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

How Marketing Strategies Evolve – DSP 230

Graham and Ashkahn wax nostalgic in this episode tracing back the history of Float On to its origins. They were younger, bright eyed and the world felt full of possibility. How they advertised floating was a whole different beast back then, too. Part of it was how different the industry was, part of it was how different awareness in Portland was, and parts of it were just about Float On still being a young business.

The guys share their successes, lessons, and bold faced mistakes they made along the way in learning how to deal with the idea of filling tanks, as well as some of the constants that have remained throughout the years.

Future Proofing Float Tanks – DSP 229

Float Tanks are expensive. Purchasing tanks can easily end up being half of your opening costs when starting out, so it makes sense to want to purchase tanks that have a long lifespan. 

Thinking about which float tank manufacturers might last the longest, though, is probably not the way to think about this issue. For one, it’s impossible to tell what manufacturer is going to be around the longest. What’s more, if anything does break, the vast majority of the time you don’t need to go to the manufacturer to get it fixed in the first place. 

Ashkahn and Graham share their thoughts on proper float tank care and the steps any float center owner should take when considering a tank. 

How to Run Experiments with Floaters – DSP 228

It’s important to acknowledge that float center owners without a scientific background probably shouldn’t be running experiments on floaters willy nilly. It should also be noted that Graham and Ashkahn aren’t scientists, despite being huge fans of self-experimentation. 

There has been a lot of talk recently, however, of float centers collaborating with student researchers to help run experiments, though. Graham and Ashkahn discuss (with a fair amount of levity) what it might take to properly run experiments in a float tank, which they understand is no easy task. 

What are Good Plants to Have in a Float Center? – DSP 227

Plants give life, both aesthetically and literally, to any room they’re placed in. The environment inside a float center, however, can be the absolute worst place for certain plants, even ones that would normally be considered fine for your local area. 

Graham and Ashkahn pull in Jordan to talk about different plants that thrive in a humid float center environment and some tips on how to take care of them.

Getting Salty With Speakers: Roy Vore – DSP 226

With the Float Conference coming up, Graham and Ashkahn are talking with lots of really smart people who will be presenting this year. It’s not every day that they get to ask molecular biologists questions about float tank sanitation, so they decided to take the opportunity to ask the experts the questions that the industry needs answers to.

Today Roy Vore is taking time to share some of his knowledge about microbiology and water sanitation, along with his work in the pool and spa industry.

Latest Blog Posts

Choosing a Water Heater for Your Center

Choosing a Water Heater for Your Center

You may not be surprised to hear that a Float Center is a business which has a hefty water requirement. You may, however, be surprised to hear that the majority of the water demand you’ll be facing day-to-day is going to be in the form of showers and (if you’re doing any laundry on-site) a washing machine.

The factors of energy usage and cost over time should also be taken into consideration when deciding upon your water heater…

Float Fund – NSF Magnesium Sulfate Test Results

Float Fund – NSF Magnesium Sulfate Test Results

I’m happy to announce to first results from the Float Fund testing. This experiment, run through the NSF, was to see how salt water, with no other form of disinfection, actually effected harmful organisms. We ran tests with two different microorganisms, and in this post we’ll talk about how one (Pseudomonas) got its ass kicked by salt-water and how the other one (Enterococcus) didn’t seem phased in the slightest.

If you want to skip straight to the test results, you can download them in their entirety. Since they have a lot of fancy laboratory lingo, we’ll spend the rest of this post breaking down the different aspects of the testing.

Float Memberships and Packages

Float Memberships and Packages

Customers are great, but getting those customers to commit to returning on a regular basis is even better. There are a few different schools of thought in regards to encouraging return customers, but they’ll generally fall into two main categories, Memberships and Packages.

We’re going to provide a little insight into how to utilize each of them at your center.

Marketing is all About Relationships

Marketing is all About Relationships

Marketing is one of those words that has a lot of different meanings from one person to the next. Personally, I’ve studied marketing in one way or another for the past 20 years. I suppose you can say I’m a marketing nerd (I’ll wear that badge proudly). I even annually budget myself a different marketing conference to go to… for fun.