Case Study: Citizen Pilates achieves better employee financial security and retention with Gusto Cashout

Citizen Pilates - Customer Case Study

Citizen Pilates, founded by Jess Hughes in Houston in 2015, has grown to two locations and about 21 staff across instructors and front-desk team members. Hughes needed to protect team wellbeing and financial security—believing employee happiness directly affects client experience—while also standing out in a competitive local market to attract and retain top talent.

She adopted Gusto Cashout and other Gusto tools for payroll and onboarding, letting employees access earned pay early and giving them clearer, professional onboarding and HR resources. The result: staff report greater financial freedom and trust, recruiting becomes a stronger differentiator, and the studio has reinforced team loyalty and a more consistent client experience.

Citizen Pilates

Jess Hughes

Founder