About a month ago, I ordered some fun stickers from an online artist. Nothing fancy, just a couple of cute stickers that I wanted to share with a friend who shares similar hobbies.
Instead of a shipping notice and my stickers, I got two weeks of daily emails from the artist.
“Check out our new designs!”
“Popping in to your inbox with a daily tip!”
“Just checking in! You’re doing great!”
What I didn’t get?
The actual stickers. That I ordered.
Still haven’t gotten them.
It’s been weeks.
It made me think, what’s the point of all these emails? Why is this artist emailing me daily? But not sending my stickers?
If your business is selling stickers, just sell me the stinkin’ stickers. I don’t want daily check-ins or faux motivational posts. What I do want is the thing that I ordered. By dropping the ball on the sale and focusing so heavily on their email newsletters, that artist lost sight of what they do and why. I won’t be buying anymore stuff from their online store. Not because they didn’t interact with me daily, but because they dropped the ball when it really mattered and sent me a bunch of stupid emails that provided zero value.
I think about that a lot in my own work. It’s really easy in the fitness space to lose sight of what matters. To see all of the shiny fun stuff on social media and want to replicate those big exciting things. To follow the endless trends and get caught up in what’s next, but provide zero value.
In March, I finished up an Intro to Farming Class. The indigenous land practices class was taught by a Native American anthropologist and land steward, whose lecture has stayed with me: In the Diné culture, wealth isn’t measured by how much stuff you have or how big your house is or how much money you’ve accumulated. It’s measured by how much you give to your community. By the value you provide to others and to the Earth.
Ironically, I’d just heard a similar lesson in a copy writing class. The main theme was “What value are you providing your clients with your newsletters? Are you giving people something of actual use and value, or are you just trying to stay visible?”
Lately, it seems like there’s so much focus on just staying visible and not providing value, purpose or content of actual use.
There are so many fitness instructors online doing flashy things in beautiful places. A lot of times it looks amazing. And then I look closer and it’s really weird stuff that doesn’t even make sense. It may look great, but if the movement doesn’t support your body or your goals, then what’s it actually doing? If you don’t feel more stable, stronger, or pain-free afterwards, then what’s the point?
Every part of what I do at the studio filters through these lenses:
Is this relevant and useful for this client?
Does this provide value to their daily life?
How does this exercise benefit this person or this group?
What are we actually doing here?
And the big one: What’s the actual point of this anyway?
The real value of Pilates Native, is in how the work we do every week shows up in your life outside of the studio.
When your knees hurt less during your daily dog walks.
When you drive 1,000 miles and have zero back pain.
When you golf the entire weekend and have zero hip pain.
When your shoulders feel strong carrying groceries.
When you finally sleep better because your back isn’t seizing up.
That’s the point of all this.
That’s what I care about.
That’s the value I’m committed to providing.
You won’t get daily faux-tivational nonsense emails from me.
But you will get programs, sessions, and support that are actually built to serve you and your goals. (And this giant monthly newsletter with everything crammed into it.)
I can’t wait to see you in the studio.
-Rubecca