Explore every episode of the podcast Female emPOWERED: Winning in Business & Life
Dive into the complete episode list for Female emPOWERED: Winning in Business & Life. Each episode is cataloged with detailed descriptions, making it easy to find and explore specific topics. Keep track of all episodes from your favorite podcast and never miss a moment of insightful content.
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Episode 289: From Failed Deal to Freedom: The Exit That Finally Worked - What It Really Takes to Sell Your Business
03 Jun 2025
00:53:24
In this powerful follow-up episode, Christa Gurka shares part two of her journey to selling her Pilates studio, Pilates in the Grove. After a near miss at the closing table in 2024, Christa regrouped, healed, and ultimately closed a successful deal in March 2025.
This episode is both a personal story and a practical guide for boutique fitness and wellness business owners considering a future sale.
Christa walks listeners through what went wrong with the first deal, what changed the second time around, and how she approached due diligence, valuation, and choosing the right buyer. She shares honest reflections on the emotional rollercoaster of selling something she spent 15 years building, and the mindset shifts required to transition from founder to former majority owner.
Whether you're years away from selling or just starting to wonder what your exit might look like, this episode offers a roadmap, real numbers, and reassurance that it is possible, even for small, service-based businesses, to build and sell a valuable asset.
Key Takeaways:
How Christa turned a failed sale into a successful one within a year
The importance of preparing your business two years in advance for a potential exit
Why removing yourself from day-to-day operations is essential for building a sellable business
What multiples buyers typically pay for boutique fitness businesses
How to emotionally and strategically navigate due diligence
Tips for choosing between multiple offers—and why cash upfront isn’t always the only factor
The role of systems, team structure, and profit margins in business valuation
How Christa stayed involved post-sale as a strategic partner
Thinking about your own business exit strategy? Download Christa’s free Exit Strategy Matrix to help determine whether it’s time to keep and collect - or prepare to sell and cash in: www.christagurka.com/exit
Want guidance on building systems and preparing for growth or eventual sale? Join the FitBiz Foundations monthly membership: www.christagurka.com/fitbiz-foundations
Have questions about selling your business or interested in having Christa speak at your next event?
Subscribe to the Female Empowered Podcast and tune in weekly for more insights on building a wellness business that works for your life and future.
Episode 288: The Exit That Didn’t Happen - What I Got Wrong Trying to Sell My Business the First Time
27 May 2025
00:57:09
In this week’s episode of Female Empowered, host Christa Gurka is sharing a story she's never told publicly before - the story of the time she almost sold her business, Pilates in the Grove.
This is part one of a two-part series where she'll walk you through the emotional, strategic, and operational journey behind trying to sell the business she built from the ground up. From a modest $2,400 investment in 2008 to a multi-location, seven-figure business, Christa poured everything into building something that could eventually operate — and be sold — without her.
After being inspired by a panel of business brokers, Christa started prepping intentionally for a sale: systematizing operations, cleaning up financials, and evaluating business valuation. She even got to the point where she was under contract and this close to finalizing the sale. But at the very last moment, a surprise clause from the buyer’s lender brought everything to a screeching halt.
This episode is a candid look at what it takes to get a business ready for sale, what Christa learned from the due diligence process, and how she navigated the emotional fallout when the deal didn’t go through.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
How Christa grew Pilates in the Grove into a sale-ready business
The operational and financial prep that goes into a potential sale
Why having systems and SOPs is essential — even if you’re not planning to sell
What it felt like to have a deal fall apart last-minute
The mindset shifts and resilience I had to tap into after the fallout
Make sure you’re subscribed to the Female Empowered podcast so you don’t miss Part 2 next week, where Christa will share what happened after the deal fell through — and what she's doing differently now.
If this episode resonates with you, share it with a fellow business owner who’s thinking about selling — or simply trying to build a business that doesn’t depend on them every minute of the day.
Episode 279: The Mental Game of Entrepreneurship: Courage, Confidence, and Showing Up
25 Mar 2025
00:40:15
Welcome back to another episode of the Female Empowered Podcast! Today, we’re diving into something every small business owner faces—the mental battles, self-doubt, and challenges that come with running your own business.
In this episode, I’m opening up about the emotional rollercoaster of entrepreneurship, how to take control of your narrative, and why being "in the arena" means embracing both high achievements and setbacks.
If you’ve ever felt criticism, comparison, or self-doubt creeping in, this conversation is for you. Let's talk about why vulnerability is a strength, how to celebrate your wins, and why the most successful entrepreneurs keep showing up, even when it’s hard.
Some of the key takeaways from this episode include...
Embracing discomfort: it’s a non-negotiable part of business ownership.
Take control of your own story instead of letting internal critics define your success.
How vulnerability fuels growth: leaning into it helps you become a stronger, more creative leader.
The importance of showing up and taking risks: progress happens when you stay in the game.
Loved this episode? Share it with another woman in business who needs to hear it!
Looking for a supportive community of women in the arena? Join my monthly membership group at ChristaGurka.com and connect with other ambitious entrepreneurs navigating the same challenges.
Let’s keep the conversation going—follow me on Instagram @ChristaGurka and DM me your biggest takeaway from today’s episode!
Episode 190: Why a Strong Management Team that Does not Include YOU is Crucial for your Growing Boutique Wellness Biz
04 Jul 2023
00:21:34
Hey there! Welcome back to another exciting episode of The Female Empowered Podcast. What we will be diving into is a unique aspect of small business success – the importance of having a business that is more than just YOU as a practitioner.
This episode is great to listen to if your goal in the future is to still generate revenue while you are not working, to be able to possibly sell the business in the future, or to truly have more freedom and more opportunities. The answer to all these possibilities is having a strong management team.
However, I am not saying that if you do not have a management team you are not a business. This episode is made for those who want to generate revenue while they area away and those who want to have a lucrative and successful exit strategy.
Let’s talk about:
Introduction to the topic
Why this episode is for you
The number one benefit of having a strong management team: It Reduces The Dependence On You As The Owner
What made me realize that I need to restructure my business
The difference between having a business that YOU are running and a business that runs on auto pilot
The second benefit of having a strong management team: It Demonstrates That The Business Is Set-Up For Sustainability
At what cost is it costing you to do everything on your own
Two things you need to consider if you want your business to survive even without you
The third benefit of having a strong management team: It Improves Growth And Scalability
If your business doubled in size right now, could you handle the growth?
The fourth reason in having a strong management team: It Creates A Good Succession Plan
The importance of having a well thought out Succession Plan even if you don’t want to sell and just want to fade out
What a management structure could look like for your business
Hiring an Operations Manager
All about a Marketing Manager or a Marketing Team
What Studio Managers or Fitness Directors do
What Sales Managers do
When should you think about having these people on your Management Team
Conclusion
This is what we talk about in our Inner Circle Program. We help you decide the roles you need to hire for based on your unique business model and set-up. So if you are hesitant or confused on what you need to do next but you know that you need a team, consider applying for our Inner Circle Program. I am with you step by step so that you can feel like a whole new business after and feel more like the CEO of your business as you plan your exit strategy.
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 189: Sales Strategies for Small Boutique Fitness Business Owners
27 Jun 2023
00:24:24
Hi! Welcome back to another exciting episode of The Female Empowered Podcast. What we will be covering this week is all about sale strategies for small boutique fitness owners.
This episode is actually based from the Go Give Yourself More series. It’s one of the best sales books I’ve read and we will talk about how the principles from this book can be applied to your business.
I wanted to do this episode because sales gets a bad reputation. For me, it made me feel uncomfortable because I thought about it as “selling” myself. This book helped me be more comfortable with the idea of “selling” because it guided me to articulate the value of what it is that I am selling.
So, I will be sharing with you the principles I learned from the Go Give Yourself More book and I hope you can apply them to your business!
Let’s get into:
Introduction to the topic
How I felt about “selling” before I read the Go Give Yourself More book series
The Go Give Yourself More book and why I want to share the principles of this book
The first principle: Understanding Your True Wort
Our true worth is determined by how much value we bring to others
Our true worth is not our self-worth
Some examples about understanding your true worth
The second principle: The Law Of Compensation
Our income is determined by how many people we serve and how well we serve them
How you can impact the Law Of Compensation
The third principle: The Law Of Influence
Owners have the opportunity to personally connect with their customers
Some examples on the Law Of Influence
The fourth principle: The Law Of Authenticity
Be authentic and inject your own personalities into your business
Authenticity attracts like-minded individuals who will resonate with your mission
Conclusion
If you are interested in grabbing the PDF I created about all the things I shared with you in this episode, follow this LINK.
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 188: How to pay yourself as a business owner and why it matters
20 Jun 2023
00:23:57
Hi! Welcome back to another episode of The Female Empowered Podcast. Let’s talk about how to pay yourself as a business owner and why it matters.
This topic is something that comes up during our coaching programs and our Mastermind. I personally had no idea about how to do this when I started my business. So, let me help you understand the various ways how you can start paying yourself as a small business owner and what the implications are based on how you choose to pay yourself!
Just a word of caution, what I will be discussing in this episode is based on my personal experiences. So please, still make it a point to consult with your accountant, your financial team, your bookkeeper, an attorney, and the like.
Let’s dive into:
Introduction to the topic
As an LSC/S Corp, you can pay yourself through salary
Factors to consider when paying yourself through salary
As an LSC/S Corp, you can pay yourself through owner’s draws or distribution
Difference between salary and owner’s draw
Factors to consider when paying yourself through owner’s draw
As an LSC/S Corp, you can pay yourself through profit share/profit distribution
Factors to consider when paying yourself profit share/profit distribution
Advantages of owner’s draw
Drawbacks of owner’s draw
My personal number one reason why taking owner’s draw versus a salary is a drawback
My personal experience on taking a very low salary and an owner’s draw
Why is it important to decide how much you’re going to pay yourself and how you’re going to pay yourself
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Hi! Welcome back to another episode of The Female Empowered Podcast. The topic for this week is the second part of my “Meet My Team” two-part podcast. Last time I had with me my Chief Operating Officer/Executive Director, Lauren, and my Director of Studio Operations, Kelly.
Today, I have with me Sarah. She is my Virtual Assistant and I wanted to talk a little bit about what she does in her business and what she and her team does for both Pilates In The Grove and our Beyond The Movement program.
