The Fitcarma Podcast

Hosted by Barry & Shay Kostabi: Brand Strategist + Experience Designer

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229

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Aug 2026

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About the show

The Fitcarma Podcast is for fitness studio owners who are ready to make the leap from being a business to becoming a brand. Each episode explores what it really takes to build a fitness brand people feel, trust, and choose on purpose: from sharper positioning and stronger messaging to better class experiences, team alignment, and long-term loyalty. If you want to stand out in a crowded market, create a more memorable client experience, and build something people come back to for more than just the workout, this show is for you.

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60 recent

September 4, 2026Episode 23141 min

FCM231: What Survives Every Era of Fitness (With Lacey Stone)

There is always something fitness businesses are being told they need to do next. A new modality. A new piece of technology. A new way to personalize the workout. A new platform. A new consumer trend. And usually, somewhere in the conversation, there's an underlying warning: keep up or get left behind. If you own a studio or have built a career in this industry, it can make you wonder how the hell you're supposed to build something that lasts when the definition of what people want seems to keep changing. So instead of trying to predict what fitness will look like five years from now, we wanted to ask a different question: What survives every era of fitness? And there may be no one better to ask than Lacey Stone. Over more than two decades, Lacey has built an extraordinarily successful career across version after version of this industry. From Equinox and the rise of boutique fitness to television, celebrity training, her own businesses, virtual fitness and everything that came after, she hasn't just witnessed enormous change. She's continued to find people who want what she has to offer through all of it. In this conversation, we look at what her career can teach us about building something people continue to choose even when the container around it changes. We talk about why there's no single "golden era" of fitness, what gets lost when instructors become executors instead of creators, why putting people in the same room doesn't automatically create community, what it really means to read a room, how Lacey uses music and the people themselves to shape an experience, and why the parts of you that might seem the least scalable could be some of the most valuable things you have. If you've been feeling pressure to chase what's next, wondering whether your studio is doing enough to keep up, or trying to figure out what you should change and what you absolutely shouldn't, press play. CONNECT WITH LACEY Lacey Stone Fitness Visit Lacey Stone Fitness Train with Lacey online Explore Lacey's virtual training platform Follow Lacey on Instagram @laceystonefitness WORK WITH FITCARMA You know there's something special about what you've built. We help you get clear on what makes you worth choosing, articulate your value beyond the workout, and create an experience people feel something about and want to come back to again and again. Book a free Fit Call with Barry + Shay

August 28, 2026Episode 23027 min

FCM230: How to Make Your Fitness Classes Impossible to Replace: The Two Moment Rule

How do you create fitness classes that members actively choose, talk about, and have a hard time replacing? For boutique fitness studio owners, stronger member retention and loyalty often start with something most studios leave largely to chance: how people actually experience and remember a class. In this episode, Fitcarma Experience Designer Shay Kostabi introduces The Two Moment Rule , our framework for intentionally shaping the two moments that can carry disproportionate weight in how members remember an experience: the emotional peak and the ending. We explore the psychology behind the peak-end rule and how it applies specifically to boutique fitness, group fitness class design, instructor training, music, coaching, emotional arc, and class structure. You'll learn why the hardest part of a workout isn't automatically the most memorable, how Convergence happens when movement, music, coaching, energy, and emotion work together toward the same emotional outcome, why constant intensity can actually cause members to disengage through what we call The Mad Max Effect , and why a class that simply stops is very different from an experience that ends with true Resolution . If the best parts of your class experience exist only inside the instincts of your strongest instructors, your brand doesn't own that experience yet. At Fitcarma, our Experience Design work draws from established research in psychology, behavioral science, flow, belonging, memory, and human performance, then translates those principles specifically into boutique fitness. We help studio owners turn those insights into a proprietary class experience that can be built into class architecture, coaching methodology, instructor training, observation standards, and a Playbook your entire team can use. Your members are going to remember these moments whether you plan for them or not. You might as well make them count. Want to build a more distinctive, memorable, and difficult-to-replace class experience for your studio? Book a Fit Call with us: https://fitcarma.com/northstar Research referenced Fredrickson, B. L., & Kahneman, D. (1993). "Duration Neglect in Retrospective Evaluations of Affective Episodes." Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 65 (1), 45–55. DOI: 10.1037/0022-3514.65.1.45 Alaybek, B., Dalal, R. S., Fyffe, S., Aitken, J. A., Zhou, Y., Qu, X., Roman, A., & Baines, J. I. (2022). "All's Well That Ends (and Peaks) Well? A Meta-Analysis of the Peak-End Rule and Duration Neglect." Organizational Behavior and Human Decision Processes, 170 , 104149. DOI: 10.1016/j.obhdp.2022.104149 Film referenced Mad Max: Fury Road (2015), directed by George Miller. Warner Bros. Pictures, Village Roadshow Pictures, Kennedy Miller Mitchell.

