When I first started talking about opening Pilates in Holland, ¼ of my parents (yes I have 4!) said, “You know that 50% of businesses fail in the first year, right?” My parent wasn’t trying to be harsh, they were just stuck in their own world view.
You see, my parents were teenagers when they had me, so they didn’t have the freedom to think about what kind of career they wanted. Instead, they went straight to providing for me. They became state and factory workers, their income affected by sick days and their schedules dictated by their jobs.
My grandparents were also a big influence in my life growing up. They were always there to support, teach, and love…and I learned so much from them. But my grandparents still remembered the Depression and so their world view was one of scarcity, survival, and making do with what you have.
I knew all the adults in my life loved and supported me, but as I grew I also knew I wanted a different future. A future of freedom and abundance, not restraint and scarcity.
The problem was I didn’t know how to get there. I had no role models so I would have to pave my own path. It began by following my heart and moving to California right after high school. And then I met a series of people who saw more in me than I did, who encouraged, cajoled, and helped me find my path. And here I am celebrating 7 years of Pilates in Holland.
I am forever grateful to my massage client who first told me about Pilates. To Kim, my Pilates teacher who encouraged me to get certified even if it was just to enrich my own personal Pilates practice. To Marie, who told me I needed to use that knowledge to teach Pilates to the Holland community. To Barbie who told me I needed to start my own studio and Steve who helped me find our studio space.
They all said, “You can do this. You need to do this.” And after hearing it enough times, I finally started to believe them.
This is the energy we bring to all our interactions at Pilates in Holland. That gentle nudge and persistent encouragement that helps all our clients to believe in themselves, body, mind, and spirit. We know Pilates can seem intimidating at first, but it really is for everyone. Every body can safely do Pilates within their physical limitations, and our teachers are the best at showing you how. It starts with our Foundations Workshop or Foundational Privates where we teach you the basics you need to feel confident in group classes.
That confidence grows in class as you deepen your body-mind connection and use your breath to support your movement. The day you find yourself engaging your core as you lift a grocery bag or imagining the golf pencil under your butt cheek as you climb the stairs, you know Pilates in Holland has irrevocably changed your life. You know not only that you can do it, but in fact you need to.
Be well,
Mandy
