Studio General Manager

Studio General Manager

Role Description & Requirements

Who We Are

Upswell is a pioneering wellness studio dedicated to mindful movement, active recovery, and social connection. By combining innovative offerings and thoughtfully designed spaces, we empower people to move, grow, connect, and thrive in every aspect of their lives. Our success stems from our commitment to exceptional experiences, strong community ties, and a people-first approach. We’re passionate about creating positive change, fostering a healthier, more vibrant future, and cultivating an equitable, inclusive, and growth-oriented environment for our team and members alike.

Job Summary

As the ultimate leader of their studio, a Studio General Manager is accountable for every aspect of the studio’s performance, ensuring all areas are aligned, achieving key results, and delivering an exceptional guest experience. Studio General Managers are responsible for hiring and developing a high-performing team and fostering a culture where people feel a strong sense of belonging and opportunity for growth. By creating an environment rooted in connection and empowerment, they ensure the studio delivers a superior guest experience while upholding Upswell’s values across people experience, operations, offerings, and community relationships.

Core Responsibilities of the Job

Leadership and People Management

• Create a welcoming and inclusive studio culture rooted in hospitality, ensuring every guest feels valued from their first visit and supported throughout their membership journey.
• Establish a vision for the studio that prioritizes exceptional first-visit experiences, member conversion, retention, and engagement, while fostering a culture of wellness education and practice.
• Build a high-performing team through thoughtful hiring, focusing on individuals who excel in hospitality, personalized service, and wellness knowledge.
• Provide ongoing coaching, mentorship, and development to equip the team with the skills to deliver exceptional service, educate members about wellness practices, and cultivate long-term member loyalty.
• Actively address team concerns and create a supportive environment where team members feel connected to the mission of Upswell and are inspired to deliver outstanding guest experiences.

Guest Experience and Community

• Lead by example to ensure every guest interaction is infused with hospitality, guiding the team to create positive first impressions that inspire trust and connection.
• Train and support team members to educate guests and members about Upswell’s offerings, wellness practices, and the benefits of mindful movement and recovery, educating them to make informed decisions.
• Develop personalized touchpoints and engagement strategies to transition first-time visitors into members and keep them connected to the studio’s offerings over time.
• Cultivate meaningful relationships within the local community by partnering with wellness leaders, ambassadors, and influencers to host events and educational opportunities that inspire deeper member engagement.
• Respond to guest feedback and escalations with warmth and empathy, using these moments to elevate hospitality standards and refine the member experience.

Operations, Offerings, and Strategy

• Maintain operational excellence to ensure every aspect of the studio, from cleanliness to functionality, supports a welcoming and seamless guest experience.
• Optimize studio operations with a hospitality-first mindset, ensuring that staffing, scheduling, and flow prioritize ease and accessibility for guests and members.
• Tailor studio offerings to align with members’ wellness goals, creating opportunities for education and engagement through workshops, events, and personalized recommendations.
• Monitor service and class utilization, proactively optimizing operations to better meet member needs and encourage deeper involvement with the studio’s full range of offerings.
• Execute in-studio initiatives to increase member conversion and engagement, educate the community about wellness, and foster social wellness amongst members.

Budget and People Management

• Drive financial success by aligning hospitality and wellness education strategies with member acquisition, retention, and engagement goals.
• Oversee and support the studio team to ensure all roles are focused on delivering an exceptional hospitality, wellness education, and operational excellence.
• Take ultimate responsibility for hiring, onboarding, and, when necessary, transitioning employees, ensuring a team fully committed to Upswell’s mission of wellness, hospitality, and community connection.

What we look for

• Hospitality & Wellness Focus: Creates an environment that prioritizes hospitality and wellness education, ensuring every guest and member feels valued and knowledgeable in their wellness journey.
• Inclusion & Diversity: Cultivates a welcoming and inclusive studio culture that celebrates differences and encourages belonging for both team members and guests.
• Integrity: Acts with honesty, fairness, and ethics in all interactions, building trust and credibility with the team, members, and community.
• Leadership: Inspires and motivates others with a clear vision; empowers the team to create exceptional guest experiences, foster member engagement, and grow professionally.
• Decision-Making & Problem-Solving: Proactively identifies opportunities for improvement, evaluates alternatives, and makes effective, timely decisions that prioritize member experience and studio success.
• Member Conversion & Retention Focus: Sets ambitious, member-centered goals, driving member conversion, retention, and engagement through innovative strategies and ownership of results.
• Team Building: Develops and supports a high-performing team with diverse perspectives, emphasizing collaboration, wellness education, and shared accomplishments.
• Strategic Thinking: Aligns decisions and plans with Upswell’s strategy, vision, and values, focusing on creating exceptional first-visit experiences and fostering long-term member relationships.
• Change Management Leadership: Guides the team through transitions and uncertainty with clarity, groundedness and confidence, maintaining focus on hospitality, wellness education, and member engagement.
• Business Acumen: Demonstrates a strong understanding of business operations, including budgets, profit and loss statements, and member engagement strategies, to ensure studio success.
• Interactive Communication: Communicates clearly and effectively, ensuring all team members and guests feel heard, informed, and supported in their roles and wellness journeys.

Job Requirements

Eligibility

• Must be legally authorized to work in the country in which the store is located
• Must have the ability to travel to assigned store with reliable transportation methods

Schedule/Availability

• Work occurs on a variable schedule which could include early mornings, mornings, afternoons, evenings, late nights or overnights as well as weekends and holidays

Experience

• 5 years people management experience (including recruiting, hiring, and holding employees accountable to performance expectations) in retail, wellness or fitness
• 5 years managing business operations and administration, including experience with retail scheduling and management of labor hours and managing projects or processes
• High school diploma, GED, or equivalent
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent

Work Conditions

• Work occurs in an environment with bright lights, high heat, and varied equipment
• Work is accomplished as part of a team and also independently
• Work may involve managing conflict or mediating problems between others or deescalating guest issues
• Work involves reaching out to meet and build relationships with strangers/new people, and to strengthen existing community partnerships
• Work is sometimes conducted on a computer or other technical devices, including to meet with others virtually
• Work involves moving through a studio for most of a shift to help guests and accomplish work, but can also involve sitting for extended periods of time (i.e., more than 1 hour)
• Work may occasionally involve moving boxes, bags, and equipment weighing up to 30 lbs

Compensation

• Base Pay Range: $60,000 - $70,000 annually
• Target Bonus: 30%
• Total Target Base Pay: $78,000-$91,000

Upswell’s compensation offerings are grounded in a pay-for-performance philosophy that recognizes exceptional individual and team performance. The base pay offered is based on market location and may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and internal equity.

Note: The incentive programs, benefits, and perks have certain eligibility requirements. Upswell reserves the right to alter these incentive programs, benefits, and perks in whole or in part at any time without advance notice.

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