How to Build a Business That Feels Inclusive, Impactful, and Built to Last with Ashley Ansuini

In those moments where it feels like you're not gonna make it through, how do you cope?

I'm the same as you. I work from home and then the studios, and so it's like it never shuts off. Maybe at the end of the night, unwinding, cooking dinner, unplugging my phone for at least an hour and just trying to like be.

You gotta have those moments of reset and of perspective shift. Yeah. Because you can get so low into these things that, like you said, they feel like a huge deal, but they're actually in the grand scheme, when you talk to other entrepreneurs, they're not that big of a deal. If you own a business, this is literally everybody's everyday, and somehow that craziness makes me feel normal. Ashley, welcome back to the podcast.

Thank you so much for having me. I'm so excited to be here.

I can't wait because you are, you know, now you're our resident Pilates girl on the podcast. She's just been on, she's been on the podcast now talking about Pilates, which I absolutely love. And so this is, this is such a great topic, not only because I love Pilates, it's having its moment. We talk about this all the time, but also I love to deep dive into the business end. And the entrepreneur who I know this started as an absolute passion, and sometimes when we turn our passions into a business, a lot happens. A lot happens on that journey. And I love that it is something that is such a deep, deep passion of yours because I also believe that when we can really channel that passion into our business, you get something bigger than you can ever imagine and have so much success. And we know that this is happening for you. So everybody listening, you're in for a treat because because if you are somebody who really wants to learn about how to run a very passionate and community-driven business, this podcast is going to be for you. So stay tuned because we're really gonna deep dive into that as well. But Ashley, I just wanna, I wanna start with where this all started. You know, I think when people hear boutique fitness, they picture someone who had it all figured out. And I wanna know when you started The Good Place, which is the name of your Pilates studio, Were you running towards something? Were you running away from something? Where were you at in your life?

Oh, that's such a good question. I think I was doing both. I was running towards something that I always knew that was there for me. I just didn't know when in my life it would happen. I always just saw myself having a place of my own. And the funny thing of boutique fitness is I always kind of maybe thought it might be a boutique, um, because I worked a bit of my life in retail. So I knew there was like something, a goal. I knew one day I would be my own boss. I just didn't exactly know how. But I also was running from something. I think I was, I was comfortable. I worked for my best friends. I had a great job. It was fun. I got to travel. I actually worked—

what was it?

I was a consultant in the beauty space. So I worked with brands like Glossier. We would take small startup mom-and-pop type, mostly wellness and beauty products, and take them from concept. Or maybe they were doing really well, like on YouTube or D2C, and they were like ready for that next leap to, say, Sephora or Nordstrom's. So I was working with brands that were small and seeing them like see their dreams come true. And I wanted a piece of that. But I was— when I say running from that, I don't think it was because it was negative. It was just that it was comfortable and I didn't feel I just felt fine, like life was fine. And when you're in your late 30s heading into a new decade, you're like, what am I doing? Like, so running, but not like I wasn't running fast because I was fine. So I was waiting for the right thing, the right, like, boutique or the right brand, the right story. I, I was always researching. I was listening to podcasts like yours. I looked into so many franchises. I looked into, like, I mean, I knew the game of, uh, the beauty world and the supplement land, um, and I, I could see how hard that really truly is. And I thought that that might be something I could do with a partner, but I didn't think I could do that on my own. So that was never really the draw. But I always loved, like, my background way back as like a child, and like my first job was a dance studio. So I think like group fitness and like that kind of group movement has just always stuck with me. And I always felt happiest in a group fitness class. But even still, I just wasn't sure. And I really thought about a cycling studio for a really long time. I have like 5 or 6 URLs like sitting in my GoDaddy account. Like I was ready for it. And then COVID happened and then I was like, whew, like I dodged that bullet, you know, like still just happy, still fine. And then I took my first reformer class and I was like, that's it.

You literally knew that first class.

Yeah, I did. I really did. Why?

What about it made you feel that way?

It was like, I think the— and this is, I think, why I can like, I'm so always excited about Pilates, but I'm just like, it was that perfect combination of it was hard, it challenged me, but it wasn't like overwhelming where I like, I felt like, oh my gosh, that was too much. It was with a group, there was loud music, and which is what I love about spin class. And I just, I just left there feeling like, oh my gosh, like that was so much fun. It was kind of like dance, kind of like cardio, kind of like, like weightlifting. It was like all my favorite things in one like perfect package. And it was hard to get into the class. There was a waitlist and the class itself was probably fine. But the studio was like, they could have cared less that I was there. So I was like, Oh, my business mind was like, opportunity, hard to get into. Obviously people like it, but I don't think a lot of people know about it, and including myself, like it was a friend who referred me. So I just, yeah, I took that class and I came home and I told my husband like, this is my spin studio, this is my business. And he's very sweet and he was like, okay, sure. And, but I did my— we love him. Yeah, we love him. I, I went and did my due diligence. I took classes all around town. And made sure that I was like, yeah, it wasn't a one-off.