July 30, 2026Episode 2291 hr 17 min

FCM229: The Fitness Industry's Biggest Blind Spot: People (With Jessica H. Maurer)

The fitness industry has never known more about programming, performance, and optimization. So why are so many people still unconvinced that fitness is for them? In this episode, Barry and Shay sit down with 2026 IDEA Fitness Leader of the Year Jessica H. Maurer to examine what our industry keeps missing: the human being in front of us. Together, they unpack why shame may grab attention but fails to create lasting motivation, why enjoyment and challenge are not opposites, and how our obsession with proving that one method is better than another prevents people from finding movement they genuinely love. They also explore why "soft skills" are really power skills, why attention is not retention, and why belonging often matters more than the perfect program, system, or sales funnel. This conversation will challenge the way you market, teach, lead, and measure success. Because the future of fitness will not be built by whoever knows the most about exercise. It will be built by the people who understand people. Connect With Jessica: Website: jhmfitness.com Instagram: @jessicahmaurer LinkedIn: Jessica H. Maurer Speaking and event inquiries: Booking@JessicaHMaurer.com

July 9, 2026Episode 22827 min

FCM228: How To Create Fitness Classes People MUST Come Back For

Why do people stop coming to your fitness studio? It's easy to blame motivation, discipline, busy schedules, streaming workouts, or short attention spans. But what if the real problem is something deeper? In this episode, Shay Kostabi of Fitcarma explores a belief-shifting idea for fitness studio owners, boutique fitness leaders, and group fitness entrepreneurs: People don't come back because they should . They come back because of how the experience made them feel. If you want to create a fitness class people MUST come back for, this video will help you rethink what actually drives retention, loyalty, word of mouth, and long-term client connection. Inside this episode, we cover: • Why the fitness industry has been asking the wrong question • What actually makes a fitness class unforgettable • Why harder, sweatier, more punishing is not the answer • How to create a group fitness experience people want to return to • The role of brand strategy in building a studio people choose beyond the workout • The role of experience design in making clients feel alive, seen, connected, and part of something • How to build a fitness brand that moves people • Why studio systems, standards, and team alignment matter if you want the experience to be consistent This is for you if you're a: - fitness studio owner - boutique fitness owner - Pilates studio owner - group fitness entrepreneur - fitness educator - studio leader trying to improve retention and create a stronger client experience At Fitcarma, we help studio owners build a brand that moves people and design experiences that make people feel something they want to come back for. If you're ready to stop chasing trends and start building a studio experience people talk about, remember, and return to, you're in the right place. Book a free Fit Call: https://fitcarma.com/northstar Subscribe for more on: brand strategy for fitness studios, boutique fitness marketing, experience design, client retention, studio growth, instructor development, and building a fitness business people feel connected to.

June 26, 2026Episode 2271 hr 21 min

FCM227: The Number Nobody Talks About (With Mitch McGinley, Boutique Fitness Broker)

What's the number nobody talks about? For boutique fitness studio owners, it's the sale price. But this episode isn't just for owners preparing to sell. It's for anyone who wants to build a studio that is more valuable, more transferable, and less dependent on them carrying the whole business. Shay and Barry sit down with Mitch McGinley, founder of Boutique Fitness Broker and author of The Number Nobody Talks About: How to Prepare, Price, and Sell Your Boutique Fitness Studio. Mitch helps yoga, Pilates, and boutique fitness studio owners prepare for successful exits. After buying and selling his own yoga studio with his wife Karson, he became the person other studio owners turned to when they were ready to sell. Since then, he has helped close 70+ studio transactions totaling $30M. In this conversation, we talk about what buyers are actually looking for, why owner-dependence creates risk, how systems and team training build confidence, and why a strong brand is not just a marketing asset... it's an operational asset. Whether you want to sell in two years, ten years, or never, this episode will change the way you think about the business you're building. Connect with Mitch or request a free copy of his book while supplies last: Website: https://boutiquefitnessbroker.com/ Email: mitch@boutiquefitnessbroker.com Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/boutiquefitnessbrokers Ready to build a brand and business that can last beyond you? Book a Fit Call with us: https://fitcarma.com/northstar

May 28, 2026Episode 22637 min

FCM226: What Makes Studio Marketing Actually Work (with Zach Mills, ONBRND Marketing)

