Episode 8: Can I give back without going broke?

Tania Huddart: Clients notice when you stick to your principles. Your teachers notice too. And they notice when you cut corners. So giving back isn't something you add at the end of the year, if there's money left over. It's in how you pay your teachers. It's in how you price your classes. And it can be as small as one class a month for a cause you care about. You don't need to be rich to be generous. You need to decide what your studio is for.

Host: Welcome to Build Confidence and Purpose with Pilates. I'm here with Tania Huddart: Pilates teacher, teacher trainer and author of Pilates & Purpose. Both voices you'll hear are made with AI. Every word Tania says is her own, and she's approved each one.

Last time, we talked about why people try one class and never come back. Today is about the people outside your door, and what your studio gives back to them. So, Tania. A lot of owners want their studio to do some good. But money is tight. Can I give back without going broke?

Tania Huddart: Yes, you can. But not by giving the studio away.

Host: What do you mean by that?

Tania Huddart: I mean that a studio that goes broke can't help anyone. Not its clients, not its teachers, not the cause you love. So staying profitable is not the opposite of giving back. It's what makes giving back possible.

The mistake I see is owners who feel guilty about money. So they give away classes they can't afford. They say yes to every request. And six months later they're tired and resentful, and the giving stops. I'd rather you gave a little, and kept giving for years.

And here's the link to last time. When people feel your studio cares about more than their membership, they're more likely to join. They're more likely to stay. And they're more likely to tell their friends. So giving back isn't only kind. It's part of how a studio lasts.

Host: So where does it start, if it doesn't start with giving things away?

Tania Huddart: It starts with your mission. Why you opened the studio in the first place. Your mission isn't a slogan for your website. It's a filter for decisions, especially when money is tight. When you're not sure whether to say yes to something, you hold it up against your mission. Does this fit why we're here? If it does, you find a way. If it doesn't, you can say no without feeling bad.

So put your mission where you'll see it. On the wall of the studio. In your staff meetings. Talk about it with your teachers, so they can use the same filter when you're not there. A mission that lives in a drawer can't help you decide anything.

Host: What did giving back look like for you?

Tania Huddart: It changed over time, because my mission changed. In the last few years, I focused on women's wellness. So my outreach followed that. We collected donations for the local Women's Refuge and Family Centre. I gave part of my earnings for six months to a charity called Days for Girls. They work to end period poverty. They sew reusable sanitary pads and get them to the communities that need them. And I ran workshops for clients, to help women understand their own bodies through big changes like menopause.

None of that cost me a fortune. What they cost was attention. Choosing a cause that fitted, and sticking with it.

Host: You said in the opening that giving back is also in how you pay your teachers. That's not what most people picture.

Tania Huddart: No. Most people picture a charity class in the park. And that's lovely. But the first people your studio serves are the ones who work in it. Paying your teachers fairly might cost you more. It also builds loyalty, and it means fewer people leave. We talked about pay earlier in the season, so I won't go over the numbers again. The point is that fair pay is part of your values. It isn't separate from them.

So ask yourself honestly. Do my teachers feel valued? Not just paid. Valued. Do they get a say? Do they have room to grow? A teacher who feels valued teaches better, and stays longer. Your clients feel that, every single class.

Host: And pricing? You mentioned that too.

Tania Huddart: Pricing is a sensitive one. Your prices need to reflect the quality of what you offer. Please don't undercharge to feel generous. But you can still keep Pilates within reach. You might have different membership levels. Packages. Or an occasional community class at a lower price.

Some studios go further and offer a scholarship. A place for a client who needs extra support, or for someone who dreams of becoming a teacher but can't afford the training. One place. That's enough to open a door for someone.

The part people forget is to say it out loud. Tell your clients why your prices are what they are. Tell them about the community class. Being open about money builds trust. Hiding it does the opposite.

Host: So before we even get to charity, there's a lot of giving back that's just running the studio well.

Tania Huddart: That's it. Fair pay, honest pricing, keeping Pilates reachable. If those are in place, the outreach sits on solid ground.

Host: Let's talk about the outreach, then. What can a small studio do that doesn't drain the bank account?

Tania Huddart: More than you'd think. Most good outreach costs time, not money.

The first thing is a free class somewhere that isn't your studio. A park, a school, a community centre. Some people would never walk into a studio. It feels too shiny, or too expensive, or they think it isn't for bodies like theirs. A free class in the park takes that fear away. You might run one for older people, or new parents, or complete beginners.

The second is to team up. Find a local physio, or a nutritionist, or a wellness coach, and run a workshop together. Posture, or stress, or eating well. Add a short Pilates class at the end so people feel it in their body. You share the work, and you both meet new people.

