Too many wellness entrepreneurs offer verbal incentives to close a deal—without ever putting them in writing.
In this episode, Cory shares a real story of a client who bought a $90,000 piece of equipment based on a refund promise… and never saw the money. He explains how false inducement works, how off-contract promises can nullify agreements, and what to do instead.
Why This Matters
You can follow the contract to the letter—but if someone entered the deal based on a false promise, the whole thing can be thrown out. That’s the legal power of inducement.
Key Takeaways
✔️ If a promise isn’t in the contract, it can still legally count—if it influenced the purchase
✔️ False inducement is grounds to void a contract or demand refunds
✔️ Always document off-scope promises in writing (email or message)
✔️ Saying “you’ll get this extra” just to close a sale can backfire
Cory’s Legal Pro Tip
📄 “Even if you meant well, a promise made before signing—like a bonus or refund—can invalidate the whole agreement if you don’t follow through. Always document everything in writing.”
🎧 Want to avoid messy refund battles and protect your business? Hit play now.
Too many coaches, retreat hosts, and studio owners have legal documents—but use them in the wrong place or at the wrong time.
In this episode, Cory breaks down a real client call where he walked through where and how to use every core agreement—so your documents actually protect you when it counts.
Why This Matters
You can have the perfect contract—but if it's signed too late or buried in the wrong spot, it won’t hold up in court. Placement and timing are just as important as the document itself.
Key Takeaways
✔️ Privacy policies and disclaimers belong in your website footer
✔️ Waivers and service agreements must be signed before payment or services
✔️ Social media disclaimers go in your Linktree or post captions
✔️ Media releases are best bundled into your service agreement
Cory’s Legal Pro Tip
📄 “If there’s ever a legal issue, the first thing your lawyer will ask is: Send me the last signed agreement. No matter what changed verbally, the signed version is all that counts.”
🎧 Want to make sure your documents actually protect you? Hit play now.
When a wellness studio updated their membership pricing, they forgot one critical step: getting clients to re-sign. When a dispute came up months later, their new terms were legally unenforceable.
This one mistake led to lost revenue, legal stress, and a painful lesson in contract basics.
Why This Happens
Health and wellness professionals often update their pricing or membership terms—but skip the legal step of getting clients to re-sign. Unfortunately, if a new agreement isn’t signed, the old one still governs.
How It Gets Messy
When conflict arises, the law only honors what was signed. Without a current agreement, you may be stuck with outdated terms—and zero legal power to enforce new policies.
What Could’ve Prevented It
A quick, easy request to re-sign. Even small changes like class limits, price hikes, or auto-renew policies must be reflected in a new agreement.
Key Takeaways
✔️ Any time your services or pricing change, your contracts must too
✔️ Verbal or emailed updates are not legally binding
✔️ Signed agreements are your only protection when things go wrong
✔️ Don’t wait for a dispute to realize your documents are outdated
🎧 Legal clarity starts with one updated agreement. Press play now.
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A 400-degree panel nearly fell on a yoga student. Here’s what saved the studio from disaster.
Why This Matters
Most wellness waivers are too vague. And if your waiver doesn’t list specific equipment or activities? You may not be protected if something goes wrong.
The Scary Story
At a hot yoga + Pilates studio on the West Coast, a heat panel came crashing down from the ceiling. Thankfully, no one was hurt—but it easily could’ve been a six-figure lawsuit.
Here’s the twist: because Conscious Counsel had listed heated equipment and falling panel risk in the waiver, the studio would have had a solid legal defense.
What Could’ve Gone Wrong
• No specific mention of equipment = No legal protection
• No documented risk = Full liability
• No waiver at all = Game over
Key Takeaways
✔️ A waiver must list specific risks and equipment
✔️ Industry-specific language makes a difference
✔️ One accident can wipe out your profits
✔️ A strong waiver = your first line of legal defense
🎧 Listen and learn how to strengthen your legal shield—before something breaks.