Let’s get to it:
· Introduction to the topic
· Meet my Virtual Assistant, Sarah Mamaril: who she is and her company, and what she and her company does
· How is it working with Sarah and her team, who is working across the globe, where and when do we communicate
· Quick glimpse on how I met and how I started working with Sarah
· What impressed me the most with Sarah
· What Sarah and her team does for Christa Gurka and Pilates In The Grove
· What I love about working with Sarah and her team
· The lowest package Sarah offers
· General price range for Sarah’s lowest package to her highest package
· What can Sarah say about the price difference between her VA company and VAs in the United States
· Sarah’s pricing is based on different factors
· My thoughts on Sarah’s growth as a leader and as a CEO of her own company
· A quick glimpse on the workflow I have with Sarah
· The benefits of allowing Sarah and her team with the entry points and access to your business
· How some business owners decided to work with Sarah
· Where you can find Sarah and her team
· Sarah on hiring a Project Manager
· Sarah’s final words and advise
If you have other questions or if you found anything confusing in this episode, shoot me a DM on Instagram!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Hi! Welcome back to another episode of The Female Empowered Podcast. The topic for this week is actually part 1 of a two-part podcast. I am bringing in and introducing to you guys the people who are part of my team!
I think it’s great to pull back the curtain and show you a real-life view on who else makes the magic happen in my business!
Today, I have with me my Chief Operating Officer/Executive Director, Lauren, and my Director of Studio Operations, Kelly. Know more about what they do and how they help me navigate through many things and aspects in the business!
Let’s talk about
Introduction to the topic
Meet Kelly, my Executive Director and Director of Studio Operations: who she is, what she does, and how she became part of my team
Meet Lauren, my Chief Operating Officer/Executive Director: who she is, what she does, and how she became part of my team
A quick glimpse on my story and how I built my team
How Kelly went from a clinician to a leadership-managerial role and how was that transition like for her
Skills that Lauren brought from her corporate background that helped her quickly adjust to the role
Lauren’s responsibilities and accountabilities in the company
The importance of being present and on top of things
A glimpse on how Kelly’s week goes, the different tasks she does, and how she handles it
The challenging part of the job for Kelly and what makes it easier for her
The most difficult part of the job for me
What Lauren and Kelly do and think to help them get through difficult conversations
Coaching groups and fitness foundation communities
The mindset that helped me in difficult conversations
Kelly’s advice if someone will have to step in her role in another company
When does asking questions become difficult for business owners
The good thing and importance of respecting boundaries
Lauren’s advice if someone will have to step in her role in another company
It’s okay to not know what you need when you’re new at a job or position
The importance of meeting with your team
Kelly and Lauren’s final words and advise
I will leave you all with the fact that having these amazing women in my team and learning how to handle the business better and be a better leader has been 12 years in the making. I am still a work in progress. You might think it’s not possible for you and your business but you certainly can do what I did, too! Just give yourself the time so that everyone can move into the roles and seats they are fit for!
If you are interested in growing a team like mine, go and check out all the business mentorship programs you can look into. Go to www.christagurka.com!
If you have other questions or if you found anything confusing in this episode, shoot me a DM on Instagram!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 185: Three simple low cost ways to avoid the summer slow down
30 May 2023
00:16:23
Welcome back to Female emPOWERED! Today, I will be talking about a replay episode. I wanted to share with you how you can navigate a slow season in your boutique since summer has begun and it could be a slower time for some people.
For me, it’s slower because school is out and people are leaving for their vacations. So, if you are experiencing a slower schedule like me during this time of the year, or for any other time for that matter, let’s dive into how we can prepare, navigate through slow seasons, and how you can best use your time.
Let’s talk about:
Regrouping and revitalizing yourself and your team
Keeping a list of what you want to get done
Recording content, programs, exercises, or other things you can use once you’re busy again
Creating pop-up classes, sessions, and the like
Training and onboarding new staff
Hosting workshops and trainings at your facility
Getting your back-end and processing in order
Enjoying the downtime and leaning into the rest
Investing in some business coaching
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 184: How to Make Sure your Business Never Runs Out of Money: Cash Strategies for the Small Business Owner
23 May 2023
00:30:33
Hi! Welcome back to another episode of The Female Empowered Podcast. The topic for this week is something that I believe people don’t really talk about much in the small business world. I also think many business owners don’t understand this especially if they don’t come from a business background.
The topic is how to never run out of money, which are basically cash flow strategies for your small business. Learn about these strategies so your business thrives instead of going out of business!
Let’s discuss:
Introduction to the topic
The number one reason businesses go out of business – They don’t have enough cash
My own experience of putting out more cash than getting more cash in
Do not use your personal bank account to never run out of money for your business
S Corporation vs. Sole Proprietor and how it differs in paying yourself
The importance of speaking to a Tax Adviser
What should happen when someone pays you mone
Why you need to figure out your monthly operating expenses and how to compute it
The other accounts I advise small business owners to have
What I recommend you do if you get three months’ worth of operating expenses in your profit account
Why you want to keep moving money out of your operating account
An example of computing your monthly and annual revenue, overhead, additional expenses, your salary, taxes and profit so you don’t run out of cash
Think about how much you want to put away, how much you want to save, and how much you want to budget for then plan accordingly
There is power and strength in numbers
If you have other questions or if you found anything confusing in this episode, shoot me a DM on Instagram!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 183: What to do when you want to give up on your business + why you are feeling that way
16 May 2023
00:30:50
Hey everyone! Welcome back to another episode of The Female Empowered Podcast. In this episode, we will be talking about something that comes up often not only in the Beyond The Movement group but also in my own Mastermind groups. The topic is what to do when you feel like burning your business down, when you feel like giving up, when you feel like calling it quits, and why you are feeling that way.
The Different Reasons Why Business Owners Feel Like Quitting
The most common reason I hear, feel, see and experienced myself is financial stress. Most small businesses do not have a lot of capital and are self-funded. Another is burnout, stress, and overwhelm. The third one is lack of growth or progress.
We are going to dive into these reasons and talk about what you can do about them!
Let’s talk about:
Introduction to the topic
First factor why women in the boutique, fitness, wellness, and health care sector feel like quitting: Financial Difficulties
Different kinds of financial difficulties
Second factor why women in the boutique, fitness, wellness, and health care sector feel like quitting: Feeling burnout, stress, and overwhelm
Third factor why women in the boutique, fitness, wellness, and health care sector feel like quitting: Lack of growth or progress
My own experience when I almost gave up on my business
Creating a system that revolved around me
What you can do when you find yourself feeling like giving up and quitting on your business
The Hidden Benefits of Failure for Women Entrepreneurs
A lot of women entrepreneurs are perfectionists and high achievers
Taking things personally
Failure is opportunity, failure is information
Fail faster
Failure is an action, it’s not an identity
Success is small consistent changes over time
What I did when I was having difficulties when I opened my second location
Rather than giving up, seek out information and ask for help
Creating a pivot in your business or another revenue stream to achieve growth
When To Pivot Your Business And How To Do It Successfully
An example of a business model that isn’t working and what we did for it work
The power of being resilient alongside being patient and persistent
Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result
Things you shouldn’t be doing as the CEO of your business
An idea on letting your kids help you with your business
Is it worth it to grow and create something that you cannot sustain?
Get help, be part of a community where you can voice your frustrations
Keep going because your success is inevitable
Let’s talk about how running a business is difficult but let’s also talk about how we can overcome these challenges. I’d love to hear what you think about this episode so reach out to me on Instagram and recognize you are not in this alone. Keep going because your success is inevitable!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 182: Scaling Your Small Business: Is It The Right Time to Hire a Director of Operations or Executive Assistant
09 May 2023
00:31:17
Hey guys! Welcome back to another episode of The Female Empowered Podcast. In this episode, we will be talking about how you can scale your small business and if it is the right time to hire a Director of Operations or an Executive Assistant.
Why This Episode Is Important
The topic today is what the women in our Inner Circle program really work on after they surpassed the $200,000 mark. What they are looking to do is to remove themselves from the day-to-day operations.
So, a lot of times, we help them figure out what kinds of additional support do they need for their business so that they can free up some of their time and focus on scaling the business even more.
Let’s dive into:
Introduction to the topic
The different roles women need in their business
When is it time to consider bringing on additional members to your team
My own experience in adding additional members to the team
Differentiating if you need a Chief Operating Officer or an Executive Assistant
Why I am a big proponent for hiring a Chief Operating Officer or an Executive Assistant
The Chief Operating Officer – when you need one on
The rapid growth mode and severe lack of systems and structures
My experience in hiring my first COO
What the COO works on
The pay rate for a COO and hiring a fractional COO to save money
What is An Executive Assistant and a Virtual Assistant
Having an executive assistant helps you with time management,
The other things that an executive assistant can help you with
An executive assistant are more of task-oriented and are not working on the growth and strategy of your business
Benefits of having an executive assistant
My own experience in having an executive assistant
The 80-20 rule for business owners
Executive assistants are less strategic and more of executors
Chief Operating Officers are both strategic and executors
Questions you need to ask so you know who you really need in your business
Figuring out if your business has a structure to put people in the right seats
The pay rate basis for an Executive Assistant
Importance of hiring someone with the best price point, who is efficient, and who can give back your time
Asking for help is not a sign of weakness, it is a sign of strength and one of the smartest business decisions you can make
If you are interested in discussing a little bit more about this or this is something you are interested in learning, visit www.christagurka.com/ or DM me on Instagram.
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 181: How to create efficient and sustainable schedules for your business, your team and yourself
02 May 2023
00:26:30
Hello there! Welcome back to another episode of The Female Empowered Podcast. In this episode, we will be talking about how you can establish an efficient and sustainable schedule for your business, your team, and most importantly, yourself.
Why You Need To Establish Good Schedules
The service-based industry is all about schedules because we make appointments and we service our clients during their appointments. We run on a schedule and scheduling can be the vein of your and your business’s existence.
So, in this episode, I will share with you how to make a streamlined and user-friendly scheduling to make your four-wall brick and mortar location profitable and sustainable!
Let’s talk about:
Introduction to the topic
The service-based industry is ran by schedules
How to create schedules for your team
Looking into the schedule of Pilates In The Grove and the factors that affect our scheduling
How many hours do you need to be available for the majority of your clients
Know what it is that you want for your life and book your schedule according to that
Taking into consideration your team’s availability and capacity to work
Determining when you want to see clients as the CEO of your business and when you need to do administrative work
What works for me and my team
Why you need to block off time in your schedule as the CEO of your business
The benefits of using automated calendars or scheduling software
Establishing clear communication channels
Checkout Google Analytics for the popular call times for your business and other data
The different seasons in your life and how it affects scheduling in your business
Every action you take, decision you make is a vote for what your business will look like in the future
Are your schedules bringing you nearer or farther to your goals?
If you are interested in learning about how I schedule for my team, clients, business, and myself, visit www.christagurka.com/workwithme. Get on the waitlist for the Inner Circle Program or you can already join the Fit Biz Foundations program that is currently open for enrollment.
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 278: How To Fund Your Business Growth Without Dipping Into Your Personal Finances
18 Mar 2025
00:21:45
Welcome back to another episode of the Female Empowered Podcast! If you’ve been wondering how to fund your business growth without dipping into your savings, this episode is for you. Today, we’re exploring creative funding options that can help you invest in your business without putting your personal finances at risk.
