Today we’d like to introduce you to Gretchen Wagoner.
Hi Gretchen, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
BREATHE PILATES Miami was born in 2016 out of my love of Pilates and my love of quality. Our studio features the best and most educated instructors in Miami who can work with students to achieve their fitness goals and/or post-rehabilitation goals. Our class sizes are small (a maximum of six students per class) and we are a “go to” studio for Private and Duet sessions. We pride ourselves in being “Pilates nerds”, always students ourselves who when not creating our own programs or workshops, we are taking them (pre COVID, we hosted many as well).
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Because our “BREATHERS” (what we call our students) community is so strong, we were very lucky to have their support during the lockdown and ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Many students whom we may not have seen in person since March 2020 still come to our virtual classes in our Zoom Room! Some from as far away as Boston and London. Of course, the pandemic was still a struggle at times, especially in regards to staffing as many people have had life changes like moving away or starting a family. Nonetheless, we have been lucky to continue on and be #thelittlestudiothatcould.
I think as Miami becomes more robust with people moving here from New York and California, more Pilates studios are opening up. This is a great thing because Pilates is for EVERYBODY! At BREATHE, our niche is that we stay close to the source of Pilates, you won’t find kettlebells or megaformers in our studio. We believe in having less spots in group classes but more variety so that you are really getting the full experience of the Pilates method. For instance, many studios only offer Reformer classes, we incorporate Springboards (a miniature version of a Cadillac), Spine Correctors, and sometimes Chairs into our group classes. In our Private and Duet sessions, you may also work on the Ladder Barrel, Ped O Pul, Foot Corrector, Toe Corrector etc. to have a FULL Pilates session and experience.
As you know, we’re big fans of Breathe Pilates Miami. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about the brand?
• We are highly trained Instructors with multiple certifications including Pilates Method Alliance & National Certified Pilates Teacher.
• We are trained to work with special populations, post-rehabilitation, as well as overall fitness.
• Our instructors are from varied backgrounds so you’ll find variety in our classes all the while keeping you engaged and safe during your mind body practice.
• Our smaller class sizes keep the focus on you, your form, and your safety.
• At BREATHE PILATES Miami, you are a name, not a number and we are here to see you succeed and progress.
• We are very present in the Pilates community and continue our education on an ongoing basis by taking regular classes and courses (now often via Zoom).
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
To ask for help when needed, to systemize things to become more efficient, to communicate with your customers and do what you need to for them to know they are valued. I think if the pandemic has taught us anything, it’s how important our mental health is as well as our physical health. People need to be seen and heard, when we flipped quickly to offer virtual classes, we kept hearing “thank you for helping to keep me sane.”
Pricing:
- New student intro BOGO 2 classes for $38
- New student intro 5 group classes for $95
- New student intro 3 Private sessions for $210
- New student intro 3 Duet sessions for $270 ($135 each)
Contact Info:
- Email: info@
breathepilatesmiami.com - Website: www.
breathepilatesmiami.com - Instagram: @
breathepilatesmiami - Facebook: https://www.
facebook.com/ breathepilatesmiami - Youtube: https://www.youtube.
com/channel/ UCMxMNPi7aRbCaKxgIxG0n7A/null
Image Credits
All photography by So Min Kang Photo https://www.sominkangphotography.com
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