Host: And the one people forget?

Tania Huddart: Your own clients. Have a day that's just for them. Small gifts, something to eat, a free mini-session. And ask them to bring a friend or someone from their family. Your clients feel thanked, and the friend gets a gentle first visit. Nobody is being sold to.

Host: What about the dedicated class you mentioned, one a month for a cause?

Tania Huddart: That's one of my favourite ideas, because it's so simple. Pick one class each month. The money from that class goes to a cause. Or make it donation-based, so people give what they can.

It's small. It won't break your budget. But do it every month, for a year, and it becomes part of who your studio is. People start to expect it. They bring friends to it. It stops being an event and starts being your character.

And it's good for the people in the class, not only the cause. Clients like knowing that their hour on the mat helped someone. It gives the class a different feeling. People are a bit kinder to each other in it.

I'd rather you did one small thing every month than one grand gesture a year.

Host: What if I'm not an events person? Some owners would rather teach than run a fundraiser.

Tania Huddart: Then keep it close to what you already do. You don't need a gala. You could run an after-school session for young people. That supports them, and it introduces Pilates to whole families. You could hire a small stall at a local fair and offer five-minute mini-classes. Bring cards with clear details on how to find you.

Or use the seasons. A class in the park in summer. A gentle stretch class in December, when everyone's run off their feet. A thirty-day movement challenge in the new year. These are fun, and they give people a reason to come back.

Pick the one that feels like you. If it feels like a chore, you won't keep doing it.

Host: How do you choose the cause? There are so many.

Tania Huddart: Don't choose it alone. Ask your clients and your teachers what matters to them. When people help choose, they care more. They turn up. They tell their friends. If you choose it on your own, it's your project. If they choose it with you, it's everyone's.

And then tell them what happened. How much you raised. What it paid for. People want to see the difference they helped make.

Host: Is there anything that's not a class at all?

Tania Huddart: Yes. Look at the small, everyday choices. Eco-friendly cleaning products. Cutting down on waste. Working with the café down the road instead of a big chain. A private online group where clients can support each other between classes. None of those are dramatic. But they all say what kind of place you are.

Host: Here's the practical worry. If I'm doing all this, how do I know it's working? Or whether it's just costing me?

Tania Huddart: You measure it. The same way you measure your money. Most owners track attendance and revenue, and they should. But those numbers don't tell the whole story.

Think about what else your studio creates. A client who walks taller and worries less. A teacher who's grown in confidence. A park full of people who'd never tried Pilates. The loyalty of your clients, and the happiness of your staff, are a kind of wealth too. They're just not on your bank statement.

Host: How do you capture something like that?

Tania Huddart: Simply. Once a quarter, sit down and write it up. There's a worksheet at the back of the book for this, the Impact Tracker. It asks you about four areas. How your clients have changed. What you've done in the community. How your staff have grown. And what you've done for the environment.

Then it asks the honest questions. What worked? What didn't? What will you try next quarter? Do that four times and you've got a real picture of your year. And a lot of good stories.

For outreach in particular, keep it simple. Count who came. Notice who joined the studio afterwards. Ask the people who came what they thought. That's enough to tell you whether to do it again.

And don't do it alone. Talk about it with your teachers. Ask them what difference they think the studio is making, and what else you could try. Some of the best ideas will come from them. You can do the same with clients. A small gathering where people talk about what Pilates has changed for them. You'll learn more in an hour of that than from a year of spreadsheets.

Host: And what do you do with the stories?

Tania Huddart: Share them. In your newsletter, on social media, at a client evening. Ask permission first, every time. But share them. A story about a real client shows a new person what's possible far better than any advert.

In the end, the greatest measure is how people feel. Clients who feel cared for, and part of something bigger, stay. And they tell people. You can't buy that. You can only earn it, a little at a time.

Host: So, three things to take away. What should people remember?

Tania Huddart: One. Staying profitable isn't the opposite of giving back. It's what lets you keep giving.

Two. Giving back starts inside the studio. Fair pay, honest pricing, and keeping Pilates within reach.

Three. Small and steady beats big and rare. One class a month, chosen with your community, done all year.

Host: And the question to sit with?

Tania Huddart: What is one small change you can make this month, so your profits and your mission point the same way? Just one. Start there.

Host: If you'd like to start measuring what your studio really gives, Tania's Impact Tracker is free at taniahuddart.com.

Next episode: what do I do when it all goes wrong, or everything changes?

Tania, last word?

Tania Huddart: You started your studio because Pilates changed something for you. Giving back is just passing that on, a little at a time. You don't have to save the world. You just have to keep the door open, and keep your heart in it.