The Studio Software Spectrum & 2024 Marketing Trends with Catalina Zbar

In this  episode of Yoga Biz Camp, join Michael Jay and Catalina from Telemere Consulting as they dive deep into the crucial aspects of software selection and marketing strategies for yoga studios. Discover the latest trends and practical tips that can transform your yoga business in today's competitive landscape.

We discuss:

Choosing the Right Software:
Michael Jay and Catalina discuss the importance of selecting the right booking software for yoga studios, emphasizing integration with marketing tools.

Effective Marketing Strategies:
Catalina shares insights on current marketing trends, highlighting the shift towards Google and SEO over meta platforms for better results.

 Client Engagement and Retention:
 Learn about innovative ways to engage and retain clients through membership perks, community-building strategies, and effective communication.

Navigating the Digital Marketing Space:
The podcast explores the necessity of a multi-channel marketing approach, including social media, email automation, and website integration.

Email Marketing Insights:
Catalina emphasizes the importance of regular, value-driven communication with clients to keep them engaged and informed.

Key Quotes:
 "The booking platform is the most important piece of software for yoga studios. It's essential in supporting that super personalized, genuine, automated solution." - Catalina

"In marketing, planning ahead and using a multi-channel approach is key. It's not just about picking one or two channels anymore; you need to be everywhere, all the time." - Catalina

Remember to subscribe to Yoga Biz Camp for more insights and strategies to grow your yoga business. Visit our website at yogabizcamp.com and follow us on Instagram @yogabizchamp for the latest updates!

Telemere Consulting
Telemere on Instagram

Software partners:
Walla
Mindbody
Fitdegree
Offering Tree
Loopspark

Mentioned in Podcast
Slack
Othership Toronto
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Michael Jay - Yoga Biz Champ 

Michael Jay, the Yoga Biz Champ, stands as the go-to Yoga Business Consultant, embarked on a mission to elevate yoga studios from mere survival to genuine thriving.

With a rich background as a yoga teacher, former studio owner, marketing expert, and yoga studio business coach, he possesses the insider knowledge necessary to elevate your yoga venture to new heights.

His passion for yoga, combined with a sharp business acumen and a sincere desire to see studio owners excel, encapsulates his professional ethos. Michael is not one to offer one-size-fits-all advice; instead, he's dedicated to providing tailored guidance, tangible outcomes, and supporting your studio to emerge as the next Yoga Biz Champ in your community. 

• Certified Yoga Biz Consultant • 
• FitTech Partner •
• Yoga Studio Launch & Growth Specialist

FREE RESOURCES AND BOOK A CHAT LINK
https://yogabizchamp.link/podlink

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Follow us on social media

FREE RESOURCES AND BOOK A CHAT LINK
https://yogabizchamp.link/podlink

Transcript

Yoga Biz Camp - Catalina

Michael Jay: [00:00:00] Hey Yoga Biz Champs. MindBody, Walla, Momence, Fitdegree, all these different booking software choices out there now for our yoga studios. Today we're going to be joined by Catalina from Telomere Consulting, a colleague of mine, and we're going to be talking about all things software and all things marketing and what's working right now.

We're going to really frank, honest discussion about our thoughts on both of these things. Enjoy.

Welcome to another episode of Yoga Biz Camp. Today I have a good friend, colleague, Catalina from Telomere Consulting. Welcome Catalina. 

Catalina: Hello. Thanks so much for having me. 

Michael Jay: It's so good to have you. We go way back. We've been we've been through the MindBody consulting. We were on pretty much every consulting call and webinar together.

And then we got to meet for reals. We're both in Canada. We [00:01:00] got to meet for real down in the States at the conference. 

Catalina: Finally, I know it's. It's been such a wild ride when you think back to just the pandemic alone and navigating that and being able to have someone to share experiences and learnings with, I'm so happy to be here today and have a conversation with you because I just have always been such a huge fan of you and your tell it like it is approach.

Michael Jay: I think we have that in common again. 

Catalina: 1000%. Yes. Yes. Everyone listening. Beware. 

Michael Jay: Beware. Yeah, we when, I feel like, yeah, we don't hold back really when we go on to meetings and I think we're both we're passionate and we care. 

Catalina: I was going to say, it's the passion that drives.

It is the passion. Yeah. There's a no filter, passionate approach. 

Michael Jay: And Catalina is a fellow business consultant in the boutique fitness space fellow resident in Canada on the East coast. And she's marketing, she [00:02:00] does really is in the boutique fitness marketing space. That was my jam in my background.

And so I'm really glad that we can have a nice free flow conversation about this, but I'm going to just read a little bit of your bio here and then we'll get into all about you. Catalina is the founder of Telemare Consulting, a specialty consulting and marketing agency that serves boutique fitness and wellness studios around the world.

Telemare has assisted hundreds of studios throughout their business consulting, email and text marketing and social media services in such industries as yoga, Pilates, bar, bootcamp, Spin, martial arts, and more. Catalina and her team married data driven business assessment with forward thinking, innovative marketing solutions to enable studios to increase acquisition, improve retention, and drive sales.

