138. Why ClassPass is Hurting Fitness Studios, PE Backing, and Instructor Fair Pay ft. Bobby Westside

Bobby McMullen, aka Bobby Westside, has been going viral for everything he is posting on Instagam and TikTok on his no BS take on the fitness industry. Bobby has a background in banking but also personal training so he really understand's both sides of the argument when it comes to managing a fitness studio. We talk candidly about how ClassPass is killing boutique fitness, what really happens when PE funding enters the chat, and why it's crucial to invest in your instructors. Bobby has also made it his mission to connect people with quality personal trainers at his company Adonis so check them out!I loved Bobby's energy and candid opinions about what it takes to make more money as a fitness owner and where exactly to not cut costs. Follow Bobby McMullen on Instagram HERE. Download my app! It's a free marketing coach in your pocket. To keep up with me on instagram, follow me @alexagrowmybusinessTo join the The Friday Society Membership, click here To join my newsletter for free marketing advice, click here.                                                  To view all of my free resources, click here!                                                                               Take the free quiz to find out What's Missing From You Marketing

How do you get clients coming back more often and staying longer, without spending a dollar on ads? In this solo episode, I'm sharing 7 organic ways to increase client frequency and lifetime value for fitness studios, yoga and Pilates studios, personal trainers and wellness businesses.Client frequency is one of the five KPIs I look at with every 1:1 client, and it tells me so much about your business: your pricing, your new client flow, and how much of a habit your clients have built around you. We'll cover what your frequency number should be, where to find it in Momence, Mariana Tek and Arketa, and the simple hospitality-plus-data moves that turn one-time buyers into loyal members.In this episode, we cover:Why your business model decides how much client retention and lifetime value matterHow to define the results you want for your clients, and why frequency gets them there fasterLetting your best clients shape your offers, including how my once-a-month maintenance sessions came straight from client requestsMoving clients from class packs to recurring memberships, plus the exact text message I recommend sending once a monthWhy every intro offer needs a visit goal, and the bingo card idea that gets new clients in the door four times in two weeksThe ideal client frequency for group fitness studios (3–5 visits a month) and what a number that's too high or too low is telling youClient milestone programs that cost nothing, and why I set up an automation at class 48Growing lifetime spend with retreats and workshops that meet clients where they are in lifeThis October, we're going deeper inside The Friday Society Membership with our KPI Deep-Dive Masterclass: Increasing Frequency & Lifetime Spend on October 8, plus resources all month long. Members can cancel anytime!Links & resources:Join The Friday Society Membership: https://foreverfriday.co/membershipFollow along on Instagram: @alexagrowmybusinessHave a question or topic request? Send me a DM on Instagram. I read every one!Download my app! It's a free marketing coach in your pocket. To keep up with me on instagram, follow me @alexagrowmybusinessTo join the The Friday Society Membership, click here To join my newsletter for free marketing advice, click here.                                                  To view all of my free resources, click here!                                                                               Take the free quiz to find out What's Missing From You Marketing

Brutal Business Advice: Marketing, Money, and BoundariesIt's a solo episode, and I'm not holding back! Today I'm covering the brutal advice every service-based business owner needs to hear — from marketing missteps to money moves to the boundary conversations we all avoid.In this episode:Why "I'm tired, just buy my thing" needs to disappear from your messagingPaying for saved time — why it's math, not a splurgeWhat to spend money on when your budget is limitedMy honest answer on how to land more 1:1 clients (SEO makes the list!)Class or private? The abundance vs. scarcity answerSetting boundaries with staff who are also your friendsMentioned in this episode:Flodesk, Zapier, MomenceThe SEO podcast episode The FREE binaural beats youtube I loveRadical Candor by Kim ScottFocal Point by Brian TracyThe Friday Society MembershipDownload my app! It's a free marketing coach in your pocket. To keep up with me on instagram, follow me @alexagrowmybusinessTo join the The Friday Society Membership, click here To join my newsletter for free marketing advice, click here.                                                  To view all of my free resources, click here!                                                                               Take the free quiz to find out What's Missing From You Marketing

