The Keri Croft Show

Go Hard or Go Home: Building Ohio's Largest Pilates Studio with Ashtyn Pharis

• Keri Croft

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This week, I’m sitting down with Ashtyn Pharis, founder of Pilates by Ashtyn, the largest Pilates studio in Ohio, to talk about the long game of building: discipline, identity, and knowing when to go all in… and when to walk away.

We unpack her path from elite athletics to heavy weightlifting, shutting down a decade-long online fitness business, and rebuilding from the ground up with a business rooted in relationships not transactions. We also talk about control, scaling, burnout, and why the client experience matters more than trends, algorithms, or competition.

SPEAKER_01:

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SPEAKER_00:

Stop. Seriously, that's what I was that's what I was thinking. Oh my god, well, you're so kind, but like hair and makeup does a lot for any girl.

SPEAKER_01:

So and good jeans. But I'm gonna tell you, so I just heard of you, probably with everybody else in the city, when you guys like came out on the scene and just like opened this incredible space, right? Yeah. And you know I'm a big fitness person. I'm all about you know improving the atmosphere in Columbus. I love the fitness community, et cetera. I'm like, who is this? And what is she doing? And then I started seeing the social media, and I'm like, and you know what I said? Um, I texted Sammy and I go, Do you? I'm like, you're doing that social media, aren't you? She's like, sure am. I'm like, I knew it. Yeah, I had to bring the best in the business to the studio. Well, can first of all, congratulations. Thank you. Pilates by Ashton. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

The largest Pilates studio in the state? In the state of Ohio. Well, let me ask you this. Was that your goal to have the largest? It wasn't originally my goal to have the largest studio, but when I started to do it, I was like, go harder, go home. And I don't do anything small, nothing. And I'm like, if I'm gonna do this, I'm gonna do it.

SPEAKER_01:

And I did. So how do we fact check this? What did you do? Did you like your your square footage is bigger?

SPEAKER_00:

Like, how do we So there's not one studio in the state of Ohio that has can that does have Matt and Reformer classes that can go on at the same exact time. So I have an upstairs and I have a downstairs. I also have 14 reformers. There's also not another studio that has 14 reformers alone. That in itself would make it the largest. And then we added Matt to it.

SPEAKER_01:

I love it. I effing love it. Okay, so um, before we turned the record, I was gonna tell you about my Pilates history. Okay. So I started doing Pilates at a place called My God, how do I not? Was it Pilates Innovations? It was in Clintonville on High Street. This was like years ago.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay.

SPEAKER_01:

And I started doing the four, like the group of four on the reformer. Yeah. She had the Cadillac, the barrel, she had all the chair. But I was like, screw these people, because when it comes down to working out, everybody wants to talk. And so finally I ended up being in a private. I loved it. I fell in love with Pilates. Absolutely love, love, love Pilates. I think for the layman, there's a lot of like am, like everything's ambiguous. Like, what is Pilates? What is it not? And you got the mega former, the reformer, you got the old schoolers, and the I always thought to myself, I feel like the megaformer is like the Lamborghini or like a souped up version. Yeah. But I think you're you're Pilates like purist. I'm like jumping at him. Yeah, why don't you tell, tell me, educate me on the difference between going to like a mega former and a reformer.

SPEAKER_00:

Right. Okay, so this is how you describe it in layman's terms for people who have no idea what they're talking about or just don't care to know the difference. Is football and soccer are both a sport, right? They're different sports. You use different balls, there are different goals for the sport, but they're both a sport. So Legris or a mega former and Pilates and a traditional reformer are both workouts. They can both be used in great ways. They can both be dangerous depending on who's teaching it or who's doing it. But there's different goals, different machines, different ball, different field. That's how I explain it to like the regular population.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. So let's take it a little bit deeper. So I'm so let's say I'm someone who traditionally wants to like, and I'm not saying this is me anymore, it's not. But I know a lot of people out there, like, I want to like throw my head against a wall. If I don't feel like I, you know, beat myself up, it's not a real workout. Like, what is one gonna give you more sweat? Is one gonna give you more cardiovascular? Like, when would you lean toward one? Like, I'm trying to figure out in my head which one, which way do I go, left or right? Right.

