Sarah Stone runs Muse Movement, Sarasota's only women-only Lagree studio, alongside a separate permanent jewelry business she started as a pop-up nearly four years ago. Both are self-funded almost entirely through cash flow, a point of pride for Stone, who took only a small loan to open her downtown Muse location and otherwise carries no business debt. She distinguishes Lagree sharply from the wave of lower-cost reformer studios that have opened around Sarasota, noting that a true Lagree studio requires a paid license -- unlike competitors that build cheaper copycat machines and market themselves under the more generic term Pilates to avoid licensing fees altogether.
Building Without a Franchise Model
Stone maxed out founding memberships before her first location even opened and expanded into a downtown Sarasota space soon after, choosing not to franchise the brand. Instead, she holds the Lagree license for specific zip codes -- downtown and Fruitville among them -- and plans to grow further locations herself, eventually bringing her sister in as a partner to help run new sites. She's candid about the harder stretches: running the jewelry business inside a mall location during two major hurricanes with no foot traffic but full payroll obligations, and a tight scramble to open the downtown Muse studio after her rent came due weeks before the space was ready. She credits her boyfriend, Blake of Tarpon Aluminum, as her main sounding board, along with her sister, though she says she still wishes she had a business mentor in a similar field.
The studio's atmosphere is part of the pitch: blackout blinds, backlit mirrors, and a sound system built with Integrity Sound loud enough that members can't hear themselves breathe, all designed to make members feel unobserved while they work through Lagree's core-focused, low-impact routines. Stone hosts free community events too, including a recent partnership with local surf and skate shop The Compound that drew well over a hundred people to a pop-up class.
Roundabouts Depend on the Season
Asked about roundabouts, Stone gives a seasonal answer: she loves them and knows how to use them, but concedes that out-of-season, when locals dominate the roads, they work far better than during high season, when tourists unfamiliar with the merge-and-yield rules cause the backups locals dread. She closes by recommending Jacob of The Compound as a future Sarasota SpeaX guest, calling him one of the most genuine people she knows in Sarasota's business community.
What you'll take away
- Sarah Stone has self-funded both Muse Movement and her permanent jewelry business almost entirely through cash flow, avoiding business debt
- She holds the Lagree license for specific Sarasota zip codes, including downtown and Fruitville, rather than franchising the brand
- A true Lagree studio requires a paid license, unlike competing reformer studios that build cheaper copycat machines and market under the generic term Pilates
- She kept the jewelry business running through two hurricanes with mall overhead and payroll but no foot traffic
- Her verdict on roundabouts is seasonal: she loves them in the off-season but concedes tourist unfamiliarity makes them frustrating in high season
“I want to be a true Lagree studio, and people that truly take Lagree love Lagree.”
“I don't plan on really selling ever. I love what I do, and I think they truly are both my passion projects.”
Places mentioned: Downtown Sarasota, Fruitville, UTC, Siesta Key, Lakewood Ranch