I’ve always been so passionate about sharing my journey building Powerhouse Pilates, but without all the BS and without making it look perfect and shiny. Because trust me, it’s not, and there’s so much to it that no one ever seems to talk about!
It’s really a process of looking back and thinking, six months ago I knew nothing. And I know in another six, I’ll think the same about the version of me today.
I’m Fiona (or Fi), mum to a two-year-old, wife, and founder of Powerhouse Pilates, which I set up whilst on maternity leave. I worked in construction for eight years and, tbh, was sick of the corporate BS (aren’t we all...).
Start with how you want people to feel
It’s funny, because when I started this process I just KNEW exactly how I wanted people to feel, and I didn’t know anything else. But I tell you what: figure out how you want people to feel, work out who that person is, and your community will build itself!
I’ve centred EVERYTHING around this, from the location and how easy it is to park, to each instructor and the unique personality and sparkle they bring to their classes. That’s what a brand actually is. Not a logo or a colour palette, but how people feel when they walk through the door and how they feel when they leave.
Finding your community is half the battle, and honestly I find it the easiest bit, probably because I’m a chronic oversharer, an extrovert and have no filter! The hardest bit, the bit no one really shows you, is how up and down it really is.
And if you’re doing this alone? LONELY.
The hidden parts
We’re all so good at showing our amazing successes: an amazing event, a waitlisted class. I do this too (I’m human after all), but it is NOT like that every day. Some days our classes feel weirdly quiet, and gosh, don’t get me started on the summer holidays...
It’s tough having such a high one day, then looking at your classes later in the week thinking, why is that one so quiet? Last week was great! It’s very easy to run with those thoughts (heck, I do, every day) and worry that people are losing interest in Powerhouse Pilates or have fallen out of love with Reformer. But in reality, everyone has their own life and things going on, and it only takes a few people to have something on for a class to go quiet.
That’s also why I share the quiet days. A brand built only on the highlight reel has to keep pretending. A brand built on being real just has to keep being real, and that’s much easier to keep up.
Grow a thick skin (and lock in your policies)
With new studios popping up CONSTANTLY, competition is high, and I don’t think people realise A) how much a successful studio actually costs, or B) what a successful studio actually faces.
You soon grow a tough skin and stop taking things so personally.
The client you built an amazing relationship with sends a “cancel my membership” email. The new member who late cancelled now wants her credit back. I totally underestimated how many of these emails and requests I’d deal with daily, but the quicker you formalise and LOCK IN your policies, the easier it becomes. This is paramount to having a studio that doesn’t just look good, but operates great!
Fiona, founder of Powerhouse Pilates, at her Reformer Pilates studio
The money (the real BS that no one talks about!)
All good things cost money, and running a bricks and mortar business in the UK right now is not for the faint hearted. Business rates going up, utilities costing the earth, and obviously HMRC eagerly waiting...
Running a Reformer Pilates studio is not a quick way to make money. People get caught up on “£25 a class, that’s £200 an hour!” It’s not. Most people are on a pack or membership, which already drops their class rate by a few pounds. Then take off instructor costs, VAT and all your overheads. It’s not as sexy as it sounds.
But can you grow your business if you’re squirrelling money away and too scared to spend? Nope. I recently pumped a huge amount into marketing, ads and new content, and it’s scary watching your bank account dip and dip and dip. But I either do it and learn, or stay exactly where I am.
And you’ll make mistakes. I spent thousands on a cinematic style content campaign, and whilst it looked amazing, did it bring me loads of new members? Unlikely. But that’s OK. I’ve learnt, and I won’t do it again.
You can’t do it all
You also learn what you can, and need to, delegate. This belief that women can and should do it all is rubbish, and if someone can prove me wrong, please teach me! But each side of my life suffers at times. You have to figure out your non-negotiables, what’s important to you, and where you’re best placed.
When I opened the studio I was teaching 25 to 30 classes a week. I got so sick, so quickly. I’ve since slowly reduced my teaching hours, because my instructors are brilliant at teaching, but running the business is my job, and I need to be here to do it.
Same goes for everything else. Getting a cleaner felt like cheating, like I should be the one mopping the studio floor. But no, I don’t need to be, and it wouldn’t make me a better person if I was.
The constant push
Even with help, it’s a constant forward push. If you want your studio to feel welcoming and warm, you NEED to be working on it, and that’s a huge juggle, especially when you throw children into the mix.
I constantly deal with the mental battle and the mental load, from “I’m not spending enough time with my little boy” to “I’ve really taken my eye off the ball at work this week.” And being really honest, when I’m in mum mode my brain is nearly ALWAYS on work.
Do I wish I could turn it off? Yes. Do I feel guilty? 100%. But do I also lean into this trait and push forward? Also yes. And that doesn’t make me a bad mum.
So, where do you start?
Figure out how you want people to feel. Lock in your policies early. Spend to grow, and accept some of it won’t work. Hand off what you don’t need to be doing. And stop judging the whole business on one quiet Tuesday.
It’s not shiny, it’s not perfect, and some weeks it’s a LOT. But that IS the brand. And I wouldn’t change it (but some days I’d also just like to rest).
Fi x
30 Blogs in 30 Days
Throughout October, we’re sharing one new blog every day, bringing together studio owners, instructors and industry experts to share their experiences, knowledge and perspectives on the Pilates industry.
Day 20 of 30, come back tomorrow for the next blog.