SPEAKER_00:

Honestly, I think it's personal preference, right? So I am very much like, I think you should move your body in a way that feels good for you and your body and what keeps you consistent. It doesn't matter if they say like X workout is the best workout for you. You're gonna live for the rest of your life feeling so, so good. If you hate it, you're not gonna do it, right? So I think that if you're choosing a mega reformer or a traditional Pilates reformer or weightlifting or whatever you're doing, you should do what you enjoy doing because then you're gonna continue to do it. What I think is that my version of true Pilates is something that I really enjoy because I have such a huge background in heavy weightlifting, and I played competitive soccer for 16 years that, like, dragging my body into the ground for so long, it my body hurt. Like I just didn't enjoy it anymore. And movement, I like came out of my mother's room, like moving my body. Movement is has always been a part of my life. I have three brothers, they were all college athletes. My dad coached college football. Like, ever I was born to move my body, but when I stopped enjoying it, I was like, okay, something's gotta change. And then I tried Pilates, and I'm like, wait, I didn't know that you could actually slow your body down and do less weight, quote unquote, and still get an amazing workout in and still feel really good. And then once I did that, the inflammation in my body from pounding it, pounding and pounding it went down. I lost 10 to 15 pounds in just inflammation from stop from not like working my body to the ground.

SPEAKER_01:

Let's talk about soccer. So 16 years competitive soccer.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. Where'd you play soccer? So I played all through my life. I got three full rides to play in college and I turned them all down. Why? Because I was tired. I was tired. And I played literally all year round, seven days a week for 16 years. So wait, take me back.

SPEAKER_01:

Take me back to when you were like three full rides. Nah. Like, what were your what was your fam? Like, I'm sure that that probably didn't was probably met with some resistance.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, like more than resistance, yes, 100%. Um, it was all I I whenever I was playing, I did want to play in college. I did want to go pro with the US women's team. Like every time I was in school, if we had to do a project, I would do it on like a women's um soccer player, Mia Ham. Like she was like back in my day. Um, so I wanted to play more than college, I wanted to play pro. But then as you get older, you're starting to become a freshman, then you're a sophomore, then you're a junior, then you're a senior. You you understand that there's more to life than just what you're used to. I also went to a really small private high school. And when I played in high school, when you play competitive soccer, when it's your high school season, you have to play with your high school team. I went to a small private high school, they only had a boys' team. I was the only girl on the boys' team, and it was a trip. And I was very good, very fast, and I knew exactly what I was doing, and those boys hated me.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, I bet.

SPEAKER_00:

I also had three brothers, so I like didn't really care if anyone liked me or hated me on the field. I used to get in fights with like the refs and the other team's coach and just like have at it. And I think at like by that point, I was just tired. Are you Alex Cooper's age? I don't know how old is she? Probably like 32. I'm 32.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, because she was like a big I didn't know if you like maybe had, you know, maybe bumped elbows with her on the on the soccer field. No. So speaking of like not caring if people liked you or not, how does that translate off the field?

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, here's the thing is like I think that I do have some versions of like being a people pleaser, right? Like no one wants to make people upset, but at the end of the day, like I'm gonna do what I want to do to get things done, and no one can really tell me what to do. No one at all. Because I'm like, I'm gonna do it whether you think it's a good idea or a bad idea. And if it's a bad idea, I have to figure that out myself.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

So when it came to not playing college soccer, I knew at that point when I had to decide, it like wasn't in me. I'm very much like, I didn't, I don't think I had this mindset when I was deciding on whether or not to play. But now that I think back, if my body, if it's not like a full body yes, it's a no for me. Like I can't, like I cannot force myself to do it. I won't mentally be there. I'll find excuses to not go. I won't be playing my best. I'll just let everyone else down. So I just removed myself and I'm like, I can't do it. Like, I just need a break. And then that's when I got into heavy weightlifting because I had never worked out without someone telling me what to do before. I was so lost. I'm like, what do I do? So yeah. So what did you do with heavy weightlifting? Did you like just crush it? I started an online fitness business. Of course you did. Right. Yeah, I started an online fitness business. Um I trained thousands of women across the nation how to lift weights, track their macros, do nutrition, build muscle mass, uh, just feel better in their bodies, right? It all started because when I stopped playing soccer, I started to like party and like have fun and like gained weight, obviously. And then I just started to feel horrible. And I'm like, wait a second, I have to reverse this because I didn't have a routine anymore. I didn't have a coach like telling me what to do. So I reeled it in. I did a bunch of research. I got certified in a million things that you could get certified in. And then I retrained my body, recomped my body with weightlifting, with nutrition, with macronutrients, with protein, with everything that you need to recomp your body to feel better. And then I took that and made it into a business. What was the business called? Ashton Ferris Fitness.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, nice. Okay, so then so you have this successful online business. Did you just sh like decide like I'm shutting this puppy down?

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. So I, after 10 years, I was feeling lonely almost because everything was online. So I was connecting with literally thousands of women across the nation every single day. And I was creating custom programming for them, custom nutrition for them, like talking on the phone with them, emailing with them. And it's a first of all, it's exhausting to do that constantly. Secondly, I was like, I need real human interaction, and I also need to like breathe for a second. I was doing that for 10 years. Like it just became so exhausting and so overwhelming. And to my my own wrongdoing, I gave every single person I came in contact with my cell phone number. So people were texting me. Everyone's in different time zones. So everyone's texting me at all hours of the day, like, what should I get for dinner? What should I eat this? And I'm like, oh, I've created a monster. Oh, I've created a monster. So I slowly started to just like let the clients get out of their contracts, not re-sign anyone. And then slowly I stopped having clients and I didn't take any more. And I stepped back from social media and I was like, I just need to breathe for a second.