Okay, how many, how many did you do?

Like, what? I probably took like 7 classes.

Okay.

All at different studios. And probably by the third class, I'd already started reaching out to teacher training programs.

Wow.

There wasn't many, but there happened to be one that was literally like, I bet it's 2 miles away from my house, and she was starting next week. I sent her an email and I was like, I was like, is it weird? Can I take— can I do teacher training without having a lot of Pilates experience? I just had my first class last week, and my first class was— I went and tried their studio, obviously, when I found they had a teacher training. And of course, like as many business owners would, they were like, sure, like, you know, we'll take your money, like, but no problem, we can teach you. Yeah, but I think she probably was just like, oh, this girl isn't serious, you know. But I, I, I showed up. So it was like me and 4 other girls, 5 other girls. Was still during COVID we were still masked. And a lot of them had experience in Pilates and movement. And I had obviously a little bit of, I mean, I've worked out most of my life, but not like seriously. So I felt kind of like a fish out of water, but at the same time I was so excited and I had a vision and I told them, I told them on, you know, when you introduce yourself in the circle, like, why are you here? And I'm like, well, I love this and I wanna own one of these, one of like, you know, when we're done. And they're just like, sure, okay, great. And a couple of them still work for me or work for me now. So it's really fun.

That's amazing. Okay, so I just want to, I want to talk about that entrepreneur brain for a minute because for a lot of people they would be like, okay, well, I don't, I don't have a background in this. Like, I'm having massive like imposter syndrome happening. Like, now I'm in this class with these people who know Pilates really well. Where, where do you think that came from and how do you nurture that like let's go for it mindset? Because It also makes me wonder, do you think everyone is an entrepreneur, or should some people not be?

I do. I mean, I think that I, I'm really lucky that I— what I say is that I kind of learned by watching. I, yeah, I'm really lucky. My parents were like very go-getters. They would— they came from nothing type of hustle. So like, they always worked hard, but they worked for other people. But my first job Essentially out of— I went to cosmetology school, so my first job was with a small business. Actually, shout out to my, like, essentially first bosses, Angie K, who's on the Housewives. She owns salons in Salt Lake City. So that was my first job, watching them build their business into a small empire. And then I, while I was going back to college, another entrepreneur was— I was his personal assistant. And I saw what he did well and what he— his, you know, mistakes. And, and none of this was on purpose. It just— I happened to always work for small business owners. And then, yeah, the consulting firm was, um, my best friends, but they were also just working for themselves. And so I feel like I learned a lot by observation and watching. And I just— I mean, with small businesses, you see the failures. You don't see that, you know, obviously with corporations, you don't even know that they sweep it under the rug, or you hear about her, hear about it later. But with a small business, one misstep is devastating. And so I think I saw a lot of it firsthand and, and saw a lot, a lot of like small teams bear down through hard things. And so I didn't really think about how it would prepare me for, for now, but that is definitely what I think. I think for somebody who like is leaving a 9-to-5, a W-2 type job to step into these type of shoes is probably almost impossible because I'm finding it almost impossible and I've seen people make it through. So no, I don't think everyone is meant for it. Um, and that there are days that I don't know that I'm meant for it, but I think when it is your small business and you see what it's doing for the community and for the, the staff and the team, you can't like have a bad day. You just have to grit through and, um, figure it out. Like, it's figure shit out.

So just literally, I— when people are like, oh my gosh, it's so stressful, I'm like, you're, you're gonna figure it out. There's gonna be days where, like, lots of days where you just feel like you are not going to figure it out, and it's one foot in front of the other, and it's a whole lot of failure, and it's a whole lot of, you know, learning from your mistakes. And I think that, you know, sometimes there's more mistakes than, like, the right steps, but you get back on track. So I think that's so important to share with everybody. Did you ever feel like— I know a lot of times I can still feel this way. I'm like, oh my God, am I not cut out for this? Because the just the sheer amount of like, am I not getting this right? Like, why is everything so challenging?

Literally last night I actually like sent a message to my— I've hired some help, uh, and one of them is a like a fractional kind of financial advisor, which you may have had them on the podcast. They're friends of the fam. But I sent them— I was doing payroll and doing all these things. And at like 1, like 1-ish my time, and they're on the East Coast, I'm on the West Coast. I was like, you know, 911, I need this, I need this, I don't know what to do, blah, blah, blah. And so then this morning they were like, that was 3 AM our time. And we were like, she's spiraling, she's spiraling. Like, let's get her on a call. AP. So yes, it happens all the time.

