43. Stretching... My Patience and Other Gym Meltdowns

Your yoga class starts late. The Pilates class turns into a coffee chat. The guy at the gym is taking conference calls on speaker. When did wellness become everyone else's problem?

This week on Wrong Way Forward, Katy and Justin are joined by Katy's sister, Anne Elizabeth, to tackle one of life's most underrated sources of rage: terrible gym etiquette.

From yoga instructors who never start on time, to Pilates classmates who won't stop talking, to repeat offenders who ignore "no cell phone" policies, the trio debates where the real problem lies. Is it the rude people? The businesses that refuse to enforce their own rules? Or are we the problem for letting it ruin our workout?

They also wrestle with the toughest question of all: When do you speak up... and when do you just breathe through it?

If you've ever left a workout more stressed than when you arrived, this episode is for you.

Transcript

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Cold Open And Introductions

Speaker 1 0:01

She's Katy Montgomery. He's Justin Joseph. These best friends are serving subpoenas to bad advice weekly with Wrong Way Forward. Now, here's Katy and Justin.

Katy Montgomery 0:11

Hi, welcome to Wrong Way Forward, the podcast where we roast the worst advice. My name is Katy Montgomery. I am here with my best friend Justin Joseph, but I'm also here with my sister, Ann Elizabeth Montgomery. Um, Ann Elizabeth is talking to us from Birmingham, Alabama. So welcome, Annie.

Justin Joseph 0:29

Welcome, Annie.

Speaker 0:30

Yeah, I'm glad to be here.

Justin Joseph 0:32

So this is your first appearance on Wrong Way Forward. I'm excited about this.

Speaker 0:36

I know.

Justin Joseph 0:36

And I feel like we've got we have referenced her. We have referenced her, and I feel like we've got a we could use a lot of material with her.

Katy Montgomery 0:46

And Aunt Elizabeth has also, as I've known Justin for 34 years, so has Anne Elizabeth. So Ant Elizabeth would come to our college parties. We've spent time with him in Denver. We've spent time with him in Singapore and Thailand. Um, so they are also um good friends. So we've got a lot of history among the three of us.

Justin Joseph 1:04

And we've sort of matured through life together, if you will.

Katy Montgomery 1:07

That's right.

Justin Joseph 1:08

Yeah.

Speaker 4 1:08

Well, I mean, I wouldn't go that far.

Katy Montgomery 1:13

Which, you know, Anne Elizabeth, you know, I think we're always doing a call out for from our viewers and our listeners to say, you know, what is the wrong way forward? Please, please share with us. And so we had kind of made our plea, and Anne Elizabeth just goes, I've got one for you. And I said, Well, we've got to bring her on. And so um, together, you know, um, I think we're gonna have a few instances of what I kind of call exercise culture and poor etiquette when trying to be healthy. I mean, you're trying to take care of yourself, and these assholes are coming along, really kind of crimping it and and messing it up. So, Ann Elizabeth, if you could kind of first, you know, set the scene of you know, kind of some wrong way forward behavior.

The Slow Flow That Starts Late

Speaker 1:59

Okay. So there is a yoga class that I go to sometimes, maybe not anymore, on Sundays, and it's a slow flow. And so you're supposed to go, it's heated, you basically lie around and stretch for an hour and 15 minutes.

Justin Joseph 2:18

So when you say slow flow, what does that mean?

Speaker 2:22

Slow flow, it turns out it's not a flow. Like you're not flowing, you're just lying around, you're mostly just you know, twisting. Um you show up, and so usually with other instructors at this studio I go to that I really enjoy. You walk in, he says, hello, Ann Elizabeth, you go and sit down, it starts exactly on time. Everyone's quiet, it's very calm, it's lovely. It's part of the reason you're there is to like sort of quiet your nervous system. Well, this one, it's Sunday morning, which is a lazy time. You walk in, and it takes forever for the person to find you on the thing, but that's okay. Then you go and you lie down, it starts at 10:30, and then it's 1035, and I don't have a watch, but there's a clock, and I put on my glasses, and I'm like, okay, it's we're already five minutes late.

