From Basement Studio to 9 Locations: How New York Pilates Defined Its Method

"Real change in your body happens from grounded, consistent work. Doing the split and a handstand is entertaining, but that's not what Pilates is about."In this episode, Nic is joined by Heather Andersen, founder of New York Pilates - one of the most recognisable reformer studio brands in the world, with nine locations across New York City and counting.Heather built New York Pilates from a basement space in Greenwich Village in 2013, at a time when group reformer classes simply didn't exist. She shares what it actually took to scale to nine studios - from building onboarding systems and maintaining consistency across locations, to the pricing mistakes and people management lessons learned the hard way.They also get into the state of the industry: why clients are confused about what Pilates even is, what separates genuine contemporary Pilates from the "Pilates adjacent" world, and why the most transformational work looks like nothing on camera.Timestamps00:23 How New York Pilates started01:37 Heather's background in ballet and early Pilates training07:14 Making the leap from teacher to studio owner13:14 Building the brand from day one14:38 Early mistakes and people management16:03 What a New York Pilates class feels like18:44 Classical vs. contemporary vs. Pilates adjacent25:20 Scaling from one studio to nine29:16 Building systems for consistency31:34 Teacher onboarding and quality management37:51 Pricing, ClassPass, and why loyalty beats volume44:34 Social media and the decision to talk about real Pilates55:22 Where to find HeatherIf you're enjoying the podcast, make sure you're following along so you don't miss future episodes. And feel free to share this one with someone you think would take something from it.Connect with Nic:Beyond the Reformer InstagramSoul Pilates InstagramSoul Pilates EducationNic's InstagramJoin Soul at HomeBook a Pilates ClassSign up to Our NewsletterConnect with HeatherHeather’s InstagramNew York Pilates InstagramNew York Pilates WebsiteNew York Pilates Intro OfferNew York Pilates Reformer CertificationJoin 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.