Are Google Ads worth it for your studio or practice? If you’ve ever wondered why ads don’t seem to work for you—or why you’re spending thousands each month without seeing results—this episode is for you.

I’m walking you through the anatomy of a Google Ad and breaking down how to set up campaigns the right way so you can start generating consistent, high-quality leads.

Inside the episode, you’ll learn:

• The three types of Google Ad campaigns every brick-and-mortar business should run: non-brand, brand, and competitor.
• Why keywords and search intent matter more than anything else—and how to choose the right ones.
• How to structure campaigns, ad groups, and ads so your Pilates, yoga, or physical therapy clients land on the right page every time.
• The math behind cost per lead (CPL), conversion rates, and return on ad spend (ROAS)—and why even a $60/day budget can create thousands in revenue.
• The key difference between running ads on Google vs. Meta (Facebook/Instagram) and how to use them together for better results.

Google Ads aren’t about throwing money at the wall—they’re about strategy, structure, and tracking. When done right, they can be one of the fastest ways to get new clients in your door and grow your boutique fitness or wellness business.

✨ Want help learning and applying these strategies?

• Join the Inner Circle waitlist: christagurka.com/mentorship
  
  
• Or schedule a 1:1 coaching call with me to walk through your setup step-by-step.

Welcome back to another episode of Female emPOWERED, the podcast for female boutique fitness and wellness business owners. I’m your host, Christa Gurka, and today we’re diving into one of the toughest leadership challenges for studio and clinic owners: how to transition clients from your personal schedule to a new team member’s schedule—without losing trust, clients, or revenue.

If you’ve ever felt nervous about handing off your long-time Pilates clients, physical therapy patients, or yoga students to a new instructor, this episode is for you. We’ll unpack the real reasons this transition feels so uncomfortable (ego, perfectionism, people-pleasing, scarcity mindset), and I’ll walk you step-by-step through the process I used in my own business to successfully move off the schedule.

Inside this episode you’ll learn:

• Why keeping every client on your personal schedule leads to burnout and stunts your growth
• The mindset shift that reframes clients as belonging to the business—not just you
• How to position a new instructor or PT as an upgrade, not a downgrade
• Phrases and scripts that work (and the ones to avoid) when having the conversation
• The exact step-by-step process to transition clients smoothly and protect retention
• Creative ways to build trust in the handoff—like shadowing sessions, social media introductions, and check-ins
• How I personally transitioned more than 95% of my caseload off my schedule before selling my studio

🎁 Free Resource: Want my exact email script announcing my transition off the schedule? Grab it here → christagurka.com/clientletter

If you’re ready to stop being the bottleneck, reclaim your CEO time, and set your team up for success, this episode is a must-listen.

👉 Tune in now and let’s start building a business that thrives beyond just you.

How you pay your team can make or break your business. In today’s episode of Female emPOWERED, I’m breaking down the most common compensation models for Pilates instructors, yoga teachers, and physical therapists—and why getting this wrong can destroy your margins, retention, and culture.

Too many studio and practice owners overpay staff, set up complicated systems nobody understands, or tie pay directly to percentages that cut profits in half. It doesn’t have to be this way.

Inside this episode, I cover:

• The pros and cons of hourly pay, per-head + base models, percentage splits, and salaries
• Why “simple and fair” wins over complicated structures every time
• How to calculate the numbers so your payroll doesn’t eat more than 50% of revenue
• Perks and benefits (like CEU stipends, health stipends, and free classes) that attract and retain staff without tanking your margins
• A real-life math breakdown of what happens when you pay too much out of $100 in revenue

💡 Your challenge this week: Take a hard look at your pay structure. Does it actually support your profitability goals? Is it easy for your team to understand? If not, it’s time to adjust.

👉 Want more guidance on margins, pricing, and compensation strategies? We go deep into this inside the Fit Biz Foundations Membership. For just $99/month, you’ll get access to trainings, templates, and support to build a profitable, sustainable business.

Check it out here: www.christagurka.com/fitbizfoundations

How do you build a boutique fitness brand that stands out in a crowded market? And how do you balance staying true to your values while also marketing for growth?