Speaker 4 3:18

Um and Elizabeth, let me interrupt. Where's your nervous system about right now?

unknown 3:24

Right now?

Speaker 4 3:25

No, at 1035. At 1035, where's your nervous? You're you're supposed to be calling your nervous system.

Speaker 3:31

I mean, it's like it's it's moving up. It's I'm starting to get, I'm like, what the fuck? I'm making eyes at people next to me who are strangers, I'm making eyes at my friend who I go with. Um, I want to get up and leave. Then so people are like, then people do this bullshit where they walk in and they're like, Do you know what I mean? Like, let me find a spot. And instead of just going and sitting down and finding a spot, and so then I start to go, y'all meet, y'all scoot, and then they can get here, and then I'm like, why won't anyone move?

Justin Joseph 4:05

Or why would so now you're being helpful?

Speaker 4:08

Um and then we're trying to be.

Speaker 4 4:11

I don't know if I'm being helpful. Um you're being bossy, and sometimes we call that bitchy bossy.

Speaker 4:16

Yes, I'm being bossy, and I'm also looking at the lady next to me, and I'm like, this is ridiculous. So I'm getting her worked up, right? And then um some people are late, they act like assholes as they're walking in late. They don't just go and find a space and sit down, and then other people are like, I want to lay next to my friend. You don't talk, right? So then other people aren't moving to sort of facilitate this. So the next thing you know, it's 1040. I'm real worked up. Um, and so and the instructor is real chaotic about it, and she really could just lock the door because there's a sign on the door that says, Hey, you're late, the door's locked, come back next time, right? A hundred percent everyone's I don't know, but tranquility.

unknown 5:12

Yes.

Justin Joseph 5:14

So I have questions. Number one, do you pay to go to this gym or to the yoga class?

Speaker 3 5:18

Yeah.

Justin Joseph 5:18

Okay, so that's that's a huge deal. Um, what was the other question I had? Um, that was the main question, I think. Was that so well?

Katy Montgomery 5:26

I think for me, Justin, it's like first of all, if if when I heard the story, I was just breaking down how much wrong way forward was happening.

Who Is Breaking The Contract

Speaker 3 5:34

Right.

Katy Montgomery 5:34

There was a wrong way forward on behalf of the organization of the company, right? Not maintaining the policy and not maintaining the contract they made with their members. I'm sure when you, you know, signed up for a 10-pack package, it said you need to show up on time or you know, you you won't be eligible to attend. Number one. Number two, it's the wrong way forward on behalf of the instructor. She's not being a strong facilitator and saying the intent of this program is to create a zen atmosphere and to relax your nervous system. This is doing the opposite. It's the wrong way forward of all these adults, and I'm seeing this. How many adults just cannot get to places on time? It's absolutely ridiculous. And this is usually me too, and usually exercise is something that is a routine, right? This is not something where it's like you got called in for a last minute meeting, right? So that's the wrong way forward. And then Aunt Elizabeth's acting the wrong way forward because she's she is investing and she is getting so worked up in it that she hasn't set a boundary, and so she's starting to ruin her her experience. So I'm counting four wrong way forwards on this.

Justin Joseph 6:43

Well, I totally agree. I also, I mean, I think the fact that, you know, and I'm trying to think about giving them the benefit of the doubt. Was there childcare late, something like that? But this is an ongoing thing.

Speaker 6:52

It's every time I go. And so it's just sort of like professional conferences. Like I'll go one time and I'm like, oof, not doing that again. But then I forget, and so then I go. And I and so normally I only I I would go to this class every Sunday that I'm home. I can't go two weeks in a row because it's too fresh by the time the next Sunday comes along. And I'm like, that's just gonna get me going.

Katy Montgomery 7:21

Um well, and let's talk about it. Every time you talk about it, your nervous system gets wrecked. Because you get worked up again with the injustice of it.

Speaker 7:30

The injustice of it. And I think if you are running late, it's one thing if you're if you're running late to something that has a set start and it's a group thing, what once you're past three minutes, maybe, don't go.

