Beyond the Reformer

"You're in the service business, you're not in the teaching business."
In this episode, we are joined by Phil M Jones, bestselling author of the Exactly What to Say book series (over 1 million copies sold) and one of the world's most in-demand communication and sales experts, having delivered over 3,500 presentations across 50+ countries.
They explore why personality can't be taught but connection can, and what that means for Pilates teachers who think they're "not chatty people." Phil breaks down why the question "how are you" is a connection killer, and gives a simple alternative that opens up real conversation with clients instead.
They unpack why the first and last five minutes of class matter more than the workout itself, why some of the most technically excellent private session teachers still lose clients, and how to build a pre-brief and debrief into every one-on-one so people actually come back.
They also go deep on the business side of Pilates studios, from why membership models built on spreadsheets fail, to how studio owners can build retention and referrals by making long-term clients feel like they belong.
Timestamps
00:00 Intro to Phil M Jones
03:47 Can personality be taught? What actually makes a great teacher
06:52 Why you're in the "helping business," not the teaching business
11:08 Ban the question "how are you"
19:03 You are the brand: why the first 15 minutes before class matter
24:33 Why 6 technically great private sessions still lost a client
40:37 The three keys to reconnect with clients on the way out
48:35 Building memberships around real people, not spreadsheets
If 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.
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Exactly What to Say
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"We have so much more in common than we have in differences, despite what Instagram might make you think." - Nic
This week's episode is a little different. Instead of one guest, Nic is looking back at 11 conversations from the podcast's first year - not ranked as a "best of," but chosen as the moments that made her stop, think, and question.
Across the past year, Beyond the Reformer has brought together voices from every corner of the Pilates world - different schools, different methods, different opinions on what Pilates should even be. In this episode, Nic weaves together the conversations that stuck with her most, and finds a common thread running underneath all the differences: everyone featured is ultimately driven by the same thing - helping people feel stronger, move with more confidence, and understand their bodies a little better. It's part reflection on the show's first year, part reminder that the Pilates community has more in common than social media sometimes suggests.
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Guests Featured In This Episode
Ava Rodriguez, Tracy Ward, Shelly Power, Kath P, Alan Herdman, Yvette McGaffin, Lesley Logan, Juan Nieto, Brent Anderson, Tracy M. and Rael.
Guest Episodes:
Ava Rodriguez Episode 1

Ava Rodriguez Episode 2
Tracy Ward
Shelly Power
Kath Pentecost
Alan Herdman
Yvette McGaffin
Lesley Logan
Juan Nieto 
Brent Anderson Part 1
Brent Anderson Part 2
Tracy Mallett
Rael Isacowitz Part 1
Rael Isacowitz Part 2

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"Just because you've got your 600 hour certificate doesn't mean you know it all. This is your beginning. This is just truly your beginning."
In this episode, Nic is joined by Anita Horry, a second-generation Pilates master teacher, founder of the Anita Horry Academy, and internationally respected educator and business mentor based in Spain. With over 20 years in the industry, Anita has trained and mentored teachers across the globe and is actively involved in raising Pilates education standards through her work with the PMA and ITAP.
Together they explore what it really takes to become an exceptional Pilates teacher, and why finishing a qualification is just the start of the journey. They get into the gap between what teacher training programs deliver and what the real world of teaching actually demands, from learning to read bodies effectively to the crucial role of mentorship and supervised teaching hours.
They also take an honest look at the state of the industry right now, including the explosion of reformer studios, underqualified teachers being pushed onto studio floors too soon, and investors entering the space without understanding the method. And for anyone running or thinking of opening a studio, Anita brings her accountancy background to the table with a grounded conversation on fixed costs, cash flow, VAT thresholds, and why being a great teacher does not automatically make you a great business owner.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Anita Horry
 01:33 What makes an exceptional Pilates teacher
 02:37 Why your qualification is just the beginning
 03:15 The state of teacher training right now
 04:45 Early gratification and the push to earn too soon
 06:14 How Pilates changed Anita's life
 13:39 Anita's training journey and lineage
 21:27 Classical versus contemporary and what we should actually call Pilates
 28:59 Investors, oversaturation, and studios without substance
 34:53 The real numbers behind running a viable studio
 45:17 Educational standards, PMA, and ITAP accreditation
 55:30 Log book hours, supervised teaching, and why they matter
 58:16 Quick-fire questions
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"Pilates isn't about that for me, you know? It's about really going deep, connecting these people."

