Boutique Fitness Is Growing. We Have a Responsibility to Build Companies That Last. 

Boutique fitness is seeing a whole new generation of customers coming through its doors.

Boutique fitness is seeing a whole new generation of customers coming through its doors. In the first half of 2026, boutique studios led the fitness industry in year-over-year visits per location. As gym and at-home fitness options are more available than ever, more clients are seeking a boutique, in-person, communal experience. 

In my own Physique 57 studios, women just out of college are taking classes in numbers I haven’t seen in 20 years of running the business. Some even arrive on Saturday mornings in workout sets that match the colors of their alma mater. 

That is wonderful news for our industry. It also brings a responsibility: to build well-run, profitable companies that will still be here for these clients in ten, fifteen, or twenty years. 

I learned this firsthand as Physique 57 grew. Each new market, product, and revenue stream brought opportunities, but also placed new demands on our team, systems, and leadership. My responsibility was to make sure the company could support what the brand was promising. That meant looking beyond whether an opportunity could generate revenue and asking whether we could deliver it consistently, profitably, and with the care our clients expected. 

Building a powerful brand and building a company capable of supporting it are two different jobs. A brand creates interest, connection, and demand. A strong company turns that demand into profitable operations and lasting enterprise value. 

Our industry excels at the first job. We create spaces people want to enter, experiences they want to repeat, and communities they want to join. The second job requires that same commitment, applied to the business behind the experience. 

It means understanding what each studio needs to earn to remain financially healthy. It means training managers to lead, giving employees clear responsibilities, and maintaining the quality of instruction as the business grows. It means building an operation that can function well without the founder being involved in every decision. 

These responsibilities can feel far removed from the energy of a full class. Yet they help make that class possible, year after year. 

The business you start is not the business you scale. What worked for one studio may not work for three. Growth requires stronger systems, clear accountability, and a team that can lead without the founder answering every question. Our role must evolve while we stay close to the details that matter.

I often say that my boss is the brand, and the brand works for the client. That belief shapes how I spend my time. I still review payroll. Some days, my attention goes to a broken light fixture or whether a bathroom has the supplies it needs. Other days, I am having coffee with a new member after emailing to introduce myself. 

These are all parts of the same responsibility. The client experiences the whole business: the instruction, the welcome, the cleanliness, the communication, and the feeling that someone is paying attention. 

Delivering that experience consistently takes trained teams, clear accountability, and the financial discipline to sustain it. Profitability gives us the resources to pay people well, maintain our spaces, invest in instruction, and navigate difficult periods. It is part of how we fulfill our commitment to the people we serve. 

This responsibility extends beyond any one company, because trust in our industry is shared. When a studio closes overnight today, clients don’t just lose faith in one brand. They lose a little faith in all of us. 

None of this is a call to slow down. Whether you grow quickly or carefully is up to you and your business. What isn’t optional is delivering on the promise you’ve made to the people who trust you with their time, money, and hours each week. 

I’d ask every founder and operator to acknowledge the weight of that responsibility, especially now. A new generation is making room for boutique fitness in their lives. They are trusting us with their time, money, and health. We have an opportunity to become a lasting place for movement, connection, and community. 

Our responsibility is to build companies that can sustain that place. 

Ten years from now, I hope those women in their college colors still consider us part of their lives. What we build behind the scenes today will help ensure we are here when they walk through the doors years from now.

Jennifer Vaughan Maanavi is the co-founder and CEO of Physique 57 and founder of JM Advisory, where she advises fitness, wellness, and consumer businesses on growth, leadership, and operational strategy.

Since launching Physique 57 in 2006, Jennifer has helped define the premium barre category, expanding the brand internationally through studios, digital fitness, licensing, and luxury hospitality partnerships. Her 20 years of experience include navigating rapid expansion, economic disruption, digital transformation, and evolving consumer behavior.

Drawing on her experience as an active CEO and a decade on Wall Street, Jennifer works with founders, investors, and executive teams at critical business inflection points. Through JM Advisory, she helps companies strengthen leadership, build scalable operating models, improve profitability, and navigate operational turnarounds.

Learn more about her advisory work at jennifermaanavi.com.