A missing document. A $50K lawsuit. All because one service agreement was never signed.
What Happened
A health and wellness entrepreneur worked with a client—without ever signing a contract. When the relationship soured, they got hit with a lawsuit for over $50,000… and had no signed agreement to back them up.
Why It Matters
In the eyes of the law, the contract is king. Without a written agreement, expectations become fuzzy, IP ownership is unclear, and legal protections vanish.
The Expensive Lesson
Instead of showing a signed agreement and ending the issue instantly, the entrepreneur now has to defend themselves in court—costing time, money, and peace of mind.
What Would’ve Prevented It
A simple, customized, industry-specific service agreement. Signed at the start. That’s it.
Key Takeaways
✔️ No contract = no clarity if things go wrong
✔️ Lawsuits are 10x more expensive than proactive legal setup
✔️ Without a signed agreement, legal outcomes become 50/50 gambles
✔️ Legal protection starts with ONE document, not court
🎧 Listen to the episode now to learn what could’ve prevented this—and how to protect yourself before it's too late.
What happens when your team leaves... and takes your clients with them?
The Moment It All Unraveled
One of our clients—owner of a busy Pilates studio—was threatened by a long-time teacher: “Give me what I want, or I’ll walk and take all my clients with me.” And legally? She could.
Why This Happens So Often
Many wellness businesses rely on teachers and coaches without having customized agreements in place. The problem? Unless you clarify ownership and responsibilities in writing, workers may legally be allowed to take clients with them—even if it puts your business at risk.
What Makes This So Dangerous
Contractors typically can’t be restricted. Employees can—but only if their agreement includes specific, enforceable clauses. Without a signed contract, you’ll have little legal recourse.
How to Avoid the Threat
A clear agreement is your best defense. Clauses like non-solicitation and non-compete can help—but your strongest asset is creating a client experience so strong, no one wants to leave.
Key Takeaways
✔️ Contractors are legally allowed to work with whoever they want
✔️ Employees can be restricted—but only with strong contracts
✔️ Without written agreements, enforcement is nearly impossible
✔️ A positive brand experience is your best long-term protection
✔️ Peace of mind comes from being proactive—not reactive
🎧 Press play to learn how to stop staff from stealing your clients—and what it takes to enforce it.
Let Your Legal Docs Tell the Right Story
When a conflict happens—injury, refund demand, or behavior issue—it’s not about what really happened. It’s about what you can prove. That’s why your legal agreements should be written like your brand’s story—clear, aligned, and enforceable.
Why This Happens
Wellness entrepreneurs often rely on ChatGPT contracts, borrowed templates, or DIY agreements. But when problems arise, these generic documents fail to protect you—and tell the wrong story in legal disputes.
How It Gets Messy
One Pilates studio owner had a disruptive client. They terminated the relationship using a signed agreement. But then the client threatened to sue for injury. Thanks to a strong waiver and behavior clause, the studio’s legal story was airtight—and the threat fizzled.
What Could’ve Prevented It (or Did)
✔️ Clear behavioral expectations in a signed membership agreement
✔️ A waiver covering the exact equipment used in class
✔️ Conscious Counsel’s industry-specific templates
✔️ Proactive legal storytelling
Key Takeaways
✔️ Legal issues are won by the story your documents tell
✔️ Specific waivers & contracts = stronger protection
✔️ Agreements should reflect your tone, policies, and values
✔️ Reactive law is expensive—proactive law is empowering
🎧 You work hard to build your brand. Make sure your legal story backs it up.
Selling Your Yoga or Fitness Studio? Here's What to Do Legally
A longtime studio owner decided it was time for a new chapter. But selling a wellness business isn’t just about finding a buyer—it’s about protecting your brand, team, and years of hard work with the right legal process.
Why This Happens
Wellness professionals often dream of selling their studio or retreat business—but few realize how many legal steps are involved. Without the right agreements in place, you may lower your sale price, scare off serious buyers, or even risk the deal falling through.
