Most Pilates studios are sitting on far more revenue potential than they realise.

With the right pricing, membership strategy and business model, a single studio can grow into a multi-million-pound business without needing more space or more classes.

In this episode, Nic sits down with Pilates business expert Lise Kuecker, founder of Studio Grow, to discuss what actually drives profitable Pilates studios.

Lise works with hundreds of boutique fitness studios around the world and shares the real numbers behind successful studios.

From pricing psychology and memberships to team structure and sales metrics, this conversation reveals the systems that help studio owners turn passion into a sustainable and scalable business.

They discuss the most common mistakes studio owners make in their early years, why many studios unknowingly leak profit, and how simple adjustments to pricing or membership structure can dramatically increase revenue.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro to Lise

01:57 How Lise first got started in Pilates and the fitness industry

04:11 Early mistakes many studio owners make in their first year

09:45 How successful studios protect themselves from competition

11:53 The story behind how Studio Grow was created

12:54 Understanding memberships and how studios actually sell them

18:55 Where studios often lose money without realising

22:29 How labour models and organisational structure impact profit

24:12 The financial metrics every studio owner should track

24:44 Pricing strategies that guide clients towards the right option

27:40 Why memberships work and the psychology behind commitment

29:03 What the most successful Pilates studios do differently

34:22 Global boutique fitness trends and the rise of niche studios

40:03 Quick-fire questions

If this conversation helped you think differently about running or growing a Pilates studio, please share it with a fellow teacher or studio owner, and leave a rating and review on your favourite podcast platform. It helps more people in the Pilates community discover the show.

Connect with Nic:

• Beyond the Reformer Instagram
• Soul Pilates Instagram
• Soul Pilates Education
• Nic’s Instagram
• Join Soul at Home
• Book a Pilates Class

Connect with Lise:

• Studio Grow Website
• Studio Grow Podcast
• Studio Grow Instagram
• Studio Grow Free Trainings

Join the Soul Pilates Retreat in Cornwall on 19 June for a weekend of movement, rest and nourishment. Find all the details here.

Thinking about investing in Pilates equipment? Balanced Body are offering our listeners a special discount! Fill in the form here and mention Soul Pilates when you order.

Interested in joining the July Teacher Training intake? Find all the details and book a call here.

Too often Pilates teachers feel pressure to diagnose, label or overcomplicate movement.

In reality, the most powerful thing we can do is help people move with confidence.

In this episode, Nic speaks with clinician, Pilates educator and biomechanics specialist Sarah Jane Walls about the role of clinical reasoning in Pilates and why simplicity is often the most effective approach.

SJ shares her journey from competitive runner to Pilates teacher and clinic owner, explaining how Pilates quite literally changed her life after a serious injury in her early twenties.

Since then she has spent nearly three decades studying the body, completing multiple degrees including sports therapy, podiatry and public health, and is currently completing a PhD focused on biomechanics and diagnostic ultrasound.

Together they discuss what Pilates teachers really need to know when working with injuries or in rehabilitation settings.

SJ explains why communication and curiosity matter more than having every answer, how to assess movement by simply getting people moving, and why the feet often hold the key to understanding pain elsewhere in the body.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro to SJ

02:33 What clinical reasoning actually means in Pilates

04:08 Trusting the Pilates method when working with complex cases

05:30 SJ’s journey into Pilates

10:26 Why lifelong learning is essential for movement professionals

13:14 Mentors, business skills and building a successful studio

15:50 Helping runners understand why they need Pilates

19:40 Personalising group classes so every client feels seen

27:28 Partnering with clinics and building referral relationships

30:22 The value of shadowing clinicians and building referrals

31:56 The most important skills for Pilates teachers working in rehab

34:18 Assessing clients by getting them moving first

38:57 What Pilates teachers should look for when assessing feet

46:35 Correcting movement patterns from the ground up

50:11 Orthotics, rehabilitation and when they are actually useful

53:22 Quick-fire questions

If you found this conversation helpful, make sure you subscribe to Beyond the Reformer so you never miss an episode.

Connect with Nic:

• Beyond the Reformer Instagram
• Soul Pilates Instagram
• Soul Pilates Education
• Nic’s Instagram
• Join Soul at Home
• Book a Pilates Class

Connect with SJ

• SJ Walls Instagram
• The Rehab Hub Website
• SJ Walls LinkedIn

Join the Soul Pilates Retreat in Cornwall on 19 June for a weekend of movement, rest and nourishment. Find all the details here.

Thinking about investing in Pilates equipment? Balanced Body are offering our listeners a special discount! Fill in the form here and mention Soul Pilates when you order.

Interested in joining the July Teacher Training intake? Find all the details and book a call here.

Nic sits down with Amy Jordan, founder of Pilates Addiction and creator of the WundaFormer, to explore what it really takes to build a Pilates empire without losing your purpose.

From leaving a career in entertainment marketing to opening her first studio with every penny she had, Amy shares the courage, creativity and conviction behind her journey.

They discuss equipment innovation, studio ownership, scaling through franchising, leadership boundaries, inclusive culture and the mindset required to grow sustainably.

Amy opens up about developing new Pilates apparatus, launching revolutionary home equipment and the lessons she learned about slowing down, building strong foundations and letting go of control.

She also shares her experience of facing cancer during Covid and how movement became part of her healing.

This episode is for Pilates teachers, studio owners, movement educators and entrepreneurs who want to innovate, scale and lead with integrity while staying connected to the true roots of the method.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction to Amy Jordan

02:02 Leaving marketing and opening the first studio

07:05 Taking the leap and investing everything into her business

11:05 Expanding beyond the reformer

14:02 Sketching and inventing the WundaFormer

19:14 Opening multiple studios and building strong teams

29:22 Balancing athletic flow with classical principles

31:03 Reinventing props for better alignment at home

35:17 Building online reach and global impact

39:16 Designing a revolutionary home Pilates machine

43:01 Franchising Pilates Addiction and scaling with integrity

48:56 Leadership boundaries and empowering teams

50:52 Reflecting on what she has created

54:16 Quick fire questions

If this conversation inspired you, please subscribe, follow and leave a review wherever you’re listening.

Your support helps Beyond the Reformer grow and continue bringing you powerful conversations from across the global Pilates community.

Connect with Nic:

• Beyond the Reformer Instagram
• Soul Pilates Instagram
• Soul Pilates Education
• Nic’s Instagram
• Join Soul at Home
• Book a Pilates Class

Connect with Amy:

• Amy Jordan Instagram
• Pilates Addiction
• Amy Jordan YouTube
• WundaBar Website

Join the Soul Pilates Retreat in Cornwall on 19 June for a weekend of movement, rest and nourishment. Find all the details here.

Thinking about investing in Pilates equipment? Balanced Body are offering our listeners a special discount! Fill in the form here and mention Soul Pilates when you order.

Interested in joining the July Teacher Training intake? Find all the details and book a call here.