FCM214: What Music, Mario Kart, and Your Cueing Style Have in Common
Release Date: 03/21/2025
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: ...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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,...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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,...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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...
info_outline
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_outlineWhat 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 story you won't forget—this episode is packed with the mindset shifts and practical tools every instructor needs.
If you want your classes to be technically solid, emotionally addicting, and wildly effective, this one’s for you.
🎧 Listen now—and let’s rethink what makes a truly great class.
Sign up for the 'Killer Playlists In Less Time' 10-Day Challenge: