How to Build a Leadership Team That Runs Your Studio Without You (While Scaling to Multiple Locations)
From Basement Classes to Two Sold-Out Studio Locations
By Jackie Murphy, Host
What if you could take a month off and your team would successfully run a 30+ new student challenge without you? For Alona Orofino, founder of Orofino Wellness, this isn't a dream—it's her reality. Here's how she built a thriving Pilates and nutrition studio with a leadership team that can operate the business without her daily involvement.
Alona Orofino's journey into the studio business didn't follow a traditional path. With a master's degree in nutrition and a background in health coaching, she initially taught Pilates from her basement while completing her 90+ practice teaching hours for certification.
But Alona knew she wanted more than just teaching classes. She wanted to create a community-driven wellness center that integrated nutrition counseling with movement—specifically, helping women build healthy relationships with food, movement, and their bodies.
When she posted on her personal Facebook page asking for "guinea pigs" to practice on, the response was overwhelming. People she knew, friends of friends, and eventually strangers started showing up to her basement for classes.
The turning point? Realizing she had outgrown her basement and that Fredericksburg, Virginia—a town of about 30,000—had no reformer Pilates studios offering the integrated wellness approach she envisioned.
Knowing When It's Time to Open (or Expand) Your Studio
One of the most common questions studio owners ask is: "How do I know when I'm ready to open a studio or expand to a second location?"
For Alona, several factors aligned:
- Market demand was clear. Her classes were full, she was turning people away, and there was no direct competition offering her specific approach in the area.
- She had a unique mission. This wasn't just about teaching Pilates. Orofino Wellness stands for food freedom, body confidence, and joyful movement—not the "earn your food" or aesthetics-driven culture prevalent in many fitness spaces.
- Her online programs felt disconnected. After running virtual intuitive eating groups during the pandemic, Alona realized her clients (and she) needed in-person community. The Zoom fatigue was real, and the transformation she wanted to create required a physical space.
- Her operating expenses were manageable. Starting with just herself and gradually bringing on team members meant she could grow as slowly (or quickly) as needed without overwhelming financial pressure.
Alona's advice? Look at the finances first. Determine what revenue you need to support your vision, then create a roadmap to get there.
The Restaurant Background That Prepared Her for Studio Ownership
Before opening Orofino Wellness, Alona and her husband owned a restaurant—arguably one of the hardest business models to run successfully.
What she learned from the restaurant industry:
- Pace and pressure management. Restaurants operate in constant "fight or flight" mode. Studio ownership, by comparison, allows for more strategic, intentional growth. As Jackie Murphy famously says: "There are no Pilates emergencies."
- Staff management skills. Managing restaurant staff prepared Alona for the complexities of hiring, training, and retaining employees.
- Vendor and customer relationships. Understanding the three-way relationship between customers, staff, and vendors gave her a holistic view of business operations.
- Profit margins matter. Restaurants notoriously have thin profit margins (often 3-5%). Studio businesses can—and should—have much healthier margins when structured properly.
This background gave Alona confidence that if she could make a restaurant work, she could definitely build a successful studio.
Building a Leadership Team: The Hiring Strategy That Works
When Alona first started working with Jackie Murphy as a private coaching client, her biggest challenge wasn't getting clients—it was finding and developing staff to support the growth.
Her classes were maxed out. She was teaching constantly. And without certified Pilates instructors readily available in her market, scaling seemed impossible.
Here's the strategy that changed everything:
Treat Instructor Recruitment Like Client Acquisition
Instead of waiting for certified instructors to appear, Alona created a recruitment funnel similar to her client funnel. She identified clients who loved the mission, showed potential as teachers, and encouraged them to go through instructor training.
This approach created team members who:
- Already understood and loved the Orofino Wellness mission
- Had experienced the community firsthand as clients
- Were genuinely invested in the business's success
Start with the Revenue Goal, Not the Fear
Most studio owners ask: "Can I afford to hire someone?"
Alona flipped the question: "What revenue do we need to hit to support a competitive salary?"
Then she made hitting that revenue goal a shared team responsibility.
This mindset shift was crucial. Instead of hiring feeling like a financial risk, it became a collaborative growth opportunity. Her team knew the targets and understood their role in achieving them.
Pay Well to Attract Great Talent
Alona made a conscious decision to pay her team well—offering livable wages plus benefits that would make leaving stable government contracting or remote work positions worthwhile.
In her market (Fredericksburg, Virginia), many people work for government contractors with good salaries and benefits. Asking them to join a fitness studio required offering competitive compensation and painting a compelling vision for growth.
Her first two full-time hires came in January and February after working with Jackie, and both brought skills that complemented Alona's strengths while also being certified (or willing to become certified) Pilates instructors.
Creating a Sales Culture That Feels Good
One of the biggest challenges for studio owners is helping their team feel comfortable with sales. Nobody wants to be pushy, and most fitness professionals didn't get into the industry to "sell."
Alona's approach to sales culture:
Build Relationships First
When team members genuinely connect with clients, understand their goals, and witness their transformations, sales conversations become natural extensions of care—not transactional pitches.
Give Team Members Both Perspectives
Alona's full-time staff both teach classes AND handle operations/marketing/sales. This dual role helps them:
- Build relationships with clients through teaching
- Understand the business strategy and revenue goals
- See how individual sales conversations contribute to the bigger picture
- Feel ownership over the studio's success
Transparency Around Numbers
Alona is open with her team about finances, goals, and where the business stands. This transparency creates buy-in and helps everyone understand why hitting monthly membership goals matters.