Mm-hmm. It's, it's such a normal part of it. And I think that's some of the things, you know, we work with, we work with all different levels of entrepreneur, but you know, we have the, the, um, mastermind where we do more entry-level people, like years 1 through 5. Um, and then we have people who are 5+ years in entrepreneurship. And I will say the early phase people, like the amount of questions we get on like Is this right? Because it's so hard. Things aren't going my way. Like, it's wall after wall after wall. I'm like, welcome. Yeah, you just get used to it, you know what I mean? Like, you just start getting used to it.

Thicker skin, um, lots of lessons, I think. And it's so refreshing to be in groups and rooms like this because there's somebody who's a year ahead of you, or 2 years, or 3, that can be like, oh girl, that's not—

and let me tell you how to get thinking.

Like, the sky is falling down, and they're like, oh, No, you're good. Like, it'll go away, or it will, you know, that's just a lesson you have to learn. And it's— but there's— I think there's just so much. And especially for me in the beginning, it was just so much fun. I was teaching a lot more. I was meeting the clients face to face for the first time, and it's just like, it feels like everything is just perfect and falling into place. And then that's great, let's do more. And then wall, wall, wall of just mostly like stuff that you would never know until it happens. And, and I mean, there's just so much tape and, uh, administrative things and backend things that you just don't know until someone tells you that you're doing it wrong.

Yeah. And you, and you need those people around you. Um, so we're— I want to get in, I actually want to get more into that because I really want to talk about how you're able to, you know, support yourself through all of this and what you have around you to build a really good business. But First, tell me about, you know, you have a different Pilates brand than what most people are starting right now, and I love it. What was the differentiator for you with The Good Place? And I know that your story, you're kind of like, you know, I went to this Pilates studio, which by the way is my story too, and it was kind of like, do you even care that I'm here? Like, did anybody acknowledge me or say hi? This could be my first time. Like, just wasn't, you know, I love my studio now that I go to here, but it wasn't the, like, the most friendly experience at a couple other ones that I had been to. So tell me about what made you really say, I see a gap and this is what I want to do.

Yeah, so I think there's a couple of things. Like, I'm coming to it from obviously the lens of a small business, and seeing the ones that succeed are the ones that, that care. They have a purpose. They're a purpose-driven brand, whether it's, you know, through through charity or through, you know, who they serve or however they're doing that. So I've always had that like in the back of my mind that if I have a brand or a business, it has to have something. You can't, I can't, you can't just be in it to make money or it won't work. It just won't. So I always had that in the back of my brain, but I think fitness has always been an interesting thing because you can be fit but not look a certain way. It's weird 'cause you know, as a, as an older person, when you look back on your youth, you're like, why did I think that I had body issues? Or why did I, why did I think I was fat? I was like, perfectly beautiful and thin when I was 17. But, you know, as you grow up, you always have insecurities. And so even then, when I would step into like a fitness class or a dance class, I felt some kind of way about my body or how I didn't fit in. So I've always kind of had that, uh, and I've gone through phases where my weight's gone up, my weight's gone down, my fitness level, my health, um, but I've always worked out. And I know that like you can be in a room and be able to hang with people, but you might not look like those people. And the one place that I always felt did that right was SoulCycle. I, I— the sad thing is, is they've never been in the city that I've lived in for very long. They were only in Las Vegas for a couple of years. But you didn't— it was a bike, so like everyone could get on there. Everyone was the same. They saw you, they blew out the candle, you felt like a million bucks. They celebrated your 50th class, your wins. Bringing friends. It just was a party and a celebration, and it didn't matter what you look like. And like Peloton kind of did that too, even though it was virtual. So I just, I knew there was a way to make people feel good, but I wasn't seeing it in other, even gyms, like walking into certain gyms and especially in Las Vegas, it's a very beautiful city. It's always been intimidating. So when I found the Pilates and I, that's probably why I'd never stepped into one in the first place is I just didn't see myself. In that space. So when I felt it in my body and knew how great it was, I'm like, okay, so now I can take the things that I love about feeling inclusive and combine it with something that's going to make people feel like rock stars when they're done and combine the two things. And Pilates really traditionally has been for a very specific clientele. And now that it's popular, it's kind of reinforcing that. And it's just— I mean, and beautiful people do Pilates. That's awesome. But I want all people to feel like they can find their space with us. And it's just too wonderful of a modality and an exercise and a movement, whatever you want to classify it as, to like only have a certain group of people doing it. That's just a shame. So that's kind of where the good place—

Yeah. So what are, what are you doing different? How does that look in the tactical day-to-day?

