From Instructor to Studio Owner: Turning a Love of Teaching Into an Award-Winning Pilates Studio

A love of movement 

Before my days as an instructor, I was simply someone who loved movement. That love started during my time as a dancer.

Dance taught me from a young age how much I enjoyed movement, discipline and the feeling of being physically strong. As I moved on from dancing, I naturally found myself drawn towards fitness and became a personal trainer.

It was through personal training that I discovered Pilates and began to appreciate how much more there was to movement than simply getting fitter or stronger. Pilates combined everything I loved.

As I progressed as an instructor, I found myself becoming increasingly passionate about teaching Pilates. I loved seeing what Pilates could do for people. Watching someone become stronger, more confident and more comfortable in their body was incredibly rewarding.

I also loved the relationships you build as an instructor. For me, teaching Pilates was never just about delivering a class. It was about creating an environment where people felt good about themselves and wanted to come back.

Over time, I started thinking about what I would create if I had my own studio. I wanted to create a space where people genuinely felt welcome, supported and part of a community.

That idea eventually became Reform & Glow.

Turning the dream into a reality 

The idea of opening my own studio had been in the back of my mind for some time. I knew I wanted to create something that felt different. I wanted Reform & Glow to be a place where people could come and feel comfortable, regardless of whether they had been doing Pilates for years or had never stepped foot on a reformer before. I wanted the classes to be small, personal and welcoming, and I wanted the studio to feel like a community rather than simply somewhere you turned up, exercised and left.

Once I started to put a business plan together, everything suddenly became very real. There was so much to think about, from finding the right space and investing in equipment to creating the brand, working out the finances, putting systems in place and, of course, wondering whether people would actually come.

Before I launched, I set up a waitlist and, to my amazement, more than 500 people had signed up. Seeing that level of interest was so exciting and gave me reassurance that there was a demand for what I wanted to create.

However, suddenly having to learn about leases, finance, marketing, bookings and everything else that comes with running a business made me quickly realise that becoming a studio owner would require me to become much more than an instructor.

Reform & Glow officially opened its doors in August 2025, and what started as an idea had suddenly become a real studio, with real clients, real bills and a business that was now entirely my responsibility.

It was both exciting and extremely daunting.

Jodie Fast, founder of Reform & Glow teaching Pilates

From Instructor to business owner 

Opening the doors was an incredible moment, and the first year has been nothing short of amazing, but the reality of becoming a studio owner is very different from simply being an instructor.

I quickly realised that being a good Pilates instructor and running a successful Pilates studio require two very different skill sets.

As an instructor, my focus had always been on the people in front of me: delivering a great class, making sure clients felt supported and helping them progress. As a business owner, I had to start understanding how the business was performing and make decisions that would allow it to grow without losing what made it special in the first place.

One of the biggest lessons I've learned is that you can't build a sustainable business simply by saying yes to everything. There has to be a balance between growth and making sure the foundations of the business are strong.

I also had to become comfortable with not knowing everything. There were plenty of things I had never done before, and I had to learn as I went, sometimes through research, sometimes by asking for advice and sometimes simply by making a decision and seeing what happened.

One thing is for sure, and that is that I most definitely had to grow alongside the business.

Reform & Glow has grown considerably since those first days, but the reason I started it hasn't changed. I still want people to walk through the doors and feel welcomed, supported and excited to be there. Building the business has been about finding ways to grow while keeping that feeling at the heart of everything we do.

Building a studio around client experience 

From the beginning, I wanted Reform & Glow to be about more than the workout.

Of course, the quality of the Pilates comes first, but I wanted people to feel comfortable from the moment they walked through the door. Whether someone was completely new to Pilates or had been practising for years, I wanted them to feel like they belonged.

That has influenced so many of the decisions we've made, from keeping classes small and personal to offering different levels and creating specific options for beginners. We've also built a community outside of the classes through events and experiences that give clients the opportunity to connect with each other.

I think that's one of the biggest lessons I've learned as a studio owner: people don't just remember the exercises you taught them, they remember how you made them feel.

Creating that experience takes thought and consistency, but it has been one of the most rewarding parts of building Reform & Glow. Seeing clients become regulars, make friends, grow in confidence and genuinely look forward to coming into the studio is what makes all the hard work worthwhile.

The lessons I’ve learned along the way 

If I could go back to the beginning and give myself some advice, there are a few things I'd tell myself.

Teaching and running a business are two different jobs. Being a great instructor is incredibly important, but it doesn't automatically prepare you for everything that comes with owning a studio. Understanding your finances, systems, marketing and numbers is just as important as delivering a great class.

Don't expect everything to work immediately. Not every idea, offer or change you make will be a success, and that's okay. Sometimes you need to give something time to see whether it works before deciding to change it. Equally, if something genuinely isn't working, don't be afraid to adapt. I've learned that you don't need to change everything at once. Make small, considered changes, give them time and see what the response is before making your next decision.

Build your community from day one. Your clients are so much more than bookings in your diary. They are the people who will recommend you, support your business and help create the atmosphere of your studio.

And finally, know your numbers. It's easy to focus on full classes and a busy timetable and assume that means you're making money. Understanding your costs, conversions, retention numbers, pricing and profitability is essential if you want to build something that is genuinely sustainable.

From studio to an award-winning business 

When I first imagined opening my own studio, I never imagined that within the first year we'd be recognised with awards.

Reform & Glow was named Best New Studio 2026 - UK in the Reformer Pilates Awards, and we were also incredibly proud to become a finalist for Best Pilates Studio in the Muddy Stilettos Awards 2026.

Of course, the recognition means a huge amount, but for me, the awards represent much more than the business itself. They represent the team I've built, the instructors who bring their own passion and personality to every class, and the clients who have supported Reform & Glow from the very beginning.

Ultimately, building an award-winning studio hasn't been about trying to win awards. It's been about creating a studio that people genuinely love being part of, and I'm incredibly proud of how far we've come.

What’s next?

Becoming a studio owner hasn't meant leaving my journey as an instructor behind, I still teach a lot of classes. If anything, it has given me the opportunity to share my passion for Pilates with even more people and create opportunities for other instructors to do the same.

Reform & Glow has grown far beyond the studio I first imagined, but at the heart of it, my reason for starting hasn't changed. I still love teaching, I still love seeing clients progress, and I still believe in the power of Pilates to make people feel stronger and more confident.

For any instructor considering taking that next step, my biggest piece of advice would be simple: believe in your idea, understand that it will evolve, and don't be afraid to learn as you go. You don't have to have all the answers before you begin.

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 13 of 30, come back tomorrow for the next blog.