How It Gets Messy
Without a trademark, contracts, NDAs, or a formal Letter of Intent, buyers have no protection, and sellers lose control. If you give away sensitive info too soon or don’t secure a deposit, the whole deal can unravel—and waste months of your time.
What Could’ve Prevented It
An airtight roadmap:
✔️ Registering your trademark to increase your valuation
✔️ Using an NDA before sharing business details
✔️ Requiring a deposit and Letter of Intent before due diligence
✔️ Customizing your asset purchase agreement with values-aligned clauses
Key Takeaways
✔️ Trademark registration boosts your studio’s sale value
✔️ NDAs and LOIs protect both parties during the sale
✔️ A good asset sale agreement reflects your vision and priorities
✔️ Conscious Counsel Plus members get full support, every step
🎧 Planning to sell one day? Press play now and learn what to put in place today.
How Wellness Coaches Can Protect and License Their Signature Method
One health coach developed a unique process that changed their life—and wanted to teach it to others. But without legal protection, it could be stolen or misused. Here’s how they scaled it safely.
Why This Happens
Many coaches and teachers build powerful frameworks—but hesitate to promote or license them because they fear being copied.
How It Gets Messy
If someone copies your method, name, or content, you can’t enforce your rights without a trademark, copyright, or licensing agreement.
What Could’ve Prevented It
Register your IP. Protect your name. Create a licensing agreement. Then grow with confidence knowing your method is legally yours.
Key Takeaways
✔️ Trademarks protect your brand and method name
✔️ Copyright protects your materials and processes
✔️ Licensing lets you scale without losing control
✔️ Wellness pros need real legal structure to grow big
🎧 You built something powerful—protect it before scaling. Press play now.
Contractor or Employee? The Costly Mistake Wellness Studios Keep Making
A studio owner wanted to fire a toxic team member—only to find out they’d been misclassifying them as a contractor for years. The result? Legal leverage lost, thousands paid in settlement, and weeks of stress that could’ve been avoided with the right agreement.
Why This Happens
In the wellness world, hiring “contractors” seems easier and cheaper—but most business owners don’t understand the legal test behind that label. Simply calling someone a contractor doesn’t make it true in the eyes of the law.
How It Gets Messy
When relationships with staff break down, misclassification gives workers legal leverage. If they’ve been treated like employees, they can file complaints or threaten audits—and suddenly, you’re forced to negotiate from a weak position.
What Could’ve Prevented It
A strategic hiring process and an industry-specific agreement aligned with how work is actually performed. When your contracts match your operations, you stay legally protected—and in control.
Key Takeaways
✔️ Calling someone a contractor doesn’t make it legal
✔️ Misclassification can trigger audits or settlements
✔️ Laws vary by state and center on control and behavior
✔️ Working with an industry-specific lawyer avoids costly mistakes
🎧 Don’t let a misclassified contractor hijack your business. Press play now.
Who Actually Owns Your Business?
A wellness studio was booming—until one partner wanted out. No documents were signed. No rules were agreed upon. Suddenly, everything fell apart. Another studio had the same challenge… but solved it in 24 hours. The difference? One piece of paper.
Why This Happens
Most health and wellness entrepreneurs focus on growth, not legal structure. You trust your partner, open your doors, and keep going—without ever defining who owns what, or what happens if someone leaves.
How It Gets Messy
When your co-owner quits or your business hits a conflict, the law assumes 50/50 ownership—even if your time, money, or energy was nowhere near equal. Without a signed agreement, you have no legal advantage.
What Could’ve Prevented It
A clear operating or shareholder agreement tailored to wellness businesses. One that defines ownership, payout rules, exit strategies, and dispute resolution—so you can grow your brand without legal chaos.
Key Takeaways
✔️ No legal documents = no ownership control
✔️ The law defaults to 50/50—no matter what you contributed
✔️ Partnership exits without documents cost thousands
✔️ A customized agreement gives clarity, control, and peace of mind
🎧 Don’t just build your wellness business. Protect it. Press play now.