Originally from Argentina, Catalina spent 10 years working in financial services in Switzerland and UK while living in London. Catalina became increasingly involved in the fitness industry. [00:03:00] Moonlighting as a trusted advisor to a number of award winning boutique fitness studios. Catalina's experience working with a multitude of studios worldwide and adapting to their unique cultures and values allows her to bring global best practices to her work and help her clients thrive.

Catalina has been a featured speaker for a variety of fitness companies and leading software companies. She's currently based in Toronto with a husband and two children. 

Catalina: Yes, a third one on the way, which is crazy. Yes. 

Michael Jay: Congratulations. Thank 

Catalina: you. Yeah. I feel like the bio I'll, despite being quite a mouthful at times my bio really speaks to the evolution of telomere and how it's really grown to become what it is today.

Very organically, just through. As a byproduct of, leaning into what we love to do and what I am most passionate about and where I can see that we add the most value with our studio partners. The marketing services[00:04:00] have really become front and center of what we do, and the business consulting side of things is extremely complimentary in that it helps us understand, why are we doing the things that we're doing?

What are we moving towards? How can we bring in the strategy piece really seamlessly to help take marketing? Services and marketing efforts off studio owners plates. So that's really what we are focusing on these days. And the marketing services that we're Working with studios on are mostly in the digital space.

As you said, I'm based in Toronto that our team is spread out all over the States. We work with studios mostly across North America and Canada, and so the services we're providing are digital, so email mostly email automations and newsletters, that's, you'll hear me banging on about that the most, whether on social [00:05:00] or yeah, in our email platform.

Michael Jay: We're in a different time now than we were even a few years ago when it comes to marketing for studios. So when I had my studio, that's, I opened 20 years ago, so that was pre Facebook advertising. And back then we spent money on half page and full page ads in the local newspaper.

That's. Yeah. Yeah. But things have evolved now. And, I do want to talk about the software. We'll get there shortly because the software is, I think the most, the booking platform is the most important piece of software, the booking platform plus. Whatever marketing stack you have, whether it's built in or an add on.

I can't recommend a software anymore. I used to be able to, but I can't recommend a software anymore to any studio, unless it has a rocking marketing piece built in or able to add on, I just can't do 

Catalina: it anymore. I totally agree to the point where we have. [00:06:00] moved to only accepting to work with studios if they are either currently on or willing to move over to a set number of softwares merely because we don't see the results that Yeah, you see when the marketing suite is integrated.

So I totally 

Michael Jay: agree with you. And so if, if people aren't familiar with marketing suites and integrations, what the power is compared to what we used to have. And when, I read your bio there about data driven, right? And so it's based on. Actual circumstances, right? So things triggering off based on let's say attendance or purchases or not attendance, non attendance or so there's, it's whatever.

Your students are doing or not doing in the software, we can pick that up and message those people. Yes. 

Catalina: And the reason why that's so valuable is because [00:07:00] it enables you to automate. And that's like kind of the key word here is automation. Automate in a way that feels authentic, feels genuine, so that when a client receives.

Hey, we haven't seen you in a while. Where have you been? Or Hey, how's your intro offer going? It feels extremely aligned to what that specific customer is going through at that moment. And that is really where we are eliminating human error. We are eliminating that manual process, which is super time consuming and can lead to even more stress and overwhelm of which studio owners have enough of.

So yeah, the integration is essential in also supporting that super personalized, genuine. automated 

Michael Jay: solution. Yeah. And I think if people are listening to this, that aren't playing with the automations take a load off of you because they start something, they start a conversation, [00:08:00] but it doesn't necessarily replace humanness.

So it's a text can go out, that sounds like it's from the studio owner. And, that first one is automated, but then the response and the conversation that follows that is a human experience. 

Catalina: Yeah, absolutely. One of the most, not to get too bogged down on the details, but a really good example of what you're talking about is one of the most responded automations that most studios will have and see is the first visit text message.

So the SMS that goes out after a customer's first visit to say. Hey, Michael, congratulations on your first visit. How was your first class? That single text message with an open ended question is what helps with retention. It helps with relationship building with rapport. So those are the kinds of things where, [00:09:00] yes, you're triggering that automated response.

But then what follows is up to you. So it's I 

Michael Jay: love that one. And I really, I even like that one even a little bit more personal. Like it's, Hey, this is such and such studio, the studio owner. This is my direct line. I think I think on my Instagram, I have a template of that one that I love.

But even that just saying, how was your first class? So it makes it sound like it's real. It may not be from the owner, but the second one will be. From the owner or from staff. 

Catalina: Yes, I find people are always super surprised with just how deep people get right off the bat, they will go into, and it's usually because they have a really transformative experience and the timing catches them at that high.

So you've just finished class or it's been a couple of hours, you had an incredible experience. And it's recounting and It's connecting the emotional aspect to the experience [00:10:00] that's going to create a memory that will then be long lasting for the customer. So those are really the automated triggers that you want to get.

So it's as much about the content as it is about the timing and those things are impossible if you don't have that integration. So yeah. 

