Daily Solutions Podcast

https://youtu.be/JpDzbMd5In0 Something in the world of floating have you stumped? * First Last Email Address* What's your question?*CAPTCHAPhoneThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_render', function(event, formId, currentPage){if(formId == 12) {if(typeof Placeholders != 'undefined'){ Placeholders.enable(); }} } );jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_conditional_logic', function(event, formId, fields, isInit){} ); jQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery(document).trigger('gform_post_render', [12, 1]) } ); Show Highlights Well, it's been over a year since the COVID-19 pandemic and we know what you've been thinking: What have those Float On boys been up to? Well worry not! Graham and Ashkahn share all the big changes happening with restrictions lifting and life returning to a semblance of normalcy. If you've been following our shop operations at all, some of these changes might surprise you. Listen to Just the Audio Transcription of this episode... (in case you prefer reading) ​Graham: Okay. Back again. Ashkahn: Back at it. Back with it, back on track. Graham: And back for you, back for you. Ashkahn: Let's put on some Burt Bacharach. Graham: All right. We have some stuff to talk about. Turns out who knew there was a global pandemic going on. A bunch of us just had to change every single way about how we operated our entire business. And in some areas, things are lightening it up, back at it getting back more towards normal-ish operations. Ashkahn: Yeah. We just had here in Oregon, June 30th was the no more stuff date. Official no more stuff day. Graham: So that's it. Now there's no cases of COVID anymore here and we're all good to go. Yeah, everything's perfect. Ashkahn: I've just been licking almost any surface I can come. Graham: Yeah. As a result though of all of this, we're now rolling back a lot of those changes that we made, right? We're not making people sit in their car anymore before they actually come into the shop. We are not actually taking people's temperature when they walk in. We're not making them answer a quick survey of all of the questions that we were asking everyone. Ashkahn: Perhaps many of you have not been doing this for awhile, but that's the Oregon rules going until very recently. Graham: We had to do it and it's nice. Part of the cool thing is having gone through this now, it actually feels like just running a regular float center, which we've always over the years drilled in, is not the easiest thing in the world, now actually feels a little easier. A little less stressful, which is cool. Also a plus, is that some of the things that we did adopt as a result of the global pandemic we're actually keeping on and we've decided are either better for our operations or even actually just improve life for staff, or make it easier to run Float On.

https://youtu.be/HpsUSzirUPM Something in the world of floating have you stumped? * First Last Email Address* What's your question?*CAPTCHAEmailThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_render', function(event, formId, currentPage){if(formId == 12) {if(typeof Placeholders != 'undefined'){ Placeholders.enable(); }} } );jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_conditional_logic', function(event, formId, fields, isInit){} ); jQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery(document).trigger('gform_post_render', [12, 1]) } ); Show Highlights The ol' Graham and Ashkahn podcast duo is back at it to announce the exciting new updates to the 2021 Float Conference! Check the episode out to find out about the dual track digital and in person attendance options, the changes to bonus activities, and the new parade float format where every attendee marches throughout each conference talk (that last one may not be accurate). Show Resources Floatconference.com Roy Vore FloatCon 2018 - Should We Worry about Germs in Float Tanks? Roy Vore FloatCon 2019 - Float Center Sanitation: Managing the Float Solution Listen to Just the Audio Transcription of this episode... (in case you prefer reading) Ashkahn: Heyo. Graham: Whoa. I was going to say something first then you hopped in. Ashkahn: Yeah. Hopped in with the Heyo. Graham: Yep. Ashkahn: Yep. Graham: I was just going to say, Hey. All right, wait, we're shadowed. We've got G & A here. Yep. We got the old Gold & Amber. Ashkahn: We got the old crew back together, teams back together. We both went on our sort of solo podcast careers for a while there and... Graham: Yeah. You may have caught the the Graham Hour. It was mainly about large-scale finance and sort of mergers and acquisitions, that kind of thing. Ashkahn: ... and Kahn's Cons, where I taught you all about how to take advantage of people in many situations. Graham: That's right. And this series of inmate interviews as well, I think. So we're back, back together. Ashkahn: Yep. Graham: And we got some big announcements. We're actually going to be doing a couple episodes coming up here because we can't even fit all of them into a single episode. Ashkahn: Yeah. Otherwise, it'd be like 25 minutes long or something outrageous like that. Graham: Who has time for that kind of thing? Watch this episode. It's like a half an hour. So what's the first thing we got going on? Ashkahn: Yeah. What's going on? Oh, you know what's going on. Graham: I already forgot. Ashkahn: Well, so the Float Conference is coming up. Graham: Oh yeah. Ashkahn: And we're excited. And we just wanted to do a podcast episode because we're excited about the Float Conference. Can I get a heyo? That's right. Graham: Okay, you got it. The heyo makes sense now knowing our topic.

