We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Amanda Howard. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Amanda below.
Amanda , appreciate you joining us today. Let’s kick things off with your mission – what is it and what’s the story behind why it’s your mission?
When I started Native Pilates I had been teaching for 10 years in various cities throughout my career in Chicago, New York, and Nashville. I knew what worked and what didn’t, what I liked and didn’t like. I also wanted to bring this form of movement to my hometown. So then I started thinking about a name. As Nashville has grown, being born in Nashville and to also live in the area is rare nowadays, we call ourselves Nashville Natives. So I decided to name the studio Native Pilates in honor of starting my roots here and being born in Nashville.
Our mission is to provide a welcoming community in which women thrive through the exploration of Pilates and other mindful systems of movement.
I knew that I wanted to create a place where specifically women could come and feel welcome, sit and have conversations, and discover their bodies again. So often we think we have to look a certain way or do all of “the tricks’ to be able to be a part of a studio or gym experience. When creating Native Pilates, we wanted to create a space that was inviting where people would want to come and be themselves right when they walk in the door.
I am also a mother of three and working with women in all phases of life is my passion. We cover everything from pre and postnatal, Diastasis Recti, Menopause, to moving well in an aging body. The work that we do here is a conversation between the teacher and the client. We are here to support and guide women in every phase of life, while providing an inviting atmosphere for learning and exploration.
Amanda , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
I took my first Pilates class at the age of 12 when I studied ballet at The School of Nashville Ballet. Pilates found me again in college and as I danced professionally for over 10 years. This work helped me become a better dancer and to connect better to my overall body awareness and everyday activities. However, the biggest impact that Pilates has had on my body was during pregnancy and throughout the postpartum period. I began to feel like this new body was not my own and I somehow had to find time for myself while raising children. After my experience with this, I wanted to help other women and mothers reconnect with their bodies throughout pregnancy and during the postpartum phase.
This led me to continuing education and also learning skills from my own experiences to bring to my clients. It is the trend in our hospitals for women to have babies and then be on their way. What about this new body that they are in? How she gave birth has an effect on the overall health of her body for a lifetime and if not addressed, can lead to pelvic floor issues and a disconnection overall of her body. These are the things that I am passionate about and help women with everyday. We work closely with holistic practitioners and our in house pelvic floor therapist and PT, Aimee Bailey, where we work together to address the root cause of pain or discomfort and look at the overall body to find ways to strengthen and to move with more awareness and connection.
Our approach is different. We support everyone from a place of deep listening to help guide them in their movement journey. The work we do helps to bring body awareness, strength, mobility, injury prevention, rehabilitation, and understanding of self. What we offer is so much more than a set of exercises, but rather a place to come explore and get in touch with your already intelligent body. We meet people where they are right when they walk in the door and we do not expect you to be something other than yourself. We offer classes and private lessons for everyone and especially love working with women in all phases of their lives to help navigate their changing bodies.
I am most proud of the community that we are building. Everyone is so supportive of one another and our teachers are always curious about continuing to grow to help our clients. We are here to guide, explore with, and support every single person that walks into the studio doors. It is a collaborative process that leads to self healing and awareness of self.
Have you ever had to pivot?
Trying to find the balance of being a mother and a small business owner can be tricky. I certainly am still learning how to balance the two. What has been helpful, is prioritizing time. I look at every moment as precious, so I have to be very intentional with how I spend my time. When I am at work I try to keep my tasks to when I am at the studio, however we know that running a business is all the time. So when I see an email pop up or receive a phone call, I will designate a certain amount of time at home after I pick the kids up from school to do some work, then I put it down, if it is not an immediate thing, and I spend time with my kids. I also plan admin days outside of my teaching to get specific tasks done for the business. Otherwise. it can feel very overwhelming and frustrating to try and do everything all at once. Trust me, I have tried to make snacks while answering emails and wiping jelly off of kids’ faces. It just doesn’t work and it serves no one!
What’s worked well for you in terms of a source for new clients?
Our community is based primarily off of word of mouth and of course Google helps too! A lot of our clients tell their friends and their friends bring their friends. It’s one big community! Some have heard from the area that we have Pilates and they heard that Pilates was good for them, so they are curious about it. We love being the neighborhood Pilates studio!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.nativepilates.com
- Instagram: @nativepilates
- Facebook: @nativepilatesandyoga
Image Credits
Photos by Cali Huber http://nykandcali.com/