Mums in Business featuring Studio 44 Pilates
This week as part of my Mums in Business series I’m delighted to introduce Louise from Studio 44 Pilates. Louise has always worked in the fitness industry, and realised her passion for setting up her own business during her maternity when she began to set up the business. Her Pilates business has gone from strength to strength over the years, and you can read Louise’s story to success here on the blog.
Tell me a little bit about you, your background and Studio 44 Pilates
I have worked in the fitness industry for over 25 years in teaching and training roles. Having taught Aerobics, Step and spinning I wanted to find something that my aging body could cope with! So I trained as Pilates teacher and life changed in many ways.
I worked for a large international fitness company travelling the country and the world to train staff in our clubs but at 40 we were lucky enough to get pregnant. I had my son and aimed to take 6 months off, but as my colleague had been made redundant soon after I started maternity leave I knew it would happen to me too. So during that 6 months with a new baby I built up my Pilates classes so that I had something to carry on when the day came.
The online Pilates Practise videos seemed the best choice. We all lead busy lives and find that we the parent are usually the bottom of the pile for doing anything for ourselves! So 10 minutes seems doable to most people and the feedback I have has been very positive. I video the sessions a month in advance and most of my admin and social media now gets done late in the evening after evening meals and homework has been done! Family time for us is the evening meal (when I’m not teaching) where we catch up.
How do you balance your business around your family and children
The Pilates classes grew and with my son attending a child minder a few days a week I was able to teach regularly. Evenings to start with were the busiest and this was the hardest as my husband worked a distance away so I had to set up a regular babysitter so I could teach. My son knows no different that I go out to teach during the day and the evenings and I am sure I was a better mother to him for it!!
He is now 12 so in some ways things have got easier although he’s up later in the evenings so sneaking off to do admin is harder.
Since setting up Studio 44 Pilates what’s been your biggest success to date
The online videos have been going for 3 months now and my biggest achievement so far is the number of subscribers I have in that time including one in New Zealand. I set myself monthly targets and this has been exceeded, the challenge now is to get more and keep them!
What’s your top tip for anyone who’s thinking about setting up their own business
If you have an idea for a business don’t dismiss it, mine changed has changed over the months to get to where I am now. If you feel passionately about something and those around you buy into your idea then give it a go, in the past I have let things drift and now wonder!
Thank you so much Louise for sharing your story with us, I wish you all the best of luck in the future.
You can find out more about Studio 44 Pilates and how you can take the online classes by visiting Louise’s website, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter channels.
If you want to read more from my Mums in Business series then have a nose at Gift It 2, The Carpenters Wife, RS Virtual Assistant, Love Your Birth, Write My Name and Koru Kids.
Claire x
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