Something in the world of floating have you stumped? * First Last Email Address* What's your question?*CAPTCHANameThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_render', function(event, formId, currentPage){if(formId == 12) {if(typeof Placeholders != 'undefined'){ Placeholders.enable(); }} } );jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_conditional_logic', function(event, formId, fields, isInit){} ); jQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery(document).trigger('gform_post_render', [12, 1]) } ); Show Highlights Grashkahmn are back to talk about the latest product they've been putting together during quarantine: The Buoy Project, a social media toolkit designed specifically for float centers. Beyond just a shameless plug, the boys use the episode to explain the nature of the project and what they hope it can turn into in the future with the help of the industry. Show Resources The Buoy Project Listen to Just the Audio Transcription of this episode... (in case you prefer reading) Graham: Okay. Ashkahn: Yeah. Hey everybody. Graham: Hey, welcome to another episode of Occasional Solutions Podcast. Ashkahn: Yep, this is a podcast where we occasionally have solutions. It's the premise. Graham: So, If that's what you're into, then you really came to the right place. Yeah, we're about to take this puppy into overdrive. Ashkahn: This is Ashkahn over here. Graham: And I am Graham. Ashkahn: It's been a while. Graham: It has. Hi, everybody. Yeah. Welcome back. It's been a little bit. Ashkahn: Yeah. Graham: It's been a little bit. Also, since we've been running a float center in the normal way that we do. Ashkahn: Yeah. I've just been napping for three months. I'm not even sure what's happening out there. Graham: Yeah, it's been a crazy time. I know a lot of you are already reopened and some of you have been for weeks even. We just reopened. Ashkahn: A few days ago. Graham: Yeah. Ashkahn: We're still in our baby steps stage. Members are coming in and we haven't really told normal humans that we're open. We're easing into it, dipping our toes. Graham: Yeah, but it's exciting. It's really nice, actually, looking at the schedule and seeing people getting back in the tanks again. It's important to feed the tanks. They get hungry.  Ashkahn: It's intense. Every person who floats, there's a lot of cleaning. It's really serious. Graham: If you're one of our members out there, it's not because you're messy. That's not what we're talking about. We're just talking about the insane extra procedures that you have to do before actually cleaning down the inside walls of the tank between every person. We're not even letting people sit in our lobby, but there's still just so much to wipe down. Obviously, they think this is just what everyone's been talking about on the Float Collective...

Graham and Ashkahn kick off the New Year by discussing the things to consider when adding a float tank to an existing business. This is a fantastic episode to start with if you've already got a service-based business or are a practitioner looking to start up on your own and looking for ideas. The boys talk about logistical considerations, the built-in advantages to adding on to an existing practice, as well as how nice it is to have a meatball sandwich after chilling out in a sensory reduced environment for an hour (Ashkahn has a serious one-track mind).

Graham and Ashkahn round out the end of the year by talking about all the naughty and nice things about having business partners. It's a shorter compilation today, which gives you plenty of time to talk to your own business partners about what you think about them!

The holidays are a busy time for float centers and it often means lots of new customers asking questions. This means it can be a really great time to brush up on the facts about floating. Fortunately we've formed a folio of fantastic studies for you to fancy. Feliz Navidad!

