STUDIO NOIR · Staffing Model
Phase 1: minimal. Founder + cross-brand + contractors.
Phase 2: full-service hospitality staffing model at flagship scale.
Phase 1 staffing model
Total headcount
- 0 W-2 employees
- 3 contractor relationships (Studio Manager, 2-3 instructors)
- 2 vendor relationships (cleaning service, bookkeeper)
Coverage during open hours
Studio open: 6 AM to 9 PM daily (105 open hours per week).
Actual class coverage is much smaller than open hours. See 03_CONCEPT_PROGRAMMING/02 for the 12-class weekly schedule.
Class coverage: contract instructors show up 15 minutes before their class, teach the class, leave 15 minutes after. About 3-4 hours per instructor per week.
Between-class coverage: studio is often empty between classes. Members with keycard access (Studio tier) can enter during posted “open floor” hours (Wednesday and Friday afternoons, 2-5 PM) for solo practice. Studio Manager remotely monitors booking software.
Concierge presence: Taj or Tia at the door for classes when possible during the first 3 months. Otherwise, a rotating trusted friend or the lead instructor greets members at the concierge desk before class. This is a soft opening posture; concierge staffing gets formalized in Phase 2.
Weekly time allocation
| Role | Hours/week Phase 1 |
|---|---|
| Taj (founder duties, member events, monthly reviews) | 4-6 |
| Trill (strategy, monthly reviews, professional relationships) | 3-5 |
| Tia (marketing execution, cross-brand) | 5-8 |
| Studio Manager (admin, scheduling, member service) | 10 |
| Lead Contract Instructor (teaching + admin) | 8-10 |
| Backup Contract Instructor (teaching) | 3-4 |
| Cleaning service (2 visits per week) | 4 (contract, not direct hours) |
| Total | ~40-50 hours/week |
Phase 1 people cost
| Line | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| Studio Manager (contractor) | $1,000 | $12,000 |
| Contract instructors (blended) | $2,880 | $34,560 |
| Cleaning service (contract) | $400 | $4,800 |
| Bookkeeper (contract) | $200 | $2,400 |
| Taj distributions (starts month 7) | $6,000-$9,000 (blended by month 12) | $60,000-$100,000 |
| Trill compensation | $0 | $0 |
| Tia (cross-brand allocation) | $0 direct | $0 direct |
| Total | ~$10,480 + Taj distributions | ~$54K opex + ~$60-100K distributions |
Which matches 05_FINANCE unit economics.
Phase 1 staffing risks and mitigations
Risk 1: Studio Manager doesn’t cover enough
What it looks like: Member emails go unanswered, class cancellations create scheduling chaos, small merch orders slip.
Mitigation: Set up automation in Mariana Tek (auto-confirmations, waitlist auto-fill, member communication templates). Studio Manager’s job is exception handling, not routine handling. If exceptions grow, Studio Manager hours grow from 10 to 15-20/week (still contract, still no benefits burden).
Risk 2: Contract instructor calls out
What it looks like: Wednesday morning, lead instructor is sick. Class is at 6:45 PM.
Mitigation: Backup instructor has schedule flexibility built into their arrangement (that’s why they get $500/month retainer whether they teach or not, if we go that route). If bench is thin, we cancel the class and refund/credit members. We do NOT put Taj on the floor. Ever.
Risk 3: Contract instructor leaves
What it looks like: Lead instructor gets a better offer at another studio and gives 30-day notice.
Mitigation: Trill’s dance world network is deep. Recruiting replacement within 30 days is achievable. In the meantime, backup instructor picks up more classes (with pay bump).
Risk 4: Growing pains
What it looks like: By month 9 we’re at 70+ members and the Studio Manager can’t keep up.
Mitigation: Increase Studio Manager hours to 15-20/week or hire a second contractor Studio Manager for weekends. Still no W-2 Phase 1.
When does a W-2 hire become justified Phase 1?
Almost never Phase 1. The math:
A $50K W-2 employee costs the business roughly $65K all-in with payroll taxes and benefits. That’s $5,400/month.
If monthly revenue is $18K and monthly opex is $10K, we have $8K/month clean. Adding a $5,400/month W-2 leaves $2,600/month clean. That’s a big hit for a business proving itself.
W-2 hires happen at Phase 2 flagship when scale supports it. Phase 1 stays contractor-based.
The exception: if we hit 100+ members steadily and the Studio Manager contractor hits 30+ hrs/week for 3 consecutive months, converting them to W-2 with benefits becomes the right call. But this is at the end of Phase 1 or bridging into Phase 2 planning.
Phase 2 staffing model (2029-2030 flagship, preserved for reference)
Full flagship staffing at scale.
Phase 2 target ratios
- Overall staff-to-member ratio during peak: 1 to 20
- Instructor-led class ratio: 1 to 8 for pole, dance, PT; 1 to 12 for group strength or recovery
- Concierge presence: minimum 2 during open hours, 3 during peak
- Locker room attendant coverage: 1 per gendered room during open hours, 2 during peak
- Café and lounge: 1 per 25 members present during service
Phase 2 headcount
Membership assumption at Phase 2 open: 300-400 charter members. By Phase 2 month 12: 500-600 members.
Phase 2 Year 1 FTE headcount: 22-28 W-2 employees + 15-20 contract instructors.
Peak load stress test: Friday 6 PM. 72 concurrent members. 3 simultaneous classes. Total staff on floor at peak: 17. Member-to-staff ratio: 1 to 4.2. Well inside 1 to 20 target.
Phase 2 annual labor cost estimate
| Line | Annual |
|---|---|
| Leadership team (see 02_KEY_HIRES) | $780K-$970K |
| Concierge | $397K |
| Doorman | $146K |
| Attendants | $255K |
| Instructor contractor pool | $285K-$390K |
| Café and lounge staff | $293K |
| Café manager | $80K |
| Facilities lead + turn attendants | $202K |
| Valet contract | $216K |
| Overnight cleaning contract | $168K |
| Leadership bonuses (at 15% midpoint) | $110K-$180K |
| Total Phase 2 Year 1 people cost, all-in | $2.93M-$3.30M |
Full Phase 2 staffing model, coverage schedules, shift definitions, ratio tests, and cost math will be rebuilt in 2028.
Related docs
- Phase 1 org chart: 06_ORG_HIRING/00
- Phase 2 GM spec: 06_ORG_HIRING/01
- Phase 2 key hires sequencing: 06_ORG_HIRING/02
- Phase 2 compensation philosophy: 06_ORG_HIRING/04