In this episode, we are joined by Kia, a classically trained Pilates teacher based in Los Angeles who built her entire studio out of a backyard gazebo during COVID, and has kept it that way ever since. Three reformers, a Cadillac, a tower, a wonder chair, and a waitlist - entirely by choice.

They explore what it actually looks like to build a Pilates career rooted in passion rather than pressure, from how a single mat class on a hotel trip changed the direction of Kia's life, to why she completed a 650-hour classical training program and still goes back to those books today. They talk honestly about what new teachers struggle with most, why doing your own Pilates practice every single day is non-negotiable, and how to find your own voice in a method that has no single rulebook.

They also get into the harder stuff - the moment at the Pilates Expo where Kia sat alone and questioned whether everything she had built was enough, the industry's money-driven boom and what it is doing to teaching standards, and why she started the Pilates Roundtable to fix the teacher loneliness nobody talks about. Plus Kia shares how she blends sound healing into her sessions, her post-client reset ritual, and why she thinks Joseph Pilates would have changed his own method a hundred times over by now.

Timestamps

00:31 How COVID accidentally created the studio
02:23 Why Pilates felt different from anything else
07:47 A 650-hour classical training program
09:57 Why teachers must keep doing their own Pilates
13:03 Safety, social media, and different training backgrounds
14:50 What new teachers struggle with most
17:32 Learning more from clients than from any course
26:23 The 74% studio boom and what it means
29:27 When investors and money drive the industry
35:59 Blending sound healing into Pilates sessions
40:01 Advice for teachers chasing trends
43:40 How to find your own voice as a teacher
45:25 Would Joseph Pilates have evolved the method?
50:46 Why continuous learning makes better teachers

If 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.

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Connect with Kia:
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"Pilates won't lose its identity just because you learn different methods. It loses identity when you haphazardly memorize a set of exercises and think you can just teach this."
In this episode, Nic is joined by Ava Rodriguez, a movement specialist, international presenter, and founder of the globally accredited Mobility Fitness Academy (MFA), recorded in person while both were in London ahead of speaking at a Reformer Pilates industry conference. Ava has spent her career training movement professionals across the world and is no stranger to BTR, making her second appearance on the show.
They explore whether Pilates is losing its identity amid the current industry boom, why social media and AI are making studios sound the same, and the line between healthy diversification and diluted teaching that's lost its essence.
They unpack the real gap between certification and competency, why most teacher training only gets you to the starting line, and how true continuing education means going deeper, not collecting more credentials.
They also get into studio business clarity, why trying to serve everyone means standing out to no one, and finish on what actually matters in this work: helping people move, live, and function better, not just look good doing it.
Timestamps
00:00 Has Pilates lost its identity?
02:38 The blending boom: more methods, less focus
03:35 Why AI is making every studio sound the same
10:45 Instructor vs. teacher: what training doesn't give you
13:18 The lifelong question that makes you a better teacher
17:32 Diluted messaging and losing your specialism
18:49 Why you can't be a studio for everyone
24:16 Change is coming. Are you on the right train?
24:36 Fighting with ChatGPT on purpose
34:48 What Pilates actually gives people
39:38 What it really means to lose your identity
44:03 What training is actually for
48:13 The client told it was impossible
58:09 Outcome over education
1:01:50 Where the industry is heading next
If 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:
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Connect with Ava:
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Move Beyond with Ava Website

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