Episode #592: Jody Merrill's Journey from Speech Therapy to Building btone Pilates Franchise

About this episode

Jody Merrill shares her journey from speech therapy to founding the btone Pilates franchise, discussing challenges and insights in the fitness industry.

On this episode of HALO Talks, host Pete Moore sits down with Jody Merrill, founder of btone fitness, to explore her path from speech therapy to building a thriving Pilates-based studio business in Boston. Merrill shares some candid stories of personal reinvention, the inspiration that led her to launch btone, and the challenges of navigating the fitness industry . . . including how she leverages her unique background to cultivate strong teams and authentic connections. From opening her first location using funds she inherited and a bathroom read of "Franchising for Dummies," to expanding through a thoughtful franchise model that prioritizes culture and unit economics, Merrill discusses the growing pains and lessons learned on her path to multi-location success. She provides solid, actionable insights on building community, choosing locations, and maintaining integrity while scaling while (clearly!) maintaining a fantastic sense of humor. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, fitness, or turning life's curveballs into new opportunities. On redefining success through just simple human connection, Jody says, "To me, whenever I thought of…

People in this episode

Host: Pete Moore

Guest: Jody Merrill

Topics covered

• entrepreneurship
• fitness
• Pilates
• franchising
• personal reinvention
• community building

Keywords

• Jody Merrill
• btone fitness
• Pilates
• franchising
• entrepreneurship
• fitness industry
• community building
• personal reinvention

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: btone fitness

Books & works: Franchising for Dummies

Places: Boston

More episodes of HALO Talks: Elevating Wellness

• Episode #597: Alexander Tsiaras Explains StoryMD and the Power of Owning Your Medical Data · May 5, 2026 · 22 min
• Episode #596: Lessons Learned Scaling W.O.L.F Fitness-Tony Saxby on Franchise Growth · April 28, 2026 · 25 min
• Episode #595: Legal Advice for HALO Entrepreneurs-Pitfalls, Intellectual Property, and Franchise Exits with Matt Fornaro · April 21, 2026 · 26 min
• Episode #594: Transforming Rehabilitation-Ashok Gupta on Building Theranow's Tech-Driven Platform · April 14, 2026 · 28 min
• Episode #593: Sam Circh on Adaptive Youth Fitness, Watch Me Move NYC, and Building Inclusive Communities · April 7, 2026 · 23 min
• Episode #591: How Garrett Salpeter and NeuFit Are Transforming Injury Recovery with Neuro-Bioelectric Technology · March 24, 2026 · 28 min