Career in Pilates

Educator Highlight : Katrina Hawley

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What do you love about teaching Pilates and owning a studio?  Where did you take your training and who was the educator?

I suppose you want something more specific than everything!  I love how versatile Pilates is.  I have taught an eight-year-old child Pilates, and I have taught folks who are in their nineties.  The method has such variation and diversity that a Pilates teacher can reach any population.  And, even better, as a person’s movement world grows and develops, the method grows with them.   

Pilates is so varied that there is a challenge for any body, and as I continue to practice I love that I can continue to challenge my own body by simply progressing the method…it makes the possibilities infinite.

What do you love about owning a studio?

I find myself spending a lot of time thinking about the kind of community I want to create.  I go to work everyday in my own playground and I find that spectacular. Together my business partner and I have created a space that honors the individuality of each person.  I also find joy in the continued creative care that it takes to keep a studio current.  We are constantly reviewing the latest research, learning the newest marketing skills, and continuing to grow as individuals.

I did the Polestar Pilates Comprehensive series in 2006 with Nelly Lugo.  She’s amazing! 

What are your current inspirations?   What do you love about them?

Right now I am slightly obsessed with the idea of finding a work-life balance and living life outside of the theoretical (like moving my own body as much or even more than I teach others to move).  I am so excited about motor control, and I geek out about neuroscience and systems theory.  Somebody once suggested that I find a hobby because I work “too” much.  This person was not wrong, but the thought of finding another hobby that is as satisfying as my work seemed a little daunting. I have settled on making all of my food from scratch and coloring every page in Netter’s neuroscience coloring book.  I mentioned these new hobbies to my partner and he said, “Well that is wonderfully nerdy!” 

I am inspired by geekiness and am so grateful to live and work in a community where that is honored and even considered heroic.

Why Pilates?  How did you find the practice? 

I was a dancer and Pilates was my “day job.”  Then when my dance career evolved (I avoid the phrase, “when I retired”)  I wanted to find a way to make Pilates more interesting.  I needed to bring the creativity and art of the rehearsal process to the teaching.  And what a journey it’s been.  I love that my background in dance is reaching a wider population.  I love the idea that information my body has had since I was six years old is helpful in how it informs my intuition when I am teaching others.  I love that I have found a way to make every session new.

What do you hope to convey in your teaching? 

We can’t be kind to others if we are not first kind to ourselves; that error is the pathway to learning; that I have yet to see the ideal posture on an actual living human being; and that every body is perfect.

Where would you love to vacation?

Costa Rica.  I have been obsessed with sloths since I was getting certified in Laban Movement Analysis and one of our assignments was to go to the zoo, observe the movement qualities of an animal and create a movement piece that is inspired by that animal.  I spent the entire four hours watching a sloth move about six feet on a tree branch.  I was mesmerized by the constant unending motion.  There is a sloth sanctuary in Costa Rica.

What is your favorite quote?  How do you live and embody this?

“My mother told me to be a lady. And for her, that meant be your own person, be independent.” -Ruth Bader Ginsburg

RBG is my hero in so many ways.  I embody this quote as I vote, advocate, and teach.  Each person is independent in thought and that creativity should be honored.


Describe your movement style:

I love to move big and wide and to ride the momentum of my fascia.  My nephew characterized my movement with those words when I was geeking out to him about the fascial system.  My challenge is to move in a manner that is controlled and contained around my center.  My life’s goal is to balance the joy of flying with the accomplishment of control.

What is your favorite apparatus or favorite way to move? What do you love about it?

This changes from week to week… Right now I’m having a slight love affair with the ladder barrel and its support in spine movement.

What are you reading or learning about?

Netter’s Neuroscience Coloring Book, Therapeutic Neuroscience Education, and Body Respect are the three new books on my nightstand, and I am always working my way through one of the Harry Potter books. We are at the beginning of a revolution of changes in thinking, or maybe we’re in the middle of the revolution and I am just figuring it out… I never know.

