Should Float Centers Tone Down Their Personality in Rural Areas? (Rise) – DSP 150

Another great conversation that came out of Rise. Graham and Ashkahn sat down with Russ, a local float center owner who is just about to open his doors. He wanted to talk to the guys about how best to present floating to a more rural and conservative area. Graham and Ashkahn have seen float centers from across the world in rural and metropolitan areas alike and share their take on how best to present floating to people who aren’t as exposed to other alternative wellness practices.

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Transcription of this episode… (in case you prefer reading)

Russ: Well done! That was excellent. I might just start adding soundtracks to my daily activity.

Graham: You should.

Ashkahn: It’s really fun, yeah.

Graham: Yeah, I highly recommend it.

Ashkahn: If this podcast teaches you anything, that’s what it is.

Russ: That’s what I’m gonna take away from this podcast.

Ashkahn: Here take a seat. My name is Ashkahn.

Graham: Yep. This is Graham over here.

Ashkahn: And today we are here with Mr. Russ from- what’s the name of your float center?

Russ: Still Waters!

Ashkahn: Still Waters.

Russ: We’ve been almost open for-

Ashkahn: You’re almost open-

Russ: We’re gonna open in five weeks, two years ago, today.

Ashkahn: And you’re perfectly on track, too.

Russ: And we’re totally on track.

Ashkahn: Great. Great. Great. Very good. Awesome. Awesome.

Russ: So, I am opening up in a tiny town called Quincy in the Midwest. There’s like 40, 45 thousand people. So like, they’re the biggest, little nothing for 100 miles. And so, if you want to do much of anything you go to Quincy, but there’s really not enough there to really hold. Like you gotta come to St. Louis for cool stuff, right? So, I’m like this big injection of weirdness and spirituality and openness and like let’s all take a deep breath and two steps back. And I am wondering if I’m gonna blow lids off, blow doors open and people aren’t gonna be able to receive that level of. Like I’m feeling like I need to tone myself down a little bit to be palatable to the 55 year old Midwest housewife who hasn’t really looked past what’s for dinner in a few decades.

Ashkahn: Sure. Sure.

Graham: All right, so the question is, should you censor yourself or should you just let it all hang out?

Russ: Right! Because like you guys are like right in the vortex of weirdness where nothing you could ever hope to do would out weird the weirdness that’s flying around.

Graham: It’s true. We had formal Fridays for a while, where we wore suits and ties in the float center. And like, that might have been, yeah a little more weird than anything else that we do.

Ashkahn: So, quick pause because we keep forgetting to say this, the reason that Russ is even here with us in person is because we are currently in St. Louis at the Rise Float Gathering. An awesome float conference put on by the Float STL dudes over here. We’re doing some live, live podcasts episodes. So, strap yourself in because we have some good stuff going on down here.

Graham: Yeah. Yeah. I know, usually we get to piece them together over hours per episode. We really spend the time on these, you know, and so it’s gonna be a different format.

So, I mean, I’d say as much as possible don’t, you know, censor yourself.

Russ: Just let it ride huh?

Graham: Yeah, I mean, I think people, people understand authenticity and stuff like that. Like the one area where I feel like we kinda draw the line in Float On is when people come in the door, like it’s almost less for the advertising, what you’re putting out there into the world, and more once people are in the center. Like you kinda want to make sure, at least in our minds that everyone feels comfortable. You know, like, we don’t play music, for example for that reason. It’s just kinda, you know, quiet with the sound of dehumidifiers sucking all the moisture out of the air, going in the background. Part of the reason we don’t have music is ’cause we don’t want, like when people come in to have them feel like they’re going into a specific type of place. Or like, they’re the wrong kind of person for this type of place, right? And décor can do that and things like that as well, so. I don’t know, I guess just as long as people are comfortable coming in. I would say that’s the most important part.

Ashkahn: And to an extent like, float tanks are just really weird. No matter where you are. Like in the middle of Portland they’re also really like we’re still a little weird people in Portland, running this float tank thing. So despite whatever city you’re in, what the mental state of anyone who’s in there is, people’s perceptions, there’s always a certain effort I think in running a float center that’s geared towards trying to get people to consider like that they should be the ones to try this out. And that it’s not for just a bunch of weirdos.

Russ: Right.