Justin Joseph 7:47

Yeah, I even think three minutes. I think if you miss the start time, you miss the start time. I mean, especially in a class like that.

Katy Montgomery 7:53

So, but what what would your advice be, Justin, to Anne Elizabeth? I mean, she is a consumer, she is paying for a product, and the product is not delivering. I mean, what would you do in this situation? Would you say something to the owner? Would you say something to the facilitator? What would you do?

Justin Joseph 8:09

Well, this is interesting to me because I know you, Anne Elizabeth, and I know you to be not confrontational, but you have no problem stating your case. Why have you not said something to the owner? Are you worried that then you're going to be uncomfortable with her?

Speaker 8:20

Or um A, I don't think she so she's not the owner. The owner's wonderful. She and she's lovely, but she's not the owner. Um, I think she must know that it's a mess because she'll kind of apologize. And I sort of hate that also.

Speaker 3 8:36

Yeah.

Speaker 8:36

Uh, because you can't keep doing that. And I'll be frank, I I gotta I guess I don't care enough. I just won't go.

Justin Joseph 8:43

Yeah. And if this is the class you like, you don't want to make it weird for yourself, and saying something would make it weird. Um I think it's it's a it's a weighing of the balances. Like, do you if is it worth saying something that but is that going to impact your your future experience? And if it is going to impact your future experience, then it may not be worth saying something. I mean, I guess for me, having not been in that situation, it would be a question of because I have made myself uncomfortable plenty of times by saying something, and I still have to go back. And I in fact, I'm in that situation right now because you know I'm doing a flip for a house, and I kept going over to the house, and the painters weren't the so it's I hired a contractor. His mom is the project manager, and she is lovely, and she's been there every day busting her ass. She's there till 10 o'clock at night. But I've been I went over the last two months and there weren't people at the house working besides her. So the first time I was nice, like, oh, there's nobody over here, and she's like, Well, they come at night. I'm like, okay, well, in my head, I'm thinking, well, we're not a priority. So by the third time, I said there need to be people here working. And then I came back the next week, and now we're three weeks away from launching, and there still weren't people there. And so I lost my mind to her. And then her son got involved, and now he doesn't speak to me. So I now we're two days away from launching. I'm on site, I've said something that's uncomfortable, and now I'm uncomfortable being there because I've been so I've been there, but my problem is I can't control myself. Like, what's it's once the when you talked about you're uncomfortable? I just word vomit.

Katy Montgomery 10:07

Well, and my and my and my reaction to that is Anne Elizabeth has pretty fantastic control. Unless there's alcoholic beverages involved, Ann Elizabeth has the most perfect control. Like, I mean, Ann Elizabeth's always worried about what I'm gonna say and how I might lose it or my how I might say something. I think Anne Elizabeth's default is to not say something. And I think, and I and my advice to her would be like, I think this is a situation where she is completely entitled. It's data-based, it's fairness, it's it's you know, receiving the product that she's paying for. I think this would be a time when it would make sense. And I think it's interesting that she's like, I just don't care enough. My push on Ann Elizabeth would be like, you clearly care, you talk about it a lot, it lingers, it stays with, it, it really kind of bothers you. I think you don't want to say something because of the discomfort, and so you're avoiding saying something. So I think it would be. And I would ask the Dr.

Justin Joseph 11:05

Phil question. Sorry, go ahead, Katy.

Katy Montgomery 11:07

Yeah, go ahead. What's a Dr. Phil question?

Justin Joseph 11:08

I would the Dr. Phil question is how's that working for you, right?

Speaker 11:11

Yeah, well, I mean, and I'll tell you what I'm thinking about.

Three Ways To Handle The Chaos

Justin Joseph 11:14

Not to bring Dr. Phil in.

Speaker 11:15

Yeah, but what I'm thinking about another solution is to take that ridiculous, messy first 10 minutes of class and practice mindfulness.

Speaker 4 11:25

Yes, right.