Join Katrina in the Upcoming Comprehensive Pilates Teacher Training in Hadley, MA

Selecting a Pilates Studio

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You’re either new to teaching, you’re moving to a new city, or it’s time for a change, and you’re facing the big decision of either opening your own studio or finding an environment where you can teach. This article focuses on the latter: how to select the ideal environment in which you can thrive as a movement professional. Below are some helpful points to consider in your selection.

There will be various factors unique to you and the city you live in that you’ll need to consider, and this can help you get the process started. – Kate Strozak,

First consider the type of environment that would appeal to you most. Here are some of the typical options:

  • Corporate options: this entails working for a studio that is housed within a larger complex such as a gym, social club, hospital, or university. The benefits of these environments are that you’ll likely have support from an HR department, consistency with expectations, and you likely won’t have to concern yourself with your own extensive marketing. Protocol will have been established and there will be processes in place to support you in your work environment. Some instructors dislike this option because it might feel restrictive in terms of established processes and procedures, and you’ll have to adopt their specific corporate culture.
  • Small business: this option involves working for an independently owned business, and the sizes can vary. Some of the perks include joining a business that has a unique culture where processes and systems are evolving over time. Some instructors thrive in this environment as it may be more conducive to flexibility, creating your own unique identity, and being able to run your own business within a business. On the other hand, working in a small business might entail inconsistencies in terms of rules and expectations.
  • Franchises: these are an interesting mix between how I describe corporations versus independently-owned businesses. Franchises are typically owned by somebody local who has subscribed to the franchise model. You benefit from the consistency and procedures in place, but you will need to subscribe to the larger franchise culture, which permeates each independently-owned franchise. Franchises might feel as though you belong to a large community, which can be a satisfying experience for somebody.

 Second, consider the type of clientele you would like to work with. 

  • If you are passionate about working with a clientele with a specific condition or situation, you could either find an environment with an existing reputation for that specialty or you can find an environment that would support you in specializing. 
  • If research is of particular interest to you, it would be helpful to find a university or hospital-based environment that has existing resources to support you in your endeavors.
  • For sports performance-based specialization, see if you can collaborate with professionals already equipped and servicing this population. Some professional sports teams are building out Pilates studios within their training centers.
  • For the general public, you have a wide spectrum of options, and you’ll likely select your environment based on a multitude of other factors, including some listed below.

 Lastly, these are some miscellaneous recommendations to ensure that you’re being selective with your decision.

  • Spend time in the prospective environment at various times of the day and on a variety of days. Notice how coworkers interact with each other and with clients, and notice the clientele that come into the space. Does it seem like a supportive, collaborative, and positive environment?
  • If possible, talk with some instructors who have been working there to get their perspectives. What are their favorite attributes about the environment? What are their greatest frustrations? How long have they worked there? 
  • Is your goal to progress to a management position? This is a nice thought to consider early on, and it might be something you could begin with or work towards over time.
  • Do the requirements for the position seem rigorous? If you’re looking for a place to work that is focused on high quality and caliber, they likely have more stringent requirements for instructors coming on board. Continuing education benefits are more than just a bonus; they can indicate that an organization is willing to invest in their employees/contractors and that education and development are highly prioritized.

Ask the person you’ll be reporting to how they support you in building your clientele. It is helpful to know these expectations from the get-go. Do they expect you to market yourself and attract your own clientele? Are they marketing you and generating leads for you? Do they already have classes and clients established for you?

 This process can be challenging and lengthy. Everybody responds to changes differently, and considering that we spend so much time and energy on working, it certainly is a big decision to make. Above all else, be selective and go with your gut. Try to find an environment that will be conducive to your personal and professional growth and evolution.

You can find Kate on instagram at @katestrozak

Fascia in Pilates by : Kate Strozak
Pilates in Healthcare by: Kate Strozak