FCM210: Revolutionizing Your Studio: The Transformative Power of Strategic Instructor Reviews
Release Date: 04/06/2024
FCM223: Are You Talking to Your Members... or a Mirror?
The Fitcarma Podcast
Your social media feed can be an invitation into your brand world, or a fancy display case. You didn’t open a studio to perform. You opened it to help people feel stronger, steadier, more themselves. If your posts impress colleagues but the person walking in after a long day doesn’t see themselves in it, something’s out of alignment. In this conversation, we put the member back at the center, so your words feel like a welcome, your visuals feel like a promise, and your feed feels like the doorway into a room where they belong. Shout-outs Kink Pilates: ; RE:FORM LAB: ...
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FCM222: Brands That Moves People: Life Time’s North Star with Jeff Zwiefel
The Fitcarma Podcast
What does it really take to build a brand that moves people? In this conversation, Jeff Zwiefel (former President & COO of Life Time) pulls back the curtain on the principles and systems behind one of the most trusted names in fitness. We unpack how a clear North Star, codified standards, and aligned teams create a consistent experience at scale, without losing soul. If you’re a studio owner, program director, or instructor leader, this episode is a blueprint: start with purpose, translate it into the way your experience is taught and hosted, build systems for reliability, hire and...
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FCM221: Scaling with Soul: How to Build a Team That Rocks Your Brand Vision
The Fitcarma Podcast
You’ve built something powerful. An experience your community loves. But behind the scenes, you’re wearing too many hats, struggling to replicate the magic, and wondering how to get your team to carry the brand with the same heart you do. Sound familiar? In this episode, we unpack the real reasons team buy-in feels so hard, and what actually works when you’re trying to scale your studio without losing the soul of what makes it special. We’ll walk you through: - Why instructors sometimes resist feedback (and how to shift it) - What buy-in really means (and how to earn it) - How to...
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FCM220: The Rhythm Remembers: Music as Medicine for Movement, Mood, and Meaning with Emma Marshall
The Fitcarma Podcast
What if music isn’t just a good playlist in your classes, but the most powerful tool you have to transform how your clients feel, heal, and remember your brand? In this unforgettable episode of the Fitcarma Podcast, we sit down with Emma Marshall, researcher, educator, and author of Music is Medicine, to explore the deep, untapped potential of music as a tool for nervous system regulation, emotional imprinting, and embodied experience. Emma’s story begins with a collapse—burnout, illness, and a body that wouldn’t respond to words. What brought her back was rhythm, movement, basslines,...
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FCM219: Brands That Move People: Inside Collective Studios with Ashley Marand Iwanicki
The Fitcarma Podcast
Ashley Marand Iwanicki is the founder and CEO of , a boutique fitness brand in New Hampshire that’s redefining what it means to lead with purpose, build community, and create experiences that actually move people. In this powerful conversation, Ashley shares how a vivid dream sparked the vision for her studio, what it means to build a brand rooted in expansion and belonging, and the bold leadership decisions that helped her scale with soul. As a Fitcarma brand, Ashley partnered with us to clarify her message and elevate the Collective Studios identity into something bigger than a...
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FCM218: 13 Reasons Body Transformation Marketing Is Failing Your Business (Backed by Research)
The Fitcarma Podcast
Episode Description & Show Notes: This week, a fitness influencer went viral for saying people over 200 pounds shouldn’t be allowed in Pilates class—and that instructors with a “gut” shouldn’t be teaching. Yes, she deleted the video. But the damage was done. Thousands of people agreed with her. This is the fitness industry we’re still up against. And in this episode, we’re not just pushing back—we’re burning the whole narrative down. We break down 13 research-backed reasons why building your fitness brand around body transformation isn’t just unethical—it’s lazy,...
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FCM217: If They’re Not Showing Up, That’s On Us: Why the Real Problem Isn’t Motivation—It’s Conversion
The Fitcarma Podcast
What if your potential clients aren’t lazy, unmotivated, or inconsistent—what if your brand just isn’t making them feel like they belong? In this episode, we challenge one of the fitness industry’s most toxic assumptions and reveal why people aren’t saying yes to your studio (even when your workouts are amazing). We’ll share real stories, client examples, and a practical breakdown of how to build emotionally intelligent experiences that convert. You’ll learn: – Why “just show up” messaging is doing more harm than good – The difference between selling and converting...
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FCM216: Stepping Off The Trend Treadmill: Why We Keep Chasing What’s Hot—and What to Do Instead
The Fitcarma Podcast
Trends aren’t growing the fitness industry—they’re just keeping it spinning. Despite all the buzz and innovation, only 20–30% of people consistently work out. And that number hasn’t moved in decades. In this episode, Barry and Shay unpack what they call The Trend Treadmill—the cycle of constantly chasing what’s hot in hopes of staying relevant… and why it’s not working. If you’re ready to stop chasing trends and start building something grounded, magnetic, and truly transformative—this one’s for you. Inside, we’ll cover: Why trends don’t expand the market (and...
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FCM215: The North Star: The Secret to Building a Brand That Grows With You
The Fitcarma Podcast
If your fitness brand isn’t growing the way you want it to, it’s probably not a marketing problem. It’s not your logo. It’s not even your class experience. It’s the lack of a North Star—a core belief that guides your messaging, your experience, your team, and your future. In this episode, Barry and Shay break down what a North Star really is, how to find yours (with a dead-simple exercise), and how to use it to create consistency across your brand—even as you scale, hire, expand, or pivot. You’ll learn: Why growth by default leads to burnout and brand confusion How to unify...
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FCM214: What Music, Mario Kart, and Your Cueing Style Have in Common
The Fitcarma Podcast
What does your cueing style have in common with Mario Kart and a trip to IKEA? A lot more than you think. In this episode, Barry and Shay answer a big question from inside the Conservatory: How do you balance giving clear technique cues with creating a fun, immersive experience? They break down why fun isn't fluff (it’s actually the key to results), how over-cueing can kill the vibe, and why great music and thoughtful experience design matter more than ever. With real stories from their early days as trainers, research-backed tips on creating flow states, and a hilarious Mario Kart training...
info_outlineWhether you're new to conducting formal and informal evaluations or looking to refine your current process, this episode is packed with insights. We discuss performance reviews' important role in enhancing your business and team dynamics. Learn from common mistakes and adopt best practices for effective feedback. From improving instructor performance and engagement to aligning business goals and identifying training needs, we cover the spectrum of benefits this valuable practice provides for the health and success of your business.
Stay tuned for a special resource: our Performance Excellence Blueprint, a comprehensive guide, and customizable review sheet for seamlessly integrating effective performance evaluations into your business operations right away.
Key Talking Points:
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The Critical Role of Performance Reviews: Unpacking how regular feedback enhances performance and deeply engages your team, aligning individual goals with your business’s vision.
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Common Pitfalls to Avoid: Insightful anecdotes on some studio owners' missteps, from over-surveillance to inconsistent evaluation methods, and how these can adversely affect team morale and effectiveness. We’ll share real-world examples of how not to conduct reviews and the impact of infrequent, biased, or poorly structured feedback.
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Best Practices for Meaningful Feedback: A guide to conducting reviews that foster growth, including the importance of preparation, regularity, objectivity, and focusing on development.
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The Blueprint for Success: An introduction to our Performance Excellence Blueprint, a tool designed to streamline the review process for your business.
This episode is designed to be an essential guide for any business owner looking to leverage performance reviews for team and business growth, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and open communication.
DOWNLOAD YOUR PERFORMANCE EXCELLENCE BLUEPRINT HERE:
https://fitnesscareermastery.com/performance-excellence-blueprint