SURPRISE! I'm pregnant! And also, SURPRISE! The Friday Society Podcast has a new name. It is now the Alexa Grow My Business Podcast. I've been waiting to share the news and the time feels right. As a small business owner who runs literally everything in my business, I am getting a lot of questions about how to prepare for maternity leave as a business owner. I realized that I'm actually pretty set to take a few months off because of all the work I've been doing over the past few years and implementing the strategies I teach about in The Friday Society Membership. In today's episode, I share exactly how I am setting up my small business marketing membership to run seamlessly while I'm away, the systems I have in place, and exciting guest speakers within TFS membership, including Jennifer Maavani of Physique 57 & Anne Mahlum former owner of Solidcore. I also invited two of the most intentional mother's and business owner's to share their advice on how to create the maternity leave of your dreams. I hosted Mandee Pearson of Santosha Pilates and Erika Polisnelli of Evolve by Erika. If you're needing to set yourself up for a successful maternity leave then listen to these two trainings in the membership! I promise, with the right marketing systems in place you can take a step back and let your business run itself. Time Management, Delegation, and BoundariesPrice Raise 101Hope you guys enjoy the episode!Download my app! It's a free marketing coach in your pocket. To keep up with me on instagram, follow me @alexagrowmybusinessTo join the The Friday Society Membership, click here To join my newsletter for free marketing advice, click here.                                                  To view all of my free resources, click here!                                                                               Take the free quiz to find out What's Missing From You Marketing

Allie Duffy, the Founder of The Pilates RX is a long-time member of The Friday Society Membership. I have been able to watch her grow a thriving concierge Physical Therapy and Pilates business that is client centric, authentic, and extremely intentional. Allie is not only a small business owner but a mother juggling employee's, growth, and creating boundaries around her time to enjoy the early stages of motherhood. I think we can learn so much from other small business owners and Allie's is one of them. We discuss why she started a physical therapy meets pilates business, her up's and down's of maternity leave, employee experiences, and scaling her business. Also, this month in The Friday Society Membership we are discussing how to perfect your time management, boundaries, and delegation skills! This was a great episode and not to be missed!Check out The Pilates RX on Instagram HERE.Check out The Pilates RX website HERE.Download my app! It's a free marketing coach in your pocket. To keep up with me on instagram, follow me @alexagrowmybusinessTo join the The Friday Society Membership, click here To join my newsletter for free marketing advice, click here.                                                  To view all of my free resources, click here!                                                                               Take the free quiz to find out What's Missing From You Marketing

The Road to 1M: What I Would (and Wouldn't) Do AgainI just hit 5K followers, 6 years into this business — and I built it past $1M without paid ads. A lot of people will tell you that you need a big following to make real money. You don't. You need to be real, have a proven result, and be clear about how you get there.In this episode, I'm breaking down exactly what I'd do again (and what I wouldn't) if I wanted to hit another million, faster:Why the "needle movers" that matter most often aren't measurable right awayWhy a dollar spent on client hospitality beats a dollar spent on ads, every timeHow I finally got honest about my business model after years of spaghetti-at-the-wall strategyThe one schedule shift that changed my entire relationship with my energy (hint: it's about your Thursdays)Why I refuse to work with tech I hate — energetically or logisticallyGrab the client journey free module here!Download my app! It's a free marketing coach in your pocket. To keep up with me on instagram, follow me @alexagrowmybusinessTo join the The Friday Society Membership, click here To join my newsletter for free marketing advice, click here.                                                  To view all of my free resources, click here!                                                                               Take the free quiz to find out What's Missing From You Marketing

One of my favorite people, Daryn Schwartz, Founder of The Space Between Yoga, and most recently The Space Together, joined me to talk about expanding your business in ways that may feel out of the original business plan. We talked about how Daryn and her business partner took the bold leap from expanding their yoga business into a second location that is a co-working gathering place. Daryn has built an incredible yoga studio with a cult following and is now branching out into a totally different revenue stream. We discussed her expansion and how it came to be, finding the right location, and what's the future for businesses who feel like expanding but not sure the next step. This was a fantastic conversation and I'm so excited for you to take a listen!Listen to Daryn's original episode #96 HERE.Find out more about The Space Between Yoga Studio HERE & The Space Together HERE.Download my app! It's a free marketing coach in your pocket. To keep up with me on instagram, follow me @alexagrowmybusinessTo join the The Friday Society Membership, click here To join my newsletter for free marketing advice, click here.                                                  To view all of my free resources, click here!                                                                               Take the free quiz to find out What's Missing From You Marketing