In this episode of Female emPOWERED, I’m joined by my dear friend and returning guest Kari Saitowitz — founder of Fhitting Room in NYC and current CMO of New York Sports Club. With a background at American Express, Pepsi, and a Harvard MBA, Kari blends world-class marketing expertise with the real-life lessons of building and scaling a boutique fitness business.

We dive into:

• How Kari transitioned from corporate marketing into boutique fitness entrepreneurship
• The origins of Fhitting Room and how branding + values drove growth
• The difference between brand identity (your fonts, colors, logos) and brand intangibles (culture, values, client experience)
• Why boutique fitness owners should start with branding as the foundation of their marketing
• Creative, free marketing ideas that actually work for small studios (referrals, partnerships, member stories, retention campaigns)
• How AI is changing the way fitness businesses market and operate

✨ Kari will also be joining me live at the CEO Summit this November in Miami, where she’ll sit on our Marketing Panel to answer your questions directly about branding, client acquisition, and retention strategies.

👉 Spots are almost sold out! Learn more and grab your seat here: www.christagurka.com/ceosummit

If you’re a Pilates studio, yoga studio, or boutique fitness owner who feels stuck in the weeds of marketing or unsure how to stand out in a saturated market, this episode is a must-listen. And if you’re ready to step into your CEO role with confidence and clarity, the CEO Summit is where it all comes together.

Do you ever feel like you’re running in circles in your business — putting out fires, answering team questions, juggling clients — and never getting ahead?

In this episode of Female emPOWERED, I’m joined again by my go-to content strategist and business bestie Latasha Doyle, founder of Uncanny Content
. Together, we dive into the real-life benefits of stepping away from the day-to-day and giving yourself a CEO Day, VIP Day, or DIY business retreat.

This isn’t about working harder — it’s about clearing the clutter in your business, creating space to think, and walking away with a focused action plan.

We cover:

• Why CEOs must step out of the weeds to see the big picture
• How to structure your own DIY retreat or VIP day (even on a budget!)
• The “messy kitchen” analogy — why you need to clean up as you grow
• The 3D Framework: Delete, Defer, and Delegate to lighten your load
• How to use VIP days to clarify priorities, streamline systems, and build a stronger team

✨ And here’s the best part: at the CEO Summit this November in Miami, we’re creating this exact experience in a room with fewer than 30 women. You’ll walk away with clarity, a strategic plan, and real implementation steps for 2026 — plus insights from marketing, financial, and acquisition experts.

👉 Spots are almost gone! Save yours here: www.christagurka.com/ceosummit

Because the truth is: CEOs don’t do everything — they create the vision, set the plan, and lead. This episode (and the Summit!) will show you how to step fully into that role.

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🎙️ Female emPOWERED Podcast Episode:
How Hosting Workshops Can Grow Your Revenue, Community & Credibility

Episode Summary:
In this episode, Christa Gurka shares everything studio owners need to know about hosting in-house workshops — not just attending them. If you’ve been searching for new ways to increase revenue, train your team, and build your brand’s authority in your local wellness community, workshops may be your next power move.

Christa breaks down exactly how and why hosting workshops (for clients and instructors) can be a profitable and strategic tool for boutique fitness studios. She also shares all the details about her upcoming workshop, Pilates for Injuries & Special Populations, happening on October 25th at Balance Yoga & Pilates in Glen Ellyn, IL — and how you can attend or bring her to your studio in 2026.

🎓 Learn more & register for Christa’s Glen Ellyn workshop:
👉 https://www.balanceyogapilates.com/pilates-workshops

In This Episode, You’ll Learn:

• Why hosting workshops can be a high-value, low-overhead revenue stream
• How workshops help with instructor training, staff retention & CEU savings
• The different types of workshops you can host (staff-only, public, client-facing)
• How to price and structure workshops based on your goals and costs
• The difference between good and great instructors — and how workshops can help bridge the gap
• Real examples of business and movement workshops Christa teaches
• How to partner with guest educators and tap into their audiences
• Tips for testing new services or programming with short-term workshops

📍 Join Christa LIVE at Balance Yoga & Pilates
If you're a Pilates instructor, physical therapist, or wellness pro near the Chicago area, don’t miss your chance to train in person with Christa on October 25th! She’ll be teaching two hands-on workshops focused on Pilates for injuries & special populations, and cueing, corrections, and compensation patterns.