Speaker 11:25

Oh lie down on my mat and just observe without feeling. There's also that because we can't control everything out there, so we have to kind of learn how to control. I think in this situation, there is some input that can be offered. But I think that's so interesting. It's also learning to control your response. Yes.

Justin Joseph 11:47

So we have three scenario, we have three responses. Mine is to breathe fire, Katy's is to make it a measured approach, and Aunt Elizabeth's is to take the moment as a learning opportunity. And I think she's right. She is better than that.

Katy Montgomery 12:00

It doesn't matter, we know this, Justin. But Ant Elizabeth's career is learning, she like learns every day. But I think she's right. She's way more intellectual than us.

Justin Joseph 12:10

But I think she's right. If you're in a class that the point is to mindfulness and and then you take that as a learn a teaching opportunity, I think that's really smart. This is why we're not professional advice givers. But it's every show.

Speaker 12:26

It's always like, How do you feel? Don't judge, just notice.

Katy Montgomery 12:33

I think what we should do now, Justin, is take a break because we're gonna come back and talk about another exercise um situation that was based on a Pilates class. Five reformers, very small intimate setting. Um, and maybe how I reacted afterwards, was that appropriate or not, and kind of what Ann Elizabeth and I did in that class. So let's take a break, and then on the other side, we'll bring up another exercise etiquette issue. You've been listening to Wrong Way Forward, where bad advice goes to die, and then gets resurrected just so we can roast it again.

Justin Joseph 13:07

If you're enjoying the chaos, hit like and subscribe and come back every Thursday for new episodes.

Katy Montgomery 13:12

Have a new topic or some disastrously bad advice you want to dissect, email wrongwayforwardpodcast at gmail.com. Include your contact info.

Speaker 1 13:22

Now back to Wrong Way Forward.

Pilates Reformer Class Turns Into Gossip

Speaker 1 13:24

Roasting the worst advice ever. Welcome back to the Katy and Justin Podcast.

Justin Joseph 13:28

Hi, everybody. Welcome back to this week's episode of Wrong Way Forward. You know, it's something we've talked about before on the podcast, gym etiquette. But as we've talked to you about in our launch um of this season, we're trying to bring more live guests in to kind of make the experiences more relatable and more real. This week, uh Katy's sister Anne Elizabeth is joining us talking about her own experience recently at her yoga studio where people are arriving late. Now we've got another experience that Katy and Anne Elizabeth have been through. And Katy's tell us what happened.

Katy Montgomery 13:55

Well, I'm I I want Anne Elizabeth to kind of you know fill in the facts, but we were in a Pilates class, reformer, and there's only five reformers. So there's only five participants, one facilitator.

Justin Joseph 14:06

And a reformer is, I don't know anything about Pilates. Is that that machine that you slide on?

Katy Montgomery 14:10

It's the machine that you slide on. And and the facilitator really is an active facilitator. I mean, like you are moving on and off, you're bringing in different kinds of um tools and resources, and I mean, you have to be able to hear that person. Um, and and some of the it's sometimes complex trying to explain someone, put your knee here, put your leg there, grab this strap. And so mentally, you can't see it. So you really have to be able to hear the person and hear the description. And so, first of all, um, three of us were there on time. We were on the reformer ready. A fourth person comes in, it's probably two or three minutes late. And Ann Elizabeth says to me, She happens to be an instructor here. So she was an instructor sitting in a class. So already in my head was, well, you're extra bad because you extra know better, right? So you're a super asshole. And then this woman comes in about 10 minutes late and just is talking, making excuses, you know, talking to the entire group. And then she goes down on the reformer, and the two of them have a full-fledged conversation. Oh no.

Speaker 15:21

It wasn't about what was happening in that moment either. I heard them they were talking about James Spann, who's our weatherman, and how the lady was out of town last weekend and what the weather was like.

Justin Joseph 15:31

Yeah, no.

Katy Montgomery 15:32

A week ago. And I hear wedding, I hear she washed a lot of beach towels. I mean, I'm hearing.

Justin Joseph 15:37

And you can't work out while there this is happening.