SPEAKER_01:

And then here we are. What do you think about heavy lifting today? Are you still doing any of that? Or have you completely I mean I know you don't have a lot of time right now with this largest Pilates studio you got going on? Right.

SPEAKER_00:

But like, what are your thoughts on the I think heavy weightlifting is if again, if you enjoy it, I think you should do it. I don't think that we should do things that social media like grounds like puts into our brain that you should be doing this. Women should be doing that. Like you have to do this. Those that I hate. Again, you can't really tell me what to do. You know what I mean? So that I don't like it.

SPEAKER_01:

I like it. What's your sign? Virgo. I love it. Yeah. Yes. I wouldn't want to mess with you in a dark alley.

SPEAKER_00:

I know this. I already know that. I'm not as scary as I seem. No, you're not scary, but I mean, you're good. You're a formidable competitor.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh, yes. I like that. I like that.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes. Um, so weightlifting again, like if you enjoyed it, I think you should do it. I think where I really enjoy Pilates and where I'm like preaching Pilates to everyone in the world is that if you do enjoy weightlifting, you should 100% incorporate Pilates because it will only take your weightlifting to the next level.

SPEAKER_01:

But I need to do it. I'm into the big strength, baby. I love that for throwing it up right now in the morning in my garage, just throwing it up.

SPEAKER_00:

I love that for you.

SPEAKER_01:

I love that for you. And I do, I want to get back into Pilates. I just haven't I haven't dipped my toe into anything yet, but I'm ready to ready to start dating again. I know. What what kind of weightlifting do you do? Um, so I have a C10, which is like a force USA C10, like a commercial grade piece of equipment. It's got the Smith machine, it's got the cables. I've got the whole kitten caboodle in my garage. I also have like the dumbbell, I'm a big like traditional dumbbell. Like this morning I did all dumbbells. Right. Um, but I love strength training. Yeah. But I like it in like I see it as like a continuum. So I love like the Pilates, like the toning, and and I know it's not just tone, I mean it's like a lot of hard shit.

SPEAKER_00:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

But I like kind of swinging through that pendulum. Right. And um, I don't believe in like everything all the time. So I don't want to like be just like throwing up heavy weights all the time, like too much of a good thing. So I kind of like to slide back and forth and like kind of do it together.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, no, absolutely. I totally get it. I love that. Again, like if you enjoy it, like do it. But Pilates will only enhance anything that you enjoy to do.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00:

Anything at all. Now, I'm not gonna say I'm never gonna lift weights again in my life, right? Like, I have dumbbells, I have weights in the Pilates studio. It's not just like the reformer or just the Matt. We have a bunch of other equipment. But right now, what my body enjoys, what I can do consistently is Pilates for me and my body. And maybe you do a Pilates class in the morning and then like weightlift at night, or vice versa, or maybe one week you do Pilates, one week you do weightlifting. It also depends on your goals, right? I came from this, like, I feel like social media era where everyone had this goal to be like fit and to like get on stage and like do all of these things. And I just, like I did with soccer, got so wrapped up and burnt out in it, where I'm like, I can't I just want to work out and not have like a goal. I just want to feel good in my body. And that's what it turned in for me, where it's like it's not about how I look. I think how you look is a byproduct of what you do within your life. So the goal shouldn't be how you look. The goal should be how can I feel good, and then your body will then in turn feel like you look good because you're mentally and physically feeling well.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, so people are gonna want to know about your skincare, they're gonna want to know what you eat and all the things. So let's just like let's go, let's do it. So and let's be as transparent as possible. So, like 100 face-wise, are you doing all the things like Korean, you know, all that stuff that you see the Instagram is doing in the roller?

SPEAKER_00:

No, I'm not doing Korean anything. Okay. Um, I go to a place up in New Albany. I get regular Botox. Actually, tomorrow I'm scheduled for sculpture. Love that. So wait, have you done sculpture already? I have, yes.

SPEAKER_01:

So okay, I want to talk about that because I've not done it. But now that I'm looking at you and you've done it, I'm like, well, shit, where where do I go? Like, let's leave right now. Because I was like nervous about it. Because I'm like, what's it gonna do?

SPEAKER_00:

That's what it does. So, well, I got it a long time ago, but it works. I think I'm not a skincare specialist by any means, but I think what they say is it works like it's not a instant gratification, like it it will do is delayed. You know what I mean? So I got it honestly like probably two or three years ago. So I think I'm due for more, but I I do everything.

