I didn’t set out to teach from home; it sort of just happened, and over time, it became my livelihood. My first purchase was a reformer & a friend purchased a chair for me (in which I trained her to pay her back). That got my feet wet!
When I started teaching in 2001, I worked in boutique studios & then a high-end sports club where I trained a lot of amazing people. In 2012, I started a YouTube page to introduce myself as a Pilates teacher to new students & build connections with my current students, offering tutorials and mini classes.
Through those years, I built strong relationships with students, some of whom happened to be massage and physical therapists who loved my style and started referring students to me.
I continued to slowly build my home studio while working at other locations. Slowly but surely, students of mine would refer friends and relatives that I would take from my home. I added more equipment to my space, such as a springboard, arc barrel, MOTR, and TRX, to create a more well-rounded studio offering my students the best.
BOOM, Covid hit.
It was at this moment that I became very grateful I had established my home studio and it definitely expanded during this time period. Current & former students were calling for classes both online and in my home studio. I also started teaching duets where one student was online, and their partner was at my home studio at the same time. It challenged my brain while giving them a great workout.
In 2020, I started teaching online classes and privates, like many of us. As the years have passed, online classes have slowed, but I still offer one online mat class and a MOTR class each week for an additional revenue stream and feeder pipeline. A secondary source of income has come from the replays of these classes that I offer on my YouTube, along with some free options. I record, edit, and upload these classes to my YouTube and send them to students who missed class or for those who can’t make it live.
The best thing about having a catalog of classes on my YouTube is if I’m out of town or get sick, I can send a class to my students and they don’t miss out on their workout!
Networking has always been out of my comfort zone, but 2020 forced me to promote myself via social media and other avenues. The more people who know that I teach Pilates, the better! I socialized with neighbors and offered an outdoor class in our neighborhood. They loved it, and they also referred their friends. I still teach two group classes at a local studio, which has helped more people get to know me. I also had a “Pilates party get together” at my house for my students and neighbors to build more of a community.
Do you have a small space like me? I have the fix!
What helped expand my client base further was offering duets. I love my private students, but some couldn’t afford to do private every week. This is where duets came in. Bring a friend & you share in the cost! That worked great because I added more students and they were more committed since they had a partner. I’ve even swapped partners when someone is out of town to keep consistency.
What I’ve learned about having a home studio is you have to adapt and evolve. Just like my teaching has changed through the years, so has how I offer classes. It can be challenging at times, but ultimately it’s always rewarding.
All ideas and assertions expressed in The CORE are those of the individual contributors, offered to spark conversation, enrich understanding/inspire growth and share diverse perspectives within our community. They may not necessarily reflect the views of Balanced Body®.
At a young age and through dance, Brigitte Garten, known as Bee, knew she had a passion for health and fitness. This passion guided her to achieve a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutritional Science from SDSU in 1998. When introduced to Pilates in 1999, she instantly fell in love with the method. By 2001 she was a Certified Pilates teacher and holds three Pilates certifications, including BASI (Body Arts and Science International), A-Line Technique, and is a National Certified Pilates Teacher (NCPT).) She also holds certifications for Barworks, and TRX Suspension Training. You can find her currently teaching Pilates and MOTR online and at her home studio in Orange County as well as Nutrition counseling. Don’t be fooled by her sweet nature and giggle, her classes are challenging, yet energetic, fun, and of course detail orientated. She always considers herself a student of Pilates and constantly strives to learn more. Her teaching is always evolving to bring her clients the most up to date and worthwhile Pilates sessions. Outside of the studio you’ll find Bee hiking, biking, gardening, and experimenting in the kitchen. She loves spending quality time with family, friends, her husband and two dogs.
