Interested in starting your own entrepreneurial journey in health and wellness but unsure what to expect? Then read up on our interview with Rubecca Martinez Dalton, owner of Pilates Native, located in Lakewood, CO, USA.
What's your business, and who are your customers?
At Pilates Native, injured athletes are our jam. We see a lot of folks looking to get past the aches and pains that make their sport hurt: sciatica, back pain, hip pain, runner's knee, rolled ankles, plantar fasciitis, IT band syndrome, shoulder stuff. We have lots of folks who have been cleared for return to activity after herniated disks. One of the biggest complaints we see is just really tight, stiff muscles that make everything uncomfortable.
Our clients range from grandmothers who love to hike to competitive Cross Fitters and Ironmen. Despite a broad age range and sports choice, all of our clients have two things in common. One, they are desperate for relief from their aches and pains, and two, they are super passionate about their sport and not willing to give it up. Pilates Native is really passionate about keeping folks doing the stuff they love… pain-free!
Tell us about yourself
I'm a School of Mines alumna and Mechanical/Welding Engineer. I spent 15 years working in Oil & Gas before "retiring" to run Pilates Native full time. As a Denver native, I've always been a big trail runner. A fall down one of the switchbacks on the trails at Red Rocks left me with some gnarly hip issues that started me down the rabbit hole of injury recovery. This included chiro, acupuncture, cold laser, massage, supplements, PT, cross-training, yoga, and eventually landed me at Pilates and Stretch Therapy. Pilates and Stretch gave me my activity back in a way that was much more sustainable and was super enjoyable.
During a layoff cycle in 2010, I trained in the PhysicalMind method of Pilates through Pilates Concepts of Houston. I got my Stretch to Win FST stretch certification as well. As someone who needs movement to exist, has been through the injury cycle, and worked in an office for up to 10 hours a day, I totally understand the frustration that comes with being told you should just stop doing your sport to prevent pain. Every day, I'm super stoked and so excited to work with people who are so passionate about their sports that they are willing to try something new and commit to injury prevention as a way to keep them going.
What's your biggest accomplishment as a business owner?
Oh man, there are so many! It seems like every day has some new little accomplishment to celebrate. In no particular order, the three that jump to mind today are:
- Being able to offer equity sessions. One of the core values behind Pilates Native is being able to offer discount sessions to folks who wouldn't normally be able to afford Pilates or Stretch Therapy. This has been a blast, and the studio has been able to introduce a broad range of folks to Pilates who would never have been able to attend.
- Spending lots of quality time with my kiddo is my number one priority, so days off and week-long breaks are a major part of my business model. Burnout is huge among small business owners, especially women, so being sure that breaks were built into the business was crucial for me. I have three amazing subs who take over on the weeks I'm out. It's a beautiful thing to know you have an awesome team that you can trust and will value your clients the same way you do.
- Pilates Native was approved as a PhysicalMind Pilates Instructor certifying studio! This means I now offer Mat, Equipment, and Comprehensive Instructor Training, and I'm super proud of the program we're offering for instructor training.
To align with the studio's mission of allowing space for rest, recovery, and restoration + promoting diversity and inclusion, teacher training will run in a way that is sustainable to those values.
By nature, Pilates instructor training requires a lot of time and a lot of money. You need to drop hundreds (if not thousands) of dollars all in one go and then be able to spend 20-30 hours a week in the studio on top of your regular life. If you're trying to work and have a family or have any sort of budget, instructor training becomes super stressful. For a lot of folks, it just isn't doable. Or they're so stressed out they burn out and never teach. Or the stress and fast pace mean they never get to really dig deep and understand the material, so they end up feeling incapable or not confident in what they know.
To combat all of that, Pilates Native extends the time frame of training so folks can work and have a life while doing their training. Trainees will have six months to complete Mat certification and 12 months to complete Equipment or Comprehensive training. Trainees can absolutely finish before that; the extended timeline just helps make the training more sustainable. We also offer a monthly payment plan, so folks aren't going into serious financial stress or debt to pay for their training. And finally, instructor trainees will have the option to work privately with me or in super small groups. This allows folks to really dig in and learn the material without a lot of stress or unnecessary pressure. Training should be fun and empowering! We want to develop instructors who feel confident and ready to go!
What's one of the hardest things that come with being a business owner?
Stepping away from the business and taking a break. Burnout is real, and it's something small business owners need to have a plan for. You can't do your best work or change the world if you're exhausted, resentful, and stressed out. Rest is so critical for your brain, nervous system, and body. Take those breaks…and enjoy them!
What are the top tips you'd give to anyone looking to start, run and grow a business today?
- Get curious and ask a lot of questions. Get curious about your clients and their needs, about your friend's businesses and how they run, about businesses you admire, and their core values. Ask a lot of questions!
- Be a good listener. The world is such a crazy hectic place. Everyone is running on top speed and red-lining through most of our days while simultaneously being bombarded with things that steal our attention. To be heard, to be listened to, to have someone's undivided attention (even for just five whole minutes!)…what an amazing gift that is. So, ask your questions, but then be sure to really listen to the answers.
- How you show up for clients matters. I learned this from my super amazing business coach, Marta Spirk. If you're exhausted, resentful, and stressed out, will clients feel like you're ready and able to help them? If you're burnt out and annoyed, will clients feel excited and energetic about the work you do? If you are panicking about money, will clients see you as a hustler looking for your next paycheck? It goes back to making sure you're taking breaks and taking care of yourself, so you can show up ready to take care of your clients.
Is there anything else you'd like to share?
It's ok to keep your day job, scale your business and start small.
When we moved back home to Denver, I was still working full time and Stretching people a few hours a week on a borrowed table in the corner of a kickboxing studio. From there, I moved to teach Pilates using a teeny tiny home reformer in my rented office space.
Once the business made enough money, I was able to buy my own table and upgrade to a used commercial reformer. The next year, I was able to move to a nicer location, upgrade to a much nicer stretch table, and eventually was able to upgrade the Pilates equipment. Now, I'm leading a small team and "retired" from engineering!
It may not have been that amazing Instagram opening day, but the studio has never had any debt and has been able to operate in the black since day one. Keeping my day job and scaling the business as I was ready has really helped keep my family as the number one priority, kept the financial side manageable, and really reduced the amount of stress that comes with running a small business. It's been super fun instead of super stressful.
Where can people find you and your business?
Website: https://www.pilatesnative.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PilatesNative/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pilatesnative/
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.
Feel inspired to start, run or grow your own subscription business? Check out subkit.com and learn how you can turn "one day" into day one.