Something in the world of floating have you stumped?
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 Often Does Float On Party? – DSP 225
Ashkahn and Graham have developed a bit of a reputation over the years within the industry as party animals. Anyone who has met them can confirm this to be true. But how often to the throw parties at Float On? What are good occasions for float center parties and how do you throw one?
The guys share their party philosophy and offer some nice tips and tricks for throwing a sensory deprivation shindig.
Is there a “Best” Float Position? – DSP 224
Ashkahn and Graham thoroughly debunk the myth of a “best” float position. The Float On boys explicate their philosophy that there is no right way to float and instead talk about all the different positions they enjoy floating in. They learn more about each other than they expected to in the process.
What to Look for When Hiring a Float Center Employee – DSP 223
What makes a good float center employee? What does Float On look for when trying to find someone to take care of their salt monster tanks and their blissed out customers at the same time?
Ashkahn and Graham break down the qualities they look for when hiring, and what makes the people at Float On so special.
How Do you Incentivize Return Floaters without Memberships or Packages? – DSP 222
How many times has a float center owner had a first time floater come out of the tank and said something along the lines of “that was amazing! I need to do this every week!” and then they never see that person again? How do you get them to come back without committing to a membership or a high ticket package of floats?
Ashkahn and Graham share their thoughts on this exact problems and some of the creative solutions they’ve implemented at Float On to combat it. The key, for them, has been keeping it simple and making it accessible.
How to Schedule Your Float Center During the Slow Season – DSP 221
For most float centers, the summer months drastically change how busy it gets. It seems that zenning out to nothingness is moderately less appealing when there’s a lot of outdoor activities to enjoy.
Graham and Ashkahn share their thoughts on a reduced schedule. Float On runs 24 hours almost every day throughout the year. so reducing their schedule is typically against their philosophies. They explain some of the reasons people might consider it, what are some good ways to go about it, as well as explain some practices to consider avoiding when cutting hours.
Latest Blog Posts
Float Quarterly – January 2016
It’s been our pleasure to be actively involved in the float industry for over five years now. In 2016, we’re already on track to have more new centers opening, more press covering floating, and more resources for people just entering our salty world than ever before.
With so much action, we’ve decided to send out brief, quarterly updates on our industry to keep people posted on the all the latest happenings. Welcome to our first installment!
Training to Become a Certified Pool/Spa Operator
Each year at the Float Conference, we put on a Certified Pool/Spa Operator (CPO) training course. At first, that might strike you as an odd thing to have as part of a float tank conference. This post will explain what CPO training is and why we think it can be a really useful certification to have on your belt.
Increase Sales by Offering Retail in Your Float Center
On their own, float tanks have a limit to their profits. Retailing has the potential to bring extra money into your shop, but it also requires a lot of work and attention on your part to really be successful at it. At Float On, our retail contributes 6.5% towards our overall sales and 3% of total profit. While this might not seem like a large contribution, depending on your sales, it could end up paying the wages of a whole extra employee.
The Health Department and Float Tanks… How to get Approved!
If you’re working on starting a float center, chances are you’re nervously anticipating having to call the health department. We’ve all heard horror stories of people being asked to follow pool rules that don’t make sense for them, or having to do costly changes to their pump systems.
float tanks not regulatedBelow is our best advice for working with your health department to get your float center approved, but before we dive into that, it’s important to get a bit of an understanding as to how the health department works.