From Nonprofit Founder To Building A $300M Pilates Business
About This Episode
Sam Parr interviews Anne Mahlum, the founder of the nonprofit Back on My Feet and the boutique fitness empire Solidcore. Anne details her journey of bootstrapping a Pilates studio into a $300 million business, her unique negotiation tactics, and the transition from social impact to high-scale wealth creation.
Episode Description
Show Notes
- 0:00Building a $8M/yr non-profit
- 16:27The economics of [solidcore]
- 22:07Play a game you can win
- 24:16How to be a killer negotiator
- 27:00Turning down $75k
- 30:390 - 27 locations in 4 years
- 43:50Idea: Endurance events
- 50:21Idea: Taboo for recruiters
- 51:37Idea: AI Personal trainer
- 56:45Idea: SeatGeek for airlines
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Check Out Sam's Stuff
Key Takeaways
In negotiations, use the framework 'Tell me what you need to win' to force the other party to articulate their specific constraints and find non-obvious solutions like deferred rent or revenue sharing.
Maintain high accountability and strict standards even in charitable or entry-level environments to foster a sense of capability and excellence in participants.
When scaling a service-based business, implementing a revenue-share model for front-line staff can ensure high employee engagement and align staff incentives with business performance.