I think that's a lot of things, and we did touch on this a little bit, um, before. It's visibility. It's showing people that look like me. I'm I'm, you know, I have this body and then I've got, we've got young bodies, we've got plus size, we've got age, we've got color of skin, we've got matching sets and we've got t-shirts and baggy shorts. Like we are showing who shows up at our studio in our socials. We're not just showing like a beautiful model or even just the teachers. We try to make sure that there is someone on our roster that you can relate to. And it doesn't even necessarily have to be the way you look. It might be the style of music that you like. 'cause some people like to come in and listen to like trap music and some people like to come in and listen to like Rufus Du Sol. So we kind of are trying to like find and meet everybody because it's a super diverse world and it's just, it's, there's enough of the places that are doing like, do it like us and look like us. So like those people and that Pilates and that journey is still there for whoever likes it. And we actually share clients with them. Sometimes, you know, people are going to one studio on Tuesdays, and then they're coming to The Good Place on Thursdays. And so we, we kind of just are making it fun for everyone. And you don't have to look a certain way or be at a certain fitness level, because I think that's the more important thing too, is a lot of people think, well, I can't do Pilates until I lose 10 pounds, or I can fit into that like Alo crop top, or that, you know, whatever the thing is. We all have our own things, of course, as you know, like especially women. I mean, it's 80% women, um, that come to reformer Pilates, but My goal and like what, what it looks like on the day-to-day is when they walk in the room, they're gonna see someone they can relate to and maybe even make a friend.

And so you're really intentional about that, like always trying to show different things like you said.

Yeah.

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Become a Fora advisor today at foratravel.com/earn. That's foratravel.com/earn. And make sure you tell them we sent you. foratravel.com/earn. Okay, I want to know about the marketing plan, cuz you guys did, from what I understand, fairly well from the beginning with filling your space. What was your plan as a brick and mortar to get out there? Was it, you know, mostly location? Did you do a lot of guerrilla marketing? Did you do— do you do free community events? Like, tell me about all of the plans to make sure that you were out there. Yeah, and stay out there.

Staying out there, right? Yeah. Um, all of the above. We had very little budget. Um, we still don't really have a marketing budget. I will actually say, like, That's kind of something that we're like, as we get into this like growth phase, it's like, oh, actually, should we spend money on ads? Probably. Yeah. But it's something that we haven't— I mean, the good news is that, like I said earlier, Vegas is a beautiful place and people are— I mean, movement is really magic right now. Like, I think the biggest events in the city are fitness-based, which is really, really cool to see. But rewind 3 years ago, it wasn't quite that scene. So yes, we did a lot of things.

We—

I felt like it was more important to let people experience the studio than to try to like wait for people just to walk in. So we did a lot of promotional. I think we did the whole first month for free just to get people in. And we really tried to make sure that like if you came to a class, will you create content? Will you post it? Can we repost it? So that's— it kind of worked in both.

Did you ask people? Yeah. Or how did that—

okay. Yeah, we asked people and we actually put like a little phone, like, holder on the wall right behind the reformer so it would only record you. And honestly, so we've moved from that space since then, and I'm like, I miss those days. But it was really great. I never had to create content. I just got to repost everyone's classes. And so it was really cool because they got to show their progress and show, you know, again, you were seeing each— there was 10 reformers, so 10 different bodies at class, maybe possibly recording themselves and posting. So we encouraged a lot of that, like, show, show your day, show your class, show what you learned today. And then obviously, like I said, we did a lot of promotional, like, free— we joined a third party called ClassPass, which isn't super popular in the Pilates world just because it is kind of a learning curve to, like, show up early, wear socks. Like, there's things that, like, don't necessarily, like, kind of fit in that third party. But we, yeah, we got really really, um, specific with the verbiage of like trying to train maybe a one-time client how, how this process works so that their, their experience is good and not like, oh, I didn't know I needed socks, or, you know, things like that. So it took some time, but we got, we got really good with like that one-off, filling like the more dead times, the times that were maybe not quite as popular, so that we could keep the teachers on the schedule. And that's something that we're kind of dealing with As we grow is we want to make sure there's enough variety and times and, and teachers and class styles so that we can capture that wide audience. But at the same time, when you're new or when you're small, you can't just be open all the time and just hope people come. So it's kind of like this fine, like, balance of that. And then what you mentioned, um, is the biggest thing that I think for our brick and mortar, and I think probably really everyone should be doing this, is community events. Like getting involved with charity, getting involved with like-minded businesses So in the platy space, it's wellness, it's beauty, it's lots of service-based industry. We've got like ladies and small business owners that are doing anything from like drip IVs all the way to like threading and waxing, t-shirt companies. Like we have a local girl who makes swimsuits. We've got jewelry, you know, the bonded jewelry, all kinds of fun things that kind of just have the same customer base as us. So it's a win-win for us all to work together and host really fun events.

Mm, I love that. So what's been one of the biggest struggles within that? Because you went from one location to multiple locations, and what would you say has been just a blaring, like, top 3 things maybe you didn't expect but that have been challenges that you really have had to focus on?

