North Bay Woman

42 NORTH BAY WOMAN S P R I N G | S U M M E R 2 0 2 0 od. "I've recently been putting a lot of effort in to bringing someone in to run the company. I need a COO," she said. Dailey reminisced that from the beginning, her intention was to develop and evolve her product to make it the most effective, efficient, fun workout that was really balanced for the body. "We really didn't have to focus that much on the business side in the beginning. But over time, with the rise of social media in the last 20 years, if you had a great class, with all the competi- tion out there, you also have to be a fantastic business person too. You need to have customer service, social media, marketing savvy, all those things and more. It's really hard to find one person who can do all of that. It's one reason why we have gotten more compact." When her marriage to her first hus- band dissolved in 2017, Dailey did a lot of reevaluating and regrouping. She had to pick up a lot more business skills for herself. As she put it, "My passion and my knowledge for the product is still tied to my desire to continually evolve it. Definitely I'm still dedicated and committed to making sure the product is top-notch. I want all my studio owners and teachers to be committed to education, taking care of the clients from a physical as well as emotional standpoint. I still do a lot of personal work with owners to help them welcome students in, make sure they feel seen and that their needs are met. Dailey also noticed that as far as running the corporate side of The Dailey Method, "I have a lot of compas- sion and an ability to see both sides of most things. I'm a good listener and I grow a lot by giving others room to give me feedback. I take that feedback and work with it. "The management of people, it's challenging," she reflected. "Within a business like this, the way we started it, a lot of really personal relationships developed. I have become great friends with a lot of the owners. Competition in terms of other types of boutique exercise studios are now opening all around them. They're struggling, they need support. It's hard to separate that I'm your friend and will help you, versus I am running a company and here's what you need to do." In spite of what is globally a very scary "now," Dailey is still characteristically optimistic when she thinks about the future. "I never would have imagined 20 years ago that my business would have evolved into what it is today," she said. "If I think of 20 years from now, I hope my kids are all healthy and happy. Right now this sheltering in place, this single parenting and running a business … it's a lot. For sure I would like to have a Dailey practice for the rest of my life. And also when I think ahead, I would like to, within next five or eight years, not have to be working as hard as I am now." For more information about The Dailey Method, visit thedaileymethod.com. n Left: Jill Dailey at her The Dailey Method location in Fairfax March 2020; Below: Dailey her with her dog Toney.– Photos by Stuart Lirette, In Her Imagery

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