SPEAKER_01:

But you can see, but you see a difference. Like you're like, I love the sculptor.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay. And then what what about just the daily washing your face and stuff?

SPEAKER_00:

So I use medical grade skincare. I spend an ungodly amount of money on skincare. But I think if you look good, you feel good, you do good. Yeah. So, like, I mean, everyone has their vice, minus skincare. Um, so yeah, I do face wash, I do a toner, I do um, I don't know all the names of them. I just do a bunch of stuff. Obviously, I do sunscreen, I do moisturizer, regular Botox, I've had Lip Filler, you name it, I've done it.

SPEAKER_01:

Uh, what about eating? Are you super pristine?

SPEAKER_00:

No. You're not good.

SPEAKER_01:

I want to hear about it. No, I want to hear all the bad shit. I want to hear all the bad shit you eat.

SPEAKER_00:

I mean give it to me. Chocolate is my like oh, my own best worst friend. I love chocolate. After dinner, I have to have a bite of chocolate every single day after dinner. Just a bite. Yes, but this is damn you.

SPEAKER_01:

I just need a bite. I already got your number. Like, I know what you do. You like have a little bite, and then you go off and be you're pristine. Yes, I don't know. Not pristine.

SPEAKER_00:

I door dashed a pint of ice cream two days ago. I took a little scoop, put it in a bowl, and called it a day. That's all I needed.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, that's what you are. You know what I am? That pint of ice cream be gone.

unknown:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Like, I mean, I'll be like, I'll take a little bite, then I'll take another bite. Damn it, there's two kinds of people, and it never fails. Yeah. Like, you know, it's like, oh no, we're and I got your number.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, well, here's the thing is this is how I think about it. Because I used to be like this, but then I used to think, and this is what I used to tell my clients whenever I was working with them in nutrition, is like, you know what it tastes like. Like, you already know what it tastes like. That doesn't work for me. Also, take yourself out of like the future, like like the current moment and put yourself in the future. Like, if you're like, I eat this pint of ice cream, I'm gonna feel really good right now, but that feeling is also fleeting, and you have a future moment, you're gonna feel like crap. I know. So put yourself into the future moment, not into the current moment. That's what I do.

unknown:

Damn you.

SPEAKER_00:

I know.

SPEAKER_01:

I I need to do better. Uh enough about me and my problems. No, what wait, what's what do you like to eat? What's your thing? Um so I I will say this. I'm now you if you listen to me now, you think I'm just like I just put a trough up and I have zero guardrails. I do have some guardrails. I try to eat really well most of the time. Like if you followed me around, you probably would think I eat pristine.

SPEAKER_00:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

Like during the week, uh- You just had you just had a salad, right? I will just I will eat to live. But when I turn that switch and I live to eat, honey, I want to live to eat, but like a like a five-year-old kid. Right. Pizza, um, any kind of snack. Yeah. Like last night, I actually got into, which isn't normal during the week, but I just was like, I'm doing this. Animal crackers with icing and milk. Oh, it's so like I like a lot of like dump kid food. Yeah. Taco Bell, you name it. But I think it's the quantity with which I like to eat it. Right, right.

SPEAKER_00:

I would say like the worst thing that I like love to eat when it's like, I'm just like ready to go, is like pizza. I love pizza, Papa John's.

SPEAKER_01:

Any vices for you? Any like gummies, alcohol? No.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh my gosh, no. Okay. I've been completely sober for almost six years. Good for you.

SPEAKER_01:

I want to talk about that because I feel like a lot of the everyone's sober curious, which I think is a really good thing. Alcohol is literally poison in your body. Poison. Right? Nothing good comes from it. When did you decide? Like, what was there a moment? Were you drinking too much? Yep. Good. Yeah, good. She's human. This just did. Ashton is human. Okay, here we go.

SPEAKER_00:

Um, okay, so after I stopped playing sports, I had nothing to really do with my time besides work, do whatever I wanted. My business was all online. You know, I could work from anywhere, do anything. You know, you make your own schedule, and you're like, I'm like 22, you know. So I partied a lot, I drank a lot of alcohol, like I lived. Very much I lived. And then I was like probably 26, I think, 25, 26. And I'm like, if I continue like this, like I'm gonna get nowhere in my life. I have more goals than to like drink and wake up the next morning and feel like dog crap and then go to the gym hung over and then like try to tell women to feel good. I'm like, I can't, I can't do both. So I immediately cut it out, cold turkey, stopped drinking. I don't I didn't do anything else. I just literally stopped one day. And everyone's like, are you ever gonna drink again? And I'm like, I don't like to put like definance on things because then I rebel against myself where I'm like, I don't have the need to right now. Yeah. So I don't feel like I want to. I also love waking up feeling good. I love, I'm also a little bit of a control freak. I don't know if you've probably caught on to that.

