Is it better to plan out your center for one float tank and build out from there, or should you future-proof your design in case you want to expand? Graham and Ashkahn break down the logistical issues of planning out both and the reasons someone might decide to go one way over another. Construction costs, hiring specialists, and shipping costs are all things to consider when making a decision like this and it can be expensive either way. There are smart ways to build out a center while saving up to expand later, and Graham and Ashkahn make a point to give advice about that as well. 

Staff meetings are one of those things for float centers that are just a bit more inconvenient than some other places of business. Especially if that float center is open 24 hours a day like Float On is. 

In this episode, Graham and Ashkahn talk about how they run meetings, what they think is important to cover, how frequently they happen, and the ideal location for holding them (it’s possible that the shop is too pleasant and inviting to move quickly from one topic to the next). 

Today brings a curious question about a float center owner who’s trying to deal with salt dust everywhere, including in their tool room. While salt does get everywhere, it can’t evaporate like water can and doesn’t travel through the air very well. 

Graham and Ashkahn try their best to answer it and try to figure out what might be causing it, having not experienced something like that themselves at Float On. If any float centers out there have experienced this phenomenon and have any insights, send it our way!

Every new float center owner brings something different to the table. A former accountant is going to have a different skill set than someone who spent the last 15 years in construction. Now, it’s likely that they’ll both find ways to succeed in very different ways, but it’s possibly that one could be better suited to running a float center than they other. 

Graham and Ashkahn get asked about their personal backgrounds that led to them starting Float On and, by extension, what the ideal background might be for running a float center.

While they have very non-traditional backgrounds themselves, they both have worked diligently through Float On’s lifetime to make sure that they learn the skills necessary to get the job done.

Sometimes, very rarely, customers will get out of a float saying they felt really nauseous. Some even feel so bad that they vomit afterwards. What causes this and what can float center owners do about it? Well, sometimes it’s motion sickness, sometimes it’s the temperature in the tank, and sometimes it’s just random happenstance.

Regardless of why it occurs, how you handle it is important. Graham and Ashkahn have some good advice for post-bad float aftercare that’s worth listening to. 

How do you clean the inside of the float tank? Obviously, you wanna be careful given that you’re working so closely with your float solution. What precautions do you need to take? What sort of products do you use? 

Graham and Ashkahn share their stories of cleaning tanks, finding proper cleaners, and how to use them without affecting your water. 

Recently, Justin Feinstein and his team at LIBR have published their first landmark study on the effects of floatation-REST on patients with extreme anxiety. After years of hearing about Justin’s research, it’s exciting for the whole industry to finally get to see some tangible results.

But what can we say about these effects? What can’t we say? Graham and Ashkahn bring in Justin Feinstein himself to answer these deceptively unsimple questions and talk in depth about this research and what it means for the industry

Graham and Ashkahn remember fondly what the first 100 days were like when opening Float On to commemorate the 100th episode of the podcast. Everything from the mistakes they made and the lessons learned from them to the moment they realized they fell in love with this industry and what it means to them still. 

It’s difficult to overstate the usefulness of building a big mailing list when starting up your business. This isn’t unique to float centers, but we do have specific instances that make our cases unique in comparison to other industries. How soon is too soon to start collecting email addresses? Who should you be asking? Graham and Ashkahn drop some knowledge on the subject and doll out some useful tips and tricks as well.