From small business loans and lines of credit to grants, strategic partnerships, and crowdfunding, I’ll walk you through the best ways to secure funding while maintaining financial stability. Knowing your financing options is key to sustainable growth, whether you're looking to purchase equipment, expand operations, or invest in marketing.
Key takeaways from this episode include…
Shift your mindset about debt. Instead of fearing debt, consider it a way to keep cash on hand while strategically managing repayment.
Explore funding options like SBA loans, business lines of credit, and revenue-based financing to cover expansion costs.
To secure non-repayable funding, look into grant opportunities, especially those designed for women entrepreneurs.
Leverage partnerships and sponsorships to reduce expenses and secure additional resources.
Use no-interest credit cards strategically to finance short-term expenses and pay them off within the promotional period.
If you're ready to explore funding options, here are a few places to start:
Apply for the Amber Grant at AmberGrant.com, which offers $1,000 monthly grants for women entrepreneurs.
Explore the Eileen Fisher Women-Owned Business Grant at EileenFisher.com for opportunities to secure funding.
Check out the Cartier Women's Initiative Award at CartierWomensInitiative.com for high-impact funding options.
Research the Dream Big Awards from the U.S. Chamber of Commerce at uschamber.com/dream-big-awards.
Growing your business doesn’t have to mean depleting your personal savings. By exploring these funding strategies, you can invest in your growth while keeping your finances intact. If you found this episode helpful, be sure to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with other business owners who could benefit from these insights!
Episode 180: How Female Small Business Owners Can Handle Clients Who Are hesitant to Work with Another Service Provider
25 Apr 2023
00:33:19
Hey there everyone! Welcome back to another episode of The Female Empowered Podcast. I think this episode will be well-received because it’s something that comes up in our coaching groups. So, the topic for this week is how female small business owners can handle clients who are hesitant to work with another service provider on your team.
Why Is This Topic Important
This topic is important especially for those who are needing and trying to remove themselves from the day-to-day operations of their business. For example, you are teaching classes in your business and you already want to take yourself out of the client-facing work so you can free up your time to work on the growth and sustainability of your business.
Let’s go over:
Business owners needing and trying to remove themselves from client-facing work
The struggles that owners face in this situation
It’s not easy but if your goal is to create a sustainable and profitable business that does not revolve around you, it is a necessary step
One important thing to consider when you want to get people off your schedule
Some of client’s concerns why they don’t want to work with someone else in your team
My own experience in getting my clients off my schedule, stopped treating patients, and how I transitioned
What I did to let my patients and clients know I’m stepping back as a clinician and why I did it
Explaining to clients how working with other service providers will benefit them
Building a network of service providers who provide quality work within the studio
Why you need to train your team and what you can do to train them
Things we do in our studio that makes handing off clients so easy
How it started for me when I created boundaries and plans to cut off clients and hours from my schedule
Speak from confidence
People like working with you because of how you connect with them
Encourage your team to go on networking events, highlight your team on your social media and website
Recap
If you keep jumping back in, it’s never going to work
Be firm with creating boundaries and closing off your schedule
How my schedule benefits me and my business
Empower your team to step up so you can step back from the day-to-day operations
If this is something you are interested in doing and have surpassed $250,000 in revenue, get yourself in the waitlist. Visit www.christagurka.com/mentorship.
If you are an emerging business owner who wants to earn six figures and wants to get a hold of their schedule, you can join the Fit Biz Foundations program. It is currently open for enrollment and you can check it out at www.christagurka.com/fitbizfoundations. You can also just DM me on Instagram!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 179: Using your female strengths as a business owner with Leslie Draffin
18 Apr 2023
00:56:21
Hey everyone! Welcome back to another episode of The Female Empowered Podcast. I am truly getting back to having guests in the podcast because I have with me Leslie Draffin, an internationally certified menstrual cycle coach who is passionate about eradicating shame and fear around women’s bodies, cycles, and psychedelics.
How Can Women Use Their Menstrual Cycle In Their Business
Most women think that the menstrual cycle pertains to only the days that we bleed. However, the menstrual cycle actually includes the first day we have our period until the day that we are about to start our period again. You are always somewhere in your menstrual cycle and you have to understand there are four phases here.
What we will be talking a lot about in this episode is the phases of our menstrual cycle, how our menstrual cycle can actually boost our productivity, and also a lot about plant medicine.
I found this fascinating so I hope that you do, too. Use the knowledge and the tips you will hear in this podcast to help your business thrive
Let’s talk about:
Introduction of Leslie Draffin
The book called Emotional Inheritance
Leslie’s origin story: Her beliefs growing up, fears, coming of the pill, and putting attention to her cycles
Leslie on the Well Woman Podcast and the first Internationally Certified Menstrual Cycle Academy
Leslie on her first plant medicine and micro dosing experienceThe mushrooms don’t always give you what you want, because sometimes they give you what you need
Mushrooms helped Leslie to be open to receiving and step into her femininity
Leslie on the different stages of the menstrual cycle
The infradian rhythm
Leslie on when in the menstrual cycle should women do what they want to do in their business
Inner spring is generally the time for creating new ideas
Inner summer is generally when you are outgoing and confident
Inner fall is generally when PMS happens and where you can meticulously plan out your new ideas and the dirty work; Be aware though that your inner critic will be in its strongest during inner fall
Inner winter is generally when big decisions could happen
Leslie on what happens to the cycle when women are no longer menstruating
The moon and how it guided ancient cultures in what they do
Leslie on microdosing, studying Psilocybin, and how these help her with what she goes through as a woman
Storing energetic junk in the womb
Why Leslie chose Psilocybin
Our advice to our listeners who want to try plant medicines and the importance of researching
Where Leslie gets information about plant medicines – Who she listens to, what she reads, what she watches
Our thoughts on how psychedelics help access our subconscious mind
Doing the inner work and some precautions when doing psychedelics or plant medicines
You can reach out to Leslie on Instagram if you want to work with her or know more about her work. Listen also to her podcast, The Light Within.
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help
Episode 178: How to perform your own quarterly review plus a breakdown of my Q1 results
11 Apr 2023
00:25:32
Hi guys! Welcome back to another episode of The Female Empowered Podcast. In this episode, I will go over how you can do a quarterly review for your business. Plus, I will be sharing with you a breakdown of my Quarter 1 results.
Why A Quarterly Review Is Important
If you are currently not doing a quarterly review, I encourage you to do it. Quarterly reviews will allow you to see what the future looks like for your business.
You can make changes on how you run your business depending on the quarterly reviews. You can also already see what other goals you need to hit in the coming quarters if you have the previous quarter to base the data from.
So, if you want to know more of how we do our quarterly reviews so you can learn a thing or two and apply it to your business, listen to this podcast!
Let’s discuss:
Introduction to the topic
The first thing that my team and I do for the quarterly reviews
My revenue goal for Quarter 1
My profit margin for Quarter 1
What the quarter 1 reviews mean for the next quarters
Quarterly reviews don’t mean just looking at revenue
What we need to do if we want to stay at a certain profit
Reviewing why some goals flunk and understanding how to do them better
Difficult decisions you have to do for the betterment of the business
The Inner Circle Program and one-on-one coaching could help you with your Quarterly Reviews
Parting words: If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 177: How to improve your group exercise programming and create raving fans with Director of Marketing Hannah Pratt
04 Apr 2023
00:59:36
Hey guys! Welcome back to another episode here at The Female Empowered Podcast. For this episode, we have another guest and she is Hannah Pratt. She is the founder of Instructor Magic and also the Director of Marketing for Wheelhouse Cycle Club. She is also a spinning instructor.
What This Episode Is All About
Hannah actually failed a couple of times in the past before she was able to teach spin classes. Two years ago, she created Instructor Magic from her experiences. It focuses on professional development that goes beyond certification as it also discusses how to fill classes and change lives through five different pillars.
Let's get into how you can improve your group fitness programming and create raving fansin this episode!
Let’s discuss:
Introduction of Hannah Pratt and her career history
What Instructor Magic is all about
The Five Pillars in Instructor Magic
How you can get certification on spinning and a glimpse into the audition side of it
Big energy, confidence, and the natural ability to command a room are important in being a spinning instructor
The Teacher Training Program at Pilates In The Grove
Hannah on the most challenging thing in transforming a good instructor to a great instructor
Focusing heavily on the technical stuff
What great instructors do and the characteristics they have
Great instructors make students feel like they taught the class just for them
How Hannah begins her classes to set up the ground rules and the container
The book series called “The Go-Giver”
The importance of having a great introduction at the beginning of your classes and not banking on the music to bring energy to your classes
The entrepreneurial side of things at the Wheelhouse Cycle Club for instructors
Hannah on marketing ways and tactics to attract clients and keep existing clients coming back
Collaborating with other people and coming up with themes for classes
The “Event Mentality”
Celebrating milestones for your clients
Taking photos for your classes and posting them on social media so you can tag your clients
Free classes, packages, incentives, and the like
How does co-teaching work and looking into the pay perspective of it
Filling up classes on the studio’s side and the employee’s side
Our thoughts on “First Class Free”
The sweet spot and touch points for Hannah on getting a new client become a returning member
Our own touch points and how you can get your touch points for your business
Conversations with first-time students can help them book again
Who can benefit from Instructor Magic
You can reach out to Hannah on Instagram if you want to see more of what she does. You can also check out her website here. Listen also to her podcast, Yes You Can.
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 176: What metrics the top female business owners should all be tracking with Danielle Hayden
28 Mar 2023
00:53:28
Hey everyone! Welcome back to another episode here at The Female Empowered Podcast. Today, we have another guest, Danielle Hayden from Kickstart Accounting Inc. We will be talking about what the top female business owners should all be tracking in their businesses.
Who Is Danielle Hayden
She is a reformed corporate CFO, who is on a mission to help role-breaking female entrepreneurs understand their number so they can gain the confidence needed to create sustainable profits.
She loved working in the corporate world because she got to learn a lot from the investors and the private equity firms she worked with. All the experience she learned paved the way to create Kickstart Accounting so she can share with all of us how they made their decisions for their businesses and how you can start incorporating these, too!
Let’s talk about:
Introduction for Danielle Hayden: Who she is and what she does
Danielle’s story on how she started from the corporate world, to building her own business
Danielle on how important bookkeeping is in making business decisions
Danielle’s educational background and how she got the best of both worlds wile working and learning
How Danielle translated what she did in the corporate world to help smaller business owners
Business owners should look at their numbers in a meaningful way and accept the numbers to be empowered
QuickBooks and its importance
Do not co-mingle your business and personal numbers
Daniel giving a walkthrough of their system, process, and how they deal with clients
How hiring a bookkeeper was the best decision for my business
Danielle’s pricings start on where businesses are
Danielle on what is a P&L, a Balance Sheet, the cash flow statement, and the purpose of each
What happens if you are profitable but you have no cash
Danielle's four recommended metrics
Danielle's story on helping one client
The importance of knowing what season you are in and what your intention or goals are during a business year
Adding employees to your business while knowing your numbers so you can make decisions with confidence
Start paying yourself
The report card effect
Looking and knowing your numbers can help you determine your bottom lines
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 175: Which program will get you the best results? How you can work with me?