SPEAKER_01:

I would never have even got a little bit of a couple of things. I don't know if you've like caught on to that.

SPEAKER_00:

But I like to be in control of my day and my life and not have other things take me out of that. Yeah, I know. I love that for sure.

SPEAKER_01:

But you never like when you're out with friends and like they're drinking like a glass of wine. It's like that would be kind of lovely.

SPEAKER_00:

Well, I would I also am like again, you probably didn't catch on to this. I'm a very all or nothing person. That's see, that's how I am. So I can't just do one glass of wine. I'm not doing that. Why waste the money and the calories on one glass of wine? I don't see any purpose in that. So it's either like all or nothing for me.

SPEAKER_01:

And that's such a dangerous thing. It's like I am so built that way, and I have really tried over time. Actually, I have gotten a lot better at certain things, um, which we talk about in the B lab. Like I used to be, you know, it's a 60 to 75 minute workout, throwing myself against the wall or nothing.

SPEAKER_00:

100.

SPEAKER_01:

Uh, and then you don't do it as then you lose. Like, and it's it's better to do like 25 minutes a day, steady eddy, yeah, than like try to like do that three times, whatever. Um, same thing with things like cleaning, organization. You're going all out, you're like cleaning the entire house or you're doing not so it's a mess. Yeah, my my growth has been in like the micro consistencies. I love that. And it's such a good thing to do when you're an all or nothing person.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, it's a game changer. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, okay, let's go back to the Pilates studio. So when did you all of a sudden in your head go, aha, I want to open up the largest, not just a Pilates studio. I mean, you put the steak in the ground, the largest in Ohio, which I love saying because I fucking love that for you. I know.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you so much. I also like don't like to boast about it, but I just something to be really proud of.

SPEAKER_01:

Let me boast.

SPEAKER_00:

Okay. I'll boast. I don't like to boast about it, but I do, I am very proud of it. Um the very first day I took my very first Pilates class, I was like, I'm opening a studio. Like, again, all or nothing. I can't just take Pilates and like it. I have to take a Pilates class and be like, I'm gonna open a studio. Obviously, that didn't happen overnight, right? I then got my certification and then I started to work at studio after studio after studio after studio. I literally was working, I'm not joking you probably 90 hours a week, as I am now, like not working any less, but I was going from like this place to that. I was working in a studio in New Albany, Grandview, Polaris, um, downtown, like literally all in one day, all in one day, consistently for over for almost two years, like very long time. And then I was like, it's enough. It's time to open. And I was looking for places, and honestly, I was looking for places up in the Polaris-Westerville area because I live in Lewis Center, and that's where a lot of my clientele is. And then this place in Italian village, honestly, like it was a godsend. It fell into my lap. Like, honestly, I think everything happens for a reason. And it was truly such a godsend that the moment I walked through those doors, I was like, this is a Pilates studio.

SPEAKER_01:

And Pilates, I mean, it's having a moment and it's it's been having a moment, but I feel like it's even when I thought it couldn't get more popular, I feel like it's even gotten more popular. But when you decided to open the studio and you see all the competition out there, yeah. I mean, to me, anything worthwhile, any industry worthwhile, there's competition. Of course. Right. So so that shouldn't stop you. And if it does stop you, you weren't meant to do it anyway. Right. But I'm sure you probably had some coffee shop moments where you're like analyzing all the studios in the city, trying to figure out like where you fit, how like what was the analysis? Like, did you ever get a little bit like, man, is this gonna work? There's so many. No, I never thought that.

SPEAKER_00:

Good. Good for you. No, I never thought that. I did my research and this, I'm like, okay, who's charging what? Like, I I also I knew all of this because I've been doing it, right? So like I didn't have to sit down and like have a day of like research. I already knew all this. Like, I don't get into something unless I like feel confident about it. Again, I don't, it's it's like if I'm gonna do it, I'm gonna do it. So I don't ever, honestly, I tune out the noise because all or nothing, I could go all the way in and search all these things and look at what everyone else is doing and why are they doing this and how are they doing that? And I'm like, I literally don't look at any of it. They'll be like, oh, do you know that so-and-so is opening up? And I'm like, Where? I had no idea. You know, I don't even this whole people are like, oh, you're on TikTok. I'm like, I I don't have a TikTok. I've never had, I don't, I don't know what that is. So they're like, oh, I saw this on TikTok. I'm like, no idea. I work way too much than to get in the weeds. I also think that what I want to do is bigger than getting into the weeds. I gotta get out of the weeds. We gotta think long term, we have to think big game. I'm not thinking about what Susan up the street is doing. I'm thinking about what's my next move to move into the next level. That's what I'm thinking.

