STUDIO NOIR · Compensation Philosophy

Two rules apply Phase 1 and Phase 2.

Rule one: We pay above market for the roles that determine whether STUDIO NOIR feels like a 5-star club or a nice studio. Phase 1 those roles are Taj (founder, unpaid Phase 1 but takes distributions Y2+) and the contract instructors. Phase 2 those roles are the GM, Head of Programming, and Director of Member Experience.

Rule two: No tips, ever. STUDIO NOIR is a members’ club. Members pay their dues and never carry cash. Every service touchpoint is included in the price. Staff are compensated through above-market base plus (Phase 2) a service pool funded by the club, never by member gratuity.

Phase 1 compensation

Founders

• Taj Hines: $0 salary. Distributions after month 6 per 05_FINANCE/07 (starting $6K/month growing to $12K/month by end of Year 2).
• Trill Walker: $0 salary. Equity + Phase 2 TWG production fees on THE NOIR INVITATIONAL.
• Tia Dunn: Compensated at cross-brand arrangement level (Nomad Society + Taj’s ventures + Trill’s ventures). No dedicated STUDIO NOIR salary Phase 1.

Contract Instructors (1099)

• Per class rate: $60/class base for a 60-minute class. $70/class for a 75-minute class (Pole Art).
• Fill bonus: $10 per class when class hits 8+ members. Encourages instructor to promote their classes and hit targets.
• Guest instructor residencies (occasional): $1,000 flat for a weekend residency (Friday evening + Saturday 2 classes). Plus 1 night lodging if traveling.
• Master class or takeover (rare): $300 flat for a special session.

Instructors do not carry equity Phase 1. They carry their own professional liability insurance. STUDIO NOIR carries the umbrella policy.

Studio Manager (part-time contractor)

• $25/hour, roughly 10 hours/week = $1,000/month
• No benefits (contractor)
• If hours grow to 20+/week for 3 consecutive months, consider W-2 conversion (end of Phase 1)

Other Phase 1 vendors

• Cleaning service: $400/month contract
• Bookkeeper: $200/month contract
• Attorney: retained per-matter
• Insurance broker: annual policy relationship

Total Phase 1 monthly people cost

~$4,480 in contract/vendor + Taj distributions (starting $6K/month). Roughly $10,000-$14,000/month by end of Year 1.

Phase 1 tips policy

Tips forbidden. Members do not tip. Instructors cannot accept tips. If a member insists, the amount is redirected to a Staff Care Fund that pays for team activations, small gifts, and holiday appreciation.

This protects the brand and staff dignity. Members do not need to remember to tip. Instructors do not resent members who don’t. Every visit is comprehensively paid for at the front door.

Phase 1 equity

Founder pool (100% of common)

• Taj Hines: 90% (OpCo), 80% (IP LLC)
• Trill Walker: 10% (OpCo), 20% (IP LLC)

See 05_FINANCE/04 for capital stack detail. Splits adjust if Trill contributes cash at Phase 1 or Phase 2.

Option pool

Phase 1: no option pool. With zero W-2 employees, there’s no need for one.

Option pool activates at Phase 2 (2029) when the first W-2 hires arrive: - GM: 2% - Head of Programming: 1% - Director of Member Experience: 1% - Director of Finance and Ops: 0.5% - Head of F&B: 0.5% - Head of Instructor Development: 0.25% - Reserved for Phase 2 Y2 exceptional performance: 0.75% - Reserved for Phase 3 franchisor hires + Founding Instructor grants: 4.0% - Total option pool at Phase 2: 10%

Phase 2 compensation preview (rebuilt in 2028)

Phase 2 leadership cash bands

Phase 2 support leadership

Phase 2 hourly staff

• Concierge FTE: $24-$28/hr base
• Concierge Lead: $30-$34/hr base, or $65K-$72K salary
• Doorman: $22-$26/hr base
• Attendants (locker room, spa): $23-$26/hr base
• Café barista and cook: $20-$25/hr base
• Lounge server: $22-$26/hr base + share of service pool
• Facilities and turn staff: $22-$25/hr base

Phase 2 service pool

Funded at 3% of monthly membership dues. Distributed to hourly staff based on hours worked, tenure, and manager rating. Average concierge takes home an additional $350-$600/month from the pool. Replaces gratuity, ties compensation to member experience quality (not member generosity).

Phase 2 instructor pool (contractor)

• Base per class hour: $65-$95 (pole and dance senior at top, PT and recovery at base, group strength/gym in middle)
• Attendance kicker: $10-$20 per hour per member above class threshold
• Guest instructor residencies: $2,500 flat + travel + 3 nights lodging
• Master class or takeover: $500-$1,500 flat

Top-performing instructors (defined as top 3 by member NPS and retention) receive a $5,000 bonus at year end and consideration for a Founding Instructor equity grant of 0.1%-0.25% starting Phase 2 Year 2.

Phase 2 benefits floor (for all W-2 FTE)

• Medical, dental, vision, life, short and long-term disability (fully paid for employee, 50% for dependents)
• 401k Safe Harbor, 4% match after 6 months, immediate vest
• PTO: 15 days + 8 paid holidays + club closure days, escalates to 20 days at Year 2 and 25 days at Year 4
• Concierge and above: 5th week PTO by default
• Paid parental leave: 12 weeks primary, 6 weeks secondary, fully paid
• Wellness stipend: $75/month
• Complimentary STUDIO NOIR membership for employee + plus-one at 50% off dues
• Café and lounge tab: $200/month FTE below Director, $500/month Director and above

Vest schedules

All equity grants: 4-year vest, 1-year cliff. Early exercise permitted with 83b election within 30 days of grant. Single-trigger acceleration on change of control for GM and Head of Programming only; double-trigger for all others.

Why we do it this way

STUDIO NOIR is a hospitality product. Hospitality is a people product.

Phase 1: keep the model lean and cash-preserved for Taj. Contractor-first because W-2 overhead does not make sense at boutique scale.

Phase 2: pay 30% above RDU market for the three brand-facing seats to secure hotel-luxury talent who otherwise ignore an unknown Triangle startup. Build the service pool into dues and forbid tips to make member behavior uniform and predictable, protect staff dignity, and signal to members that they have already paid for the level of care they will receive.

Taj is the face. The GM (Phase 2) runs the floor. Trill supplies capital and strategy from outside. Tia holds the brand across all Taj + Trill ventures. The comp philosophy protects that structure.

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 staffing model: 06_ORG_HIRING/03
• Capital stack + equity Y1/Y2 split: 05_FINANCE/04
• Founder distributions: 05_FINANCE/07