Speaker 15:40

Well, and and the instructor is this younger woman who is lovely and doing a great job, but it just doesn't have sort of the the confidence or the sort of agency to be like, y'all, be quiet. And so she's kind of standing around the three of us who are participating.

Justin Joseph 16:02

And then it's it just it was so how long does this take?

Katy Montgomery 16:06

I mean, it's throughout the entire class, which was 45 minutes. And I would say they were actively conversing 38 of the 45.

Speaker 16:14

Yeah, and the whole time in my head, I'm like, I just wanted to screw, I just wanted to yell out, y'all. But I didn't.

Justin Joseph 16:22

And so is she the instructor, the owner, or both, or what?

Katy Montgomery 16:25

No, she's just an instructor and she's she's young. And I think for me, what was happening was not just a can't, you know, this is not the way I expected the class, but I was spending so much and focusing so much on my energy that, like, who the fuck do you think you are? If you are that entitled that you think that you can do this. And so again, I it hit my kind of value system of we are a community, there are community standards and norms by which we operate, you know. Like, how dare you think that this is okay? And so, again, I spent a lot of my mental energy, you know, on that kind of space. But here's the actual caveat to this, too. This is in an area called Mountain Brook. It is a very small, privileged people know each other. But, you know, remember, I'm from DC. I'm a guest in my sister's home. So I don't know any of these people, but everybody, you know, they're either kids know each other or their parents grew up together, or they live in the same neighborhood, or they shop at the same grocery store. I mean, it's very, you know, it's like I think people let a lot of things slide because they all operate in this kind of ecosystem.

Justin Joseph 17:38

And I think there's that that's that that explains a lot, and that's a tough one to overcome.

Katy Montgomery 17:43

Yeah. So Ann Elizabeth, so we talk both Anne Elizabeth and I are talking to the instructor afterwards, and I'm like, that was tough. I'm sorry you had to deal with that. And so then Ann Elizabeth leaves.

Speaker 17:53

And I'm putting on my go in there that that and just just one little yeah. The one instructor who was taking the class, the one who came in three minutes late, who talked a lot. I've been to her class a couple times and we'll never, ever go again. And this is months ago. If the only person who's teaching on that day is Sally, I'll just not, I'll, I'll just never go again. You know, so so I knew I knew how she was, you know.

Katy Montgomery 18:22

And part of me is like, you know, if I was a business owner, I would want to know that one of my employees was doing this in class. Like I, you know, you yeah, when you're a manager, you don't know what you don't know. When you're a leader, if people don't tell you, you don't know that. And and and and again, it's not my business, but if it was my business, I would want to know that there's a particular instructor who holds class this way. You know, I would be like, that's not the standard that we have at this place. So that's the first thing. But when we're leaving, Ann Elizabeth leaves, I'm putting on my shoes, you know, I'm planning to walk home, getting my all my stuff together.

Calling Out Chatter Without Collateral Damage

Katy Montgomery 18:56

And I said, Thank you so much to the instructor. You are fantastic. And the woman who came in late, who was the big chatter, she goes, Isn't she the best? And I said, Well, she is, and you're just a real chit chatter. And she looked at me and said, Oh my gosh, I know I'm just out of my mind. I had a wedding this weekend, I'm just not all together. I am sorry if I ruined your experience. And I said, Well, you talk a lot, and she's too sweet to tell you that.

Justin Joseph 19:26

Oh, so you did confront it.

Katy Montgomery 19:27

And I shouldn't have said that. I shouldn't have brought in, I feel really guilty about bringing in this sweet, young, great Pilates instructor because that probably made her feel uncomfortable. And she goes, Well, I'm just sorry again. And I went, Well, that's fine. And I just walked out. And so my question is, I think I just couldn't help myself.

Justin Joseph 19:46

Well, that's how I am.

Katy Montgomery 19:48

Is was that the wrong way forward? Should I have just been like, you don't live here? This is a one-off. Don't say Well, the question is, is it passive?