Too often, health and wellness entrepreneurs only think of lawyers as intimidating, expensive, and reactive. But what if your lawyer truly understood your business—and genuinely wanted you to succeed?
In this episode, Cory shares real stories of clients navigating issues like toxic employees, angry members, faulty equipment, and trademark disputes—all made easier by having a relationship with a lawyer who knows them, loves them, and is ready to help.
Whether it's creating proactive strategies or managing unexpected challenges, having a lawyer who truly has your back can mean the difference between stress and success.
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
✔️ Proactive law gives you power—reactive law costs time, stress, and money
✔️ Having a lawyer who knows your business means faster, more effective support
✔️ CC+ membership offers unlimited access and real results for members
✔️ Legal support should be human, heart-led, and actually enjoyable
🎧 Why You Need a Lawyer Who Actually Loves You? Press play now.
No Contract? Welcome to the Wild Wild West
A retreat collab. A great idea. But no contract. When things went sideways, one client had no legal power—and paid the price.
Why This Happens
It’s common: you trust someone, get excited about a project, and start building before you clarify who owns what. But the law assumes both parties share ownership—unless there’s a written agreement.
How It Gets Messy
When things go wrong, you’re stuck in what Cory calls “the Wild Wild West”—where no one has a clear legal advantage, and negotiations are costly and emotional.
What Could’ve Prevented It
A simple written agreement defining roles, rights, and responsibilities. That’s it.
Key Takeaways
✔️ Starting a project without a contract creates legal chaos
✔️ The law assumes 50/50 ownership unless stated otherwise
✔️ A written agreement protects your IP and brand vision
✔️ Conflict without contracts = expensive, stressful, and avoidable
🎧 Legal clarity starts with one document. Press play now.
Are You Bound by a Contract If the Info Is Wrong?
You signed a contract. But later, you realize some of the info in it was wrong. Can you still be legally bound?
This episode breaks down a real $25,000 mistake—and what it teaches about signing contracts without double-checking the details.
Why “I Didn’t Know” Doesn’t Work in Law
There’s a legal principle called “ignorance is not a defense.”
If you sign something—even if the information inside is wrong—you’re likely still bound by it.
One of Cory’s clients signed a commercial lease stating the property was 1,100 sq ft.
Three years later, she discovered the space was only 800 sq ft.
That mistake cost her over $25,000 in rent overpayment—and there was nothing she could do to recover it.
Why This Matters for Wellness Entrepreneurs
Whether it’s a lease, a partnership agreement, or a contractor agreement, the fine print matters.
You need to know:
Key Takeaways:
✔️ If you sign it, you’re usually bound—even if the info is wrong
✔️ Most contracts include clauses saying you had the chance to get legal advice
✔️ The time and cost to dispute a signed contract is rarely worth it
✔️ Review before signing—or risk costly surprises later
🎧 Listen before you sign something you regret.
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Installments vs Subscriptions – Protecting Your Payments
Some clients drop out. Others cancel and stop paying. The legal difference between subscriptions and installments can determine whether you keep the money or lose it entirely.
Subscription vs Installment – What’s the Difference?
A subscription gives clients access month-by-month. They can cancel. Installments mean clients are buying the full program, and you’re letting them pay it off over time.
Why You Need the Right Legal Language
If your agreement doesn’t clearly explain what happens when someone cancels midway, you’re exposed. Cory shares two real stories: one studio lost six figures in revenue, another coach lost 66% of their fee—simply because their contracts weren’t clear.
Key Takeaways:
✔️ Subscriptions can be canceled under Click to Cancel laws
✔️ Installments are not subscriptions—if clearly stated
✔️ Your contract must explain what happens if a client cancels
✔️ Without this, you’ll lose time, money, and control
🎧 Protect your payments. Understand the difference. Press play now.
How to Negotiate Through Your Contracts
Your contract is more than a set of rules—it’s a tool to open communication and set expectations.