In every service business, there's a running joke that someone likes that's usually somehting along the lines of "this job would be great if it weren't for all the customers!" (*cue laugh track and uproarious applause*), well, the boys have not shied away from talking about the difficult sides of running a shop like ours. We've got episodes about handling negative Yelp reviews, customers too intoxicated to float, and even what to do when it's time to 86 a problematic client. 

You can tell this episode was recorded a little while ago, really close to after we all got back from the Conference. The boys are a little tired today, but they still have lots to talk about.  Grashkahmn share their initial reactions to the Conference now that it's being run by the industry as a non-profit. This is a nice episode especially if you're looking for some insights on their behind-the-scenes perspective on this big industry event and how it has changed this year. 

Something in the world of floating have you stumped? * First Last Email Address* What's your question?*CAPTCHANameThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_render', function(event, formId, currentPage){if(formId == 12) {if(typeof Placeholders != 'undefined'){ Placeholders.enable(); }} } );jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_conditional_logic', function(event, formId, fields, isInit){} ); jQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery(document).trigger('gform_post_render', [12, 1]) } ); Show Highlights Hooo doggie! This is a big one! This Tank Topic is filled with useful information about what you should know before talking to health departments. It's a little long for a compilation episode, but it's definitely worth the time, especially if you've got a stressful conversation with your local department on the horizon.  Show Resources https://www.floattanksolutions.com/86-contact-health-department-daily-solutions-podcast/ https://www.floattanksolutions.com/understanding-chlorine-use-in-a-float-tank-dsp-174/ https://www.floattanksolutions.com/how-to-get-your-water-tested-dsp-359/ Recent Podcast Episodes Adding Float Tanks to an Existing Business – OSP 10 by Float Tank Solutions | Jan 6, 2020 Graham and Ashkahn kick off the New Year by discussing the things to consider when adding a float tank to an existing business. This is a fantastic episode to start with if you’ve already got a service-based business or are a practitioner looking to start up on your own and looking for ideas. The boys talk about logistical considerations, the built-in advantages to adding on to an existing practice, as well as how nice it is to have a meatball sandwich after chilling out in a sensory reduced environment for an hour (Ashkahn has a serious one-track mind). Tank Topics – Business Partners by Float Tank Solutions | Dec 30, 2019 Graham and Ashkahn round out the end of the year by talking about all the naughty and nice things about having business partners. It’s a shorter compilation today, which gives you plenty of time to talk to your own business partners about what you think about them! Tank Topics – All About Research by Float Tank Solutions | Nov 25, 2019 The holidays are a busy time for float centers and it often means lots of new customers asking questions. This means it can be a really great time to brush up on the facts about floating. Fortunately we’ve formed a folio of fantastic studies for you to fancy. Feliz Navidad! Tank Topics – Handling Difficult Customers ...

Graham and Ashkahn are back to give their recap on the Float Conference. No, not THAT Float Conference, the Russian Float Conference.  The guys got to go speak at the float event on the other side of the world and are reporting back on what that was like, how their industry is shaping up, and some of the lessons we can learn about their industry over there.  Additionally, Graham and Ashkahn lied to you. The show notes will not have a puppet show in them. 

This Tank Topic covers everything you need to know to get your e-mail on. You wanna know how long your e-mail newsletter should be and what topics you should cover? You wanna know how frequently to e-mail for special deals? You even wanna know how long your e-mails should have to be? You wanna know all these answers all at once? We freaking got you! I'm so glad you asked, cuz we literally just put this episode together. I'm really glad you're gonna find it useful. Rock on, dude. Synchronicity!

Summer may be coming to a close but we've still got Tank Topics to help you beat the heat. This collection focuses on managing employees, so we share everything from what to look for when hiring, what orientation looks like, and how we at Float On have structured our management hierarchy. Also... Ashkahn likes socks, so send him some. 