The growth of staff. Okay, yeah, that's been the hardest for very various reasons, obviously, like the paperwork of it, the adding, you know, just capturing everybody's, their teachers. So it's like we're getting their insurance, we need their bio, do we have an updated photo, do we, um, can we get you into our like subbing list so that you can like respond and get into a class when you have free time. Um, so there's like the admin side of, of more staff, and then there's the personality side of more staff. And there's, for me, and I think a lot of small business owners will relate to this, but there's the like the the empathy and the personal side of that is, um, you kind of start to learn that I can't— like, I want all of them to be happy and my best friend and all of these things. And when we were small, it was really easy to stay in touch and close and know everyone's life and what's going on. And as we grow and I can't be in 3 places at once, that kind of separates. And that's very natural, but it's It's hard. I feel like we've had lots of breakups and lots of, I mean, not really, but like, it feels like that to me in my heart and soul when they move on to another studio or they move or get, have a baby or come off the schedule or various reasons, you know, move on or schedule change. And they're like my children now. So it's, yeah, that's been hard. I was not expecting the, the like business Ashley and the Pilates teacher Ashley, having a lot— a little bit of like disconnect and having to separate the two. And that's been my biggest learning. Like, it's, it's been hard. I mean, especially because it's happened fast. We're only, um, we're exactly like 3 and a half years open and 3 locations and growing.

What do you do to like manage those emotions? Because I think that, you know, as women It's one of our superpowers in business cuz we can like feel what we should do, where we should go, what's going on with that person, what attention they need. They need. But it can also be like an Achilles heel where it can really like one problem with one person or multiple people can really try to take you down for the day. How have you learned to compartmentalize? Like what do you do? Do you talk to people? Do you have a practice? What do you do?

I mean, I think I'm still learning that because I, I still am like, every little thing like really like kind of breaks your heart. Like just like losing a friend or, or having like a little, you know, disagreement with a friend.

Yeah.

And it's hard. It's been hard. I've, I mean, I've obviously had to get very thick skin because not everyone's going to love you and not everyone's going to love the business decisions that you make and You know, like I said, we were just so— it's such a happy— I mean, it's called The Good Place. Like, we have this energy of positivity. So when these things that I perceive to feel negative happen, it, it's hard. It really takes me down. I'm not a person who tends to outwardly, I think, show the sadness or the depression or the things that are heavy. But I think what I've learned in the last year, especially because this is when it's really gotten hard, is that Some of it is just like, I have to just— it's business, and not everyone's, you know, gonna be with us in our business. And if I think of like when I was someone's employee or when I was working somewhere and I made the decision to leave or change or didn't agree with my boss or whatever, was it the end of my world? No. So it's like I have to kind of like step back and just think like, okay, you know, this hurts a lot, but it's It's just business and tomorrow's a new day. And then obviously starting to build up a team that is supporting me because I think just in the— you just can't be that one person to everyone. And I think that's where like it was really feeling heavy. So, um, we're just slowly starting to kind of build a support team for me so that I'm just not having to like do and feel it all. I mean, I still do, but it, it's kind of helping to just like Okay, well, you know, how are we all going to like get through this? Or like, what should we try to do to avoid this in the future? Where— so it's a more we versus me. Because I think, like, I am the founder of The Good Place, but it is a collective, and I can't take all of the good and all of the bad, you know? Like, we have kind of like spread the good, the positive, and, and the pain like across the team. Um, I mean, but it's hard because you want to do it all and you want to be it all and take all of the I mean, just like, I think if you had children, like, you wanna, you wanna feel their hurt, you know? So it's, um, it's hard. I don't, I will, I will not say that I have that figured out yet.

Yeah, I'm, I'm sure to the extent that I think you gain strength, like, it may feel, I know for me personally too, and from what I'm even hearing in your voice, is like, it's still hard, but somehow you, you gain more strength and capacity for sure, because You know, what was hard to you when you had one place is now like you're managing it with multiple places. So it's just a very different— it's like you don't necessarily realize your capacity has grown. What would you say, you know, to the, the Ashley that first started this? What would you go back and say that like, or what would the Ashley that first started this go back and say to you now? Like, what is she proud of you for now that she's seen everything that you've done?

Ooh. Um, so past Ashley would be like in awe. Like past Ashley just saw one beautiful, fun studio and like loving every day of her life. So I mean, I definitely thought there was something that this could be like bigger, like, you know, than just one space. But I really just wanted to have, like I said earlier, like one boutique, one space for me to just go to work and be happy and like come home and contribute and be, be happy. So past Ashley would be like, holy cow, like look what you've done. Look what you've grown. And even just like I was saying earlier about panicking and spiraling about big, big problems, but think of how many people's lives we touch every day. I was just doing the math and we're hosting about 330 classes a week. Like, that's insane.

Wow.

