We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Ellen Prestage a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Alright, Ellen thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. Setting up an independent practice is a daunting endeavor. Can you talk to us about what it was like for you – what were some of the main steps, challenges, etc.

I teach Pilates in Nashville and my friend Hannah teaches yoga. We’d talked for awhile about going into business together. Finally, we decided to go for it!

We started with discussions around what we wanted our business to look and feel like and created mood boards to reflect our vision. This helped us get on the same page about the big picture before getting into the details.

One challenge we encountered was time management. Both Hannah and I have other full-time jobs, and we quickly realized how much of a time commitment it takes to grow your brand. It’s also a big learning curve!

If I have any advice, it would be to just go for it! No matter how slowly, just get started. Get clear on your vision, and set aside time each day, week, or month to take action steps that will drive your idea forward.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’ve been teaching Pilates for about 3 years, and my friend Hannah is a yoga instructor. We also have an amazing group of friends in the city and love getting together for fun events, whether it’s book club, trying a new restaurant, or going to a work out class.

We were inspired to launch bloom + balance to bring private yoga and Pilates experiences to locals or visitors of Nashville. We plan a curated class for your group and bring everything you need, including mats, to wherever you are! Whether you’re planning a bachelorette party, birthday party, or just a fun get together, we love creating fitness experiences that are fun and memorable!

We’d love to hear about how you met your business partner.

My business partner and I met through our mutual friend, Chelsea, after Hannah moved back to Nashville from LA and I moved from Houston. We’ve been friends ever since!

We were so excited to go into business together. We have a lot in common, which has made it really easy to create a shared vision for bloom + balance.

Can you tell us about what’s worked well for you in terms of growing your clientele?

Consistency! We keep showing up, doing outreach in the community such as donation-based park classes, and talking to people we know about what we are doing. We have found this leads to increased interest, referrals, and new opportunities.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @bloomandbalancewellness