This is a bit of breaking news for the float world. There was a clearly defined case of someone getting sick in a float tank and Graham and Ashkahn are here to tell you what you as a float center owner (or future owner) should know about it and the steps you can take to keep yourself informed on this issue and make sure you don't repeat any of the same mistakes. 

Graham and Ashkahn are here to fill you in on all the exciting updates to the Float Conference, now that it's a non-profit, along with what to expect this year.  They're hopping in quick to let everyone know what's going on before early bird tickets close, so definitely check the link in the description if you haven't got tickets yet!

So by now it's old news that Chris and Donna Petrovics have closed up shop at ProFloat Inc. At Rise earlier this year, they gave an emotional, heartfelt farewell talk to the industry. There were tears, hugs, and words of love and encouragement all around. This interview takes place immediately after their speech, and the effect of it still hangs in the air during our conversation. Be warned, this interview may make you misty eyed while listening. Although it's possible that it's just the chopped onions that exist in the background. 

This Tank Topic is all about how to get startup funds for float centers and understanding the different avenues for funding as a whole. The guys talk about everything from bank loans to securing investors to funding everything yourself and what that looks like.

Come listen to Graham and Ashkahn pick the brain of Juliet, who are all in the studio talking about the State of the Industry Survey that has been released by Float Tank Solutions (hey! That's us!). To find out what's new in this year's survey and information on where to go to fill it out, check out this episode! 

Graham and Ashkahn are BACK! The newly monikered Occasional Solutions Podcast hits the ground running to share some big news about Water Activity. The Float Boys bring their banter to bear to the benefit of you, buds. Thanks to information and collaboration with Roy Vore, they found a way to measure the way pathogens spread through float tank water. Listen now to hear them dive into the nitty-gritty of new research on float tank water! You don’t wanna miss this.

This tank topic is all about social media, how to use it, what the tools are, and what it's freaking good for.  Derek Wyatt is featured prominently in these episodes as well, given that he's our social media wiz over here at Float On. It's chalk full of amazing info that'll make your Facebook posts shine!

In this second release of the Occasional Solutions Podcast, Juliet sits down with Angela McAllister the owner of Lucidity Float and Wellness Center in the Southside of Chattanooga, Tennessee and Wendi Elmore, an employee at Float STL and graduate from the University of Missouri. She has since dedicated her time and efforts to spaces that support the self-care and economic empowerment of people of color, LGBTQIA and gender non-binary communities through tools that include yoga, meditation and now floating.

Something in the world of floating have you stumped? * First Last Email Address* What's your question?*CAPTCHACommentsThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_render', function(event, formId, currentPage){if(formId == 12) {if(typeof Placeholders != 'undefined'){ Placeholders.enable(); }} } );jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_conditional_logic', function(event, formId, fields, isInit){} ); jQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery(document).trigger('gform_post_render', [12, 1]) } ); Show Highlights This Tank Topic is about the finer details on building materials. Ashkahn takes a little break for these episodes as Jake (really good guy) steps in from the past to share his expertise on construction, the best materials to use for building float centers (and the rooms within them).  Listen to all of this before starting your construction! Show Resources https://www.floattanksolutions.com/hdpe-dsp-123/ https://www.floattanksolutions.com/best-quietrock-for-float-rooms-dsp-257/ https://www.floattanksolutions.com/should-i-use-spray-in-insulation-for-my-float-center-dsp-271/   Recent Podcast Episodes Adding Float Tanks to an Existing Business – OSP 10 by Float Tank Solutions | Jan 6, 2020 Graham and Ashkahn kick off the New Year by discussing the things to consider when adding a float tank to an existing business. This is a fantastic episode to start with if you’ve already got a service-based business or are a practitioner looking to start up on your own and looking for ideas. The boys talk about logistical considerations, the built-in advantages to adding on to an existing practice, as well as how nice it is to have a meatball sandwich after chilling out in a sensory reduced environment for an hour (Ashkahn has a serious one-track mind). Tank Topics – Business Partners by Float Tank Solutions | Dec 30, 2019 Graham and Ashkahn round out the end of the year by talking about all the naughty and nice things about having business partners. It’s a shorter compilation today, which gives you plenty of time to talk to your own business partners about what you think about them! Tank Topics – All About Research by Float Tank Solutions | Nov 25, 2019 The holidays are a busy time for float centers and it often means lots of new customers asking questions. This means it can be a really great time to brush up on the facts about floating. Fortunately we’ve formed a folio of fantastic studies for you to fancy. Feliz Navidad! Tank Topics – Handling Difficult Customers

