Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey by launching a Pilates studio business but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Vera Szepesi, owner of Esprit de CorePilatesStudio in Los Altos, CA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
We are a boutique Pilates studio, offering one on one training as well as small group classes. Our clients come to us to rehabilitate an injury, for pre and post-natal health, for specific sports performance, for general strength and conditioning, and for the senior population to help improve the quality and functionality of daily living. We also offer in-home Pilates sessions for those who prefer not to or cannot leave their homes.
Tell us about yourself
I love helping people feel healthier and more comfortable in their bodies. There is nothing more rewarding than to see someone realize that simple, gentle, effective movement can help them move through their lives with less pain and with more strength and confidence.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
I am proud of the studio and all of my instructors for pivoting to 100% virtual training over the course of a week when the pandemic hit last year. I think it says something about the community we had built that most of our clients transitioned to virtual training with us and then back to in-person training when it was safe to do so again. We all worked hard together and had to be very flexible to make that happen, and it's the reason my studio survived 2020.
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Work-life balance. I love what I do, and I love our clients, so when someone emails or texts in the middle of the night, it's hard to maintain boundaries and not respond immediately. I find myself working late into the night and on weekends, and it can be hard to be completely "off duty."
What are the top 3 tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Be prepared to work hard, especially during that first year. It will be all-consuming and exhausting, but if the business is something you love, you will never regret it.
- Learn how to run a business. You may love the thing your business does, but that does not make you a good business owner. Learn how to read a contract, make sure you communicate clearly and often with clients and employees, do the things that are not glamorous or fun but are required to keep the business running.
- If possible, find a mentor or someone who has already done what you are about to do. I spoke with some very helpful Pilates studio owners before I committed to starting my business, and it was the most helpful thing I could have done.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
Life is too short, and work is too long to do something that makes you unhappy. If possible, find something you love and find a way to do that for a living.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: www.esprit-de-core.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/esprit.de.core
Twitter: https://twitter.com/edc_pilates?lang=en
If you like what you've read here and have your own story as a solopreneur that you'd like to share, then email community@subkit.com; we'd love to feature your journey on these pages.
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