Negotiation Is a Good Thing
When someone asks to change the contract, don’t panic. Whether it’s a landlord, client, or team member, negotiation creates clarity—and often strengthens the working relationship.
Why It Matters
This episode shares stories of conscious communication in action, where clear negotiation helped both parties feel confident, supported, and protected. Your legal agreements should reflect your values and your boundaries.
Key Takeaways:
✔️ Use your own agreements, drafted for your business and industry
✔️ Invite dialogue if someone has questions
✔️ Clarify expectations before signing
✔️ Negotiation creates stronger relationships and fewer future problems
Pay Me Now or Pay Me Later
If you have a wellness business, you will eventually need legal support. The only question is: will it be proactive or reactive?
What This Episode Covers: Cory shares the most important advice he ever received as a lawyer: “pay me now or pay me later.” He walks through two recent client stories—one who got sued for six figures, and another facing an expensive trademark fight—all because they delayed legal.
Why It Matters: When you wait until there's a problem, you're no longer in control. You’re reacting, often stressed, and paying more. This episode shows why protecting yourself before an issue arises is the best strategy.
Key Takeaways:
✔️ You will need legal help—sooner or later
✔️ Being proactive costs less and gives you control
✔️ Waiting means you’ll be reacting under stress
✔️ These stories are real, and preventable
🎧 Press play. Protect your business.
Top 5 Legal Myths Wellness Entrepreneurs Believe
These are the myths keeping amazing wellness professionals from legal clarity. Let’s break them down.
What People Say
Cory shares the top limiting beliefs he's heard in 8+ years of working with 1,600+ clients:
What Actually Works
Each myth gets lovingly debunked with real stories, client examples, and Cory's strategies for building a solid legal foundation.
You’ll learn why size doesn’t matter, when "later" is too late, and how real protection gives you the freedom to grow.
Key Takeaways:
✔️ Legal protection matters at all stages
✔️ Friends + free sessions still carry legal risk
✔️ Generic templates can create huge vulnerabilities
✔️ Clarity gives confidence—and stronger sales
✔️ The law applies to you whether you believe it or not
🎧 Press play to get legally empowered.
Why I Left Traditional Law (And What Makes Our Firm Different)
Cory didn’t plan to be a lawyer. And he definitely didn’t plan to leave Big Law to serve yoga teachers and wellness entrepreneurs. But the system was broken—and so was the experience for clients.
What Traditional Law Gets Wrong
Long hours. Poor communication. Lawyers that clients don’t actually want to work with. Cory saw the flaws first-hand and decided to do things differently.
A New Kind of Legal Support
Fun. Human. Industry-specific. Conscious Counsel was built for heart-led entrepreneurs who want to feel seen and supported. And it all started with one principle: be the lawyer you’d want to work with.
Key Takeaways:
✔️ Big Law didn’t support wellness entrepreneurs
✔️ Most law firms create friction instead of clarity
✔️ Legal should feel fun, light, and aligned
✔️ Clients deserve respect, transparency, and care
🎧 Press play and meet the lawyer behind Conscious Counsel.
Can Signing the Wrong Lease Bankrupt You?
When COVID hit, many wellness businesses went under. The #1 reason? Lease agreements they didn’t understand.
What Goes Wrong
From outrageous personal guarantees to vague use clauses, most lease documents are written to protect the landlord—not you. Cory unpacks the most common red flags that get studio owners in trouble.
What You Can Do
You can negotiate. You should ask questions. And you must understand what you’re signing before locking yourself into thousands of dollars of monthly rent.
Key Takeaways:
✔️ Always clarify permitted use for your space
✔️ Ask for a non-compete clause if you're in a shared building or plaza
✔️ Avoid personal guarantees when possible
✔️ Get clarity on all costs (rent, taxes, CAM, insurance)
✔️ Consider early morning/loud use restrictions if needed
🎧 Press play to avoid costly lease mistakes.
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