21 Mar 2023
00:37:12
Hey there! Welcome back to another episode of the Female Empowered podcast. Today I will be talking a little bit about the Beyond the Movement Mentorship Program. Let’s decipher together if this the right program for you!
The Beyond the Movement Mentorship Program
If you are a female business owner in boutique healthcare, wellness, or fitness, this is the episode you should be listening to.
If you are tired of being the sole operator of your business where you wear every hat there is to keep your business running and going, if you are feeling burnt out, if you are struggling to find the right team members to help you step away from the day-to-day operations, and if you want to bring in more revenue and a higher salary without having to work 40 or more hours a week, the Beyond the Movement Mentorship Program will tackle how you can overcome these issues and reach your goals. I will also be talking about the Fit Biz Foundations Program, which is great for emerging businesses!
Let’s talk about:
Introduction to this week’s topic
The questions you need to ask yourself right now
Growing your business for profit is necessary
We might be great with the technical side of the business, but not so much with the business operations side of the business
The problem with trying to do everything on our own
What hiring the right team members could do for your business
Allowing my team to help you live the life you want and grow the business while you are at it
What to expect in the Beyond the Movement Mentorship
Get out of the survival mode and into the thriving mode
Giving back 10 hours to you each week
Getting to where you need to be faster
With the right marketing, you do not only increase but double your revenue
For emerging businesses, the Fit Biz Foundations Program is the best route for you
What to expect in the Fit Biz Foundations Program
What past clients accomplished in the Fit Biz Foundations Program
A rising tide raises all ships
What sets me apart from other business coaches
Mentoring you from my own experiences
If you are interested any of my programs and want to see if I am the right coach for you, visit https://www.christagurka.com/. And if you think I am the right fit, schedule a discovery call with me at www.christagurka.com/discovery.
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Interested in being a guest on a future Female Friday episode? Email me at Christa@pilatesinthegrove.com!
Episode 174: Create a System that Turns Leads into Paying Clients
14 Mar 2023
00:29:24
Hi everyone! Welcome back to another episode of the Female Empowered podcast. This week I will be sharing with you how to create and use a tracking system that turns leads into paying clients.
Why I’m Excited About This Episode
I am so excited to get into the details because this conversation has come up numerous times in our Facebook groups and mentorship programs.
For me, I put this in the backburner for quite a time when I started my business. Business owners have a lot on their plate and putting systems in place for leads seems like another thing in the unending list of things to be done that’s why it doesn’t get that much of a priority. Further, understanding how leads work could be a bit intimidating since it involves the technological side of things.
However, coming up with a tracking system is very important in businesses and it’s something that I encourage business owners to do from the get go. In this podcast, you will understand more why that is exactly the case!
Let’s discuss:
Introduction to this week’s topic
What is a tracking system for leads
Why having a tracking system for leads is important
The key components in a tracking system
How to get my lead tracker for free
Statistics surrounding businesses having a lead tracking system in place
What is a cold lead
What is a hot lead
An example of how we track leads
Personalizing messages when following up with potential clients
Automating the tracking system process
Finding out why potential clients go cold
What are points of contact
Having a tracking system will show you where is the kink in the chain
Going after the most promising leads
Connection and communication over convincing
Study what kind of follow-up system do you have in place
If you are interested in grabbing the free resource that’s exclusive for my podcast listeners, go to www.christagurka.com/leads then type in the promo code PODCAST so you can get it for free! There is also a video tutorial of how you can use the tracking system I have for you so you can get started on your leads immediately.
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 173: A $400k Year and a Major Mindset Shift with Claire Pelletreau
07 Mar 2023
00:44:44
Hey guys! Welcome back to another episode of the Female Empowered podcast. I am stoked today because we have another returning guest on the podcast. We have Claire Pelletreau and we will be talking about the changes in marketing and a major mindset shift she went through in 2022.
The Major Mindset Shift
Back in 2019, paid advertisements were delivering great results for business owners. However, when the pandemic hit and years after that, paid advertisements weren’t giving the best results.
Claire saw that there was a shift in the marketing strategy. She created a new system to add to what she has been teaching business owners for years. This time, it’s all about copy conversion so listen to the podcast to get all the details!
Let’s talk about:
Claire’s introduction on what she does
Joining Claire’s Get Paid Marketing Mastermind
Claire’s transition in her business
Writing copies and converting cold traffic
Claire on talking to her clients about the new marketing strategy
Claire on learning how to figure out what she could promise and how to sell it in a clear and simple way
What I got out of the Get Paid Marketing Mastermind
Claire on the shifts that happened to her after joining Stacey Boehman’s 200k Mastermind
Claire’s realization about how her marketing been speaking to people who are not her best clients
Who are your best clients
When you don’t know the impact of your work, it’s very difficult to sell
Doing a disservice to people when you don’t launch your courses or services
Learning and getting results for your clients
It doesn’t always have to be all about the sale
Claire’s revenue in 2022 and her revenue goals in 2023
Claire on the intricate niches she worked with that are successful
We hope that you enjoyed this episode and learned a lot from me and Claire. Check out her podcast in the link below!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 172: Cancellations | What they are costing your business and what you can do about them
28 Feb 2023
00:35:49
Hey there everyone! Welcome back to another episode of the Female Empowered podcast. This week let’s talk about what to do when a client or customer complains about your yoga studio or services. This topic came up from multiple meetings with our membership communities so it’s but proper to discuss this here with you guys!
Dealing With Cancellations
The core topic we will be discussing this week is all about cancellations. Everyone hates cancellations so in this podcast, we will demystify the whole cancellation process and start normalizing how you could handle it while making it a very binary action.
Let’s get to it:
What to do when a client or customer complains about your yoga studio or services
Dealing with cancellations
What cancellations are costing you, your business, your clients, your team, and your planning
Why people are cancelling
Knowing the reasons for cancellations and having policies in place regarding cancellations
Implementing your cancellation policies based on your core values
Cancellations policies that are time-based
Strategies to implement cancellation policies
Strategy Number 1: Decide what your cancellation policy is
Strategy Number 2: Note your cancellation policies in e-mails or text reminders
Strategy Number 3: Set up ways on how they could cancel
Try automating cancellations as much as possible
Strategy Number 4: Have a strong system in place for your waitlist
Strategy Number 5: Have your clients’ credit cards on file
The mindset around cancellations
You can serve your people and still set boundaries
Ways to make enforcing your cancellation policies easier
I think cancellations are a big thing and I would love to start a conversation about it. DM me on Instagram and let me know what you think about cancellations. It is very difficult to navigate this so let’s hear your thoughts about it! Remember, your business is also for you and you can’t scale it if you don’t have policies in place.
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 171: What To Do When You Don't Love your Business Anymore
21 Feb 2023
00:29:04
Hi guys! Thanks for joining me again for another episode of the Female Empowered podcast. This week we will be talking about an interesting topic because every entrepreneur goes through the same thoughts at some point in their career or life. The topic is all about what to do when you don’t love your business anymore.
Why Listen To This Episode
Whether you are going through this now or not, I invite you to listen to the podcast because I will be talking about a few things that helped me when I was going through this stage in my business.
Employees have the option to quit their job when they fell out of love with the work that they do. They can move to a new city, they can find a new career, and the like. However, for business owners, it is not that simple since we have obligations to the business, to our clients, to our team, and more.
So when we find ourselves falling out of love with our business, we could feel very stuck or that we hit a wall. Tune in so that we go over that wall and check our options on what to do next!
Let’s talk about:
Introduction to the topic
It is normal to not love our businesses anymore
When you dig dip, you might find yourself thinking there’s nothing more you would love to do than continue operating your business
Tips to reinvigorate your passion and your love for your business or what you are doing
Tip Number 1: Asses what you want out of your business, career, or profession
Tip Number 2: What part of your business are you still doing but you shouldn’t anymore
Tip Number 3: Learn a new skill to bring about more inspiration and motivation
Tip Number 4: Talk about it
Feelings are like farts, better out than in
This is another topic that we talk about in our Inner Circle Mastermind and Fitbiz Foundation programs. If you are interested in being part of a community of other like-minded females who are doing the same thing you are doing and are facing the same challenges you are facing, please get on the waitlist! Check out christagurka.com/workwithme.
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 277: How To Determine Prices, Pay Rates, and More To Keep Your Business Profitable
11 Mar 2025
00:34:10
Welcome back to another episode of the Female EmpowerED Podcast! I’m your host, Christa Gurka, and today we’re tackling one of the most critical aspects of running a profitable boutique fitness or wellness business—pricing, pay rates, and expenses. If you've ever wondered how to structure your pricing for long-term financial health, this episode is for you.
We’ll break down industry statistics on average revenue and profit margins, and I’ll walk you through how to calculate your break-even point so you can confidently price your services. I’ll also share real-world examples of how aligning pricing with pay rates and expenses can ensure a sustainable, thriving business. Plus, I’ll discuss why working with industry-experienced coaches can be a game-changer when it comes to financial strategy.
Key Takeaways
Pricing isn’t just about competitors. Setting rates based solely on what others charge can lead to unsustainable margins.
Know your break-even point. Understanding your minimum revenue requirement helps you price for profit, not just survival.
A 15% profit margin is the goal. This ensures financial health and allows you to reinvest in growth.
Align your pricing, pay rates, and expenses. Every dollar matters—ensuring balance between these factors is key to profitability.
Expert guidance can make all the difference. An experienced coach in the boutique fitness and wellness industry can help fine-tune your numbers for success.
If you want to take control of your pricing and pay structure download the "Healthy Percentages" guide at www.christagurka.com/healthypercentage to assess where your business stands.
By understanding and optimizing your financials, you’ll be in a position to run a profitable, sustainable business that supports both your team and your growth. If you found this episode helpful, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with a fellow business owner who needs this insight. Until next time—keep empowering yourself and your business.
Episode 170: How to move from clinician to the C-suite in less than a year
14 Feb 2023
00:29:28
Hi guys! Welcome back to another episode of the Female Empowered podcast. I will be talking about a topic that has come up a lot in our Beyond The Movement mentorship program.
Moving From Clinician To CEO
The topic that has come up so often in our mentorship program is moving from clinician to CEO. In this week’s podcast, I will be specifically talking about how you can do that in less than a year.
