Learn best practices for starting and running a float center:
  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Something in the world of floating have you stumped?

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Show Highlights

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.

Listen to Just the Audio

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.

Recent Podcast Episodes

Being the First Float Center – DSP 320

What’s it like to be the first float center to open in an area? How do you handle it? 

Graham and Ashkahn explain what it was like opening Float On, being one of the first dedicated float centers in the United States. The exciting thing is that creating awareness is really fun, but it can be a little stressful since your float center will represent floating as a practice for people.

Many of the tips here are the same for anyone opening a center: focus on awareness, be prepared to educate, and make sure your floats are the best they can be.

What you Need to Know About Algorithms – DSP 318

Ashkahn and Derek talk about algorithms, those pesky bits of code that push your posts up or down on social media and search engines and leave you scrambling for ways to get likes and clicks, constantly mixing it up to just be seen. 

The duo discusses how algorithms affect everyday posts for small businesses and how to keep up on information about the constantly changing nature of these systems. The main takeaway is, if your content is fresh, non-repetitive and you aren’t trying to game the system, you likely have nothing to worry about.

Commissions for Memberships? – DSP 317

Any sales related business knows that commissions are the gold-standard incentive program for drumming up business, but how does it work in a float center for memberships?

Derek and Ashkahn talk about the mixed success they’ve experienced at Float On each time it’s been tried. 

Getting Members to Float More Often – DSP 316

Single float memberships have become increasingly more common in the float industry, typically with the option to purchase additional floats for the month at a discount. But how do you properly incentivize those members to float more than a single time per month? 

Ashkahn and Derek talk marketing tips to keeping your float center top of mind and making sure your members are active regularly. 

Latest Blog Posts

How Many Float Tanks Should I Have?

How Many Float Tanks Should I Have?

Intro If you’ve crossed over into the sacred realm of “Yeah, I’m pretty sure I’m gonna open up a float center,” an obvious question arises — “How many tanks should I have?” Now, if you’re like me, you’re creating a 90 tank float community where everyone who buys in...

The Construction Secret to Soundproofing: Storage Between Float Rooms

The Construction Secret to Soundproofing: Storage Between Float Rooms

If you’ve ever taken a look at our construction materials or gotten advice on soundproofing, you’ve probably heard of the importance of including “air gaps” when building out your center. What that means and why it helps can be a bit of a technical question, and the practical implementation can seem daunting and unreasonable.  

Float Conference 2017 Recap

Float Conference 2017 Recap

Now that the salt has settled, I’m sharing some thoughts from “The Great Gathering of People Who Really Love Being Alone Sometimes in a Dark, Briny Room,” also known as The Float Conference.

The conference has always been an amazing opportunity to connect with the pulse of the broader float industry and, if this year’s gathering showed us anything, it’s that our collective heartbeat is as strong as ever.

2017 Float Conference Program Introduction

2017 Float Conference Program Introduction

Every year, I have the great pleasure of writing the introduction for the Float Conference program, and every year we share it on our blog so that members of the industry who weren’t able to make the journey out to Portland are able to check it out. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it.

From all of us at Float Tank Solutions, where our time is measured as the space between two conferences, thank you again for a wonderful year!

– Graham Talley