We're BACK! (sort of) The Not-So-Daily Solutions Podcast is back with some interviews from the Rise Float Gathering. When we were there, Juliet had a chance to speak with a lot of the speakers about their presentations and we decided to share them with all of you! Here's her conversation with Glenn and Lee Perry along with Stephen Johnson where they talk about how the industry has changed and the future of their plans to preserve their legacy in the industry. We hope you enjoy!

Something in the world of floating have you stumped? * First Last Email Address* What's your question?*CAPTCHANameThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_render', function(event, formId, currentPage){if(formId == 12) {if(typeof Placeholders != 'undefined'){ Placeholders.enable(); }} } );jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_conditional_logic', function(event, formId, fields, isInit){} ); jQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery(document).trigger('gform_post_render', [12, 1]) } ); Show Highlights This Tank Topic covers important things you should discuss with your customers before floating. Some of these can be mildly unpleasant to the rare instances of medical issues that could prevent someone from floating.  Show Resources Risks of floating with a tattoo? – DSP 55 Thoughts on floating with tinnitus – DSP 126 Should People with Ear Tubes Float? – DSP 286 Recent Podcast Episodes Adding Float Tanks to an Existing Business – OSP 10 by Float Tank Solutions | Jan 6, 2020 Graham and Ashkahn kick off the New Year by discussing the things to consider when adding a float tank to an existing business. This is a fantastic episode to start with if you’ve already got a service-based business or are a practitioner looking to start up on your own and looking for ideas. The boys talk about logistical considerations, the built-in advantages to adding on to an existing practice, as well as how nice it is to have a meatball sandwich after chilling out in a sensory reduced environment for an hour (Ashkahn has a serious one-track mind). Tank Topics – Business Partners by Float Tank Solutions | Dec 30, 2019 Graham and Ashkahn round out the end of the year by talking about all the naughty and nice things about having business partners. It’s a shorter compilation today, which gives you plenty of time to talk to your own business partners about what you think about them! Tank Topics – All About Research by Float Tank Solutions | Nov 25, 2019 The holidays are a busy time for float centers and it often means lots of new customers asking questions. This means it can be a really great time to brush up on the facts about floating. Fortunately we’ve formed a folio of fantastic studies for you to fancy. Feliz Navidad! Tank Topics – Handling Difficult Customers by Float Tank Solutions | Nov 18, 2019 In every service business, there’s a running joke that someone likes that’s usually somehting along the lines of “this job would be great if it weren’t for all the customers!

Here's a topic for everyone in the industry: Memberships! We've put together the best Daily Solutions into a triple threat of solutions. This collection covers everything from discounts, to marketing, to a detailed analysis of how Float On's own memberships.  Download it into your brains here!

Any float center owner knows that these tanks and the rooms they live in are fickle creatures that need particular supplies to maintain. This Tank Topic is a great collection of practical tips and tricks for keeping tanks, showers and rooms clean and happy.