Michael Jay: And I love the the softwares that cause most integrations are going to be text, email, but some of them have tasks too, which I love because those are the humanness.

Those are the, this is, you need to humanly reach out to this person. 

Catalina: Yeah, exactly. So the automations that you can access in the softwares that we like to work with are. Essentially complimenting those face to face. 

Michael Jay: So you and I call myself a software whore. Terry Fry told me I should call it software agnostic.

But you and I work with all the software partners, [00:11:00] pretty much the ones that we respect and think are good products. And so we partner with all the good ones. And I say, I call myself that because it's I think I'm a very good software partner, but I am more aligned with what my studio owner needs.

And so I choose. The stack, the based on kind of the needs. And so not every piece of software is a fit for everybody. Now, you just did something that I was very enthusiastic about. And I was so excited you, you did this, but you just did this amazing thing where you had was it five companies? Five, yeah.

That you felt were the top notch ones right now that people should consider and you just had this like, how long was it? Two, three hours? It was like, gosh, it was two and a half hours. Yeah, I was hungry by the end of it. Yeah, but let's talk about hunger because I can tell you every, probably every single Zoom.

Meeting I have been on. Catalina [00:12:00] is eating something. 

Catalina: Hey, thinking burns calories. I 

Michael Jay: probably got screenshots of you 

Catalina: eating. Thinking burns calories, people. Don't hold back. Anyways, yes, so it's really funny because Just in the process of gathering those five software companies and working with their internal teams to put this together which for me was a no brainer in terms of participation and enthusiasm just their kind of approaches spoke.

It was massively different, it was so great of how they are and just stacking them side by side. Yeah. The, this, the industry from a software standpoint has changed so much over the years. I 

Michael Jay: would say just in the last four years, really there was only one or two players.

And then during the pandemic, it was like, it just went boom, like it just went insane. 

Catalina: [00:13:00] Yes, and I think because the pandemic drove so many studio owners to a tipping point, there was a lot of frustration that was Sometimes wrongfully but regardless, there was a lot of frustration that was channeled towards the software.

And in most cases, rightfully to be honest with you, because the software that you choose, the booking software that you choose for your, to power your business is going to make or break you. And that's where I am also on the software whore side of things. And that is the first thing that we check.

And again, like I said, we we vet the studios. So that's your 

Michael Jay: qualifier. That's your qualifier. So let's go. So can you just name the five? Okay, 

Catalina: so we're name dropping? 

Michael Jay: No let's go through. I want to Okay, we won't bash them. But let's talk about where they might be a fit. Yes, 

Catalina: okay. Let's do it.

So 

Michael Jay: We'll be careful. I might be 

Catalina: loose [00:14:00] lipped. There is overlap. No, look, we All software companies have their pros and cons. They all have their roadmaps. They all have their target clients. We choose to work with them, and if I'm not mistaken, Michael you work with these five as well, right?

Michael Jay: All ex I'm not really partnered with Moments or Arquetta. Okay. 

Catalina: I'm not Arquetta's not on the list, but Moments. Yeah. Okay. Okay, so yeah they, they have their pros and cons, but I definitely recommend them. They're on our list. So I do love them. The five are moments, which is newer to the scene.

We have wallah, we have fit degree, my body and Mariana tech slash so Mariana tech slash studio. And I would say that the underlying reason why these businesses [00:15:00] have made the cut, let's call it that, is a, because they are ultimately customers focused. They want what's best for the audience that they're targeting.

So they're decisions from a product standpoint reflect this and also. In large part because they have excellent marketing suites that are integrated into their software and that and also, of course, it's easy to use. They all have their pros and cons. I'm happy to dive into that. Yeah 

Michael Jay: Yeah.

Fit degree. So fit degree. I love fit degree there. I love my partnership with them. They're a great price point for a booking system. They do not have built in marketing suite, but they hook into loop spark, which is excellent marketing suite and a fair price point. So I feel like for a rent, if you've got the bud, not [00:16:00] budget, but this conscious, people became very conscious of what.

Money they're putting out in the last few years. And so around 300, you've got a pretty wicked booking system plus integrated marketing platform, which is a great price point. And I also love their focus on community in the 

Catalina: app. Yes. Yes. That's one of the that's a big pro for sure. The community feature LoopSpark their community their developers, their leadership team, they get it.

They're super passionate. They're young. They roll up their sleeves. They've been working hard. They don't try to be anything they're not. And I think you can really feel that as a customer. They do what they do well. Yeah. Yes. They're a great, solid, yeah, they're a great, solid choice if you have a single location.

Maybe a couple locations, class based. They also do appointments, but they, yeah they're good. They're solid. [00:17:00] 

Michael Jay: Yeah. Platform. And I love what they announced on your, that they're going into the gamification in there. I love that they announced that because what they're planning to do is take away what we in studios do very manually with our challenges or bingos or what have you.

And they're going to try and integrate that into the software. So I think that's a perfect place for them to focus 

Catalina: too. Yes, it's great. And most Studios, if not all that are with fit degree are very happy and that speaks very highly of them as well. Yeah. So I 

Michael Jay: know I took over their entire month of December on their podcast fit spot guru.