SPEAKER_01:

Okay, so listen, I mean, that's gotta be chopped up, slap it up, flip it, rub it down, put it out. Because, you know, a lot of these conversations, and as I progress into 2026, I'm talking to the entrepreneur out there, the person who either is doesn't have the balls to start, they've started and they're freaking out, you know, or they've, you know, they're successful and they want to scale, whatever. I just think that is the exact right mentality. I mean, of course, you need to have an idea of what the competition's doing, but you already do because you're submerged in it, right? Right. And so you don't even doubt yourself. You're like, no, because I'm gonna do it the way Ashton's gonna do it, and it ain't the way Suzy Q's gonna do it. And I what I always think is yes, you have to be smart about shit. You understand what's going on intuitively, but you're looking forward. Right. You know, and if people are back there, you know, imitation is a sincerest form of flattery, right? You're always gonna have ankle binders 100%. That's great. That's a huge compliment, but you're so busy moving forward, right?

SPEAKER_00:

You ain't got time for that shit. Right. No, literally, I even asked Suze with Sam and Suze. I'm like, guys, anyone on my team, I'm like, we have to think bigger. We're not thinking one location. We're thinking bigger. So I need you to think out of the box. I don't care what so-and-so is doing, I don't care what they're charging, I don't care what colors they have. This is what we are doing. And if you hear or see anything else, don't tell me. I don't wanna, I don't want to know about it. I want to know how to make what I have better and bigger. Okay, so th what what's next?

SPEAKER_01:

A lot. Like, what do you see? Do you see like a I'm gonna be across the nation. Yeah. Good for you. Yeah. Are you gonna do a little acronym at all? Or is it always gonna be like Pilates by Ashton?

SPEAKER_00:

It's gonna be what we're doing now is we're making customized merch. Um I've obviously we have it, but I'm elevating it more. And we're gonna do like little just like a logo like PBA. Um so I guess that's coming. Yeah, we're gonna be across the nation.

SPEAKER_01:

See, and I believe that. Like I really, I think the way you say it and like your conviction, I think you're someone where you're like, I'm not gonna say that without backing it up. Also, if I say it, I have to do it.

SPEAKER_00:

So here we are.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh no, if I say it, I have to do it. So listen, I could always edit that out, but no, we're not gonna edit it out. We're gonna put it out in the atmosphere. I'm gonna have more seats. Yeah. So what do you think in terms of have you? I mean, I'm sure have you thought this through? Yeah. Um, do you think next location like would be in Columbus? Yep, I know it's at. You do?

SPEAKER_00:

I know where it's at.

SPEAKER_01:

Is it by where you live?

SPEAKER_00:

I don't know.

SPEAKER_01:

Oh and then if you if you left Columbus, did you have you have like a market in mind? Yep. This is unbelievable. It's almost like it was already it was already written. So okay, cool. It's almost like I thought about it. So tell me, yeah, it's almost like you really put a lot of time and energy into this. So I haven't been to a fitness studio in Columbus since I left SOS.

SPEAKER_00:

Oh, wow.

SPEAKER_01:

I haven't stepped foot out of respect, right? Out of just obviously a lot of reasons. Yeah. SOS is a great workout, like I'm spoiled, um, but also like I don't know, like I just haven't. Um, but I'm ready. Yeah. So why should I come to you versus anyone else? Yeah. Like what will I experience when I walk in?

SPEAKER_00:

You're gonna experience a customized experience for yourself, right? There's one thing that I don't enjoy about fitness studios in general, whether it's in Columbus, if it's in Kansas City, wherever it's at, is that you do not feel welcome when you walk in the door. The person at the front desk, if there is one, is either on their phone, on the computer, they don't acknowledge you. There's a little iPad that you have to check your own self into. You just feel like you're another number in the herd. I absolutely hate that. I'm such a relationship-driven person that I think that you build the best types of businesses with relationships, not with transactions. You'll get the transactions when you have the relationship. So, what's the difference between my studio and every everyone else is that you get the relationship aspect of it. I'm in that studio every single day. Even when I have 17 locations, I will be in all of those studios because one, I love what I do. Two, I love that the people who come in the door feel like they're home, feel like they're welcome, and feel like they have something that they can do to get them out of what's going on in their life. I went through some of the hardest times in my life when I was taking Pilates and it was the only thing that kept me going. The only thing. So you never know what the girl on the reformer or the girl next to you is going through. She might be going through a divorce, she might be going through a breakup, she might be, you know, trying to get pregnant. You have no idea what's happening. And so I love that they can choose to come into my studio and feel welcome. They get a friendly hello, they get to speak to the instructor afterwards, we know their name, and then they get to come back the next day and do it all again.

SPEAKER_01:

So I would be a horrible journalist if I didn't ask this next question. What is the hardest thing you've been through?