Justin Joseph 19:56

It borders right on passive aggressive, doesn't it? Like as opposed to just saying, I just need to tell you that I think you you you you impacted the experience by talking too much. You kind of it was it a little passive aggressive?

Speaker 20:07

Well, and I'll tell you, what at one point in the class, Katy also looked at me and went, that's aggressive. And that was actually in a time when another lady was talking because her reformer was messed up. But I think Katy had gotten to the point where she's like, if anybody makes any noise.

Speaker 4 20:26

It's true. It's true. It's like I was on the spectrum. And if I heard one thing, I was gonna go bizer.

Justin Joseph 20:32

Well, I want to welcome you all to the dark side for taking this on. It it really does make you feel better. Have you been back?

Speaker 4 20:40

I mean, I'll go back. We're going back on Saturday. Have you been back a lot?

Justin Joseph 20:43

So I want to know how that experience is when you go back after you told him they talk too much.

Katy Montgomery 20:48

Well, I mean, we'll see if she's there, but it's like it it's just it's this point of privilege that just kind of ticks me off. But you know, do you think Ann Elizabeth, in retrospect, I mean, you weren't there, you didn't hear the comment, you wouldn't you would have never done that. Do you think that that was too much? That I this is when you would have been like, just keep it to yourself, Katy.

Speaker 21:07

I think I pro if I would have said anything, it probably would have been to the instructor separately and been like, I'm I'm that that was inappropriate, and that that's I know that's uncomfortable for you.

Speaker 3 21:18

Yeah.

Speaker 21:19

Just to kind of try to give increase her agency and being able to like, hey everyone.

Justin Joseph 21:24

Yeah. I will say it's you know, the what how you handle it, Katy, is a nice way of saying, I mean, it is a little past aggressive, but it also was a nice, it diffused the situation, which could have yes, it you know, it handled the situation without being too aggressive.

Speaker 4 21:39

So yeah, so you know, let's just hope that I don't burn down Ann Elizabeth's entire social network.

Justin Joseph 21:45

Ann Elizabeth's just gonna gain weight because you're ruining all of her workout places. Um anyway. So well, Ann Elizabeth is go ahead. It was it's great to see you. Um and I like I said, just keep coming back. On tell us more stories. I'm sure in Birmingham there are all sorts of fantastic stories about people being tacky.

Speaker 22:05

Oh, yeah. I'm I'm I'm sure we'll pick up some today, later today. I have like three separate opportunities to pick up some good ones.

Katy Montgomery 22:15

So thanks for joining us, Annie. We appreciate it. All right, bye, y'all. Bye.

Justin Joseph 22:20

We'll be right back on Wrong Way Forward. Thanks for streaming Wrong Way Forward, the weekly reminder that advice is usually free for a reason. We call out bad advice wherever it hides boardrooms, break rooms, and even book clubs.

Katy Montgomery 22:33

Enjoying this dumpster fire, like, subscribe, and check back every Thursday for new episodes. Want us to roast your favorite piece of nonsense? Email us at wrongwayforwardpodcast at gmail.com. Be sure to include your contact info. We're not psychic, just judgmental. And now back to Wrong Way Forward.

Speaker 1 22:52

Roasting the worst advice ever.

No-Phone Gym Rules And Repeat Offenders

Katy Montgomery 22:54

Welcome back to the Katy and Justin. Hi, and we're back with Wrong Way Forward. And today we've been talking about those people who drive us crazy when we're trying to take care of ourselves. These are people who are late to yoga classes. They talk incessantly in Pilates. And just for this last block, I'm going to give one more kind of experience. When I'm in DC, I work at a gym called Equinox, and it is considered a no-cell phone area. And I really take that very seriously because before I start working out with my trainer, I go on the treadmill and I listen to books. And there's a lot of sound. You know, there's they've got TVs on, there's people, you know, dropping weights, you know, you're hearing the buzz of the treadmills. There's a lot of kind of ambient sound, and I'm trying to listen to my book. And there is one particular man. Now, I want to tell you, I've never seen a woman do this. I've only seen men in the gym. So if I don't know what's up there and why there's a trend, but they talk on their cell phone. So they're like on the treadmill and they're having a full conversation. And, you know, and so you give them a look. And there was one man that I said, excuse me, sir, it's a no, you know, phone policy. Do you mind putting your phone away? It's so not passive aggressive, very kind of direct.