We've already landed in St. Louis, checked in to our AirBnb, and have been greeted by the warm embrace of our float family here for the Rise Float Gathering.  The welcome party was wonderful. Drinks were had, stories were shared, and old friends greeted each other and new relationships formed across tables in excited conversations about salt damage, float tank research, and the wild stories we're all bringing in from our parts of the world. Already, it promises to be a fun, exciting, and invigorating weekend here at the Donald Danforth Center. Check back in for live updates to all the speakers, events, and goings on this weekend at the Rise Float Gathering.  Sat May 04 9:00 am — 9:15 Opening Remarks - Jake and Kevin In between mic troubles, Jake and Kevin kicked off the event with a warm conversation around the stage, greeting Glenn and Lee Perry as they came in. They brought warmth to the otherwise sterile Dansforth Plant Science Research center.  Jake led a guided meditation to bring everyone present this morning. Feeling the entire room exhale in unison while centering ourselves was the perfect sort of magic to open the weekend with. Not to be outdone, Kevin taught everyone some laughter yoga and had the entire audience playing with each other like schoolyard children.   9:15 am — 9:45 Stephen Johnson Our resident industry poet opened with "wild psychonauts are not typically welcome in polite society. This is why we gather."  So often, his words create a synthesis between spirituality and logic.  His piece this year explicated the parallel's between gathering with our floaty brethren and floating in our tanks. It's a helpful reminder in our interconnected nature and how sharing our experiences together make us stronger. Following his talk, Jake and Kevin sat him down on the couch on stage and just talked. About philosophy, playfulness, and perception. He shared his plans on making a documentary with his son to talk with the industry all across the country. He mentioned a release sometime around the beginning of next year and it will be fully available to the industry.   9:45 am — 10:25 Lee and Glenn Perry The spirit of playfulness continued as the parents of the industry came onto the stage. Glenn briefly played hide and seek while a mic'd Lee tried to quietly ask for a pen. Even while Glenn discussed his challenging personal growth found through floating, there was a conversational warmth that exuded from them. The couple announced their intention to release a book January 6th, 2020 about their experiences with John C. Lilly, building the float industry, and what they've learned about the world.  Glenn talked about the dichotomy between Love and Fear. About how certain people may embody these traits, and each of us are somewhere on the spectrum, humorously saying "we are each somewhere between the Dalai Llama and Donald Trump." While sharing the story of his first float, he offered his insights on how we can remain present while living in a society that seems intent on preventing us from doing so. "It takes Herculean effort to remain present while in fear" and reminded us all that the act of floating is a defiant act and is one of the single greatest tools to mitigate fear and stay present every day. Lee spent her time on stage petitioning the entire industry to help them name their book, or if anyone has particular things that they would like to see in the book. To find more information about their book, go to samadhitank.com/book-buynow and if you have any suggestions, go to samadhitank.com/contact.   11:05 am — 11:40 Angela McAllister The owner of Lucidity Float in Chattanooga, Angela talked about the importance of dealing with stress and negativity. As float center owners, how can anyone authentically encourage customers to remove stress if the owners aren't living that experience. A theme in the discussions today. She started her professional life with a degree in environmental science and advocated for public ...

This is a simple two episode compilation about advice on building your own float tanks. The guys are pretty against the idea. Having built two of the 6 tanks at Float On in house, they personally know the challenges that arise with this and how many unexpected obstacles you have to get over to make it happen. In between their blanket condemnation of the idea, though, are really helpful tidbits of what to look out for if you absolutely cannot be dissuaded.

Something in the world of floating have you stumped? * First Last Email Address* What's your question?*CAPTCHANameThis field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_render', function(event, formId, currentPage){if(formId == 12) {if(typeof Placeholders != 'undefined'){ Placeholders.enable(); }} } );jQuery(document).bind('gform_post_conditional_logic', function(event, formId, fields, isInit){} ); jQuery(document).ready(function(){jQuery(document).trigger('gform_post_render', [12, 1]) } ); Show Highlights In the second of our Tank Topics episodes, we take a look at what starting a business looks like and how starting a float center is the same as any other business, and how it's wildly different.  For all those pie in the sky moments where you want to start a business but you don't know where to start in starting a business. Start here.  Show Resources How do you Start Opening a Float Center? – DSP 285 Basics of Opening a Business – DSP 287 How long does it take to open a float center – DSP 38 Recent Podcast Episodes Adding Float Tanks to an Existing Business – OSP 10 by Float Tank Solutions | Jan 6, 2020 Graham and Ashkahn kick off the New Year by discussing the things to consider when adding a float tank to an existing business. This is a fantastic episode to start with if you’ve already got a service-based business or are a practitioner looking to start up on your own and looking for ideas. The boys talk about logistical considerations, the built-in advantages to adding on to an existing practice, as well as how nice it is to have a meatball sandwich after chilling out in a sensory reduced environment for an hour (Ashkahn has a serious one-track mind). Tank Topics – Business Partners by Float Tank Solutions | Dec 30, 2019 Graham and Ashkahn round out the end of the year by talking about all the naughty and nice things about having business partners. It’s a shorter compilation today, which gives you plenty of time to talk to your own business partners about what you think about them! Tank Topics – All About Research by Float Tank Solutions | Nov 25, 2019 The holidays are a busy time for float centers and it often means lots of new customers asking questions. This means it can be a really great time to brush up on the facts about floating. Fortunately we’ve formed a folio of fantastic studies for you to fancy. Feliz Navidad! Tank Topics – Handling Difficult Customers by Float Tank Solutions | Nov 18, 2019 In every service business,