SPEAKER_00:

I've been through a lot of hard things. A lot of hard things in my life. Um I would say some of the hardest things that I've been through is second guessing decisions that I've made and having to go back and try to like re-pivot my life in a way that makes sense for me and not anyone else. I know that's like very vague. One of the hardest things I went through was actually shutting down my online fitness business because I had an identity crisis. And I'm like, what do I do next? Like, like for me, again, I should probably see a therapist pretty regularly. But if I did that, I feel like I wouldn't have this drive that I do. So, like, why would I do that to myself? You're gonna you're gonna you're just gonna like want to be normal.

SPEAKER_01:

Like, what? Hey, listen, I think therapy, I've I've been therapized. I go to therapy probably like once. I try to go once every couple months. Oh, yeah. See, I could do that.

SPEAKER_00:

It's but like they're like, you should come every week. I'm like, what? You're like, honey, do you know how many classes I teach? I'm like, I don't have time. Do you have therapy sessions at 3 a.m. on Zoom? Because like I can't do that. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

So here's a question for you that I envision being a uh a growth edge for you that I I believe you'll get through.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

But you said, you know, whether I have one studio or 17 studios, I'm gonna be at all the studios, which I believe you will touch those studios. But there is no way that you're gonna be able to have that same concentrated impact. Right. And that's where scaling becomes extraordinarily challenging for entrepreneurs, especially because y'all are so close to your babies. Yeah. Have you thought that through and like working on that growth edge for you of like no one can do it better than me? Yeah. To wait, I'm gonna find someone who I can trust but verify with.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah. I this is what I struggle with daily. I mean, like I fight myself with it daily, right? I even struggled with the name of the studio, Plaudius by Ashan Studio, right? Because then it's very hard to pull myself out of it. Where I have thought this through a million times. I don't have the answer for that yet. I wish I did. And I know that I'm something that I'm going to have to work through. But trusting people to get it done in a way that is up to my standard is something that I have very struggled with a lot, right? Because I'm sure, as you know, like no one does it the way that you do it, and no one will. So I have to let that go a little bit, and that's very hard for me to do, especially with location one. I'm gonna work on that for location two, three, four, all of those things. Um, but yeah, that's something I'm working through.

SPEAKER_01:

Good. Because I feel like, you know, you have all the potential in the world, and that's gonna be like your if I had to predict, right? That's gonna be a big one for you. Huge. And like when you open two and three, especially if they're if they're in the same market, right? You can get away with being a control freak and kind of spreading yourself thin or whatever.

SPEAKER_00:

But to scale a brand, if you want this to be like PBA, you know what I like struggle with the most is like, and maybe you have some input. Yeah, is like to me, the client experience in a studio is the most important. Because without clients, you can't pay your bills. So it is so hard for me to trust and believe that someone else is gonna give the client experience what I can give it. I understand that. Right.

SPEAKER_01:

And you're not wrong, right? Right. But I think it's all how you build your culture. So if you look, if you take a look at SOS, part of the design was to have the trainers be the quasi-column celebrities or whatever, right? Yeah, everybody knew Darcy or Kim or Matt. We really were in lockstep around the fact that like we were going to set them up, not only financially, but just culturally, right, and give them the tools, and they crushed it, right? Yeah. So I think you have to believe in yourself. With I feel like you have this really insane belief in yourself with all this stuff.

SPEAKER_00:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

So you have to believe that you're gonna be able to translate that culture and that heart that you have into those people. And then remember you're gonna have rotten eggs. You're gonna have you're gonna have absolute people that you pour into and they let you down, or they wanna go start their own studio. And then you have to take that that opinion of like moving ahead, I'm not gonna pay attention to that. Like, we gotta just keep moving forward because there's only so much you can do to protect that.

SPEAKER_00:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, but I do think you starting, because you're thinking big, man, and you're gonna go big. Yeah. But but that's some a muscle that is never too soon for you to start developing with a coach.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

With some outside perspective with someone who's been there. Right. I would highly recommend. Are you taking clients? It's the B Lab, baby.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah, there we go. Okay, yeah, we are.

SPEAKER_01:

We have a lot of like really great stuff happening. So, I mean, and we're we're here. So cool. We can talk about me another time. But I do see like I see a fit in some way there. Cause I think that that's those are the kind of things that um you can have everything going for you, which I feel that for you. Right. But that one fatal flaw will drag it out. You can't figure out a way if you because it sounds to me like you really want to scale. Like you said it without a doubt, right? Right. It's gonna be way different, way different than just having that one studio where you could go like this, hi be.

