STUDIO NOIR

Private · Master Plan · v1.0
STUDIO NOIRORG CHART

STUDIO NOIR · Org Chart

Phase 1 is small on purpose. Taj as founder + face + creative director. Trill as CSO. Tia as Marketing Director. Two or three contract instructors. One cleaning service.

That’s it Phase 1. No W-2 employees.

Phase 2 flagship adds a full hospitality-industry org.

Phase 1 org chart

                        Taj Hines
              Founder, Face, Creative Director
                            |
        +-------------------+-----------------+
        |                   |                 |
   Trill Walker         Tia Dunn        Studio Manager
   Chief Strategy       Marketing        (Phase 1 role,
   Officer              Director         part-time, ~10 hrs/wk,
   (no salary,          (cross-brand,    contractor arrangement)
   equity + Phase 2     no dedicated             |
   TWG production       STUDIO NOIR              |
   fees)                salary)                  |
                                        +--------+--------+
                                        |                 |
                            Lead Contract         Backup Contract
                            Instructor            Instructor
                            (pole + movement)     (pole + movement)
                            paid per class        paid per class
                            $60/class + fill      $60/class + fill
                            bonus                 bonus

External vendors Phase 1: - Cleaning service (contract): $400/month - Bookkeeper: monthly small business bookkeeper, $200/month - RDU attorney: retained per-matter (Smith Anderson, Wyrick Robbins, or equivalent Raleigh firm) - Insurance broker: annual policy relationship

Phase 1 role definitions

Taj Hines · Founder, Face, Creative Director

  • Sets the brand, taste, and hospitality standard
  • Weekly first Monday cash review with Trill
  • Present at soft open, grand open, monthly member events, quarterly Founders’ dinners
  • Reads on camera and in person for all Studio Noir press and content
  • Reviews and approves all major creative decisions (brand copy, member folios, apparel drops, event programming)
  • Does NOT: cover classes, run the front desk, do setup, handle instructor scheduling, manage payroll, respond to member service issues that a Studio Manager should handle

Trill Walker · Chief Strategy Officer

  • Strategy, brand direction, capital raising (Phase 2 kickoff Q3 2028)
  • First Monday cash review with Taj
  • Quarterly full financial review
  • Retains and manages all external professional relationships (attorney, insurance broker, bookkeeper, real estate broker)
  • Sources contract instructors through pro dance world network
  • Produces THE NOIR INVITATIONAL (Phase 2 forward) through The Walker Group
  • Does NOT: draw a salary from STUDIO NOIR Phase 1, manage day-to-day operations, get involved in individual class or member issues

Tia Dunn · Marketing Director (cross-brand)

  • Runs pre-launch content and waitlist campaign (T-6 months to open)
  • Manages Instagram, TikTok, waitlist landing page, member email lifecycle
  • Cross-brand across all Taj + Trill’s ventures (Nomad Society, SoftPlay Era’s wind-down comms, and STUDIO NOIR)
  • No dedicated STUDIO NOIR salary Phase 1 (compensated at the cross-brand arrangement level)
  • Reports to Trill on brand, direct approval line to Taj on look and voice
  • Does NOT: manage individual member communications (that’s the Studio Manager Phase 1)

Studio Manager (Phase 1 role, part-time contractor, ~10 hours/week, $25/hr)

  • Manages class schedule in Mariana Tek
  • Handles member sign-ups, cancellations, and general inquiries
  • Coordinates contract instructor schedule and cover requests
  • Manages small merch inventory and orders
  • Runs weekly member email
  • Reports to Trill on all operational matters

This is a light Phase 1 role. Cost: roughly $250/week = $1,000/month = $12,000/year. Can be a virtual assistant or a local Triangle contractor.