Ashkahn: And, honestly the best way, I think we’ve found to do that is just by trying to get as many people to float. Because it’s really, there’s nothing you can say that’ll convince them as much as like I’d a friend that they’ve had who goes and tries it. Because now their brain has to try to like take like person I know who’s not weird and thing that is weird and like, those are the same now. Like, wait, wait, my non-weird friend did this and had a good experience. Like those are just super, super convincing testimonials. When there’s actually real world experience out there, and someone’s telling you to do it. And I think that’s, that’s a universal both challenge and strategy that I think is for float centers of any size city in any kind of cultural framework or anything like that.

So, but I also think is there is a limit to that. Like you don’t, like Graham was saying, like being authentic I think is a huge part of running a business. And like forcing yourself to not be authentic because you’re afraid of the repercussions. It’s probably gonna go worse than just being yourself. And-

Russ: That’s the tension that I’m feeling, is I really just want to own it. Like I’ve really want, like, you deal with it. Like this is me and I think it’s awesome, and like if you can’t handle that But, you deal with it is a poor business strategy.

Ashkahn: Here’s what I’ll say, I think you-

Russ: You don’t like hotdogs? Deal with it! Like, you know, you got to, there’s the tension I’m feeling is where that sweet spot lies. I think authenticity is the word.

Ashkahn: Authenticity is really important. I think, and it goes beyond just like being weird versus not being weird. I think people who want to open float centers and have a specific vibe to them, like I really want to open a high end salon/spa experience, or I really want to open like a gym sorta experience. Like, you can’t just decide that, that’s the type of aesthetic you want to do. Like that stuff usually gets fueled by the fact that you’re really into that and you want to provide a float to that community, and authenticity is a big part.

Graham: Yeah, I mean, it’s interesting in that sense, too. Like I do know people who open their float centers, and it is very, you know, like you walk in and there’s the Buddha statue, and there’s incense and there’s like very low lights and kinda earth tones. Like it’s obviously the vibe they wanted, and it’s the clientele they attract. And that’s working, you know, in sync with what they desire to provide to the community.

And then in other places that are much more like they, they’ve really thought they were going for this upscale experience. They moved into the wealthy demographic neighborhood. All their things are kinda a little more chic and well designed. You know, a lot of white, a lot of empty space. And what they find is they’re just pulling like regular people in from the suburbs and like your average kinda like, more like, working class person who just has enough disposable income that they can do something like floating. And they’re like, “Oh, maybe I didn’t need to invest twice as much on my lobby construction in order to pull in this wealthy demographic I thought I was going for.”

But, again it’s, it’s almost like the things you think you’re planning for that aren’t authentic as much, where you’re like I’m making a good decision, my business decision-

Ashkahn: Yeah!

Graham: So I feel like sometimes those are the ones that pan out the least well, you know. The ones where it’s like, no like, you’re really into meditation. You want to open a meditative center? Sure, like go for it. And it’s different than what Ashkahn and I would do and that’s great, you know. That’s-

Ashkahn: And we wouldn’t do a good job of running those.

Graham: Yeah, right?

Russ: No. No.

Ashkahn: Because that’s just not, that’s not who we are. It’s not our style. So being true to that, I think is important. And I also think there might be more weirdos out there than you think.

Graham: Uh-huh.

Ashkahn: Like they’re like-

Graham: Closet weirdos.

Ashkahn: Everyone’s on the hunt for this like the normal person, like the normal customer. But like life is just a group of weird. Everyone’s weird in just a different way than somebody else. And so you’re just connecting with some weirdness for some group of people and that’s life-

Russ: I mean, yeah-

Ashkahn: –the best way.

Russ: You could say normality is just weirdness which you have familiarized yourself with. Like your normal is the section of weird that you have familiarized and become comfortable with. It’s not independently normal or weird, it’s all about, yeah.

Ashkahn: Like some people think it’s weird to wear robes out in a business formal setting, but clearly that’s a myth. Like, I think, robes can be worn anywhere.

Graham: Obviously, more people respect you for it.

Russ: Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. You know, Well, thank you, that was cool.

Ashkahn: All right.

Graham: Yeah. Yeah. Hopefully stumbled our way through your question there.

Ashkahn: All right. Thank you out there for listening.

Graham: Yep.

Ashkahn: If you guys want to ask us more questions, you better do it fast ’cause we’re only at this conference for like two more days, so.

Graham: And if you’re at home and want to ask us questions, go to floattanksolutions.com/podcast and send them in there.

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