STUDIO NOIR · Launch Roadmap
Window Phase 1: 9 months, anchored to Full Open summer 2027. Owner of record: Taj Hines, Founder + Creative Director. Strategic oversight: Trill Walker, CSO. Marketing execution: Tia Dunn, Marketing Director (cross-brand).
Phase 2 flagship launch (2029-2030) will have an 18-month runway with national press, corporate B2B, and full opening week. Phase 1 launch is a focused, warm, direct-to-audience opening.
Guiding principle
STUDIO NOIR does not launch. STUDIO NOIR opens.
Phase 1 is a warm launch. We open through Taj’s audience, Tia’s cross-brand posting, and word of mouth in the Triangle. We do not spend money chasing press. We build a small, engaged waitlist. We open for the people who signed up before we had a building.
Phase 1 phase structure
| Phase | Months | Objective |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation | Aug-Oct 2026 (T-9 to T-6) | Brand system live. Waitlist landing page live. Story architecture set. |
| Anticipation | Nov 2026-Feb 2027 (T-6 to T-3) | Founding cohort application opens. Cross-brand Nomad + Trill posts. First local RDU press pitch (WALTER Magazine, Raleigh Magazine, RALtoday). |
| Ignition | Mar-May 2027 (T-3 to T-0) | Buildout content documented. Soft-open invites sent to Founders. Prosecco + concierge protocol tested. |
| Occupation | Jun-Aug 2027 | Soft open (charter Founders + friends). Full open by end of Jul 2027. First 60 days of member ramp. |
| Consolidation | Sep-Nov 2027 | Steady state. Referral program active. First quarterly member event. |
Phase 1 milestone ledger
August 2026 (T-11) · Foundation
| Milestone | Owner | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Brand system finalized (identity, type, palette, motion) | Tia | Design system doc + asset library |
| Waitlist landing page live at studionoir.com or vault.thewalkergroup.studio | Tia | Live URL, gated form, referral tracking |
| Founder story shot (Taj) | Taj + Tia | Photo + short video assets |
| Story architecture drafted (three arcs: founder Taj, category luxury pole, city Raleigh) | Trill + Tia | Short narrative bible |
| First 50 waitlist signups from Taj + Trill IG | Tia | Confirmed |
September 2026 (T-10) · Foundation
| Milestone | Owner | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Real estate broker retained (see 04_REAL_ESTATE_BUILDOUT/02) | Trill | Signed engagement |
| Waitlist campaign: teaser posts from Taj’s IG (Raleigh) | Taj + Tia | Weekly posts |
| Nomad Society cross-brand mention | Tia | Coordinated post to Nomad list |
| First 100 waitlist signups | Tia | Confirmed |
October 2026 (T-9) · Foundation
| Milestone | Owner | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Property LOI signed | Trill | Signed |
| First construction/buildout photo shoot (Taj on-site) | Taj + Tia | Assets banked for content |
| First WALTER Magazine pitch | Tia | Meeting booked |
November 2026 (T-8) · Anticipation
| Milestone | Owner | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Lease signed | Trill | Signed |
| Waitlist crosses 150 | Tia | Confirmed |
| Charter cohort (The Founders) application opens (invitation from waitlist) | Tia | Application form live, criteria published (see below) |
December 2026-January 2027 (T-7, T-6) · Anticipation
| Milestone | Owner | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| First Founders cohort selected (first 15-20 members) | Taj + Trill | Applications reviewed, invites sent |
| Buildout kickoff | GC | Construction begins |
| Monthly buildout content series (short reels of Taj on-site, Trill visiting) | Tia | Monthly cadence begins |
| WALTER Magazine or Raleigh Magazine feature (if secured) | Tia | Story published |
February-March 2027 (T-5, T-4) · Anticipation
| Milestone | Owner | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Full Founders cohort filled (30 members) | Taj + Trill | Complete, waitlist for post-Founders continues |
| Waitlist crosses 200 | Tia | Confirmed |
| Trill’s dance network invited (personal messages, not public post) | Trill | Warm intros to 15-20 pro dancers |
| Buildout content series continues | Tia | Weekly reels |
April 2027 (T-3) · Ignition
| Milestone | Owner | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Buildout 75% complete | GC | On schedule |
| Founders cohort receives buildout progress video (private) | Taj | Sent to 30 Founders |
| Signature scent + prosecco + arrival ritual specified and sourced | Tia | Complete |
May 2027 (T-2) · Ignition
| Milestone | Owner | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Buildout complete | GC | Ready for FF&E |
| Contract instructors signed (2-3 lead instructors) | Trill | Contracts complete |
| Booking software (Mariana Tek) configured, class schedule loaded | Trill + Tia | Live for booking |
| Insurance bound | Broker | Complete |
| Certificate of Occupancy (CO) issued | GC + city | Received |
Early June 2027 (T-1) · Ignition
| Milestone | Owner | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Founders cohort receives Grand Open invitation | Taj + Tia | Physical invite mailed to 30 Founders |
| Waitlist gets soft-open teaser (video + email) | Tia | Sent to all waitlist members |
| Local RDU press: WALTER Magazine full article OR podcast interview with Taj | Tia | Placement confirmed |
| Team dry-run: full arrival ritual with 5-10 friends of Taj | Taj + Tia | Rehearsed |
Mid-June to July 2027 · Occupation
| Milestone | Owner | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Soft Open (Mid-June). Invitation-only: 30 Founders + immediate friends of Taj (~40 total). | Taj | Warm, quiet, ceremonial |
| First 2 weeks of Soft Open used to run classes with real members, refine any friction | All | Feedback loop live |
| Full Open (early July). Waitlist invited to book paid membership. | Tia | Public launch (soft) |
| First 30 paying members active by end of Jul | Tia + Taj | Confirmed |
| First waitlist-to-member conversion campaign active | Tia | Email sequence |
August-September 2027 · Occupation
| Milestone | Owner | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| Growth to 40-50 members | Tia + Taj | Confirmed |
| First Studio-tier private lesson bookings | Studio Manager | Booked |
| Instructor bench at 3-4 confirmed | Trill + lead instructor | Confirmed |
October-November 2027 · Consolidation
| Milestone | Owner | Deliverable |
|---|---|---|
| 60 members steady | Tia + Taj | Confirmed |
| First quarterly members-only social event | Tia + Taj | Sunday afternoon in the studio |
| Referral program active (existing member gets 1 free month per 2 referrals accepted) | Tia | Live |
| First profitable month | Trill + Taj | Confirmed |
Phase 2 launch roadmap (preserved for reference, rebuilt in 2028)
Phase 2 flagship launch is fundamentally different scale: - 18-month runway (T-12 through Grand Open Q4 2030) - Waitlist target: 2,500-4,000 qualified names - National press campaign (Cultured, Departures, Vogue Business, WSJ Off Duty) - Corporate B2B pipeline (Cisco, IBM, Epic Games, Red Hat, Fidelity, MetLife, Duke Health, UNC Health) - Team Hennessy sponsorship formalized for opening night bar - STUDIO NOIR INVITATIONAL Y1 concept announced - Full opening week programming (Monday Founding Member Ribbon, Tuesday Press Day, Wednesday Influencer Social, Thursday Invite-Only Opening Night, Friday First Full Public Day, Saturday Community Day, Sunday Members Only) - 450 charter members at open, 800 by end of Year 1 of Phase 2
Full Phase 2 launch roadmap rebuilt in 2028 alongside Phase 2 hiring plan (Marketing Manager, Community Manager) and Phase 2 capital raise.