Episode 9: What do I do when it all goes wrong, or everything changes?

Tania Huddart: When COVID came, studios had to move online almost overnight. Most of them had never taught through a screen. I had. I'd been teaching online since 2012. So I made videos for other studio owners. What equipment to buy. How to set up their space. How to teach so people at home could follow. I didn't plan to help other studios through a pandemic. But I had something they needed, so I shared it.

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 giving back without going broke. Today is about the harder days. So, Tania. What do I do when it all goes wrong, or everything changes?

Tania Huddart: First, you stop thinking of it as "if". It's "when". Every studio has hard days. Change is part of running a business. So is conflict. The studios that last aren't the ones that never have problems. They're the ones that know what to do when the problem arrives.

Host: That's a bit sobering.

Tania Huddart: It's meant to be a relief. If you expect things to change, you won't take it so personally when they do.

I think of it in two kinds. There's the change that comes from outside. A pandemic. A new studio down the road. Clients wanting something different. And there's the trouble that comes from inside. Two clients who don't get on. A teacher who's unhappy. A grumpy review. They need different responses, so let's take them one at a time.

Host: Let's start with the outside kind, then. Take me back to COVID. What did you do?

Tania Huddart: I'd been teaching online for years by then. So when the doors closed, I didn't have to start from nothing. I knew what worked through a screen and what didn't.

The first thing I did was help other owners. A lot of them were panicking. They'd never done it. So I made short videos. What to buy, and what you don't need. Where to put the camera. How to set up a small space so people can see you. And how to teach well when you can't walk over and help someone. There's a whole section on it in my first book, Teach Pilates with Confidence, because so many teachers asked.

Host: And your own clients?

Tania Huddart: I didn't want them to feel cut off. So I set up a weekly online get-together. Not a class. Just a time to see each other's faces and keep the community going.

Then I ran a six-week workshop series. Online classes, recordings people could watch again, and a manual. Each week we looked more closely at a different part of the body. It gave people a reason to go deeper while they were stuck at home. And I kept teaching private sessions, duets and group mat classes online too.

Those online offerings kept my studio alive, and helped other studios do the same.

Host: What did that teach you?

Tania Huddart: That flexibility can lead to something new. Not just survival. Lots of studios still teach online now. They found clients they'd never have reached, people who would never have walked into a studio.

And that you can't plan for everything. Think of your business plan as a living document. It's not carved in stone. It's more like a recipe you keep adjusting. Something changes in the world, and you change the plan.

Host: But not every studio had years of online teaching behind it. What if you're caught completely off guard?

Tania Huddart: Then you try something small, and you watch what happens. That's all agility is. You don't need a grand strategy. You need a willingness to experiment.

Not everything will work the first time. That's OK. Trial and error is part of growing. Change is uncomfortable, and your teachers might resist it. Your clients might need reassurance. So be open about it. Tell people what you're changing, and why. Ask your teachers for their ideas. They often see things you don't, because they're in the room every day.

Keep learning, too. Help your teachers do more training, and go to things yourself. New ideas come into a studio through the people in it.

And be patient. Not every change works straight away. Give it time before you decide it's failed.

Host: Does change always mean a crisis, though? Or can it be quieter than that?

Tania Huddart: Most of the time it's quieter. Clients' lives change, so what they need from you changes. Since so many people started working from home, more of them want online or mixed options. A studio that only offers in-person classes risks being left behind.

Sometimes it's about who you serve. Many studios have added classes for older people, or for people with disabilities. They stayed true to their mission. They just opened the door wider.

And sometimes it's small. A new class type. Bringing in a ball or a resistance band. A workshop for athletes, or for women who are expecting. Even the room itself. Better lighting. Different music. A basket with hair ties, sanitary pads, tissues and spare socks. Those little things tell people you thought about them before they arrived.

You can even let clients vote on a new class time. When people help choose a change, they're far more likely to welcome it.

Host: You mentioned something else changed after the pandemic.

Tania Huddart: Yes. The way clients found us changed. I noticed fewer people walking in off the street. Walk-ins had always been part of how we grew, and they dropped.

I didn't wait for it to fix itself. I reached out to local osteopaths. These are hands-on practitioners who treat muscles and joints. Through their referrals, we built a strong culture of care. Some clients needed both of us, so we worked together. And we went to each other for treatment, too. That kept the relationship alive. It wasn't just swapping business cards.

So if your walk-ins drop, ask yourself who else in your town looks after the same bodies you do. Physios. Massage therapists. Nutritionists. Osteopaths. Any of them could be a partner, and you could be one for them.

Host: Why does that matter, seeing each other for treatment?