Contract Instructors (2 to 3, independent contractors 1099)

  • Teach group classes per schedule
  • Cover for each other when needed
  • Pay: $60 per class base + $10 per class fill bonus when class hits 8+ members
  • No W-2 benefits Phase 1
  • Carry own professional liability insurance
  • Trill sources and approves through pro dance network

What Phase 1 does NOT have

  • A General Manager (GM)
  • A Head of Programming (curriculum decisions made by Trill + Taj + lead instructor)
  • A Director of Member Experience
  • A Director of Finance and Ops
  • A Head of F&B (no F&B Phase 1)
  • A Head of Instructor Development
  • A dedicated Marketing Manager (Tia covers cross-brand)
  • A Community Manager
  • Locker room attendants
  • Cafe or lounge staff (no cafe or lounge)
  • Doorman
  • Valet coordination

All of these get hired at Phase 2 flagship (2029-2030). See “Phase 2 org preview” below.

Phase 1 hiring principles

  1. Nobody is a W-2 employee Phase 1. Every role is either founder equity (Taj, Trill), cross-brand (Tia), or contractor (Studio Manager, instructors, cleaning, bookkeeper).
  2. Taj is never the operator. Non-negotiable. If nobody can cover a class, we cancel the class, not put Taj on the floor.
  3. The first W-2 hire lands only when the business supports it. That means monthly revenue steadily above $18K, reserve fully refilled, and a specific need (usually the transition to Phase 2 hiring, which activates in 2029).
  4. Instructor bench depth over instructor count. Better to have 2 strong instructors and 1-2 rotating backups than 5 instructors we barely retain.

Phase 2 org preview (2029-2030 flagship)

Sequenced hiring plan builds out over Phase 2. Preview:

Phase 2 leadership team (in hiring order): 1. General Manager — hospitality industry veteran (Four Seasons, Aman, Peninsula, Rosewood, or Equinox Hotels). Retained hospitality specialty recruiter, not fitness. Hired 9-10 months before Phase 2 flagship open. Base $150K-$200K + bonus + 2% equity + relocation. 2. Head of Programming — deep instructor rolodex, direct creative line to Taj. Hired 7 months before Phase 2 open. Base $110K-$135K + bonus + 1% equity. 3. Director of Member Experience — hotel front-office director or luxury retail clienteling background. Hired 6 months before Phase 2 open. Base $95K-$115K + bonus + 1% equity. 4. Director of Finance and Ops — controller at a private club, boutique hotel, or multi-unit hospitality group. Hired 6 months before Phase 2 open. Base $105K-$130K + bonus + 0.5% equity. 5. Head of F&B — F&B Director at a lifestyle hotel or boutique members club. Hired 5 months before Phase 2 open. Base $95K-$115K. 6. Head of Instructor Development — master teacher background from Equinox, SoulCycle, Body and Pole NYC, or comparable. Hired 5 months before Phase 2 open. Base $85K-$105K. 7. Marketing Manager — reports to GM operationally, dotted line to Tia. Hired 4 months before Phase 2 open. Base $75K-$95K. 8. Community Manager — Triangle-native with deep social rolodex. Hired 3 months before Phase 2 open. Base $65K-$80K.

Phase 2 support staff (Y1 of Phase 2, 22 to 28 FTE): - 2 Concierge Leads - 5-7 Concierge and front-of-house - 2 doormen - 3-4 locker room and spa attendants - 3-4 cafe and lounge staff - 2-3 facilities and cleaning - 1 accounting and admin - Plus 15-20 contract instructors

Phase 2 total labor cost Year 1: approximately $2.8M to $3.3M all-in.

Phase 3 (2032+) franchisor infrastructure: - VP Franchise Development - Franchise Operations Director - Brand Standards Director (works with Taj on quality control) - Franchise Marketing Lead (reports to Tia) - Legal and Compliance Lead - Site Selection and Real Estate Lead

Complete Phase 2 and Phase 3 org, hiring, compensation, and equity plans rebuilt in 2028.

  • Phase 2 GM job spec (preserved): 06_ORG_HIRING/01
  • Phase 2 key hires (preserved): 06_ORG_HIRING/02
  • Phase 2 staffing model (preserved): 06_ORG_HIRING/03
  • Phase 2 compensation philosophy (preserved): 06_ORG_HIRING/04