Yeah. So it's just like, think of all the people that we're helping and think of all of the, I mean, the teachers and the front desk and, you know, people that were actually contributing to like their their household income. Like, I just— I'm— she would be very proud. She thought that, like, Ashley would be benefiting from The Good Place, and, and obviously now we see that there's many people who are benefiting, whether it's through movement or through financial stability or through a career path that they never thought they would have, because we also have our teacher training. There's just a lot of cool things that I don't think past Ashley even dreamed of, so Was there a moment during this that you were like, I, I think we gotta call it?

Like, did you have a messy middle moment that was just— wait, tell me.

I mean, yes, um, it's happened a few times. I think when things— everything, when it's like a first, so like the first big, like, plumbing fiasco. Yeah, $12,000 brick and mortar. Yep. Not prepared for this at all. That one. Yeah, like that. Legal things like the fry up, you know, you have to call a lawyer is I want to just burn it all down. That's the one that like, especially with what I was saying earlier, I have to separate like the have to the Ashley who's here for Pilates and movement and the Ashley who's just handling business. And I also just, you know, we got to just not take those things personally. It's just really, really hard. So those are the days. And then just, you know, some days are just hard. Like it's like someone's car breaks down, someone's sick, the toilet overflows, this, that. And it's just like, I can't anymore. I just can't. I can't. But then it's crazy because I feel like every time that happens, then it's like, well, but I'm on my way to go teach 300 people on a rooftop class. And tomorrow I'm teaching at a beautiful resort on the Strip. And man, life is like good. So it's just, you have to just like, like you said, the next right step or the next right, like just take a breath and wait an hour and everything's gonna change.

It's so true. So is that something that you do like, because you, here's the thing is you have to be at a physical location too. And you know, I have team and I have team that works in my house and it's kind of like I don't always get the luxury to be like, oh, I'm going to call it at 3:00 PM. You know, it's, it's like I have to like literally have these moments where I'm like, you're going to go breathe, or you're going to just take a beat. Tell them, did you go for a little walk or whatever that looks like? Because it really is just learning to manage emotions. I'm sure that it's very helpful, helpful with being able to take a class or be in that environment. But what, what is that thing that you do? Do you like, do you tell people? Do you take a minute? Do you go for a walk? In those moments where it feels like you're not gonna make it through, how do you cope?

Again, still trying to figure that one out. I wish I took more classes. That would be really great. Um, but it's hard because when you go to class, like, then they want to chat. But I have— I— my mom is like my rock, and she works for us, so I can tell her a lot and she gets it. So I do call my mom a lot. That is one for me.

Um, that is huge.

Really nice. And then my husband works for a huge corporation, completely unrelated, and so he's seen so much wild, wild, crazy business stuff that usually when I tell him something, he'll, he'll give me that same advice like the mentorship group will. That's just like, oh, this is okay, you'll— like, it happens all the time, you'll get through it. And he's just very steady and calm. So I have, I have two really great sounding boards. But yeah, for me, I think it's just like I can't. I'm the same as you. I work from home and then the studios, and so it's like it never shuts off ever. So I need to be better about that. But usually like maybe at the end of the night, unwinding, cooking dinner, like just kind of like unplugging my phone for at least an hour and just trying to like be for a second.

Yeah, yeah, that's huge for me. I'm like, no matter what is going on, we have a dog walk like every single night that I'm Nope, I'm gonna leave the phone behind. I am gonna remember that life is good. I love where I live. I'm taking a walk. Like, you gotta have those moments of reset and of perspective shift. Yeah, because you can get so low into these things that, like you said, they're actually— they feel like a huge deal, but they're actually, in the grand scheme, when you talk to other entrepreneurs, they're not that big of a deal. Like, they will go by, and they're nor— they're normal. And so the more that I've been around other entrepreneurs, and, you know, you're in our Mastermind, and we have mastermind and another one, the more that I just hear about all of it, I'm like, this is everybody's everyday. If you own a business, this is literally everybody's everyday. And somehow that craziness makes me feel normal.

And it's also like, I have so much respect now. I mean, I always did because of my other job, but I never really like thought about it. Like every time you walk into a restaurant, any, anything that's actually like a non-chain, even the chain though, someone's running it, you know, it's just like someone else is having the same shit day as I am. So I'm going to give them so much love love and energy because I get it, I get it.

Yeah, you do approach life differently and you approach businesses differently when you are a business owner. It's kind of like when you've been a waitress before, and like when I see other, you know, wait staff, I'm like, okay, how can we make this a good experience for them too? Because I remember what that's— I know what that's like, you know what I mean? And so like, how can we acknowledge people? Because I remember being totally ignored and just being like, oh my God, this This is insane. So it is, it's such a good, you know, it just helps give us this shiny personality that you and I both have. So go us.

Absolutely.

Okay, so what is, what's exciting? What's the goal? How do we keep feeding it? Ashley, how are you doing that right now?