Tania Huddart: Because you can't honestly refer someone to a person whose work you don't know. Once the osteopaths had felt what we did, and we'd felt what they did, the referrals made sense. For everyone. The client got better care. We reached people we'd never have met. And the challenge turned into an opportunity.

Host: How would a listener spot a change like that early, before it hurts?

Tania Huddart: Watch your numbers, and listen to your people. Most booking software tracks attendance. If one day of the week keeps dipping, you can move a class or try something new. That's information, not failure.

Then notice the mood in the room. If your clients seem flat, or tired, or distracted, you can change how you teach or how you talk to them. People trust a studio that notices.

But the numbers only tell you what. Your clients tell you why. So you need feedback.

Host: Feedback can be scary for a lot of owners.

Tania Huddart: It can. So start with yourself. Share your own challenges, when it's appropriate. In a staff meeting, or even in a class. The first time, it felt awkward. But when people see you being honest, they feel safe being honest back.

Then make it easy. A short card at the end of class, with three or four questions. A quick survey for your teachers, which they can answer without their name on it. And proper one-to-one chats with your teachers. Frame them as a chance to grow, not a performance review.

Some studios go further, with a small group of loyal clients who meet a few times a year. They tell you what they'd love to see, and how they feel about your prices. They'll be honest, because they care.

Host: That sounds like a lot of systems.

Tania Huddart: It's not, if you start small. Pick one tool. Just one. The class card, or the staff survey. Use it every time for three months. Doing one thing consistently is worth far more than collecting more feedback than you can act on.

And close the loop. Tell people what you heard, and what you're changing because of it. Thank them. When people see their words lead to something, they keep talking to you.

How do you know it's working? Watch whether clients stay longer. Whether your teachers are happier. Whether people recommend you to their friends. If those move after you've made changes, your feedback is doing its job.

Host: Let's go to the inside kind of trouble. Conflict. Clients, staff, policies. Where does it usually come from?

Tania Huddart: Usually from something small. Most conflict in a studio comes from unclear communication, or mismatched expectations. A client thought the class was something it isn't. Someone didn't know about the cancellation rule. People from different backgrounds read the same moment in different ways.

So the best fix is prevention. Make your policies easy to find and easy to understand. Your cancellation rules. How people should behave in class. Then share changes the same way every time, so nobody feels left in the dark.

Host: And when it happens anyway?

Tania Huddart: Stay calm. That's the first step, and the hardest. Take a breath before you answer. Your reaction sets the tone for everyone.

Then listen. Let each person tell you their side, without interrupting. Say back what you heard, so they know you understood. Acknowledge how they feel, not only the facts.

Then look for common ground. Ask what each person would like to happen. Offer a few fair options rather than one answer you've decided on. People accept a solution much more easily when they've helped shape it. And follow up a few days later, to check it's working.

Last of all, write down what happened and how you sorted it out. It takes five minutes. But in a year, you'll be able to look back and see the patterns, and fix the cause instead of the symptom.

Host: What about your teachers? They're often the ones in the middle.

Tania Huddart: They are. So give them practice. Role-play hard conversations in your staff meetings. It feels a bit silly. But it means the first time a teacher meets an upset client, it isn't really the first time.

And if a client is upset, reach out personally. A phone call or a quiet chat beats an email. If the criticism is public, say thank you, and reply calmly. Then look for patterns. If three people complain about the same thing, that's not three grumpy clients. That's something you need to change.

Host: And you, as the owner? What's your part in all this?

Tania Huddart: You set the standard. Whether you like it or not, people copy you. If you meet a problem with patience and kindness, your teachers will too. So will your clients. If you snap, or avoid it, they'll learn that instead.

It helps to ask everyone to speak from their own experience. "I felt rushed in that class" is easier to hear than "You always rush." It keeps feedback about growing, not blaming. And it starts with you doing it first.

Every hard moment is a chance to show what your studio stands for. Handle it well, and people often trust you more afterwards than they did before.

Host: So if someone's driving home with three things in their head, what should they be?

Tania Huddart: One. It's not "if", it's "when". Expect change, and you won't take it so personally.

Two. When the world changes, try something small and keep adjusting. Your plan is a living document.

Three. When it's people, stay calm, listen first, and follow up. Most conflict starts with something unclear.

Host: And the question to sit with?

Tania Huddart: When was the last time your studio faced something you didn't expect? How did you respond? And what did it teach you?

Host: If you'd like a calm plan for the hard conversations, Tania's one-page Conflict Resolution Guide is free at taniahuddart.com.

Next time, the season finale: how do I know I'm on track?

Tania, last word?

Tania Huddart: Hard days don't mean you've failed. They mean you're running a real business with real people in it. Stay calm, stay curious, and stay close to your mission. You'll come out of it stronger than you went in.