🎟️ Reserve your spot here: https://www.balanceyogapilates.com/pilates-workshops

Interested in hosting Christa at your studio?
She offers customized workshops for owners, teams, and clients in both business strategy and movement education. Email christa@christagurka.com or DM @christagurka to learn more and grab her services + pricing package.

Connect with Christa:
🌐 Website: christagurka.com
📸 Instagram: @christagurka
🎙️ Podcast: Female emPOWERED

Welcome to the 300th episode of the Female emPOWERED podcast! I never imagined we’d reach this milestone, and I want to use this special moment to honor the women who made this possible.

In this heartfelt solo episode, I’m reflecting on the incredible journey from launching the podcast in 2021 to now. But more importantly, I’m celebrating the designers, mentors, team members, clients, business besties, and podcast guests who helped me grow not just a podcast—but a movement for women in wellness who are building profitable, sustainable businesses.

Whether you've been a guest, a teammate, a listener, or simply shared this podcast with a friend, this one is for you. It's a celebration of women supporting women, and how collaboration—not competition—is the secret to real growth.

💬 In this episode, I share:

• How Female emPOWERED got started and why I resisted launching it
• Shoutouts to my first mentors, mastermind sisters, and clients
• The behind-the-scenes team who helped build Fit Biz Strategies and Pilates in the Grove
• Personal stories of support, growth, and being lifted by other women
• Why this milestone isn’t just mine—it belongs to all of us

🙌 Featured Mentions & Shoutouts:

• Team members past and present: Michelle Fernandez, Kristen Kaplan, Latasha Doyle, Darcy Smith, Amanda Rashford, Sarah (Catch Creative Labs), Courtney Moody
• Mentors and mastermind leaders: Nikki (The Cocktail CEO), Isha Hawke, Claire Pelletreau, Ashley Brock
• Clients and collaborators from Inner Circle & Fit Biz community
• Special thanks to Mitch McGinley and Kristen from Boutique Fitness Broker
• And all the amazing podcast guests who’ve shared their stories

✨ Thank you, listeners.
300 episodes wouldn’t have happened without your support, your shares, and your belief in this mission. I can’t wait to bring you 300 more.

🎧 Tune in, celebrate with me, and tag someone who’s empowered your journey too!

📩 Work with Christa or join a mentorship group:
fitbizstrategies.com

📱 Follow along on IG:
@christagurka

Episode Summary:

Thinking about selling your fitness or wellness business one day? This episode is a must-listen. Christa Gurka sits down with Mitch McGinley, founder of Boutique Fitness Broker, to unpack the highs, lows, and lessons learned from her own seven-figure studio sale.

Together, they explore what makes a business truly sellable, how deal structures are formed, what to expect during due diligence, and how SBA financing, SDE, and EBITDA play into your valuation. They also get real about the emotional rollercoaster of letting go — from collapsed deals to closing day relief.

Mitch also shares his journey from yoga studio owner to digital nomad living in Spain, and how he’s helped sell over 70 boutique fitness studios, including Christa’s.

Whether you’re years away from selling or just want to make your business more profitable and sustainable, this episode is packed with practical, real-world insight you won’t hear anywhere else.

What You’ll Learn:

• The anatomy of a studio sale from start to finish
• How to value your studio using SDE and EBITDA
• Why you need clean financials, reasonable comp, and operational independence
• What can go wrong (and right!) during due diligence
• Why Christa walked away from her first deal — and how her second deal turned into a win
• How to mentally and financially prepare for an exit
• The difference between a lifestyle business and one that’s ready to sell
• Tips for studio owners looking to grow through acquisition

Connect with Mitch McGinley:
Website: boutiquefitnessbroker.com
Email: mitch@boutiquefitnessbroker.com
Instagram: @boutiquefitnessbroker

Want to make your business more profitable, scalable, and sellable — even if you never plan to sell?
Check out Christa’s programs at fitbizstrategies.com and follow her on Instagram at @christagurka.