That's a great question. Um, you keep giving me great questions. I keep saying that. Um, I feel really torn because I am feeling, and I just got off a call with with an advisor and he's like, this is what we call like a growth hangover because this is the moment where I'm like, this is all at my capacity. I'm here, I'm at the top. Like I just wanna like dial this in and breathe for a second. But at the same time it's like, but like there's other neighborhoods, there's other opportunities. Like we're having so much fun, can we keep going? So it's kind of trying to like balance like the dreamer and the like, I would really like a nap or a vacation. In me that's like, what else should we do? Or should we just homeostasis calm? So I really want to focus on— the events are just really great, and they don't always bring in a lot of necessarily business. Like, they don't have a, like, a dollar-for-dollar kind of like return, but you just know that like the community is the goal. And, you know, it will— people will talk about us, or people will send their friends, or it has its— it's kind of like a delayed— you can't really see the—

it's—

I know you know what I'm saying, but like you can't like— or you can look—

you don't see the return right away, metrics.

Like when you have like an online business that if you run this ad or you have this funnel, you're gonna see X, Y, and Z. So it's hard to like find like the finances or like the energy and time to like focus into those types of things. But I really think that that's especially now when the, the market is very busy and crowded and noisy that if we really just keep leaning into our community and whether, you know, the events are super like high profit or they're more just to like build community, I think that's really where I want to focus. And then we have a teacher training and because Pilates is booming, like there's always going to be this need for new teachers. And I really love teaching the teachers. It's, it's really a passion of mine. And I am also able to instill onto them some of what I'm talking to you about is if you do want to do this, like, here's some tools. Because just like with any trade, you learn how to do the thing, but you don't learn how to sell it. I kind of like to think that my teacher training has that element of, like, real, the real talk and, like, real-world experience that you wouldn't get if you just did a classical Pilates training. So I want teacher training, community events, and then just kind of deciding if there's a neighborhood or an opportunity in Las Vegas that makes sense for us to expand to. We'll We'll find it when we— when it develops itself.

Okay, so some of you guys know that I have an events background. I have put on masterminds, large events, small events. You guys see me loving putting on dinners for different women and friends. And let me just tell you, when you plan an event, a lot goes into it, whether it's the thank you cards, the save the dates, all of the little place card holders. Every single little detail can really start to make you kind of feel like you're going crazy. And Zazzle is going to be how you help pull this all off. It's one place, one style, fully customized all the way from the first invite to the last thing that they leave with, you guys, and getting their thank you cards. So Zazzle covers the full event— invitations, save the dates, place cards, programs, signage, party favors, and thank you notes, all customizable to match your colors, your fonts, your entire vibe. So you can order one or order 500. Whether it's an intimate dinner or a 200-person reception, Zazzle scales with you. 3 steps: pick a product, find your build or design, add your details. That's it. Zazzle handles the rest. Over 30 million customers have trusted Zazzle with their most important moments, and yours is next. Right now, save 25% on your first order at zazzle.com. That's 25% savings on your first order at zazzle.com. Go make something amazing. Zazzle.com. If there were 10 of you, what would you be doing? Literally, because I know that, you know, the interesting thing with entrepreneurship is like, okay, I, I think this with Glossier all the time. I'm like, well, I got it to here. If I could find someone who understands scaling in this way, then, you know, I know this has the potential to be everything that I've ever dreamed it to be. So if there were 10 of you, like, what would that vision look like?

Yeah, if there were 10 of us, I can already think of markets I would really love to be in that are not too far from— like, there's St. George in Utah, which is just like 2 hours away, and I'm from Utah, so like, I would really love to eventually— maybe St. George, maybe Salt Lake. And then Arizona is really adjacent. And I keep hearing from people like, we would love something like this here. So like, yes, I would love to be in probably 2 other states. Like that are close enough that I feel like we could keep an eye on like the, the brand. Um, yeah, those, because I think that if you just like license it or franchise it and give it away, it won't be the same. But I think that like we could expand with 10 of Me into like some close markets. And I would love to go online. I would love to like, you know, maybe have a virtual training or like, or work with us virtually. I think there's a lot of opportunity there. Um, you know, photo shoots, maybe brand partnerships with Glossier, things like that. If there were 10 of Me and 10 times 24 more hours in the day.

Mm-hmm. I know. Okay. So the, the vision is there, like the vision is there. It is literally always the fight of, like you had said, like, do I, is this the life that I want with it? Tell me a little bit about that too, because have you, have you gone back and forth with like, what, what is enough? Is the vision actually what I want? By the way, I actually hate that question. Like, when is it enough? I hate it. I don't know. You decide because you can have whatever the hell you want.

Yeah, all of us that have entrepreneurial minds are like, it's never— nothing's ever enough, right?

No, like, I want to keep building.