Most studio owners think they have a marketing problem. But what if the real issue is that your brand story, follow-up systems, and in-studio experience aren't working together? In this episode, we sit down with Zach Mills, founder of ONBRND Marketing, to talk about why ads alone won't fix a broken funnel, how to tell where your leads are actually falling off, and why studios need more than "sweat, burn, results" messaging to stand out. Zach also shares why brand clarity makes marketing easier, how strong systems turn leads into members, and what studio owners should look at before spending another dollar on Meta ads. As part of the Fitcarma family, you can get your first month of marketing management completely free when you mention Fitcarma. Learn more at onbrndmarketing.com . Book a Fit Call with Fitcarma at fitcarma.com/northstar

May 1, 2026Episode 22557 min

FCM225: What If Fitness Had Michelin Stars? (with Jack Thomas, The Fit Guide)

Fitness is changing. Not because there's a hot new workout on the menu, but because people are craving something more meaningful than a class they try once and forget. In this episode, we sit down with Jack Thomas , founder and CEO of The Fit Guide and host of the Five Star Fitness podcast. Imagine if boutique fitness had the equivalent of Michelin stars or Forbes Travel Guide ratings. Not based on hype or follower count, but based on anonymous visits and real standards. That's what Jack is building with The Fit Guide. We talk about why the old definition of excellence has been loud, the hardest workouts, the hottest trainers, the flashiest build-outs, and why the next era is about something deeper: trust, consistency, and an experience people want to come back to and bring their friends into. In this conversation, we zoom out, define the five-star standard, and unpack what it takes to actually deliver it consistently. Reach out to The Fit Guide: team@thefitguide.com

April 4, 202644 min

FCM224: If You Want To Grow... Your Studio Needs This First

In this episode, Shay breaks down the hidden energy leaks that drain trust, culture, consistency, and scalability inside boutique fitness businesses... even the really good ones! From hiring the wrong people for the right reasons, to rushed onboarding, unclear standards, weak internal messaging, and teams with no real path for growth, this episode is a deep dive into what may actually be keeping your studio stuck, strained, or harder to lead than it should be. The answer is not to become more rigid or corporate, but rather, building the kind of foundation that protects the magic, strengthens the team, and allows your business to grow without losing its soul. If your classes are full but things still feel messy behind the scenes, this episode will help you spot the cracks, strengthen the weak spots, and think differently about the systems your business needs next. In this episode, we cover: • why growth often reveals the gaps • the difference between talent and alignment • why onboarding and in-house training matter more than most owners realize • how selective standards erode trust • why your team needs more than tasks, they need language, meaning, and a path • the kinds of systems that support the magic instead of replacing it Ready to assess what may be holding your studio back? Download the Studio Systems Health Check: https://www.fitcarma.com/studiosystems Want support strengthening the foundation of your business? Book a Fit Call: https://fitcarma.com/northstar

October 24, 202524 min

FCM223: Are You Talking to Your Members... or a Mirror?

Your social media feed can be an invitation into your brand world, or a fancy display case. You didn't open a studio to perform. You opened it to help people feel stronger, steadier, more themselves. If your posts impress colleagues but the person walking in after a long day doesn't see themselves in it, something's out of alignment. In this conversation, we put the member back at the center, so your words feel like a welcome, your visuals feel like a promise, and your feed feels like the doorway into a room where they belong. Shout-outs Kink Pilates: @kink_pilates ; @kinkpilates_academy RE:FORM LAB: @reformlabpilates Book a North Star Session fitcarma.com/northstar

September 19, 202533 min

FCM222: Brands That Moves People: Life Time's North Star with Jeff Zwiefel

What does it really take to build a brand that moves people? In this conversation, Jeff Zwiefel ( former President & COO of Life Time) pulls back the curtain on the principles and systems behind one of the most trusted names in fitness. We unpack how a clear North Star , codified standards , and aligned teams create a consistent experience at scale, without losing soul. If you're a studio owner, program director, or instructor leader, this episode is a blueprint: start with purpose, translate it into the way your experience is taught and hosted, build systems for reliability, hire and train for alignment, and innovate only when it serves the mission. Jeff's insights validate everything we teach at Fitcarma about turning brand into an operating system, so your promise is felt in every class, every interaction, every location. What you'll learn Why a North Star is the foundation for scale and trust The tenets of a Life Time–level experience (and how to translate them to any size studio) How standards, training, and culture make consistency teachable What "innovation with integrity" looks like (evolve without diluting your identity) Discover your North Star Ready to lead with clarity? Apply for a North Star Brand Strategy Session with Fitcarma and turn these principles into your playbook: fitcarma.com/northstar . Build a brand that moves people, and give your team the structure to deliver it every day.