Art Of The Float

This week, Angela Mcallister joins us to talk about purchasing an existing float center in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She was an avid floater at the center for a couple of years, and stepped in to purchase it when the owner decided to sell.

This week, we invited a guest host to join us as we talk about expectations of how things go when opening a float center. Kim Hannan of Sukhino Float Center in New Albany, Indiana, is in the early stages of this process, and since Amy is close-ish to opening her second location, they both have current experiences with this topic. (Kim also writes the show notes found at artofthefloat.com, so she admits it’s a bit bizarre to write about herself in third person here…) In exciting news, the Art of the Float photography service is now live! If you missed a photo set in the Patreon campaign, you can still access those separately on the website, but Patreon supporters will still get the best deal.

This week’s guest is Debra Worthington, owner of H2Oasis in Tulsa, located near the LIBR facility. She shares details about her choice for float tanks, flooring, and walls. Debra is on the show to talk about couples floating, and she admits that she wasn’t always a fan of the idea. Now, one out of four floats at her center is a pair of individuals instead of a single client. She even has a successful couples’ membership. Debra talks about the merits of floating together, and the reasons her clients float with someone else - either as a couple, family, or friends.

The audience asked questions about, and the team discussed FRP (hot topic!), the biggest challenges they face in running a float center, crafting responses for the, “I’m claustrophobic” concern that comes up so frequently, and a reflection on the construction phase.

This week’s guest likely needs no introduction, as most float centers know of him and have been anxiously awaiting the publication of his latest study. Justin Feinstein from the Laureate Institute for Brain Research (LIBR) has just released the results of a five-year clinical study about the effects of floatation therapy on individuals with anxiety and depression.

Sarah has created several recorded iRest ® meditations that are specifically formatted for use in the float tank. iRest ®, which means integrative restoration, meditation aims to restore individuals to their whole, healthy selves. It’s based on the ancient practice of yoga nidra, and has been proven successful for individuals with PTSD and similar mental challenges.

Rick and Jacob of Float STL join this episode to talk about a brilliant new resource for float center owners and manufacturers… They're starting a float magazine! They describe what to expect from the publication, as well as why they chose print over digital, and what you will be able to find online.

Gloria Morris, owner of Float Sixty in Chicago and Northwest Indiana, is also excited to see walls going up in her new location. The whole team discusses the different methods of designing a space - form over function versus the alternative. In her original location, Gloria used high-end materials, and she shares why she’s moving towards more durable, efficient options in her next shop.

Cecel Roebuck and Amy Lemley join the crew to talk about a new conference they’re planning: the International Therapeutic Floatation Conference.

The team is back for the new year, and they’re sharing details about their holiday results.

In the final episode of our four-part series with John Mackenzie, a business coach who helps small businesses thrive, we explore leading employee development using performance reviews.

John dives into detail about goals, starting with how to create SMART goals. He continues to expand on KPIs (key performance indicators) and success markers. John talks about “eating frogs” and “big rocks” - focusing on your goals first, and then fill your time with other tasks.

John talks about the major components of identifying and creating an intentional culture for your workplace, and reviewing that plan often. John then shares about the difference between job descriptions and duties/responsibilities, and outlining KPIs (key performance indicators). These detailed KPIs can make the difference in how your team shows up; having these clear expectations provides clarity and purpose.

For the next four episodes, John Mackenzie joins Amy and Dylan. You may remember John from past episodes; he’s Amy’s business coach, and he still provides coaching services to Lance too. This week, John offers tips for creating the type of workplace where people will want to be, or as he calls it, “a destination workplace”.  He recommends creating a one-page narrative, with details about your goals, organization, culture, and value statement. He also shares how to create an impactful job description and set employee performance expectations.

Glenn & Lee Perry join Amy and Dylan to share their stories of starting the commercial float industry, their feelings on how to communicate with clients, and about their new float tank designed for home use! Find full show notes at https://wp.me/p3DUt1-Ch

Amy and Dylan discuss the importance of creating relationships with new float center owners in your area. Find full show notes here: https://wp.me/p3DUt1-C7

What does it take to build a float tank you can afford and avoid closing down? Find full show notes here https://wp.me/p3DUt1-BY

The team catches up on some questions left in comments on our blog posts and answers them on the podcast along with questions from listeners tuning into the podcast on Facebook Live. We discuss options for heating your water, the challenges of financing and build out, and a new documentary film project by friend of the show Wallace J. Nichols, author of Blue Mind.

Mike Arnesen re-joins the show to discuss how to optimize your website and understand Google Analytics to better funnel visitors to an eventual purchase. Find full show notes at https://wp.me/p3DUt1-BB

Melchior joins the gang today and shares his new float membership model. Dylan discusses the benefits of his new membership model, and everyone discusses different approaches to memberships. Throughout the episode the heart of why we are in this business comes to the surface. Find full show notes here: http://wp.me/p3DUt1-AT