One of the most common questions I get is where do I find teachers for my studio? Or, sometimes it is not even a question, it’s a statement “there are no Pilates instructors in my area.” So, to help you all find the right teachers for your Pilates studio I am bringing in a fabulous Pilates instructor in her own right, a studio owner with her own teacher training program, and ideas to help you studio owners find teachers for your studio! Here she is, Washington Avenue Pilates studio owner Hilary Opheim!

Are you a Pilates studio owner? Are you finding you have no time to do all that you need to do? Answering emails, returning calls, marketing, and all the studio business you have to take care of daily? Are you losing the passion that brought you not only to Pilates but, to opening up your own Pilates studio? Do you wonder where are the Pilates teachers you need? Do you have time for your own clients or even your own Pilates practice? Are you spending time and money trying to get teachers to cover for evenings and weekends or subbing? Can you even think of workshops and getting some continuing education now?

Owning and running a Pilates studio is not what I first envisioned when my doors first opened to clients. I didn’t realize that it would be so much more than just teaching Pilates to my clients and getting them in the door.  Soon I found that I was teaching Pilates to the point of possible burnout, paying bills and dealing with all the daily studio business such as marketing, apparatus maintenance, my schedule at the studio, and trying to have a personal life.  My day did not begin with my first client and then end with my last. I no longer had weekends off, even if I had no clients. I found myself on a computer, on the phone, and my husband wondering when would I have free time?

He was right! I found that I was having no time for me, no time to spend quality time with my husband, family, and friends. Even when I was away from the studio the work was always there. Emails to answer, text to answer, calls to return. Bills, studio business that you don’t think of when you decide to open a studio. All of this on top of my teaching was eating all the hours in my day, week, and months. I found it was harder to find good teachers to help with the load at the studio than I imagined it would be.

Soon I realized my passion for Pilates was getting eaten away with the hours of teaching, the running of the business, and no time to recharge, breathe or even get my Pilates in for me. Vacations? Workshops? What? Even if I got away I  still was having to do the same work just not teaching clients. I was finding my mood was not what it used to be when I got to the studio or when I was at home that night.

I was losing my passion that led me to teach Pilates. I had no resources to help me with all of this. What should I do? Does this sound familiar to you?  

If only I had known then what I know now! What if I had been given a resource to help and guide me so that I would have not had to go through all the years of more work and energy and less joy in the studio. That it was easier than it was for me to get my studio running with good teachers so I could enjoy the work of teaching again. Focus on things I needed to and not be overwhelmed.

Do you find that this is happening to you? Maybe on a lesser scale or maybe a larger scale? Do you not have that extra money to get your Pilates workout in for you? Are you thinking how do I get back to the passion that led me down this path? Most importantly where are those Pilates teacher’s to help you with all those clients and give you that time?

Here are 3 things suggestions I have that you can do today to change that for you!

~Hilary Opheim

1.  Talk to Teacher Training Programs in your area and see if they have any graduates they would recommend. If there are Programs or Schools in your area that you connect with in terms of teaching style, syllabus, what they cover in the program and you need now this is a great option for you!
2.  Put the word out and see if anyone going through training would like to do an Apprenticeship at your studio. That way they can see how your studio runs, your clientele and you can see how they teach and their work ethic.
3. Bring in a Teacher Training Program like mine. It doesn’t cost you the studio owner anything, everything needed is supplied such as manuals, homework, quizzes and more. You will be able to observe and see the teachers as they go through training at your studio.