The changes, adjustments, and shift during this process take time. You have to give yourself the time because if you do not, the emotional, physical, and energetic bandwidth to make the change happen, you will most likely consider yourself a failure and drive everyone around you crazy.
For me, it took me two to three years to actually be the CEO who my company needed. So if you want to transform yourself from client care to leader, a.k.a CEO, let’s get to it!
Let’s discuss:
What is the Beyond the Movement mentorship program
The topic that has come up so often in the Beyond the Movement mentorship program
The idea surrounding “CEO”
Fundamental thinking of every aspect of the client care continuum
The importance of being an effective clinician
What is leadership
The importance of mission, vision, and values
Anticipating holes in the processes
Leaders require more collaboration, innovation, and listening rather than talking
Lead through “influence with” and not through “power over”
Be willing to take risks and improve your communication style
Truly listen to other people, absorb information, and have difficult conversations
Have high expectations but don’t run people into the ground
Being self-aware will help you be a good leader
Get the support and encouragement of a coach or a mentor
Good leaders create other leader
Be clear with your expectations
Recognize when you don’t have all the answers
Everyone is responsible for their own emotions
Tip: Be involved in groups of other people who lead teams
Have the skill set to speak to people in a professional and clear way
The Inner Circle program waitlist
If you are interested, go get on the waitlist for the next cohort of the Inner Circle program. If you want to learn how to level up into a leader and be in a room with women who are going through the same thing, get on the waitlist here: https://www.christagurka.com/mentorship. It will be opening in March, April or May depending on the availability of slots.
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 169: From clinician to entrepreneur with Anna Hartman
07 Feb 2023
01:12:12
Hi everyone! Welcome back to another episode of the Female Empowered podcast. I am so stoked for this week’s episode because I have with me the very first return guest on the podcast. I talked to Anna Hartman of MovementRev once again and this time let’s look at how she became a clinician to an entrepreneur as well as her upcoming Locator Test Assessment Protocol (LTAP) course.
Who Is Anna Hartman?
Anna is based in San Diego, California and has a long standing history in health and wellness. She is a plethora of information and I have learned so much from her for the last couple of years since I met her back in 2016.
Anna is an athletic trainer and she travels all around the country taking care of athletes. She also teaches other professionals through online and in-person courses.
Know more about Anna and what she does by listening to this podcast!
Let’s talk about:
Introduction for Anna Hartman: Who she is and what she does
Anna’s story on how she started building her own business
Our thoughts on internship
How Anna went from Orthopedic Performance Experience to Visceral Manipulation
Our love for learning
What Visceral Manipulation is
Anna giving a walkthrough of how she knows a problem is not orthopedic and is more of Visceral Manipulation
Taking more time to evaluate a patient than to treat them
The importance of evaluation
Evaluation is understanding where the body is protecting
Anna on her upcoming LTAP course
Anna on what to expect from the LTAP course
Who can sign up for the LTAP course
Anna’s advice on people embarking on the online space of their business
The importance of tracking
Anna’s new podcast – The Unreal Results
Please follow Anna Hartman on Instagram or listen to her podcast. You will not regret following her work because you will learn so much from her. Also, if you are interested in meeting us and learning about so many things, please sign-up for the LTAP course for March 4 and 5 in Miami!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 168: Why you keep getting sucked back into your fitness business and what you can do about it
31 Jan 2023
00:29:10
Hi guys! Welcome back to another episode of the Female Empowered podcast.
Before we get into it, how’s everyone feeling about their first month of 2023? How is your business going?
For Pilates In The Grove, we had a really great start because we were almost at 90 percent capacity this January.
The Setback Of Having 90 Percent Capacity At PITG
To introduce you to the topic this week, the 90 percent capacity of Pilates In The Grove has its setbacks, too. I have received so many e-mails, calls, and text messages from people who are upset that they couldn’t schedule their classes with us because the popular time slots are already full.
So, this week, through this example, let me share with you why you keep getting sucked back into the day-to-day operations of your Fitness Business
Let’s talk about:
How January 2023 has been for PITG
Around 80 percent of business owners in this industry were and are the technicians of their businesses
One of the biggest reasons why you get sucked back into the day-to-day operations: Lack of boundaries
Without the right processes, it prevents you to form compelling and realistic visions to get you out of the day-to-day operations
Find a space where you can get away from the actual work environment
Have a map, a mission, a vision on what you want to achieve
Schedule CEO days and time-offs
Set boundaries with your clients and staff
Our ego, as owners, gets in the way of training others to do their job
Setting boundaries is the easy part, holding the boundaries is more difficult
Lack of proper onboarding and training
Lack of systems and processes
Lack of accountability
Lack of cash flow
How the Inner Circle program can help you with these problems
If this podcast was something you related to and you want to start working on your business so you can step back from the day-to-day operations, get on the waitlist of the Inner Circle program. Head on over to https://www.christagurka.com/work-with-me and get on the waitlist so you get notifications and first dibs once we open registration again.
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 167: Why I Ditched Perfect and so Should You
24 Jan 2023
00:23:38
Hello there! Today is a new episode of Female Empowered and I will talk about why I ditched perfectionism and so should you. I decided to throw this episode down early on this January 2023 because many people that I associate with in business and in life are all about perfectionism.
When I Ditched Perfectionism
I started to commit to ditching perfectionism in 2022. And this 2023, one of my missions was to get as many people on board with the ditching perfectionism train as possible.
Listen to this podcast as I give you tips on how to actually ditch the perfectionism mindset!
Let’s start discussing:
When and why I ditched perfectionism
I noticed my perfectionism wasn’t just about maintaining high standards
Being rewarded by being perfect
Where is perfectionism coming from
Playing it safe before being more comfortable with who I am
Two things you need to hear right now when you feel the need to be perfect
Perfectionism is holding you back from being the best version of yourself
Staying in your comfort zone stifles you
Done is good enough, it’s better than perfect
Perfectionism is the thief of progress
Striving for high standards is different from perfectionism
Perfectionism pushes away and pressures your family and friends
Perfectionism is a disservice to clients and the community
Perfectionism is procrastination in disguise
If this resonates with you, I am going to challenge you. Every time you are holding back from putting something out there in your business, I challenge you to think, “Is this me afraid of being judged?” Let’s commit to each other that we are going to ditch perfectionism and procrastination so we can work together to have a greater impact in our communities.
Are you ready to take the plunge? If you are, DM me on Instagram! Take a screenshot of you listening to this podcast right now and use hashtags like #ImIn or #DitchingPerfectionism2023 Let’s start a trend this 2023!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 166: The 3 Simple Ways Highly Successful Female Entrepreneurs Get More Time in our Business (and our lives)
17 Jan 2023
00:33:11
Hi everyone! Today is a new episode of Female Empowered and this week I will be talking about three simple strategies successful business owners use to get more time in our business and our life.
What I Hear A Lot From Many People
One of the biggest things I hear from people a lot of times is they are busy and they have no time. However, I believe that time is created for what we prioritize. We all have the same 24 hours in a day, but they are not created equally for everyone. What 24 hours look like for me was different for my mom who was a single mom. That is why it is important to set up these simple strategies so that we can create time for what we deem is very important!
Let's talk about:
Creating time for what we prioritize
24 hours look different for everybody
Time management is crucial especially for female business owners
The pitfalls we want to try to avoid
First pitfall: Not having a to-do list
Also have a “to-don’t” list
If you don’t know what needs to get done, how do you prioritize your workload?
Second pitfall: Multitasking
Multitasking is a myth
Multitasking is just procrastination
Third pitfall: Not knowing how much time a task actually requires
The 4 strategies you need to set up so you don’t feel like you are always running on a hamster wheel that never stops
Strategy Number 1: Start your day early
Strategy Number 2: Focus on one task at a time
The Eisenhower Matrix
Strategy Number 3: Applying the 80-20 rule
The Pareto Principle
Strategy Number 4: Learn to say no and learn to say it more often
Saying no to something is saying yes to something else
Do less for 2023
I hope you really enjoyed this episode and that you learned more. If you want to continue learning, registration for the Beyond The Movement Inner Circle program is currently open for applications. Visit https://www.christagurka.com/mentorship to apply! Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 165: How to Find (and fix) Profit Leaks in Your Business
10 Jan 2023
00:32:44
Hey guys! Today is a new episode of Female Empowered and I will talk about how to find and fix profit leaks in your business.
What Do We Mean By Profit Leaks
Our business is like a bucket. The money that comes into our bucket is revenue, sales, and all of those things. The money going out of the bucket are our expenses. However, sometimes, there will be leaks in our bucket and sometimes we do not realize it or we cannot stop it. So, to help with the leaks, I will be sharing with you where to find the leaks and how you can fix them because this can have a real impact on the bottom line of your business at the end of the year.
It’s a snowball effect and you have to understand that when there’s a leak, it affects the profitability of your business, how you can pay yourself and your staff, and more!
Let’s discuss:
What are profit leaks
Examples of obvious leaks in our business
Another way to find leaks: Is there unutilized space in your brick and mortar location
The profit leaks that are more difficult to find
People Leaks
Are you the right leader for your business?
B, C, D, and F players on your team
F players are easy to get rid off
C players are more difficult to let go but they could be causing you leakage in your business
Do you have the right people advising you on your finances
Right people in the right seats
Strategy Leaks
How my team and I analyze our strategies
Revenue is a vanity metric, cash is king
The importance of mission and vision in relation to profit leaks
Tactics vs strategy
Chasing revenue vs looking at profitability and sustainability
Execution or Implementation Leaks
What could be failing in the systems and processes
Are you effectively communicating your goals to your team
Are you emphasizing the wrong priorities to your team
Profit is a means to end goals
An example to help you understand more about profit leaks
The importance of meetings where people are held accountable over 2-3 initiatives
I hope that you enjoyed this episode and you learned a lot from it. I invite you to check out my Work With Me page on my website. We are now open for enrollment for our Inner Circle program and Fitbiz Foundations program!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast! Interested in being a guest on a future Female Friday episode? Email me at Christa@pilatesinthegrove.com!
Episode 164: How 6 and 7 Figure Business Owners Manage to Take a Month off Without Sacrificing Revenue
03 Jan 2023
00:35:49
Hello everyone! Happy New Year! Today is a new episode of Female Empowered and I will share with you how six- and seven-figure business owners manage to take a month off and how you can do it, too!
My Take Years Ago On Business Owners Who Step Away From Their Business Seven or eight years ago, I used to look at people who can take the time off from their business as not real business owners. I thought that if you could step away from your business for a month, then you don’t have a successful business. I came to realize now that’s BS.
You’ll hear more about why my mindset has changed and some tips on how you can step away from your business without causing interruptions.