Yeah, because I think about this a lot because people— because we have expanded like pretty rapidly for a small business with zero investors or background in business. Insane. Um, but people ask, okay, so like, what's next? What's next? What's next? Like, are you gonna have a franchise? Are you gonna have 10 of these? And I agree with you, it's like, okay, well, you probably could But will I ever, like, will I get to see, like, I don't know. I mean, there's just so much. I don't have children, so I'm like, I'm— it's good and bad where it's like I don't have that to like force me to slow down or stop, right? I just, you know, it's like that, that curse of like the, you know, the childless workers, like we just work, work, work, work, work. Have pets, but you know. Yeah. And then my husband's also a workaholic. We're just like you and Chris. And so So I would love for us to stop and smell the roses and, you know, maybe— does that look like— I mean, I think the goal is that I would really love to keep expanding, but I would really love to find a really amazing team that can take over for me, and then I could be more of like advisory capacity so that I can like enjoy the rest of my 40s and travel and do some things that I've never done because either A, I couldn't afford it, or B, I didn't have time. And so, yeah, you know, you just hear so many people say like, what was it all for if I'm, you know, 70 and never been anywhere or taken a day off? I mean, most of my time off I take to go spend with masterminds in business, which is awesome, but that's not a real vacation. Yeah. So it's like, yeah, but I love it. So it's like, I don't know, it's hard. It's a hard one for people like us.

Are there people that you have around you to keep you on par with that vision and those gut checks? Because I, I totally— there have been times in my life where I'm like, I just kept running and running and running. To what extent? Like, it was really at the extent of like my health and friendships and family, for sure. Um, I know that you have some advisors in your life. Who do you keep around you to just keep that all in check?

Well, I think that the most recent hires I've made in the past few months have been really good for that. Some of them were people that were already working for us that we've kind of grown into the role. Awesome. So I've got some like honest and young fresh minds that are like, Ashley, stop. And then my husband, even though we are equally workaholics, like he really truly has like a hard— he wants to have a hard stop. He's working really hard for a goal. Goal of, you know, within X amount of years. Not like a dead set, like, we have to retire when we're 50, but there is a place where he's like, we are working so hard that I think there's gonna be this day, maybe when we're close to 50, that we're like, we're done. Like, we're gonna just take what we have, we're gonna put it in investments, and like find the right ways to just then relax. So we don't just kind of open-end everything.

So I'll have—

I have that. And then, um, like I said, my mom is kind of good that. Sometimes she'll be like, girl, you need a break. You need to, you need to just go home tonight. And so, um, so yeah, I have a little bit of that. But I do think the new hires, I've been a lot more intentional, and a lot of them are like, Ashley, I've got this. You can, you can handle, like, or you shouldn't be doing this, you know. And that's like really what I need.

Totally. We need those people around us for sure, and people who you feel like they have your back truly. And a lot of that does come from like our expectation setting in the interview and who we're looking for, which this is a whole other segment that I'm not gonna open the top on, on how we do that, cuz we're towards the end here. But I wanna make sure, um, that you share with everyone anything that's coming up, anything that you're excited about. Yeah.

So if you live in Las Vegas, obviously we would love to see you at The Good Place. And we do really amazing community events. Some are free, some are really low cost. Class. What's really cool right now is Resorts World, which is a casino on the Strip, a partnership we're doing with them where you get a day pass to the pool and we do a class first. And if you're from around here, or even if you're visiting, um, you could still come do that even if you're staying at the Wynn or somewhere else. Is, you know, you usually can't go to like casino pools because it's like for hotel guests. So it's kind of a fun way to get locals into like a fancy pool and have a nice pool day with friends. So that's something that's really exciting, and we're really focusing on more of that. And we have a great big giant a charity event coming up at the end of the month where we're raising funds for 3 separate local charities in 3 separate factors of need, which is really cool. And, um, just follow us at @TheGoodPlaceLV, and I'm @AshleySue, and all along our journey.

Well, you're such an inspiration, and you're also such an inspiration for a brand that truly, like I said in the beginning, just has so much passion and inclusivity and community. Which I think, I think community events are absolutely the future. And like you said, ROI is tough to feel in the beginning, but it's also where people upload, where they connect with other people, where they feel like a really deep impact in their life, you know, really getting to feel like they're a part of their actual community as well. Like, going to community events is one of the fastest ways I feel a part of my local community and get to meet a ton of people and see local businesses or or support other local businesses. So I really think you're onto something huge with that. And I mean, you guys, if, if you can pop into one, if you can plan your trip around it too, or a class, you are going to love it. So Ashley, thank you so much. I'll put everything in the show notes. Go give her a follow. And you're just one of those super incredible scrappy entrepreneurs that has made it all happen with no background. And that's who I love to talk to on these podcasts as well. So thank you so much for coming on.

My pleasure.