Making myself small (not talking about height!)
When I started teaching Pilates, when I was asked what I did I used to say
"Oh you know, I'm just a Pilates teacher". I think back to that now and want to SCREAM at myself for trying to keep myself small as though teaching pilates wasn't a real job, as though I hadn't spent a fortune in hours and money to study and take the qualification.
Yes, there are some courses out there that say "Hey you can become a pilates teacher in a weekend - come and sign up" but realistically how can someone learn everything there is to learn in a weekend? My course consisted of learning over 100 basic exercises, 2 weeks of learning and understanding the fundamentals of Pilates, followed by an assessment before going on to do over 60 hours of supervised teaching, a 3-hour written anatomy exam, writing a 6-week lesson plan progression and then the final exam where I was examined on how I taught a lesson. Honestly, it was brutal, especially the anatomy exam - I did not do well in Biology at school!
Then after putting myself through all of that I went out and said to people - oh I'm just a Pilates teacher!! I mean for goodness sake why do we do this to ourselves? Why do we think it's ok to diminish the fact that we can change people's lives with what we do? I have had clients who, after coming to classes with me,
have stopped taking pain medication for low back pain
have avoided motorcycle accidents by increasing their balance and mobility
returned to their favourite sport after injury
avoided injury because they are more flexible
and so much more. The journey along this path to help people lead better and healthier lives keeps going. I learn so much from other teachers, mentors, and movement professionals that I can't see myself ever stopping sharing my passion for a better movement for everyone.
Other things you may not know about me....
There is also so much more to me than being an awesome Pilates teacher, bringing movement back to people's lives (do you see what I did there - no more making light of my profession). When I am not teaching I spend my time
researching family history - I now have a family tree of over 3.5k people stretching back to William the Conqueror's cousin! I also help other people with their family trees and help break through brick walls. I have to say that I was never interested in history as a child but now that I am linking history to ancestors I find it fascinating and there are so many skeletons lurking in our history, I absolutely love uncovering all the juicy details! See my blog about Family Skeletons!
coaching other Pilates teachers on how to run successful Pilates Businesses. I work with another coach in her business and most of my work involves helping people overcome their issues with their money mindset, how to realise what they are really worth, and not be afraid to get out there and shout about it.
building websites for other Pilates teachers and supporting them with their tech and systems so that they can spend the time doing the things they love the most - teaching Pilates.
supporting Chalet and Apartment owners with their holiday lets - from changeovers, marketing, key holding, and much more. I've been doing this for nearly 20 years and for some reason I just can't seem to give it up.
Where do we go from here?
Whatever you do in your life, don't apologise for it, shout out from the rooftops, be big, be bold, and continue to be you.
If you like what you've read and are interested in knowing more about Pilates (or any of the other things I do) then please subscribe to my blog, send me an email, or sign up for a FREE Pilates taster session and see what all the fuss is about!