Four episodes first one, I think it's probably out this week, which is start a studio. Next one is by a studio. The third one is grow a studio. And the fourth one is Seller Studio and Mitch is on there with the buy and the sell ones. 

Catalina: Oh, nice. Nice. I think I took over November [00:18:00] or October. One of 

Michael Jay: the two.

I love that. They just let us come take over the podcast. 

Catalina: Yes. We focused on email automations, nurture sequences, all that good stuff. So yeah. That's what 

Michael Jay: I consider a good partner for me 

Catalina: too. Exactly. Yeah. And it was so fun to chat with them. They really care. And the fact that they even have that podcast is super telling as well of just they're trying to get good content out to their people to help them succeed.

Michael Jay: Yeah. Mariana Tech. Who is the, who's the customer? 

Catalina: So Mariana Tech is. What I describe as being a little higher end definitely reflected in the price point, but also just in the vibe and what they're building and the customer experience on the business side and consumer side. There are things you simply can't do because that's not what they're intending you to do with it.

And it is what it is. And most businesses that are operating[00:19:00] with Mariana tech. Don't really mind because they are really catering to that pretty specifically class based business that is very ambitious in terms of their 

Michael Jay: multi location 

Catalina: growth brand prestige being slightly on the higher end.

The ability to download the app, buy a class, schedule a class, get in with your friend, buy water, get a smoothie on your way out. It's very sleek. 

Michael Jay: And they're branded webs. Very nice. It's very, 

Catalina: very nice. It is reporting a bit iffy. Yes. The reporting. Yes. But the reporting, they're, they are working on reporting to get, more information to their.

People, but the interesting thing about their reporting is that they are reports that are pretty much focused on [00:20:00] businesses that have multiple locations. And so it's not necessary. It's not always the same type of KPIs that you're. Trying to extract when you're working with a single location there, yeah and I would say that there's, for better or for worse, there is a bit of a difference with the onboarding and customer service experience.

that you get when you are an owner of many locations or less. So they do really place a focus on what their kind of target client is, which good for them. Shouldn't we all. So yeah, that's Mariana Tech. They integrate with BrandBot, which is, one of my favorites, not gonna lie. So 

Michael Jay: BrandBot is Mark, for the folks that don't know, that's marketing suite, right?

So that's your text, email and tasks. Yeah. 

Catalina: So it's a great tool. It's one of the most Been around a long time. Been around a long time. One of the most flexible out there. [00:21:00] The tasks side of things, which does give it a pretty comprehensive CRM vibe to it. Yeah. 

Michael Jay: Which Loopspark does that too.

Yes. I feel Loopspark is very strong in 

Catalina: that area. Yes. And studios should not sleep on that part of it because it really, when used properly, I've seen it be incredibly 

Michael Jay: helpful. Yeah. Yeah. I'd like to get into that a little bit more soon. Moments. 

Catalina: Moments. So gosh, I love the moments team.

I love what they're doing. They are, they have a little bit of a different story than everybody else. They they don't have, that I had a studio and so I couldn't find what I needed. So I went out and I built it myself, they are, they really, I like the voice by the way.

They really. They really come in on the strong, on the tech side there, they've built something that's 

Michael Jay: different. It's [00:22:00] every week, something's another feature, like I'm getting a weekly email with a new feature. It's every week they're just slamming adding 

Catalina: things on. Yeah. Their team is they have a small but mighty powerful team that is.

Really I'm doing a webinar for them on Tuesday. So I've been working with them quite extensively on, on gathering data and all the information and all the assets we need for that. And I've just been blown away by how, present they are dedicated. They're on it there, and compared to other software companies.

That I like equally as much, but trying 

Michael Jay: to get info out of them. And the other thing is they're they're nimble, right? So it doesn't have to go through this whole corporate thing, like they can, it's like client needs something, it's they look into it, they implement it and launch it.

It's 

Catalina: Exactly. And they've simplified the process. Yeah. I think one 

Michael Jay: of the things to remember on this though is [00:23:00] great price point, but I do want, I always, I feel like they're not overly trend. They do put the pricing out there, but it's not the conversation piece. And I feel like everybody should have this conversation up front that, that there is an extra 1%.

On the fees that you get to the studio gets to decide whether to eat or pass on to the client. I don't think many people pass on to client, but yeah, I think that's a consideration to make. If you're, I've got some studios that are, 100, 000 a month. So that 1 percent makes a massive difference when, ends up costing you more.

Oh, for sure. 

Catalina: And 

Michael Jay: that's the one thing. It's a consideration but they do have a very low entry point too, right? 

Catalina: Yes and they do work incredibly seamlessly for the right type of studio. Yoga, Pilates, Bar, class based, straightforward their marketing suite is excellent, 

Michael Jay: vOD built in. Yes, 

Catalina: They [00:24:00] have.

They are, they do have, some of those pricing considerations that you, they are up front with, during the demo or onboarding or, in between there. I found Mariana Tech was so incredibly reserved with the pricing that they didn't even show it. 

Michael Jay: They didn't. It was unbelievable.

