With the first industry run Float Conference right around the corner, we wanted to take a minute to talk about what we’re excited about at Float Tank Solutions and HelmBot, since we’re all gonna be there.
This year is especially exciting for us, since no one on our team is running the Conference this year, so we finally get to participate in the Conference just like the rest of the industry.
Graham:
I’m excited to, once again, not have to explain what float tanks are to anyone around me. I’m excited to see what the Conference is like in a new city, and I’m excited to see all the Denver centers in style from the beer bus tour. Mainly, though, I’m excited to dole out hugs, to listen to crazy and inspiring stories, and to share another floaty reunion with everyone!
Ashkahn:
I’m excited for the hugs, clinking jugs, seeing everyone’s beautiful mugs, hearing how float tanks are better than drugs, learning how to kill those infectious bugs, and feeling my heartstrings get those tugs.
Also, I’m excited to get to just sit in the audience and watch the talks. Is that what you guys have been doing this whole time?
Kathryn:
It’s all about the people for me. Obviously, our whole crew is a blast to be around: some of my closest friends are also my co-workers, I haven’t seen Jocelyn (the high priestess of the Conference) in a while, and we’ve got a new team member on HelmBot who’s coming out that I’m super excited to see. Outside of the Float On party, Flux (who gave a fantastic talk at last year’s conference) didn’t make it out to Rise, so I’m hoping to run into him. Feinstein’s always great to see. The STL folks, the Float Harder friends, maybe I’ll get lucky and see the chef-turned-float-soap-making guy from RAW Goods (if you see him, ask him for pictures of cake sculptures). There are a few people who have cool art projects in and outside of floating that I’m jazzed to check in on. Oh gosh… there are just too many names. I’m so pumped to see all of you!
Derek:
Denver is one of the few cities I’ve been to more than once and that’s because it’s one of my favorite cities! I’m excited to experience the Float Conference in a new city, but also a city I’m familiar with that ISN’T Portland. I’m flying into town on Thursday and you’ll be sure to find me at the Euclid Hall for some Pad Thai Pig Ears, so let’s chat about marketing… but I digress. The thing I’m looking forward to the most is actually being able to attend all of the wonderful Friday Activities that my schedule will allow. I’ve worked the entire weekend during every #FloatCon and I’ve consistently found myself on the outside, looking in, at all the fun people are having on Friday. It’s truly one of the most unique things you’ll find at ANY conference you’ll ever attend.
Bryan:
I can’t wait to hear all the crafty ideas we as an industry have come up with to tackle the glass ceilings we invariably encounter. Certainly there is a lot of room for growth in this business, and the more we put our heads together, collaborate with and support each other, the faster we seem to break through them. The Float Conference is always inspiring for me in that way. I know that leaving Denver, I will have reinvigorated my passion for this industry, and for floating as a public service that has the potential to change the world.
The weekend, in my experience, is always a bit of a whirlwind. Kinda like getting swooped up in a tornado with a bunch of friends you never see, having the most killer of times for like, 72 hours straight, and at some point we all click our heels and wake up back on our respective couches. This year, I’m looking for a way to stay unified with all my favorite salty weirdos. If that sounds like a cool idea to you, come holler at me. I’m excited to meet you, or see you, or continue working with you. Or all of those things. Hasta luego.
P.S. – Orale. Se habla espanol, mas o menos. Necesito practicar con uds.
Frank:
Another Conference brings another chance to connect with the lovely individuals that make up the float community — and I can’t wait. It’s such an amazing experience to be able to swap salty stories, hear how everyone’s businesses (and lives) have evolved over the past year, and learn a ton about new developments in the world of floating. I am always excited about the opportunity to meet and speak with the newest and next generations of float center owner/operators. I particularly love being able to finally put faces to the many voices I’ve become familiar with on the phone over the past year. If we’ve spoken this past year, definitely come visit me at the Float Tank Solutions booth, we’ll have a lot of exciting things to share!
Juliet:
I’m so unbelievably excited for this year’s Conference. Normally, I’m running around scrambling to make sure all the talks behind the scene go off without a hitch and Ashkahn hasn’t wandered off somewhere. Now that Ashkahn is allowed to wander freely at the Conference, it frees up a lot of my time to enjoy everything else and talk to everyone present.
I’m excited for the high quality hugs that get circulated at Float Conferences. I’m excited for all the regular Conference things with Denver flavoring. I’m excited for the amazing heartfelt, intellectual, beautiful talks. I’m excited for Stephen Johnson getting more stage time. I’m excited for lunches, easy commutes, and making space for great conversation.
