Very good discussion. This perspective reminds me to look in the past for planning ahead, watch trends, know my competition, anticipate change and push past fear. I really like the conversation about Body Mind Studios. I was taking notes and writing down ideas as I listened. I continue to learn a lot from Joan. Thank you for sharing!

Thank you Joan. I absolutely agree that this is going to be an interesting time, and if you want to survive you better start looking outside the box. The shift has already begun online in so many ways. I also won't travel around any more to get more education. I want to do it online and be able to profit. I run a home studio and intend to keep it that way, but even so, I have to work at marketing myself to what I offer and what the predominant population is at the moment.
Thanks for being so candid as usual. Everyone needs to here your message.

Great discussion!
Interesting talk on the PMA. I remember studying, stressing for that exam and my husband saying to me, does anyone really care whether you have that certification. I agree with Lynn, I do not travel to workshops anymore. I love being able to access online so that I can do them at my pace, when my mind is right and ready to learn. Nothing worse than trying to focus in a room full of people on a sunny Saturday afternoon when your head is not in the game! Thank you Kristi and PA for making so many great workshops available to us! I have not heard part one the conversation with you ladies but I will definitely make it a point to listen.

I just loved this! Thank you for this very very realistic outlook on the future of the Pilates industry. I’m glad you said it’s an exciting time ‘cos truly I have seeing it as a slightly scary time with being a small studio owner. But the onus is definitely on me to keep an eye on the moving target yet merchandise myself well!

Thank you Kristi, Thank You Joan. Very inspiring! Interesting to hear about the Names of corporate companies and not using “Pilates” in them vrs. Mind body Studios, I never really thought about that, makes me look at things differently. I agree the turns of the industry from the past to present is going to be online & fewer live courses. How do we make ourselves profitable! Yes I have been looking for those Answers for a number of years especially after relocation of state, being in the industry for over a decade keeping updated with what everyone is doing out there.

Wonderful!!!!...Absolutely brilliant!!

Hilarious

Thank you Joan for your experience and insights and thank you Kristi for doing this interview and sharing it. So much food for thought! For the record, I am an instructor and not a studio owner. My experience is that many studio owners opened their studio because they wanted to teach Pilates and that making it a business was secondary. What you've highlighted is that a Pilates studio is a business and is no different than any other business and that if you want to survive as a business you have to pay attention to what the trends are, who your competition is and what you need to do to make your business successful for the long term.

Thank you for publishing an interview series that deals with the need to look at a Mind/Body business from a financial perspective. Many of our industry founders (like Joseph Pilates, Romana, etc...), didn't make their income solely from teaching clients. That leaves us with a dearth of leadership regarding gaining financial independence. Too few studios are fiscally viable stand alone businesses, & many follow in the path of our elders as passion projects/hobbies in the guise of financial (and therefore inferred professional) stability.

With so many leaders in our industry demonstrating the teaching model of frequently "being on tour/guest teaching" in abeyance of keeping a consistent client schedule it begs the question: "How can we expect our industry to gain the financial traction necessary to become perceived as a Professional Vocation?"

In other news: Imagine if your Dr. said "I can only work 5-6 hours a day, otherwise it's too exhausting". Would you consider that Dr. to be a professional or a dilettane? If we are an industry of part time employees, then can we ever expect to gain Professional Status?