Welcome back to DSP! We covered so many things over the course of 366 episodes, we thought we'd highlight some of the topics we covered in our new ongoing series of compilations: Tank Topics. With our first Tank Topic, we're covering how to choose a location and all the things to consider, from construction to hipness. Check it out now!

Our final episode of the Daily Solutions Podcast. Join us as we take calls from the float industry and Graham and Ashkahn answer your most pressing questions. Watch the video on YouTube at https://youtu.be/wpTYbPAOg9E or on facebook at https://www.facebook.com/FloatSolutions/videos/267233400579454/

This isn't an episode. Stop reading this, silly!  And don't even think about listening to the recording. What are you, incapable of listening to requests? There's no more podcast! We already told you that.  Jeez, what a persistent person you are, still looking at this... Don't you have anything better to do? Forget this... I'm outta here! Peace.

Graham and Ashkahn finish up their penultimate episode by answering the most important question of all, "how to start a salt tank business?"  They answer this question with the thoroughness and severity it deserves. 

Earlier this year, Float On changed its membership structure along with its prices. It was mentioned on the podcast a little while ago, but it was still too early in the change to extract any meaningful data from it. The guys promised to get back to it. Before it's too late, Graham and Ashkahn fulfill their promise to divulge how their single priced membership structure is going. 

It's possible to have a nearly infinite recursion of productivity vs. financial data. You can break down how much you could save per float by switching to a cheaper q-tip, but in the end, is it worth it?  Ashkahn and Graham discuss how they handle financial details at Float On and where they emphasize detail over broad strokes and convenience. 

In a previous episode, Graham and Ashkahn shared their experience running Groupons with Float On from like... 6 years ago.  Groupon called them up and offered them an opportunity to try Groupon again and see what they thought of the experience. So here's their updated review of the modern Groupon process.

Graham and Ashkahn roll up their sleeves and get down and dirty dealing with objections to floating. To shake things up a bit, they're ignoring claustrophobia and talking about some of the other things people bring up when they say they're hesitant to try floating. 

It's no secret that Graham and Ashkahn are shutting down the podcast (check out the resources for details on how to call in for the finale), but why?  Today, Graham and Ashkahn talk about all their projects that they'll be dedicating themselves too now that they don't have a daily podcast to rush to, everything from the mundane to the insane. 

Every once in a while during float industry events, during this podcast, or talks given by health department professionals and the like, they'll say something like "if you get your water tested and...". But how does a float center do that? Where should they look? Is there just a lab that they can send their float solution to? Are all labs the same? How much does it cost?  Ashkahn and Graham take on the difficult task of making sense of microbiology testing laboratories, regulatory institutions, and acronyms, all so you don't have to. 

Graham and Ashkahn take a break from all the doom and gloom of the float world to talk about the amazing things that floating has brought them. What they love, the things that surprised them, and the many ways in which they're inspired to stick with it and pioneer in this wild and crazy industry.