SPEAKER_00:

Right, right. Yeah, no, but it can be done. You're right. Yeah, yeah, yeah. No, it's like that one fatal flaw, right? It's like it's poison, right? Poison spreads. So, like, I also say like ego is your biggest overhead. Uh-huh. So ego, like, you know, so I get it. So we can chat. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Yeah, no, I would love to. I would absolutely love to. Um, okay, so I will have this client experience, which is amazing. Although I don't want to talk to anyone. So like I really if you I'm like, do not talk to me. I'm here to work out. Um, but it's beautiful in there too. Thank you. So, like, did you have the brown? Like the I love how you leaned into the brown.

SPEAKER_00:

Yes.

SPEAKER_01:

And I feel like brown's kind of trending. So trendy. Which came first? The chicken or the egg? Did you have brown before it was trending? Did you like get up on the colour? Brown was my color.

SPEAKER_00:

That was like I'm not gonna say I started the trend.

SPEAKER_01:

No, no, no, I know you didn't start you didn't start the trend, but I feel like that was a really great timing. Yeah. Because I was like, Zam.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Neutral.

SPEAKER_00:

I also don't like bright colors myself in general. I like to be very neutral. And I just think it's very chic, very elevated. Like, I'm not gonna go with like a royal blue. Like, what would you do with that? You know what I mean? You could do anything with brown, beige, tan, maybe like a pastel like pink, like something very light blush. Yes, yes.

SPEAKER_01:

And then what kind of vibe are we like is like the music vibe? Is it, you know?

SPEAKER_00:

So it's pretty, I'm not gonna say like chill. I don't use mic. We don't have mics or anything like that. That's one thing that I do really enjoy about Plotties, like true Pilates versus Megaformers or whatever it is, is that I'm not screaming on a mic. You're not, your adrenals are not going crazy because the music is blaring. You're not in a dark black pitch room, you can't even see your springs. Like, this is the experience that I've I've had in other places, anywhere that I've gone where I'm like, I don't even know what color these springs are. It's so dark in here. I can't hear anything. The mic is muffled. Maybe the mic works one day, the mic doesn't work one day. It's just like all over the place. So we have the music, I can talk over it. You can hear it, it's fun. Sometimes I'll turn it up if we're doing something a little bit more intense. I'll turn it down when we're trying to cool down. Um, but that's the vibe. It's gonna be just very elevated. You're gonna feel calm when you go in. I want to kick your ass. Calm when you wait. That's what I want. Yeah. Oh, yes.

SPEAKER_01:

And then the mat, is a mat 60 minutes? Are they all 60-minute classes?

SPEAKER_00:

No, so reformer is 50 minutes. Matt is 45. My mat classes are harder than my reformer classes, in my opinion. I now don't don't let me fool you. My workout classes are very hard. You're gonna be like, I've never done anything like this in my life. But you know how it's like when you put a squat rack on your back, if you load it up, it's hard, right? It's different. When you land on a reformer and I'm having you do core for 10 minutes, that's hard.

SPEAKER_01:

I'm coming. I need my, I need to do core. Come. I would love to come. Yeah. Um, okay, so from a from a um minerap, is there anything else we can swing in here that would like tie a bow on it?

SPEAKER_00:

I just really like also emphasize on just like gratitude. You know what I mean? Just like being very thankful for like the community and like the women who and that's people in general who like come in. Cause truly, like, I truly believe like people could go anywhere. And the the moment they choose to walk into my doors, like I never take that for granted ever.

SPEAKER_01:

You know, you know, one thing I know to be true. She has got the Columbus fitness scene on tilt right now. You are in a lot, you're probably in a you are in so many like group chats and DMs and screenshots. Oh, I I know what's going on. That's what you want, though. Right. Right? You're like, okay. If they're not talking about you, nothing's happening. No, it's for sure. I love it so much for you. I truly, I mean, in all seriousness, from looking at it from a 10,000-foot view, I have no angle here whatsoever. Don't know you from Adam.

SPEAKER_00:

Right.

SPEAKER_01:

You're doing it right. Uh, you got my attention. And then when you got my attention, I was paying attention to the details. And I know little Sammy Janey. She's a little magic sauce, right? But she has a lot to work with here. And so I just, I am all about lifting up every community, but in Columbus specifically. And I just think we need more of this, more people who are like doing things for the right reasons. There's room for everyone within reason.

SPEAKER_00:

Yeah.

SPEAKER_01:

Um, but just keep moving. I think it's so great.

SPEAKER_00:

Thank you so much. Thank you so much for having me. And we definitely need to chat later because no, we will.

SPEAKER_01:

We need to pour your sauce into mice. Honey, listen, my sauce is available, okay? It's boiling. If you're still out there following your girl, follow me on YouTube, Spotify, Apple, or wherever you get your podcast. And until next time, go check out Pilates by Ashton. You'll probably see me there shaking and quivering. Yeah. And keep moving, baby.

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Keri Croft

Host