Catalina: That rubbed me the wrong way a little bit to be honest. I actually, 

Michael Jay: to be honest, I don't like software companies when they don't put their price on the website. The fact that I have to call a salesperson just is icky to me right there. Yeah. It's a little bit. And what I do like about moments is you can just jump in and start the trial.

Catalina: Yes, yeah, that, that's right. Yeah. And as they update it, as you said, they're coming out with new product features every day. They're not necessarily looking to squeeze more dollars out of you because the platform is better. They are understanding that as you are providing feedback, you're helping them make it better.

So they like [00:25:00] fit degree. Yeah. They are really embarking on helping studios in a partnership format that's where the bigger companies don't necessarily feel they, maybe they feel they don't need to be that way, or, I think 

Michael Jay: they lose touch. Yeah, I think they lose touch with the actual studios. It all becomes, I think the ones that are, based around the stock market.

Yeah, it becomes, they have to, it's about reporting back. Yeah. Yeah. So that's what I'm seeing anyway. And that's where I think the scrappy independent kind of ones are a little bit more on the ground listening. Yes. 1000%. Yeah. Walla. So we both I feel like we both kind of love the Walla world.

They've been last couple of years. And we were both connected with them before they even started and we are both consultants that work. With them and partner with them. Yeah, 

Catalina: wall is great. Shout out to [00:26:00] Laura. Yeah, 

Michael Jay: Laura. And she's been on the podcast too. And I yeah, they're a different story.

They're a different story and they're definitely on the studio. A lot of people there. Most people that actually have worked in a studio. And I love that aspect. And I did, I got to say for the first year, I love the product, but again, I wasn't able to fully recommend it until now because they didn't have marketing and then they did it was integrated with Referraiser, who I'm also a partner with, but it's clunky as shit, to be honest.

Yeah. 

Catalina: Yes. Yeah. From a price point standpoint Walla is not the cheapest. And one of the things I love about them is that they're upfront about that. They're like, we're not trying to be the cheapest. Our product. Is, valued at what it's priced at for a reason and good for them.

If you don't like the price, then [00:27:00] it's not the right platform for you. And the, one of the things that I'm seeing a lot of people now thinking about is because they added the marketing suite after they launched they have a lot of studios on Walla that. Are not yet on the marketing suite.

And so I've had a lot of really interesting conversations where I'm, and again, we're partnered with Walla, but we're not, forced to recommend their products by any means, but the fact that it's integrated, the fact that it works and the fact that it is going to help you drive sales and build your customer experience and build your community that will pay itself off.

So it's also, yeah, 

Michael Jay: That's important to, because the investment in software and in people, those two things in your business they have to have a return to them, right? They have to make you money. And a lot of people, especially on, we'll get to mind body, but [00:28:00] especially people on mind body, they're like, they have it, but they haven't used it.

So they've been paying for it for years. It's a common thing I hear, it's like overwhelming and they just shut down and it doesn't get the 

Catalina: wall of reports are great. Yeah, it's pretty, yes, the back end owners find it easy to use I've heard that instructors. Yeah. I think a lot of students really love it.

And studio managers, which is also really helpful. Yeah. The teacher 

Michael Jay: managers love the teacher reports too. Yes. 

Catalina: So there's a lot of, there's a lot of thoughtful things in there that I think are just a result of, Laura, the co founder, she co founder. I think she's yeah. Yeah. 

Michael Jay: She was in us, she was in us, she was she was a consultant.

She was a consultant. 

Catalina: Yeah. And she had a consultancy for studios. And her background. Her background and her expertise leading up to what she's doing now managing WALA is really felt in the WALA experience. That's where when you consider, the platform [00:29:00] side by side like this, the story that they bring, their why, who they're trying to serve that really impacts how you understand the software and what it's intending to do.

Michael Jay: And Laura shows up every month, does her, the owner shows up every month, does her I think it's a Thursday webinar monthly showing all the latest updates for everybody. She started doing financial Fridays. So it's, they're really trying to support the studios. And what I love about them is, you and I think are one of six partners with them in the consultant.

Yeah. That's what 

Catalina: I was just going to say. They pay, 

Michael Jay: they pay. us to every studio that onboards with them. They, she believes in consulting so much. Yes. It's like they pay us partners for an hour, 45 minute, an hour meeting with their studio, with the studio owner that onboards with them. Yeah, that's what I was going to tell you the valuable conversations I've had in that startup studios or even [00:30:00] people just moving over into the software and they're starting to rethink things like analyzing pricing, have a look at my website.

It's there's such a power in that. And so I really am grateful for that 

Catalina: partnership. 1000%. Yeah. They value what we do and they understand that if a studio is Optimizing their software, thriving in their business. They are going to stay longer with that software. So it's a win across the board.

It used to be the case with MindBody a little bit more than it is now. It's really, it's changed drastically. I don't know how you feel about my body high level. 

Michael Jay: Let's just, I just want to finish off on Walla. What I love too is the easy, I think these are important things, the consumer side of things.

