We recently connected with Tamar Reisner-Stehman and have shared our conversation below.
Tamar, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s start with something countless entrepreneurs have had to figure out on the fly – how have you dealt with the rise of remote work?
Sunflower Studio is a fully virtual Pilates studio, so remote work is the way my company works. Prior to the COVID-19 pandemic this was not a common way to run a Pilates studio, however, the pandemic created a need for virtual fitness options. As the world has transitioned to wider acceptance of virtual services, our clients have become accustomed to online booking, payments, and Zoom-based Pilates. Client sessions are all done virtually in real-time with me so they can attend their class whether they are at home, on vacation, or traveling! I have found that clients have been booking sessions more frequently and attend their scheduled sessions more consistently using the virtual studio model. Clients have cited the zero commute time and convenience of fitting in virtual Pilates into their increasingly remote schedules as the biggest pluses. That convenience has helped clients become more consistent in their practice and this consistency has helped them meet their goals faster. Additionally, a virtual studio greatly reduces the overhead for daily operations and has allowed me to jumpstart the business with very low investment. This virtual model also made it easy to streamline the administrative processes so that they are largely automated. Although I miss teaching in a physical studio, I also love the remote-work model!
Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.
I was introduced to Pilates while I was studying dance in college through the Pilates Center at Goucher College. One of my professors was conducting a study with the Pilates Center on how Pilates could help dancers with strength and alignment and I was one of the participants. After participating in the study I wanted to continue my practice, I had caught the Pilates bug! I became a certified Classical Pilates instructor, completing the majority of my training in New York City under master instructor Cynthia Shipley at LifeSpan Pilates, and then began teaching at the Pilates Center.
The COVID-19 pandemic began during my second year of teaching Pilates. As we were isolated in our homes, I saw how important it was to find ways to continue moving your body and to connect with others. At the start of the pandemic I spearheaded the Pilates Center’s transition to a remote studio from its traditional model and saw how beneficial virtual Pilates sessions could be for clients. My clients not only maintained their strength and flexibility through the virtual classes, but actually increased their skill level with the more consistent sessions. I was excited that I could teach clients that may not be able to go into a studio or didn’t have access to one near their home but still wanted to do Pilates! As my time with the Pilates Center ended in the midst of the pandemic, I decided to open my own virtual Pilates studio.
Our mission at Sunflower Studio is to empower clients to connect to their bodies and minds through individually curated Classical Pilates sessions. Whether you have chronic pain, are coming back from an injury, or want to improve your core strength and flexibility you’ll leave each session feeling stronger, more flexible, and in control of your fitness.
Because we are a virtual Pilates studio, you can workout with us from anywhere in the world (with an internet connection). We offer group classes, duet sessions, and 1:1 sessions.
Can you talk to us about how your side-hustle turned into something more.
As a dancer, I always knew that I would need an unconventional day job to support my dance career. After discovering Pilates, I knew it would be a good fit to complement my dance schedule. Dancers often have rehearsals during the typical 9-to-5 and performances during the weekends. This makes the flexible scheduling of Pilates instruction very attractive. My intention was to arrange my Pilates teaching schedule around my dance commitments and work at someone else’s studio, however the COVID-19 pandemic changed that path because of both the strong demand for virtual Pilates and the benefits I began to see with my clients during the transition. As I began Sunflower Studio I started off with just a few virtual private clients while I did the bulk of my teaching through other studios, but what started off as supplemental teaching has now become my primary source of income. As Sunflower Studio grew in popularity, I stopped working for other studios in order to devote more time and energy to developing my own business. My current goals in scaling the virtual studio are the addition of new group class options, expanding my private client base, and expanding and improving my digital marketing presence.
Any thoughts, advice, or strategies you can share for fostering brand loyalty?
Creating community and maintaining open channels of communication is key to fostering brand loyalty. Real-time virtual Pilates sessions naturally lend themselves to high-touch client relationships; my individual approach to designing sessions for my clients makes their experiences more personal and effective. I make it clear to new clients and reinforce with old clients that I am always available and responsive by text or email and I do my best to meet that standard. One of the challenges with teaching virtually, especially in group settings, is creating community apart. I try to open my classes a bit early to give people some time to catch up before we start in the same way people tend to chat while they prepare for in-person classes. While these are simple ways to build relationships with clients, they are a powerful way to create community. Building these relationships is one of my favorite parts of my job.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.sunflowerpilates.com/
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sunflower.pilates/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pilatesbytamar