Jennifer Maanavi, Founder and CEO of Physique 57, joined me on the podcast. Physique 57 has been around for 20 years, 20 years! Jennifer has seen a lot including expanding into different countries, selling fitness DVD's, hosting on demand memberships (before that was even a thing), closing multiple studies during covid, and still continuing to operate a thriving boutique fitness business with several locations. Jennifer wears many hats including being the CEO but also as a business consultant. She understands the value of pivoting business plans, creating an environment where your studio instructors stay long-term, and truly what it takes to grow a major boutique fitness brand. I personally took a Physique 57 class and it was one of the most challenging mat classes I've ever taken! I love Jennifer and her outlook as a business owner. This conversation was inspiring with so many takeaways. Can't wait for you to listen. Download my app! It's a free marketing coach in your pocket. To keep up with me on instagram, follow me @alexagrowmybusinessTo join the The Friday Society Membership, click here To join my newsletter for free marketing advice, click here.                                                  To view all of my free resources, click here!                                                                               Take the free quiz to find out What's Missing From You Marketing

Hi everyone! In this AMA, I'm answering: 1. how to balance being a human and having a personal touch with your automations 2. Timeblocking -- my advice on what works best to balance your admin and client time 3. Partnerships and what I've seen work and not work for bringing in new clientsI mention Danielle Stead -- she's the best lawyer!! Find her here! Download my app! It's a free marketing coach in your pocket. To keep up with me on instagram, follow me @alexagrowmybusinessTo join the The Friday Society Membership, click here To join my newsletter for free marketing advice, click here.                                                  To view all of my free resources, click here!                                                                               Take the free quiz to find out What's Missing From You Marketing

Messaging is the foundation of everything in your marketing — and in this episode, I'm sharing my four best tips for communicating your small business in a way that feels good, sounds like you, and actually converts. Plus I'm answering some of the most common messaging questions I get from business owners: how to fill your newsletter every month, how to talk about your membership without overthinking it, what to do when you feel like you're repeating yourself, and so much more. This one is packed with real, actionable takeaways you can use this week!In This Episode I Cover:Why consistent communication is one of the highest-leverage things you can do for your marketing (and what it actually looks like day to day)Why your best marketing happens WHILE the thing is happening — not just before it launchesThe "happy folder" strategy for sharing client results in a way that builds trust and convertsWhy every single piece of content needs a clear next step — and what that can look likeA full Q&A on the most common messaging questions I get, including: How to map out a full year of newsletter topics without running out of ideasThe simple framework for talking about your membership without overthinking itWhy repeating yourself is actually okay (and when it works in your favor)How to stop writing too much and make your content more digestibleHow to fill your newsletters when you get stuck after the main topicHow to figure out your ideal client when your work feels like it's for everyoneResources Mentioned:📧 Done-for-you monthly newsletter template → ffc.myflodesk.com/templates/e-aea196f044124192801bf3ca810d73c2 (free!)📚 Social media content library (what to post and what to say) → inside The Friday Society MembershipYour Homework From This Episode:Pick ONE tip from today and implement it this week. If you're already doing most of them, go back to tip #2 — are you still talking about the thing you launched last month? If not, talk about it today. Market it while you're in it!Free Resources:📋 Free Marketing Checklist → ffc.myflodesk.com/assessment🔍 Personalized Marketing Quiz — what's missing from your marketing? → foreverfriday.co/quiz📊 Free Know Your Numbers Mini Course → search Forever Friday Consulting in the App Store📱 Download the Forever Friday App → search Forever Friday Consulting in the App StoreWork With Me:🌿 Join The Friday Society Membership → foreverfriday.co/join📞 Book a 1:1 Strategy Session → foreverfriday.co/membercalls🛍️ Browse the Template Shop → foreverfriday.co/template-shopConnect With Me:Instagram → @alexagrowmybusinessWebsite → foreverfriday.coPodcast → The Friday Society Podcast on Apple Podcasts + SpotifyLoved This Episode?Leaving a review on Apple Podcasts helps so many more business owners find the show — and I read every single one! 🤍The Friday Society Membership is a marketing membership for wellness and fitness business owners. One focused topic per month, live calls, done-for-you templates, and a community of people doing it alongside you. Join us at foreverfriday.co/membership.Download my app! It's a free marketing coach in your pocket. To keep up with me on instagram, follow me @alexagrowmybusinessTo join the The Friday Society Membership, click here To join my newsletter for free marketing advice, click here.                                                  To view all of my free resources, click here!                                                                               Take the free quiz to find out What's Missing From You Marketing