Yeah. Which is the easy sign up. So basically on a mobile phone, one touch autofill. That is not the same experience with the next software we're going to talk about. And right. So that's a barrier to entry. And [00:31:00] I'm going to say that because I have another studio that sells their intro offer off of Wix because it's one click auto pay and one click.

It makes a big difference. Yeah. And so anyway, so really easy sign up. I love the fact that you can't, that they have Unlisted pricing points. So something that's not forward facing on the website or anywhere, but you can, in your automations and the intro offer, for example, you can have it in your back pocket and then towards the end of the intro offer, Hey, this is a link that you're not going to see anywhere else, but this is the best offer you're going to get.

So I love, love, love that. And I also love their they've got sub built in, so you don't need it. Separate software for that. That one's huge. There's one more. 

Catalina: Michael's a fan of WALA, everybody. I am, 

Michael Jay: Yeah. I'm a fan of WALA just because I feel like they're listening and again I couldn't fully go into it before.

[00:32:00] But 

Catalina: now. Yeah, no, as am I. thE marketing suite has been Absolutely transformational in our ability to help the studios that we work with on the marketing side get the most out of all of that. 

Michael Jay: Oh, the refer a friend to bring a friend in the packages is seamless and easy. And I love that.

Catalina: Amazing. Yeah. My body. Yes. So where Walla has really carved out the good stuff, MindBody has it all there for you to just dive in and sift through. It's like finding a cute outfit in a closet full of clothes. So I love what I love about MindBody. It has it all. Yeah, it has it all. And for some businesses, Regardless of how I feel about my body as a company, they're, the evolution that they've gone through over the years with the acquisition and the merge and this, that, and the other, [00:33:00] some businesses are just better suited for my body because they do all these things.

They do class based, they have massages, they have teacher trainings, they do retreats, they have appointments, they have and sometimes. instead of trying to patch all these things together, just do it all in one place. We can figure it out. Just set it up properly. Make sure that it's all clean so that your reporting works and, try and negotiate as much as you can to not get screwed on the monthly price.

And I understand. Okay. That's. 

Michael Jay: Okay. Yeah. You're saying it's an all in and you're a marketing person, but the marketing suite's a bit clunky. 

Catalina: It is. But if I need to make it work because the software is the only, the best option for that client, I will make it work.

And that's where I have literally I feel like they will [00:34:00] improve on that. They will. And that's what I keep saying. And I would be surprised if they didn't. I don't know how long it's going to take. I, there's just too much to go into, I think, for the purpose of this conversation.

But as they upgraded the experience, but really they just put a frame on top of it. Yeah. The new 

Michael Jay: experience. Yeah. So that's the thing. It's a, yeah it's a big piece of software and it's, it feels and this is, it does everything, but it does feel like. It started here and then they added on this piece and then they added on this piece and then they added on this piece.

But if you touch something on this piece, it affects this piece over here. And so that's the, so I do I am hopeful I've been in all the, the meetings of what's coming and I do feel like they're very software focused now to me, it feels like there's not a lot of industry knowledge anymore though.

No, 

Catalina: I totally agree with you. That is The price you have to pay when you [00:35:00] decide that your business is going to, be of a certain size, be a certain type of corporate, it's just way more corporate now. And the leadership team is trying to keep it at the forefront of the industry. And I think you have to sometimes take a few steps back to take.

Michael Jay: I feel like you're always being, I feel like in our meetings, you're always being an advocate for, in the MindBody world, for the multi, small multi studio. So not the big franchise, but that studios that seeing growth. And I feel like you're always the voice of trying to get MindBody to hear about that audience.

Yeah. 

Catalina: The thing that I find really interesting from where I sit is that I worked. For almost 15 years in the corporate world, I know, I understand what's going on. I know how many people things need to go through in order to [00:36:00] get approved. It's a slow moving ship. So the thing that's interesting for me with MindBody is, they're such a massive company.

They've had so many changes over the years. And like you say, It's starting to feel a little bit like it's hard to manage that growth with staying really attuned to what studios need. And I, to be fair, there's a lot of good decisions they've made recently and they were quickly brought they were quickly launched, but there are, there, as always, as a result of their size, they're trying to do so many things and.

They don't necessarily I don't know if they value us as much as other software companies do, but some of the things that studios need are, they need them now. They're not necessarily. Yeah. 

Michael Jay: Yeah. It can't be down the pipeline. And that's what we were saying before about the moments is in the wall is that be able, they're able to react and implement quickly when there's [00:37:00] a need.

Yeah. I will say I, I personally found it a little bit Interesting, like this mammoth corporation and they sent a couple of people who look like they were smoking bongs in a basement onto the call. 

Catalina: Oh my gosh. I had a few calls with them after the fact and there, I think there was, there were some miscommunication issues, but yeah, it just.

They're not, they have a big sales team. They have a big customer service team. They're it's almost too difficult to compare them to the others. Yeah. Yeah. So anyways, 

Michael Jay: leT's can you tell me some, I curious if you can give some real things that you're seeing wins that you're seeing working right now, like marketing wise, any tips for studio owners that you're seeing, we're coming into 2024 and anything that you've seen working in your world.