Come talk to me when you’re there!
Ben:
The conference is a reminder, in physical form, that there are so many amazing individuals and teams bringing this wonderful, briny health modality to the masses. It’s amazing to be surrounded by so many who share the intention to foster healing and wellness. I’m also so excited to get to see many of our current HelmBot clients in person!
Danielle:
I’m so jazzed to have the pleasure and privilege to see old faces and meet new people. Putting a name to the face for HelmBot clients brings me so much joy! I’m looking forward to rejuvenating my love for floating, which always spikes during the Conference. I especially enjoy listening to other people’s stories and hearing about their personal experiences in the float universe. How the heck did they get here?! And who doesn’t love a solid embrace from a fellow floater?
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Employee Handbook Template
Whether you are a small or large float center, you most likely have other employees working for you. Regardless of the size of your staff, for reasons of efficiency and legality, it’s essential that your organization has clear and straightforward policies and guidelines. No matter how good employee communication is, it’s always safest and cleanest to have clear parameters and expectations written down.
This is why Float Tank Solutions has created a customizable Employee Handbook Template. Free for anyone to download, it contains federally compliant language (current as of October 2016) and contains a multitude of sections, from employee benefits and compensation descriptions to job guidelines and discrimination policies.
Sleeping Bag Drive: Filling Float Tanks While Helping the Homeless
Sitting in our regular Float On marketing meeting, we were strategizing about our next free float giveaway, and we quickly switched the conversation to focus less on our own minor woes (ahem, first world problems) and more on how we can help those in need. Despite the fact that Portland had its warmest November of all time, temperatures plunged to all-time lows in December and January. The team came together and voted on the idea of holding a sleeping bag drive.
How Floating Helped Me Accept I Was Trans
“I’ve often heard strong advocates of floating question why people might have difficult floats, “what’s wrong with spending time alone with yourself?” When you love yourself, it’s easy to be alone with your thoughts – when you hate who you are and can’t understand why, it can be a nightmare.” – Juliet Tango Mylan
Accurate H2O2 Readings in Float Tanks – an Approved Test Kit
There’s some exciting news out there for anyone who is using hydrogen peroxide in their float tanks. Taylor Technologies, launching into a brilliant meta-testing endeavor, has tested their own H2O2 testing kits…in saturated epsom salt water! After only a year of them...
Center of the Cyclone Book Launch
Coincidence Control Publishing is pleased to announce the updated publishing of John C. Lilly’s Center of the Cyclone. Written by a researcher whose methods of self inquiry and exploration were before his time, this 45th anniversary edition, released on Lilly’s birthday, is due to see the light of day once more.
You can buy the book now on Amazon!
Oh, the Questions You’ll Hear!
When you run a float tank center, you’re going to get asked a lot of questions. Do I float naked? Can I drown? Is this sanitary? Many of these are easy to answer: It’s recommended. Not without a conscious, and determined effort. Yes! There are some questions, however,...
Happy TANKSgiving (Giving Gifts to Monthly Members)
Monthly memberships are an important way to ensure that your float tank center has a consistent, if not dependable, amount of business.
While pricing structures for memberships vary widely across the industry, we’re focusing less on the strategy of what to charge and looking more at the benefits we’re actually offering. Once we’ve established a solid offering, then we can revisit pricing.
Running a successful monthly membership program takes more than just charging customers and making sure they use their credits. With a little creativity, we can find ways to increase engagement.
Your Flow Meter May Be Inaccurate (and what to do about it)
Float tanks tend to use a lot of parts borrowed from the pool and spa industry and, whenever that happens, it’s always important to question whether that pool part works accurately with our salt water solution. We’ve recently gained some insight into that question on...
The Float Tour Blog Roundup!
The following is our collection of links to the all of the Float Tour blogs. My chronicling of our adventure, highlighting all of you out there.
Thank you for the memories.
The Float Tour Blog – Issue #28
Home sweet home! After so many months on the road, it was strange being back here in Portland. We were exhausted, excited, and a little travel weary. The first night back, I slept in my own bed for the first time in three months and the world just melted away.
Having travelled across the United States, I’m reminded of how insular Portland is. We are aggressively fixated on keeping things local. Local beer, ketchup, bikes, pet food, pillows, phone cases… it’s part of our charm. We want to reward people for living here and being a part of the community. It’s so pervasive that, after living here for so long, I kind of forgot that Secret Aardvark hot-sauce isn’t available everywhere, and that most cities don’t even recycle, let alone compost.