Speaker 3 24:12

Yep.

Katy Montgomery 24:12

And so what he does is he kind of starts talking like this, you know, like kind of out of the side of his mouth. And I'm like, you idiot. I'm like, I'm on to you. And then again, I become obsessed with it. But finally, I said something to my trainer, and there are a handful of trainers who are out to get this guy because he tries to be so sneaky. But he has been told numerous times it is it is there are placards around the gym that say no cell phones. And he continues to have full out conversations. I think he's actually doing work calls while he's at the gym.

Speaker 3 24:45

Oh, for sure.

Katy Montgomery 24:46

The thing about it is he's been told multiple times, and the gall of this guy, the nerve of this guy is that he continues to come and keep thinking he can do it. What I think is interesting is in these businesses, and I'm wondering if what the motivator is, is that they're like, they're they don't want to say you're out because all of these businesses are trying to grow their memberships, they're trying to maintain, they're in this competitive world, and they don't want to lose one, two, or three. And so I'm like, where do these businesses, what is the balance between keeping the people? And the thing that ticks me off is I pay for training, I pay for a monthly fee. And when I'm in town, I do Pilates classes. The value I bring versus this guy who just uses the gym is completely different. Who do you want to lose in the end? Right. And so I'm just wondering, it's the wrong way forward of like, where's the real consequence? Because let me tell you something. If this guy's been told three times and three times he's come back and keeps doing it, he clearly doesn't take the admonishment seriously. So what are the real consequences here?

Why Studios Must Enforce Boundaries

Justin Joseph 25:51

Well, I think that and I think the lesson from all three of these different experiences is that these businesses need to do a better job of policing behavior, right? Yes. Um, it's that's really been the overarching theme. And maybe they don't know about it, but in at least two of the cases they should. And it's their job to go out there. And if you're going to have a policy, it's your job to enforce it. That means verbal warning first, written warning second, third warning, you're out.

Katy Montgomery 26:16

And here's the thing that businesses aren't doing. They might have that policy, but they're not training people to have difficult conversations. Sure. And a trainer, a personal trainer is not trained for those conversations. A 24-year-old Pilates instructor has not been trained. Like Ann Elizabeth said, does not have that agency. So it's not just the policy and enforcing it, but you've got to teach the people who are in that space how to have those highly awkward, uncomfortable conversations.

Justin Joseph 26:46

Yeah, or just have the manager do it. You know, don't put a 24-year-old in that position. It's always the manager's job, but the manager needs to be made aware of it and do it. And when I think more about it is if I was a business owner and I knew there was a podcast like we are talking about my business, I would be mortified. Mortified. And yeah, I mean, so, and especially with all of our millions of listeners.

Katy Montgomery 27:08

Exactly. Exactly.

Send Us Your Worst Advice

Katy Montgomery 27:10

And so with that being said, for our listeners, um, thank you again for joining us today. Um, we would love to hear from you. If you have a wrong way forward example, you can email us at wrongwayforwardpodcast at gmail.com. You can also engage with us on all of our social media TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, um, LinkedIn, and YouTube. So we'd love to hear from you. And with that, um, hopefully you can be well and also um not be annoyed while doing so.

Justin Joseph 27:39

All right. Bye, everybody. Thanks for joining us. All right, that's a wrap on this week's episode of Wrong Way Forward. Remember, the only thing worse than taking bad advice is giving it.

Katy Montgomery 27:49

If you've liked what you've heard, like, subscribe, or follow us wherever you stream podcasts. And if you've got a topic or need some advice, we'll probably regret giving, email us at wrongwayforwardpodcast at gmail.com.

Justin Joseph 28:03

Thanks for listening to this week's episode of Wrong Way Forward.