Studio Success in a Small Town with Rachel Eidson

Send Jackie A Message!You've been running your studio for years. You survived the startup phase, you survived COVID, and now a competitor just opened down the street. You're still teaching most of the classes. And that teacher training you've been meaning to launch? Still sitting on the back burner.In this episode, Jackie sits down with Rachel, owner of Elevate Coleman—a barre, yoga, and Buti yoga studio in a small Southern town. Rachel found Jackie during COVID recovery, went through the Studio CEO Program, joined the Grow Mastermind, and now works with Jackie one-on-one. She's nearly a decade into her business and still growing.Timestamps:[03:30] From show choir and gymnastics to barre[07:00] Proof of concept before signing a lease[11:20] Opening with a 6-month-old[14:00] The 3 phases of running a studio[20:00] How Rachel found Jackie and decided to invest[27:00] The VIP on-site visit experience[34:00] How Rachel talent-scouts and develops teachers[43:30] The CEO mindset shift — working on the business, not just in itKey Takeaways:✔️ You don't need a perfect manual to launch a teacher training. Version one is the goal.✔️ Proof of concept can start with a notebook, 50 names, and basic math.✔️ Every studio goes through three phases: startup, survival, and stable growth in competition.✔️ Operating in your strengths and hiring for the rest is a CEO-level decision. ✔️ Being around other scaling studio owners shows you what's possible—and what's next.Pull Quotes:"If they were playing baseball, I've been in T-ball.""There's no such thing as a perfect manual. Can you get version one out there now?""My job is CEO first. Teaching supports that.""Steer yourself and your team toward what's going right. Do more of that."FAQ:How do I know if my town is big enough for a boutique fitness studio? It's math, not population. Figure out how many members at what price point covers your rent, then work backwards. Rachel opened in a town with zero boutique fitness and built a nine-year business doing exactly that.Studio CEO Program vs. Grow Mastermind — what's the difference? The Studio CEO Program is where you start—auditing your business and building core systems. The Mastermind is for owners who are already running and ready to focus on leadership, paid ads, and scaling alongside other growth-minded studio owners.Should I launch a teacher training before it's perfect? Yes. There is no perfect manual. What you know from years of teaching is the curriculum. Get version one out, then refine. Waiting means another year of being short-staffed.How do I find good teachers for my studio? Watch your students. Look for people who absorb instruction as a teacher would. Rachel identified one of her best teachers just by observing how she moved through class—then asked her to lunch.What does the CEO mindset shift actually look like for studio owners? It means recognizing that your primary job is to grow the business—and teaching supports that, not the other way around. When teaching starts competing with strategic work, something needs to restructure.How do studios survive when competition moves in? Get specific about who you're for and what result they get. The studios that thrive are the ones that stop trying to be everything to everybody and get clear on their differentiation.Work with Jackie MurphySay Hi on Instagram @studioceoofficial3 Marketing Mistakes Yoga & Pilates Business Owners Make: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/evergreen-3mm-organicJoin The Studio CEO Program: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/studioceo