Catalina: Yeah. Yeah. So definitely seeing [00:38:00] the membership perks. Having a real impact on, yes. So really thinking about your experience on a holistic level in terms of, okay, if someone's going to sign up to be a member, they're signing up to be a member to receive access to your services and to be part of your community.

So where can you fill in the gaps in order to be super aligned to what they're expecting and simultaneously? Surprise and delight them so really focusing on and, most of your listeners will know that 20 percent of your clients make 80 percent of your revenue. So it's really leaning into. Okay.

How can I. really focus on retention and the rest will follow. So from a marketing standpoint that obviously impacts, what you post on social, what you're sending out in your newsletters, how you're interacting with your people in studio before and after class, things like a little [00:39:00] tea station go a long way.

Things like a really cool Instagram wall go a long way. And just creating those opportunities. I love 

Michael Jay: an Instagram So I'm always like, get an Instagram 

Catalina: wall. Yeah. I love a good little lobby. Where people can gather before and after class. And that's where, after two, three times of seeing the same person, you're bound to start chatting.

And that's where you start making those connections. So that's a really 

Michael Jay: big one. What marketing wins are you seeing? What are you seeing in your campaigns? Are you seeing? 

Catalina: Yeah. So interestingly, the ads piece, everybody thinks they need to do ads, paid ads, and we're not seeing ads working as well on meta.

On the one hand, there's. It's a little bit more challenging than it used to be to track performance and results. And studio owners [00:40:00] often feel that if the ROI isn't super linear, then it's more, you need to really be convinced to get behind that. And equally the budgets that we need to put into meta in order to get good results.

Are a slightly higher threshold than what the actual results are delivering. So we're finding that Google and SEO and organic SEO is working a lot better. Definitely on the paid side focusing more on Google than meta is working a little better. In terms of marketing campaigns generally of course, planning, giving yourself lots of time, being extremely repetitive, and making sure that you are applying a multi channel approach to all of your marketing endeavors.

thAt's where the organization is really key because you wanna make sure you're covered on all fronts, but hitting social, hitting, [00:41:00] whatever platforms makes sense to you. Hitting email automation. 

Michael Jay: Don't just do one anymore, right? It's like we used can't I used to? I used to, I used to be, I used to say to people, pick two mediums, like two, two channels and rock it.

Ignore the ones that you can't do now. You're like your own TV station. You've gotta be everywhere. All the time. Yeah. 

Catalina: Multiple times. Yeah. So I like to make sure that we have visual similarities across channels so that at least that aesthetic component is aligned. 

Michael Jay: That's important, right? Yes.

Fonts, colors, imagery, like it's important. Brand is so important. 

Catalina: Exactly. It's especially in this space, in the small business space where you are differentiating yourself and trying to really make a name for yourself. And it's. what we've been doing, but more. If you give a workshop to one month [00:42:00] to for marketing, you'll want to give it two.

If you're giving your teacher trainings six months, you'll want to give it eight. I so 

Michael Jay: agree with that. It's I'm meeting with my whole bunch of my studio owners next week to talk about 2024 and planning it. And I'm like, you need to be We're doing this because we need to get you way ahead of everything, right?

It's at least minimum, I say for a program, it's minimum six weeks, like minimum, but the bigger things, retreats, works, those bigger things, more time. 

Catalina: Yeah. So having a multi channel approach, which as a result of, having greater lead time, increasing the number of. Touch points per campaign.

There's only a finite amount of things that you can be requesting or telling your community. So you need to be incredibly selective with what you're choosing to market and why. I have studios that are running different workshops every [00:43:00] week, but you can't be trying to sell them all at that pace.

So choose the one that's going to either be the most significant for your members, bring in the most revenue or is the most aligned to your values and then stick with that one as the main one. Yeah. That kind of thing is what I would 

Michael Jay: recommend. I know the answer to this, but I'm going to ask it. So I'm going to be the studio owner.

Okay. I only, I send one email out a month. I put everything in it because I don't want to send too many out because I, every time I do that, I get unsubscribed.

Catalina: What do I recommend? 

Michael Jay: It's if someone said that, I hear this one all the time. Gosh, 

Catalina: I'm worried I'm going to be annoying because I'm subscribed. I get emails from my hairdresser every day. Yeah, we get that a lot. It is not true. There's a statistic. If 

Michael Jay: they're unsubscribing, they're not interested.

Catalina: Exactly. Which is even better because it means that you're Your metrics are going to be even more aligned to what you should and [00:44:00] shouldn't be doing. I love a good cleanse. I love a good, when people unsubscribe, it's like, all, and even on the telomere mailing list, I'm like, do you know what?

Thank you because you've now made it easier for me to speak. Speak to the people that 

Michael Jay: care. So I think the big lesson in this one cat is that if you're giving value and if you're speaking to, the correct audience, and you, and if you, from the get go, the minute that they're tuned into your business, that you're not spamming.

And that I think that's the thing so that they get used to receiving emails of value that are not always selling. 

