Word Up...

At the beginning of this year I decided to choose a word each month that represented something I wanted to focus on both in my personal life and within our TDM community.  

On a bit of a whim I decided to send out this monthly word, along with some of the reasoning behind why I chose the word, to all of my teachers and studio owners.  I hoped that it would resonate with them and give us more tools to expand our practice, our teaching and our relationships with each other and our students.  We began to put post-its in a few strategic places with the word written on it to draw focus to the word while teaching or throughout our day.  It was really exciting and a little unexpected when it began to take hold within our community. 

The first word was Connect and just the act of writing about it to studio owners and teachers was rewarding in terms of all the people I connected with, and it began a conversation.

The word for February was Listen.  I paid extra attention to listening to my breath and body, my Students, my Husband and my kids.  I also went though my music and revamped the entire way I play music in the studio, which has enabled me to keep my playlists even fresher!

March’s word was Breathe. For me personally this meant whenever faced with a difficult situation, instead of reacting immediately, I tried to take a deep breath, relax my jaw (shocking how effective this is!) and take another deep breath before reacting. It really helps as a tool to get grounded, focused and present.  In classes we increased our focus on breath cueing which helps people push through and go deeper into their bodies than they can while holding their breath!

Balance was the word of the month for April; balance between strength and flexibility, between slow/controlled movement and fast/fluid movement, between space and contraction and, one of my personal favorites both in and out of the studio, the balance between ease and effort. We are also focusing on adding different physical balance elements to each class.

It has been so gratifying to have such a positive response to the word of the month and to see each studio incorporating it in their own unique way.

Vision Board at TDM Elmhurst:

I hope that if you are looking for a tool to help bring more of what you want into your daily experience, you will find this helpful too.

-- Jill

Mister Dailey

We all know what Jill does and see her front and center everyday, but at TDM there is just as much that goes on behind the scenes.  That is where Jill’s husband, Doug McIntosh, co-founder and CEO comes in…

After a career in advertising, how did you find yourself in the fitness industry?

I came on board to help Jill fulfill her dream of having a studio where she could not only teach, but continue to learn and pass on her vision. I saw how talented she was and recognized the business potential, but initially it was confidence in Jill that brought me into this. 

The Dailey Method has grown tremendously in the last several years, how did you go from a single studio to almost 50 studios so successfully?

It really happened organically from people coming to a class and wanting a studio in their own neighborhood.  A franchise is the extension of a vision so when others wanted to share in that vision, we wanted to make that happen. I had had experience with franchises in the advertising world (my previous business incarnation) so “marrying” my business experience to Jill’s expertise in fitness seemed like it was just crazy enough to work! 

So as the CEO, what exactly do you do?

I oversee the franchise business and the three locations that we own and operate.  Basically that means that I am responsible for finance, legal, marketing, operations and sales.  The franchise aspect of the business takes up most of my time and although it requires that I wear many hats, it’s always something different, challenging and exciting - there is never a dull moment around here!

What is the most rewarding part of your job?

It is definitely the transformative aspect of this business that is the most rewarding.  It’s not only seeing the students achieving their goals, but teachers and studio owners as well. As studio owners ourselves this business has given us the satisfaction of owning our own business, being our own boss and making a positive difference in our communities.  This business has been particularly great for our family and has allowed Jill and I to do what we love and still have a flexible enough schedule that we can manage to do all important things like chaperone school field trips and coach little league.  Also, it is really exciting to see the business growing internationally.  We have studios in France, Canada, Mexico and are opening in Calgary,Alberta soon.

Did you ever think that you would be working in the fitness industry with a bevy of beautiful women as colleagues?

No, but its great! I have been athletic my whole life, so doing sports and being active and fit has always been part of my lifestyle.  I feel very lucky to be able to make a living working in an industry that helps people to be strong and to feel good about themselves. I also really appreciate my colleagues’ commitment to fitness and active lifestyles and I’ll just say that all my friends are jealous of my work environment!

When you survey what you and Jill have created, what are you the most proud of?

That we have all together created a network of passionate students, teachers and studio owners who are all committed to the Dailey Method and supportive of us and each other.

Tell the truth, do you Do It Dailey?

Of course!  As I said, I love to be active and the stronger I am the better able I am to do the things I love like downhill mountain biking and playing on my softball team.

Ok, now for a little prying…How did you and Jill meet?

We met at a roof-top July 4^th party in San Francisco overlooking the bay and the Golden Gate Bridge…and yes, there were fireworks!