When your team knows you need 10 new memberships this month to support salaries, growth, and operations, they're motivated to have those conversations with potential clients.
Systems That Create Freedom
The ultimate test of Alona's systems came when she went on maternity leave with her third child. Her team ran an entire new student challenge—bringing in 30+ new students—without her involvement.
How did they do it?
Documented, Repeatable Processes
Orofino Wellness runs new student challenges three times a year (January, early spring, and early fall). Because they've run this campaign multiple times, it's now:
- Fully documented
- Repeatable with clear steps
- Assigned to specific team members
- Tested and refined over time
Leadership Development Through the Grow Mastermind
While Alona works with Jackie privately, her leadership team participates in the Grow Mastermind. This dual approach created aligned leadership where everyone understands:
- The overall business strategy
- Their specific role in executing it
- How to make decisions in Alona's absence
- The mission and values driving every choice
Clear Role Definitions
Each team member knows exactly what they're responsible for, what success looks like, and how to execute their role without constant oversight.
This level of systems thinking doesn't happen overnight—it's built intentionally over time with the right coaching and commitment.
The Future of Wellness Studios: Integration is Key
Alona's vision for Orofino Wellness extends beyond traditional Pilates instruction. She sees the future of wellness studios as integrated spaces that address health holistically.
What this looks like:
Adding Nutrition Services
As a registered nutritionist specializing in intuitive eating, Alona integrates nutritional coaching alongside Pilates. This approach helps clients:
- Build healthy relationships with food
- Move beyond diet culture and aesthetic-driven goals
- Focus on actual health markers and longevity
- Find food freedom and body confidence
Her upcoming 8-week Intuitive Eating group offers both virtual and live options, giving clients flexibility while maintaining community connection.
Creating Community Beyond Classes
Currently operating out of two small studio spaces (6 reformers at one location, 8 at the other), Alona intentionally keeps class sizes small for safety and personalized attention.
Her next goal? A larger integrated wellness center where:
- Both studio spaces exist under one roof
- There's a kitchen for nutrition education and cooking demonstrations
- Clients can build community between classes
- The full team can collaborate in person
- The 160+ member community can connect beyond their individual class times
Mission-Driven Over Metrics-Driven
When Alona hit her highest revenue month this past summer, Jackie asked how it felt. Alona's response? "Great. Let's just keep going."
The revenue matters—it keeps the lights on, allows for reinvestment, and supports the team. But it's not why Alona shows up every day.
She's driven by helping women transform their relationships with food and movement. The money is a byproduct of doing that work well.
Key Takeaways for Studio Owners
Whether you're just starting out, thinking about expanding, or feeling stuck as a solopreneur, Alona's journey offers valuable lessons:
- Start where you are. Alona began in her basement, offering free classes to build community before charging. You don't need the perfect space to start building momentum.
- Use your existing network. Rather than creating a new business Instagram account, Alona posted on her personal Facebook page. Your warm network is your greatest asset.
- Define your unique mission. Orofino Wellness isn't just "a Pilates studio." It's a space for food freedom, body confidence, and joyful movement. What sets you apart?
- Treat instructor recruitment like client acquisition. If you're in a market without certified instructors, create your own pipeline by training clients who love your mission.
- Flip the hiring question. Instead of "Can I afford this?" ask "What revenue do we need to hit to support this?" Then make it a team goal.
- Pay your team well. Competitive compensation attracts talent and creates loyalty. You can pay well AND maintain healthy profit margins with the right systems.
- Build systems that don't require you. Document processes, create repeatable campaigns, and develop leadership so your business can run without your constant presence.
- Consider integration. What additional services (nutrition, mental health, specialized programming) could you add that align with your mission and serve your clients more holistically?
- Invest in both personal coaching and team development. Alona's combination of private coaching with Jackie plus having her leadership team in the Grow Mastermind created exponential growth.
- Focus on mission over vanity metrics. The studios that thrive long-term are driven by transformation, not just revenue targets.
About Alona:
Alona Orofino is the founder of Orofino Wellness, a Pilates and nutrition studio operating out of two locations in Fredericksburg, Virginia. As both a certified Pilates instructor and registered nutritionist with a master's degree in nutrition, Alona specializes in intuitive eating counseling and helping women build healthy relationships with food, movement, and their bodies. A mother of three, she has successfully scaled her business while maintaining work-life balance through private coaching with Jackie Murphy and by having her leadership team participate in the Grow Mastermind. This dual approach has enabled her to build a strong, mission-driven team that can operate the business without her daily involvement.
Connect with Alona & The Orofino Wellness Team:
- Orofino Wellness: orofinowellness.com
- Instagram: @orofino_wellness
- Upcoming 8-Week Intuitive Eating Group (virtual and live options)
Ready to Build Your Leadership Team?
Alona's story proves that sustainable, profitable growth is possible—even in smaller markets, even while raising young children, even without a large pool of certified instructors.
The key is having the right strategy, systems, and support.
About Jackie Murphy
Jackie Murphy is an award-winning certified business coach with over 12 years of experience in the yoga and Pilates industry. Through private coaching and the Grow Mastermind, she helps studio owners build profitable, scalable businesses without burnout.
Subscribe to the Studio CEO Podcast for weekly strategies on growing your yoga or Pilates studio.
Work with Jackie:
- Say Hi on Instagram @studioceoofficial
- Level up your Marketing Skills in the Free Marketing Training:
https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/3-marketing-mistakes - Learn more about the Grow Mastermind: https://www.jackiegmurphy.com/mastermind