Catalina: For sure. 90 percent of subscribers, and if they're subscribed, they're by default interested, want to hear more from the businesses that they do business with. The most commonly successful cadence that we see on the newsletter side is [00:45:00] once a week, giving one.

to two items in there. Because 

Michael Jay: people don't read. 

Catalina: People don't read, which is why when I'm sending out an email about one workshop or one new class or one new teacher, we make it highly stylized, very graphic. And you're not, 

Michael Jay: and you're not putting that workshop into an email Eight other workshops.

Catalina: No, exactly. Unless I have a specific mailing list that is segmented, where people are signed up because they have clicked, I want to hear more about workshops on your intake form, go for it, or even better, send them to your website, have your events on your website, increase your SEO that way. Get more people on your website that way.

But yeah, the long ones really sometimes I'm subscribed to millions Of studio mailing lists, just as a result of what we do. And sometimes I'm just blown away. I'm like, am I [00:46:00] still scrolling? I, there is no way. 

Michael Jay: I got the studio that I used to own way back when, and that, is on its third owner and I'm not associated with anymore.

I just got the email. I'm still on the email list and it came through with. The entire email, caps, like the long email, like the entire, it's okay, you're screaming at me, but not only did it come in caps, it was copied and pasted three times, the same email. 

Catalina: Oh my God. You're like, I have nothing to do with this, disclaimer.

Michael Jay: Listen, Kat, this has been amazing. I think we've got some great info today. Can you, I'm just going to wrap up my three questions. So tell me something. About you that you, that most people wouldn't know. 

Catalina: oKay. About me that most people wouldn't know. Just one thing. Okay. There's a lot of secrets under this.

[00:47:00] Friendly demeanor. I am a certified Pilates teacher. Oh. Stopped Pilates for any Pilates geeks out there. So that's where this all started. And a lot of people don't know that. Yeah, you don't 

Michael Jay: talk about that much. 

Catalina: I know. 

Michael Jay: A business, your favorite business website, app, software, something that's one of your kind of go to's.

Industry. oR coaching. Yeah, no, it can be your life. My life. 

Catalina: Oh, your business life. Oh, like just the one I use the most. Yeah. Gosh, I'm going to look like such a geek right now because I'm going to say Slack is my favorite app. No, 

Michael Jay: I just, no, that was my last on my last interview yesterday.

Okay. That was 

Catalina: hers. Yeah. Okay. Amazing. So Slack is very popular right now. No, I love Slack. I love putting studios on Slack actually. It's a great way to communicate. So that would be my favorite app and probably the one I reach to the [00:48:00] most. 

Michael Jay: You keep in touch with your team on that too, right? 

Catalina: Yes.

Yes. We use Slack every day, all day, all night, every single week. Do you use it with customers? I do, yes, as well. Slack for the win. And 

Michael Jay: personal website app what's your, what's a personal? 

Catalina: A personal one. Okay, so It's actually a studio that I am deeply obsessed with that's here in Toronto.

Unfortunately I can't go right now because of my pregnancy, but it's Othership in Toronto. Their website was designed by a few friends of mine. It's absolutely stunning and it has great content. Othership is a sauna and ice bath. studio it's incredible. And I have a a borderline unhealthy relationship with cold and hot therapy.

Michael Jay: Is that [00:49:00] your personality too, Kat? 

Catalina: Yeah. I also The benefits and the, how you feel and the community, everything that they're doing just is so aligned to how I want to live my life and explains my passion for being in this space. Check out the other ship website if you have it. Yeah. 

Michael Jay: And how do people find you?

Do you have any offers? 

Catalina: Great question. So you can find me online. Our website is telomereconsulting. com. We are all of our social links and all of that good stuff. I'll put it in the show notes. Yeah. Okay. Awesome. Everything is on there. Special offer. That's a great question. We are well booking a free 30 minute call with me or anyone on our team.

If you're curious about how to rev up your marketing for. 2024 and onwards would love to chat with you, especially if you're a friend [00:50:00] of Michael's. But yeah, we've got a few things in the works, but none that I'm quite ready to reveal just yet. So yeah, a free chat. If you have any questions about anything about Instagram.

Instagram is also at telemere consulting. So pretty straightforward there. And that's where we're most active. We're not really on any other platform. 

Michael Jay: Thank you so much, Catalina. We've it's taken us a while to get here. I know. We didn't know if we could squeeze it in here. And we've managed to get a whole conversation.

So I will be seeing you on another consulting call in an hour or so. 

Catalina: I know I will definitely have that one. Okay it's been great. Thanks so much for having me. Thank you. Okay. Bye. Bye. 

Michael Jay: If you are getting any value out of this podcast, I really ask you to help me out. And that's a simple thing as making sure you're subscribed, whether you're [00:51:00] on Apple, Spotify, Google, Amazon.

Just make sure you subscribe to me so you'll get the latest episodes. And if you're really enjoying it, please take a moment to rate and review. If you are looking to work with a business coach, thinking about opening a yoga studio, please go to my website, yogabizcamp. com. Feel free to book a no obligation, free strategy session with me.

Again, that's yogabizcamp. com. And follow me on Instagram at yogabizchamp. See you next episode.