Sometimes, the hardest part of starting any project is to just take the leap of faith complete step one.  With some words of encouragement and caution, Graham & Ashkahn channel their inner Tony Robbins and encourage a highly knowledgeable aspiring float center owner, to trust their gut and start their float center.

How long should you run the filtration system for between floats? It's an eternal question that has plagued float center owners since the dawn of time (Or at least until 1978 when the first float center opened up).  Ashkahn and Graham break down the science behind why you should filter for as long as you do and how to properly plan for it. This densely packed episode is filled to the brim with a summary of knowledge on water dilution, filtration, flow meters, and water sanitation brought over to float tanks from the pool and spa world. Take notes as you listen, there's a lot to assess.

Recognizing that your employees rock is one of the most valuable traits an employer can have, but only as long as said employer is able to properly acknowledge that appreciation.  Graham and Ashkahn share their take on rewarding employees for their hard work and how to make it count when you want to give them a gift. The duo has no shortage of examples of how they've shown their appreciation at Float On, and this episode is dense with examples of nice gifts and rewards to provide staff, from the practical to the symbolic. 

The question asker today calls out Graham and Ashkahn on their most common marketing tip: giving away free floats! The guys are put on trial and forced to defend the practice from someone who has experienced some major fallout from giving out floats to people. They offer some solid advice on how to make sure your free floats reach maximum effect and reassurance in the fact that it's a relatively low risk practice.

Graham and Ashkahn have some fun and talk about all the crazy things they'd add to Float On if money were no object. They cover everything from the impractical to the insane. And Ashkahn reveals his love of robots... and sandwiches.

There are rumors everywhere in the float industry about float centers billing insurance for floats and how they pulled it off. This podcast is no exception!  Listen to Graham and Ashkahn opine on the hypothetical and the barely confirmed tales they've heard about the possibility of float centers getting that sweet sweet insurance payout, and then listen to the guys talk about the realities of accepting insurance and how it's not all it's cracked up to be.

Graham and Ashkahn take on the unenviable task of talking about the harsh realities that the float industry will likely face in an upcoming recession, as well as how to be prepared for it.  The guys discuss what it was like for Float On opening during 2010, and the pragmatic view of the things most likely to get cut and who will and likely won't survive an economic downturn. 

One of the most amazing things about the float industry is how open and friendly everyone is. Every float center we've ever talked to has stories about receiving help, advice, or information from another center or offering it themselves. It makes sense that float center owners would want to pass this goodwill on to the next enthusiast who comes knocking, but it can get a little time consuming talking to everyone.  Graham and Ashkahn share advice on how to enthusiastically and efficiently talk to new floaters without burning yourself out or make it feel like you're having the same conversation 100 times in a row. 

If you run a business, one of the benefits is that it's run exactly the way you want it, right? If the "millennials" that you hire don't do the job exactly the way you want, they're wrong, right? Well, maybe. It could just be that the people on the ground doing the day to day operations have their own ideas about what works best. Efficiency is a big deal when running a float center and if there's something that takes 20 seconds longer per room, that could be the difference between a late float and an on time one.  Ashkahn and Graham share their perspective on how best to manage employees who have different ways of operating their shop and how the standards were formed at Float On. 

Opening a float center is stressful, and when you first get started, there's a lot of uncertainty involved. Will people keep coming in to floating from one month to the next? Will it be enough to cover costs? What happens if surprise expenses rise up and throw your center underwater.  Graham and Ashkahn discuss the existential dread involve in being a small business owner and what they do to not worry so much about the future of Float On. And also self-immolation. 

Recently, the float community has been introduced to some companies willing to lease float tanks for businesses. These are usually different from manufacturers and come with a small fee associated with it.  Graham and Ashkahn discuss the issues to consider when looking at these companies and in what situations they might be a viable alternative to purchasing tanks outright. 

If you're opening a new center and trying to anticipate your business, what's a reasonable amount of paying customers to expect? What about total capacity including free floats?  Graham and Ashkahn dominate the mic to drop some knowledge on the float family regarding what to expect.