do it all, I'm the only one who can do it this way or this well, think about what is one thing that I can delegate this week. Now, that is really common. And I think once you've broken through that mindset block and you realize actually how freeing it can be to have other people in your business helping you, then we face the second mindset block that is really common, and that is the fear of fully stepping into your CEO role. Now, so many studio owners hesitate to call themselves business minded. In fact, more often than not, I hear phrases like, I'm not a business person. Numbers are not my thing. I'm not cut out to be a boss. I don't want to be a boss. I hate telling people what to do. I don't have. I'm not good at marketing. And all of these stories that we tell ourselves actually often have an impact on how we show up in our business. And so if you've ever thought any of this to yourself, even if you haven't said it out loud, I want to stop you right there. Because leadership is not about knowing everything. It's actually about having a vision for what you want for your business and guiding your team and your business and your clients toward it. You do not need an MBA to lead. Truly you do not. In fact, some of the most successful business owners I know do not have an mba. But what they do have is a vision and they have a direction. And so often instead of telling yourself what you are not, why not replace it with what you are? So shift the story. And instead of saying, I'm not a business person, I'm not a numbers person, perhaps try saying to yourself, I'm learning to be the leader my business needs. I'm becoming the leader my business needs. Or maybe you can even say, I am the leader of my business. And these are powerful shifts. And you'll find that as you start to recognize some of these thoughts popping up, perhaps they show up in random times, perhaps when an a team member questions you on your pricing or a client pushes back on something, recognize these, these thoughts as they, as they sort of come to you. And be mindful and have awareness for the way that that makes you feel. Because if you can shift your thinking towards being what is possible for yourself and what you are capable of, you'll find that it's really powerful for your direction of your business, you start showing up more as the leader. Decisions get clearer, boundaries get easier, and what happens is everyone steps up alongside you. So you may not be quite in that zone yet. You might not feel like the leader yet, but if you tell yourself you are not that leader, you will never become that leader. Likewise, if you are prepared to try, you're prepared to believe in yourself, then you'll find it comes a whole lot, lot easier. At some point along the way, everybody falls into this trap of this third mindset block. And this one is really sneaky. And often it's tied to really a deep sort of feeling perhaps from, you know, early in our, in our lives. And this is also somewhat of an addictive mindset, I think, too, and that there is this sort of associational belief that if you do more, if you push harder, if you work harder, add more classes, say yes to everything, push yourself a little bit more, then your business will finally take off. And I want you to tell you something really important right now that I want you to remind yourself perhaps as you're sending emails late into the evening, and that is that more hours does not necessarily mean more growth. More hours does not necessarily mean more growth. You might not need to work harder. You might just need to work a little bit smarter. And I want you to think about how you're spending your time. Are you spending time on things, on tasks that actually move the needle, or are you just perhaps doing the busy work? And I would encourage you to think about the way that you spend your time over the course of a week and think about what it is that you're actually doing, perhaps over the course of the next week that is actually revenue generating and then what is just busy work. And this kind of ties into some of the things I spoke about earlier, which might help you to identify what things you might be able to hand off and delegate quite quickly. Because once we sort of disassociate that work hard to more growth or more revenue or more income, then we start to see things a little bit differently. We start to see where opportunities exist to perhaps make things a little bit easier for ourselves. And you start to see a shift, perhaps in the way that you think about your time. Once you see the difference, you will start shifting your focus to the things that actually grow your time business. And again, all of this is tied to the way that you see your role and the way that you spend your time in your business. And so if you're just filling your time with busy work with, with more Work with more hours, hoping that's going to lead to growth. Then just know that you're setting yourself up for a continuation of working that hard for as long as you, you, you can.