Let’s discuss:
For new listeners: what you can expect from the Female Empowered podcast
My take years ago on business owners who can step away from their business
My dream and my reality
Taking the right steps and putting the right systems in place
Look at your whole year and plan a vacation or time away
CEO Days: working on the business rather than in the business
Things I’ve actually done to create an environment where I can step away from the business
Do not have your calls come to your phone
Try not to have e-mails go to your phone
Set boundaries with clients and friends
Start to put processes in place
Start removing yourself from the schedules in your business
Why business owners need time off to reset and recharge
How taking the time off has affected me and my business
I hope that you understood more about how important taking the time off is and took to heart the steps on making this dream a reality. I hope you apply these for 2023! We are reopening enrollment for our Inner Circle program and Fitbiz Foundations program. Check out my Work With Me page on my website on how to get on the waitlist for either or both programs!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 163: 3 Ways All Successful Business Owners Learn to Step Away from Day to Day Operations
20 Dec 2022
00:22:15
Hello everyone! Today is a new episode of Female Empowered and I will be discussing three ways how all successful business owners learn to step away from day-to-day operations.
Operation Christa Gets Hit By A Bus
This is something I have been focused on since 2016 and I named it “Operation Christa Gets Hit By A Bus.” The whole premise of this project was what would happen if I got hit by a bus and I couldn’t run the business anymore? What if I could not drive the bus anymore?
I wanted everything we did from that point on to be not tied to me. When I recognized that I needed to create a system that does not revolve around me, then I got my rear in gear and I started putting together this plan.
Now, I go into the studio probably less than 10 hours a week and that is because I want to. I come in to teach classes and treat patients during this time. For the most part, I run the studio from home.
I could go away for a month and my business would still continue to run.
Let’s talk about: · Operation Christa gets hit by a bus · How I work on my business now · The easy thing: Getting other people to do your task · The more difficult thing to do: Letting go of the mindset that they don’t need you anymore · The three Ds: Delete, Delegate, Detach · What deleting is all about · What I recommend on what can you delete from your tasks · What delegating is all about · Ask yourself about the tasks that you need to do versus the tasks that other people can be responsible for and delegate them · What detaching is all about · Business owners have to detach from the outcome · If we want something done very specifically, we have to give specific instructions · Detaching is the most difficult thing to do · The importance of dialogue · If you want to grow, you have to learn how to step away from the day-to-day operations · I am not my business and my self-worth does not come from the business I hope that you enjoyed this episode. Everyone in our Inner Circle is on the “Operation Christa Gets Hit By A Bus” so their team can step up, while they step back.
If you have questions, want support, or you want to reach out, just shoot me a DM on Instagram or e-mail me. If you want to join any of my programs, just go and check the Work With Me page on my website!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Hey guys! Today is a new episode of Female Empowered and it will be all about what the top 1 percent of women business owners all seem to have in common.
How I Came Up With This Episode?
What I did for this episode was I asked the most successful female business owners I know about what they think we all have in common.
I think this would be a great information for some of us and serve as a reminder for the mindset that we have to have and the things we have to put in place foundationally so we and our businesses can move in the right direction.
Let’s discuss: · Statistics on women-owned businesses in 1972 and now · Number 1 thing in common: The belief system that we have – No one is going to believe in you like you do · Take time to figure out how you want to lead and what kind of leadership works for you · Do not try to be someone else · We can run our businesses how we want to run it · Knowing what you want is important · Number 2 thing in common: We all figure out what our mission, vision, values, messaging, and what our why is · Knowing what your brand value and brand voice allows you to respond rather than react · Having a mission keeps everyone rowing in the same direction · Number 3 thing in common: Do not be apologetic for charging premium rates · Setting rates objectively · Number 4 thing in common: There is room in the market for everyone · Blue ocean vs red ocean · Number 5 thing in common: Joining women’s entrepreneurship groups and never being the smartest one in the room · Contributing to the conversation in the room · Being held accountable and learn from other women in the room · Recognizing that you need help is probably the smartest thing that business owners understand early on · There’s plenty of room in the table, pull up a chair
If you are interested in learning more about the Beyond The Movement mentorship groups that we offer, Fit Biz Foundations and the Inner Circle, go ahead and check my website. Currently, the registration is closed for 2022, but we will be reopening it in 2023. We may have one spot in the Inner Circle and one spot in the Fit Biz Foundations. Get on the waitlist and complete the application now because once enrollment opens again, it will be open to those in the waitlist first.
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast! Interested in being a guest on a future Female Friday episode? Email me at Christa@pilatesinthegrove.com!
How I Generate 6 Figures In Profit Being In Studio Less Than 10 Hours Each Week
06 Dec 2022
00:43:19
Hey there! Today is a new episode of Female Empowered and it is a bit lengthy because I decided to do a story time podcast about how my business began and how it grew to what it is today. I will also be focusing on talking about how I generate six figures in profit even if I am only in the studio for less than 10 hours a week.
Why I Wanted To Do This Podcast Episode
It definitely was not a straight line to get to where I am today. I wanted to share my story because I figured some of you guys would resonate with it. Maybe you are currently in the space where you do not understand how you and your business will grow because you cannot take one more thing on your plate. I was in that space for a long time and I want you to know more about what I did over the last three to five years to create a business that does not run on me.
Let’s talk about:
· Why I wanted to do this podcast episode · Where Pilates In The Grove is right now · What the company looked like at its inception · What I didn’t know and what I did know · How I got out of my own way · What drains self-funded business owners · Growth happens when you are uncomfortable · I wanted to burn my business to the ground · How I turned around my business with the help of my team · Accountability is a huge factor in any business · The 4 things that make employees exceptional at their job · I am not doing day-to-day operations anymore · It’s not that business got easier for me, I got better at handling the business · What I focus on now · I want to walk with women to help them grow their business · The key points that I know will help you · One thing I want to leave with you
If you want to reach out and if you want to join one of our programs in 2023 to start working on yourself and your business, send me a message on Instagram. Get on the waitlist because I want to be part of your entrepreneurial journey!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 276: Ask a CFO - Rapid Fire Round with Danielle Hayden
04 Mar 2025
00:51:24
Welcome back to another episode of the Female EmpowerED Podcast! I’m your host, Christa Gurka, and today we’re diving deep into the financial side of business with Danielle Hayden, founder and CEO of Kickstart Accounting. If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed by bookkeeping, taxes, or figuring out how much to pay yourself, this episode is for you!
Danielle is an expert in helping business owners understand their numbers, so they can make better financial decisions that support growth and sustainability. In this conversation, we break down some of the most essential financial strategies for entrepreneurs—like how to separate personal and business finances, when it makes sense to become an S-Corp, and why saving for taxes (before tax season hits!) is a non-negotiable.
Some of the key takeaways from the episode are…
Get your finances in order. Learn why separating personal and business finances is a crucial first step in managing your money effectively.
S-Corp advantages. Find out if electing S-Corp status is the right move for your business and what criteria you need to meet.
Pay yourself like a CEO. Understanding reasonable compensation as an S-Corp owner is key to avoiding IRS scrutiny and ensuring financial stability.
Prepare for tax season year-round. Danielle shares tips on tax-saving strategies, including setting aside money in a high-yield savings account.
Know your financial benchmarks. Get insights into healthy financial ratios for payroll, facility costs, and profit margins to ensure your business stays on track.
If you’re ready to get serious about your business finances, Danielle has a free resource for you! Head over toKickstartAccountingInc.com/gift to download her Top 10 Deductions Worksheet and start keeping more of your hard-earned money.
And if you want to dive deeper into financial strategies, check out Danielle’s podcast, Business by the Books, where she covers these topics in even greater detail.
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another business owner who could benefit! Let’s normalize financial confidence and take control of our numbers.
Until next time, keep empowering yourself and your business!
Female Founder Episode: How to Run Your Business Based on your Human Design with Robyn Macneill
29 Nov 2022
00:51:28
Hi! Today you will be hearing a new Female Founder episode! We will be with Robyn Macneill about how you can run your business based on your human design. Robyn is an identity coach and a mentor of coaches. She primarily works with high achievers that is why we connected so well!
Robyn Has Been A Coach For 13 Years Now
Robyn started her coaching career when she was a manager in corporate. She gave coaching trainings and that became a passion of hers. She then got certified for leadership and executive coaching. She moved away from that job and later explored the online space and still pivoted her way to coaching.
Robyn is also a high achiever so she wanted to help people be an entrepreneur when they have this high-functioning brain. Her entire business is wrapped around how to get people out of their head and take the actions that they need to take.
Let’s discuss:
· Robyn’s introduction · Finding our inner selves especially for high achiever females · The difference of managing people when it isn’t your business and when it’s your business · Having no control over the value systems of the organizations · The importance of having the same values · Having soft skills vs hard skills · What is human design · The themes that come out the strongest for high achievers · Perfectionism and Procrastination · Having to work under pressure · Reconditioning your mind to sit in the discomfort does not happen overnight · CEO Day, CEO Week, CEO Month · Hypnosis – accessing the subconscious part of the brain and allowing it to find its voice · Actionable strategies you can learn from · Writing exercises for those who can’t get a coach right now · Energetic work you can do · Developing an alter ego · The more you do it, the easier it becomes · The two programs of Robyn if you want to work with her · The ability to be curious can make anyone successful
If you have questions for Robyn, you can DM her on her Instagram.
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
3 Reasons High Achievers Are More Prone To Burnout
22 Nov 2022
00:20:29
Hey guys! Today you will be hearing a new Female empowered episode. We will be talking about the three reasons why high achievers are prone to burnout. I know I’ve been talking a lot about high achievers recently, but these are the things that you should think about and dwell over.
I Am A High Achiever
I am a high achiever, and we tend to share some of the tendencies I will be talking about today. I will be sharing with you some tips on how to nip them in the bud or, at the very least, be aware of them.
High achiever tendencies have their strengths, but if we lean too much on them, they can become our kryptonite, so there are times that we have to dial it down a bit.
Let’s discuss:
· Most high achievers want to do it all · We want to do it all because we do not want to wait · High achievers are not that good in delegating · High achievers should set clear expectations · High achievers resist slowing down and stepping back from “busyness” · Why high achievers feel they have to do it all and why they resist slowing down · High achievers think the appearance of being hardworking and productive proves we are “worthy” · Busy and productive are different · Success requires sacrifice · The high achiever’s procrastination: the need for control · Done is better than perfect – 80 percent is good enough · A lot of oldest siblings are high achievers · We can ask people to tell us to dial down our high achiever tendencies
With these points, I leave a challenge for you to see where you fall in this. Do you resonate with these attributes? What can you do to help yourself and those around you prevent burnout? It is doable, I am proof of it. So, if you are feeling burnout or struggling, you have to realize that there is something you can do about it. DM me on Instagram if you want to reach out!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
What Successful High Achievers Focus Their Efforts On (I guarantee it's not what you are doing)
15 Nov 2022
00:21:15
Hi everyone! Today I am releasing another episode of Female empowered. What I will be chatting about today is what successful high achievers focus their efforts on. And I guarantee that these are the things you are not focusing on right now.
This Was Something I Learned After Joining High Level Masterminds
I learned about these when I joined high level masterminds with other 7- and 8-figure business owners. I thought then that I had to get out of my own way and get to where they are.
I am sharing this so you get to where you want to be, too!
Let’s start talking about:
· What Technical CEOs focus on · What micromanaging means for you and your business · It’s time for leaders to step back so our team can step up · What Most Successful High Achievers focus on · Focus Number 1: Vision for the Future · Focus Number 2: High Level Tasks · Focus Number 3: Actual Customer Experience · Focus Number 4: How To Become Better Leaders · Hold other people accountable, pass the torch · Get yourself up to the 30,000-foot view · See what’s available to the front, back, and sides to see which route you need to take to get there
To help you get yourself up to the higher level tasks, we will be releasing some incredible discounts on my Done For You Resources on my library on Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Make sure to get notified by checking www.christagurka.com!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
3 Must Have’s To Attracting And Retaining Top Talent For Your 6 Figure Business
08 Nov 2022
00:31:14
Hey guys! Here is another episode of Female empowered. Let me take the time to re-introduce myself in this episode as I’ve noticed we’ve been getting more downloads for the podcast so I have to share to our new listeners what I actually do.
I am Christa Gurka and I am the founder and CEO of Pilates In The Grove, a full service boutique and Pilates studio and concierge for Physical Therapy and recovery service company. By degree, I am a Physical Therapist and I have a Masters, too. I am also a Nationally Certified Pilates Teacher.
What I do in this podcast is I talk a lot about topics that will empower women, hence the name. I started doing this because I wanted to be an example of what is possible when starting, owning, and operating a successful business.
Today’s Episode – What You Need To Attract And Retain Top Talent For Your Business
If you want to get past the six-figure mark without working 80 hours a week, you have to have a team. A team could mean 10 people, three part-time people, or whatever you think is the best set-up for your business.
With all the movements going on in the workplace right now, like great resignation and quiet quitting, it is important to attract the right kind of people to your team. Quoting again from the book “Traction,” this podcast will talk about “the right people, in the right seat.”
Let’s get to it:
· Reintroducing myself for our new listeners · Hiring a team to get past that six-figure mark · Right people in the right seat · If you don’t know what you stand for, what will you fall for · The importance of Mission, Vision, and Values · You have to have a solid onboarding process · Contractors vs Employees · If people in your team don’t like clarity, they won’t like accountability · Tip Number 1: Create Career Paths · Tip Number 2: The 6 Rs – Role, Responsibility, Requirements, Results, Reward, and Renew · Tip Number 3: Give Your Employees Love · Tip Number 4: Make Sure When You Are Interviewing You Are Interviewing For A Culture Fit · Develop a growth mindset for you and your team · Tip Number 5: Invest In Your Team
I enjoyed this episode when I researched about it and created it so I hope you did, too! Also, I just want to reiterate again that Pilates In The Grove, based in Miami, is hiring right now. If you want to be a Pilates instructor, want to learn our Mission, Vision, and Values, and you are emotionally intelligent or want to learn how to be one, a team player, and is accountable, we will be happy to welcome you!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast! Interested in being a guest on a future Female Friday episode? Email me at Christa@pilatesinthegrove.com!
3 Reasons Most Successful Business Owners Have Trouble Managing Their Team
01 Nov 2022
00:33:57
Hey there! Welcome to another episode of Female empowered and I will be talking about the reasons why most entrepreneurs have trouble managing their team. I will also touch on the topic as to how this trouble is costing them.
This topic is very important but some people might feel it is uncomfortable to talk about. If I did talk about this topic four or five years ago, honestly, it would also make me feel uncomfortable.
Talking From Experience
Most of the episodes I do on this podcast are from personal experiences. I talk about things I had to level up and things I constantly have to remind myself about. I share these because I know many also need answers to some of their questions. And with the topic today, knowing the reasons why most entrepreneurs have trouble managing their team has helped me immensely to level up to the CEO that the company needs.
Let’s discuss:
· Most of us are high achievers · Being a high achiever comes with strengths and it can also be our Kryptonite · Being a high achiever means we are always in the future making it difficult to lead here and now in the present · Visionaries vs. Integrators – From the book “Traction” · When you have too many ideas, we can’t focus on any one thing – this makes it difficult to lead teams · Hating being stuck in the weeds · How being a high achiever is costing you · Insatiable need for accomplishment to feed the need for external validation · High achievers want to cross the finish line, while good leaders want to cross the finish line with the team · Founder’s mentality · Mindsets that entrepreneurs thinks to themselves, embody · Having no more than 4 people directly report to you · Some people still believe that leaders have to “whip” their team into shape · Done is better than perfect · Holding a space for your team if they are emotional · We want to be the kind of leader our company, team deserves · Tips for people who want to be “growth entrepreneurs”
If you have a team or is interested in growing a team, these are some of the things we talk about and work through in my Beyond the Movement Inner Circle Mentorship Program. Enrollment is now closed, however we will be reopening enrollment in January. You can get on the wait list now by visiting www.christagurka.com/mentorship.
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Hello! This week’s episode of Female empowered will be touching on the subject of raising your prices. I will talk about the five signs you can watch out for when you are in limbo of retaining or raising your current prices for the services you offer.
It is a topic I feel that I talk about a lot and many people ask me this question, too. Aside from the five signs, I will also share some tips that I use in my business to make the transition as simple as possible.
People Are Uncomfortable Raising Their Prices
This is something I’ve learned by being in business for the last 12+ years. When I first started my business, I also hated talking about pricing. Starting out as being in a physical therapy clinic, I came from a model where we were really helping people. So, I was in the mindset of helping people OR making money.
I see this in newer business owners. But when you start investing in your business and your professional development, being firm with your pricing or raising it eventually will be easier to do. You will know how much energy, time, and money you’ve put into your business, so you will be confident that you can help people with the prices you set for your services.
Let’s discuss:
· People are uncomfortable raising their prices · I hated talking about pricing, too · Invest in yourself so you can be confident that your services are at par with your prices · You can help people and make money – there’s nothing wrong with that · You can raise your prices whenever you want · The Five Signs to know when to increase your prices · Sign Number 1: Your schedule is always full · Sign Number 2: You’re getting burnt out and exhausted · Sign Number 3: You’re attracting problem or difficult clients · Sign Number 4: A significant portion of your expenses have gone up · Sign Number 5: Because you want to · Tips I recommend from our Beyond The Movement Program · Announce it as “pricing updates” or “studio updates” rather than “pricing increases” · Create a landing page on your website for the updated pricing and post it in different places · Prepare for the conversations · It could be great to have alternatives like offering packages
If you are interested in learning how to raise your prices that align with what you want to do and what you feel comfortable with, we have our Fit Biz Foundations Program and our Inner Circle. Both programs will close for enrollment on October 28. If you would like to get in before October 28, e-mail me at christa@pilatesinthegrove.com or DM me on Instagram.
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
7 Things I Still Struggle With As A 7 Figure Business Owner
18 Oct 2022
00:26:35
Hey there! For this week’s episode of Female empowered, I will be talking about the 7 things I still struggle with as a 7-figure business owner.
If you think that being a 6-, 7-, or 8-figure business owner makes you immune from having struggles, I’m going to invite you to think again. I wish that I didn’t have business struggles, but I already shared in a previous podcast episode about the higher you go in the levels of your business, there will be new devils to face.
Normalizing We All Have Struggles In Our Business
We have to normalize that we all have struggles in our business. It can be personal struggles, mindset struggles, operational struggles, and more.
So if you think I already got it all figured out, let me pull back the curtain so you know it’s not always pretty behind it.
Let’s discuss:
· Normalizing that we all have struggles in our business · The same issues I have with other business owners · Struggling with other issues like worries, doubts · The 7 things I still struggle with as a 7-figure business owner · Impostor Syndrome – what has helped me with this struggle · Comparisonitis – be careful what you compare yourself to · Money Mindset – how I continue working through this · Leadership – I can be quite assertive and I recognize I need more growth to be a better leader · Accountability – I hate conflict and for a long time I didn’t hold people accountable · Attracting and Retaining Team Members – you are not alone in this business struggle · Cash Flow Problems – things are just more expensive now so you need to be mindful of your cash flow
I’d love to invite you to come be a business owner in one of our programs if you’re interested in learning about these 7 business struggles. We will be closing the registration for all of our programs by Thanksgiving so if you are interested and you are trying to get to your first six-figure revenue and put together a sustainable business, check out www.christagurka.com/workwithme!
You can also check out my Inner Circle Program, which has two more slots available if you are ready to go from six figures in revenue to six figures in profit while growing your business and your team, improving your cash flow and leadership abilities, and having more reach and impact.
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
What's Your Exit Strategy? Why I Hate That Question
11 Oct 2022
00:17:20
This week’s episode of Female empowered is very short, and it focuses on your exit strategy.
People used to ask me this all the time, and I really hated this question because it made me feel like I wasn’t a business owner because I had no idea that you were supposed to have an exit strategy.
But as I learned more about the industry, I became comfortable with the idea of an exit strategy. In this podcast, we will talk about the options we have in our industry when the time comes that we want to actually get to the step of exiting our businesses.
Let’s discuss:
· Why I hate being asked why my exit strategy is
· What is an exit strategy
· What exit strategy means for women like us
· Listen to the episode I did with Mitch McGinley
· Options for exit strategies in our business
· What is my exit strategy
· What I like to ask people instead of asking about their exit strategy
Send me a message on Instagram because I’d love to know what you thought about this episode, what you think if people ask about your exit strategy, have you thought about your exit strategy, and the like. So, shoot me a DM, and I’ll get back to you!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
How To Rethink Sales In Your Boutique Fitness And Wellness Biz With Sarah Walton
04 Oct 2022
00:54:46
I am bringing to you another episode of Female empowered where I got to interview another Female Founder! In this week’s podcast, I talked with Sarah Walton, a business mentor who helped hundreds of women start and grow the businesses that they love.
I was so excited to have Sarah in this podcast because I listen to her podcast, Game On Girlfriend, and I love how she is a straight shooter. I think you guys will learn a lot from her as we talk about how to rethink sales in your boutique fitness and wellness business.
Sarah’s Health In Relation To Her Business
Sarah has two autoimmune diseases, while her daughter has Type 1 Diabetes. She wants to help women who have health issues, too, as they work on their businesses. Sarah wants to support the fitness and wellness business community to get more money to people who understand our health and bodies.
Let’s talk about:
· Sarah’s health in relation to having the business she has now
· Sarah’s background before coaching women with businesses
· How Sarah figured out she should be in business coaching
· The more senior Sarah became, the lesser women were in the room
· You should know what stories drive you
· Sarah realizing no woman should be in the same situation her mother was
· Women must have money and know how to use it
· The similarities in my and Sarah’s “why” and how it shaped who we are today
· Sarah on women thinking they can’t do something because they don’t fit the archetype
· Women’s physiological difference
· The societal conditioning of women on feelings and roles that have to change
· Being called selfless is not always a good thing
· High-functioning co-dependence
· Sarah recommends Boundary Boss by Terri Cole
· Learned helplessness
· Sarah’s thought process on sales
· Money has love-like energy
· Bringing money into your life is a great opportunity to grow
· Do you trust yourself to have more money?
· Sales is an exchange of love-like energy
· Money never disappears, it moves
· If you have a business and it’s not generating money, you have a hobby
· Having money gives you options
· You are not your business
· The price should be congruent with what you are offering
· When you decide to invest in yourself, things will fall into place
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Going From Side Hustling To $10,000/Month In 60 Days With Ali Zeno
27 Sep 2022
00:48:12
I am so excited for this week’s episode of Female empowered! In this week’s podcast, I interviewed Ali Zeno for a Female Founder feature. She is the owner of Essentials Physical Therapy and Training.
She is based in New Jersey but caters to out-of-state clients, too! Ali started her business after practicing in a clinic for five years. Her move to put up Essentials Physical Therapy and Training is an effort to have more flexibility for her growing family and to help more women during and after pregnancy.
Ali’s Main Goal Was To Help Women During The Pandemic
Essentials Physical Therapy and Training began right in the middle of the pandemic. People who Ali knew had nowhere to turn to because of the restrictions during the height of the pandemic, so she thought it was a huge gap she can fill.
She began with a number of virtual clients until she had to move to New Jersey. Now, she sees clients both virtually and in –person.
She was still employed in a clinic when she started her business. As her business continued to grow and decided to finally leave the clinic where she was practicing, she was able to generate $10,000 in just 60 days.
Let’s talk about:
· Ali’s bio, background, and business model
· Ali was still employed in a clinic while she was growing her business, and it was overwhelming
· Looking at your finances before you decide to go full-time in growing your business
· There is no perfect time to take a leap, but you have to plan ahead
· Ali’s specific niche in the pelvic health field
· Ali helps women to transition and heal after having a baby
· Why we need to keep the conversation about pelvic floor health
· Ali’s own story about why she wanted to start her business
· The value of saving time as a benefit from virtual consultations
· Treating clients with respect and kindness helped Ali form relationships that allowed her to have in-person clients
· Networking is relationship building
· Ali’s set-up for her in-person clients
· What are Ali’s plans during and after her maternity leave
· What surprised Ali as to owning a business
· How Ali handles the admin stuff for her business
· A powerful mindset: It can happen tomorrow
· Ali working around her husband’s busy career for her dreams
· Women can create businesses that they like because they can learn the tools that go with it
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Episode 275: Building A Marketing Strategy That Integrates Organic and Paid Content with Lauren Peachie
25 Feb 2025
01:01:54
Welcome back to another episode of the Female EmpowerED Podcast! I’m your host, Christa Gurka, and today I had the pleasure of chatting with Lauren Peachie, a marketing strategist who helps small businesses shine. Lauren shared her inspiring journey from photography to mastering marketing strategy, emphasizing how crucial it is to align your visuals and messaging with your brand and target audience.
In our conversation, we explored the core elements of an effective marketing strategy—from understanding who your ideal client is, to choosing the right platforms and creating consistent messaging. Lauren broke down the three main types of marketing: attracting new clients, nurturing existing ones, and retaining current customers. We also delved into the practical side of marketing for small businesses, discussing realistic timelines, tracking meaningful engagement metrics, and distinguishing between mere leads and truly qualified ones.
Plus, we got into the role of AI tools in modern marketing. Lauren advises using these tools as a creative aid for brainstorming and analysis—but always with a human touch to verify the results.
Some of our key takeaways include...
Align Your Marketing: Ensure that your website, social media, and email campaigns consistently reflect your brand, services, and target audience.
Consistent Over Quick Fixes: Focus on steady, manageable marketing activities over time rather than searching for overnight solutions.
Measure What Matters: Tracking engagement metrics is key to understanding your marketing’s effectiveness and knowing when to pivot.
Strategic Use of AI: AI tools can be great for generating ideas and insights, but they should complement your expertise, not replace it.
If you enjoyed this episode, don’t forget to connect with Lauren Peachie on Instagram @laurenpeachie or check out her website at laurenpeachie.com. Thanks for tuning in to the Female EmpowerED Podcast—keep empowering yourself and your business, and I’ll catch you in the next episode!
How Many Hours Do I Work? - That's The Wrong Question To Be Asking
20 Sep 2022
00:32:47
I am so glad that you’re joining me again today for a new episode of Female empowered! In this week’s podcast, I talked about the wrong question to ask: how many hours do I work?
I see this a lot on my socials, many people ask me this, and I personally think it’s a wrong question to ask because we are not comparing apples to apples. Not everyone has the same set of circumstances and capacities.
What I Hate Seeing On My Socials
One trend I hate seeing on my socials is when people feel they are experts about something even if they aren’t. Another is if they share they only work 4 hours a day and they are already a 6 or 7-figure business.
My business is generating a lot of income now compared to when I started. However, I did not work only 4 hours a day during the first years of my business to get to where I am today.
Let’s talk about:
· A question I feel is wrong to ask – how many hours do I work
· The trends on my socials that I hate
· How I got to where I am today
· Working 80 hours a week but your revenue is not 6 or 7 figures? You are not doing anything wrong
· The 4-Hour Workweek by Tim Ferriss
· It’s not literally working 4 hours a week, it’s about creating a system that doesn’t stress you out
· How do you get to the point where you have enough bandwidth to live the life you want
· Workaholic and ruler tendencies
· Comparisonitis vs Transparency, Collaboration, Authenticity
· It’s not fair to compare myself to other women in business
· Seeing it as proof of what’s possible
· A better question: What do you choose to spend your working hours on
· Spending 80 percent of your time on the tasks that only YOU can do
· Spending 20 percent of your time on tasks that moves the needle in your business
· How much do you want to earn and how much do you want to work for that money?
· The work-life balance that I have
· You have permission and choices to reduce your working hours
· Offloading and delegating
· Give yourself permission to do things that help you thrive
· Creating a business with YOU in mind
· Surround yourself with people who support and inspire you
· Getting out of your own way
· Failure is an action it’s not an identity
If you are interested in checking out my Female CEO Summit, it is now open for enrollment. It is a live event on November 3 and 4, 2022, to help you create the business you love and the lifestyle that you want. You will leave this live event with a very sustainable strategic plan for which to follow in 2023. Visit my website christagurka.com to know more about the details!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
New Levels, New Devils with Each Phase of Business Growth
13 Sep 2022
00:36:31
Hello there! Welcome back to another episode of Female empowered! In this week’s podcast, I talked about new levels, new devils with each phase of business growth, as well as what you can expect as to revenue for each level.
If you are familiar with the phrase, “More money, more problems,” businesses aren’t an exception to experiencing this. Most business owners do not have the background as to understanding the phases of a business, so we sometimes think that bigger is better.
Bigger Is Not Always Better – It Comes With More Expenses
Business owners need to understand that the bigger they are, the more people on their team are, and the more clients they have, they must have the systems and infrastructure to sustain that business growth.
So, if you want to be bringing in more revenue and be profitable at the same time, you have to have a container that can sustain that growth.
Let’s talk about:
· More money, more problems · Bigger is not always better – it comes with more expenses · Having a container to sustain that growth · What happens at each different level of business growth · The first level or phase of business – Ideation · The second level or phase of business – Infancy · Infancy stage is when we have more time for our business than money · Infancy stage is when business owners do everything on their own · The third level or phase of business – Adolescence · Adolescence stage is when business owners get more help · Most business owners don’t have systems in place during the adolescence stage · Managing and leading a team have different sets of skills than treating patients, leading a class · Jumping right back to the role of a technician in the adolescence stage · Adolescence stage is where most business owners get stuck · Do you scale back or do you continue to grow · The fourth level or phase of business – Maturity · To be in the maturity stage, you have to have a clearly defined mission, vision, and values · Not all business owners want to be at the maturity stage but must still have the maturity mindset · Having systems and processes and not feeling burnout is sustainable · Deciding where you want to be in your business · Time must equal equity and later equal freedom · Where I am now in my business · The resources I have for you to help you in your business · Leaving the survival mode – how I can help you
If you are interested in checking out my Female CEO Summit, it is now open for enrollment. It is a two-day live event where you are in a room full of high-achieving females in the fitness and wellness and healthcare industry. Visit my website christagurka.com to know more about the details!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client-based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!
Why Retention Matters For Your Boutique Fitness And Wellness Business
06 Sep 2022
00:24:37
Hi! This is the latest Female empowered episode for you! In this week’s podcast, I talked about why retention matters for your boutique, the last pillar of the 5 pillars of marketing in my signature foundation course.
Some people might ask how retention is marketing. It is marketing because it is significantly easier to sell to a person who has already bought from us. Further, studies claim that it is 5 to 15 times less expensive to retain a client.
Why It's Less Expensive To Retain A Client
When you want to get a new client at your door, you have to attract them first. This costs money because you might spend some on advertisements, or it costs you time because you might do community events or post on social media.
You will also have to nurture that new client through the sequence that you usually do, such as discovery sessions or evaluations. That would not even guarantee that they will right away want to work with you, so expect that it could take some time. In the past, I wanted to get new clients every time, and it was exhausting!
Whereas with retention, these clients already bought from you. They already know you, like you, and trust you, so it's much easier and less expensive for you. That is why we try to embed to business owners who attend our programs that retention is super important.
It's not always about having new people for your business, it's also about keeping these people year after year after year.
Let’s talk about:
· The first pillar of marketing: a recap · The last pillar of marketing: retention · Why retaining a client is less expensive and important · What happens when client acquisition or client retention is the only focus · What I think is a good retention strategy · What is the turn rate of your membership · Putting a system in place for retention and when a client drops off their schedule · Statistics on retention · What you can do before clients might cancel their membership · 80 percent of your revenue will come from 20 percent of your clientele · What you can do for this 20 percent of your clientele
If you are interested in getting more ideas about attraction strategies and very specific retention strategies, I am inviting you to a free master class on September 14th, Wednesday, at 7 P.M. EST. When you attend live, you can ask questions, and we will brainstorm through them during the free master class. Visit my website christagurka.com to register!
Looking for advice and resources to help you market and grow your clinic or client-based business? Visit my website or follow me on Instagram!
Thanks for listening! If you enjoyed this episode, please leave a review for the show to help other female fitness and wellness professionals find our podcast!