Independent Pilates studios face unique pressures today. On one side are the big-box gyms with their high-volume reformer classes. On the other, medical rehab models, as part of the ambulance at the bottom of the cliff. In between, studio owners are asking: how do we stand apart while staying true to our unique heart and part of Pilates?

In this second conversation with Carla Ricalis, Co-Founder and Director of Studio3 in Toronto, we explore the realities of running a Pilates studio in a shifting marketplace. Carla brings decades of perspective, from training with Moira Stott in the 90s, to opening training centres across continents, to building her own thriving studio business.

Together, we get curious about:

• The strengths and pitfalls of privates, semi-privates, and group models.
• Why belonging and habit-building matter more than drop-ins.
• The challenges of recruiting instructors and maintaining standards post-COVID.
• How our niche industry could be moving from fragmentation to unity.

👉 Subscribe to The Pilates Business Podcast so you don’t miss Part 3 of this conversation with Carla, releasing in a couple of weeks.

Connect with Carla Ricalis

LinkedIn: Carla Ricalis

Website: https://www.studiopower3.ca/

Connect with David Gunther via Linkedin

Website: https://www.pilatesbusiness.com.au/

Facebook: Pilates Business

Youtube: @pilatesbusiness1126

If you found this episode valuable, be sure to subscribe and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Share this episode with fellow clinical Pilates studio owners and let’s strengthen our community together.

Send us a text

Want to learn more about Pilates Business?

Learn from other business owners and prominent leaders, to benefit your Clinical Pilates Studio business, and your life.

Our purpose here at Pilates Business Podcast and at http://www.pilatesbusiness.com.au is to help you create your Pilates business success.

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The word Pilates means different things to different people. For some, it’s a crowded studio of reformers moving in sync like choreography. For others, it’s something quieter, more precise, and deeply personal. That divide creates both opportunity and confusion for those prospective Pilates clients so important to Pilates studio owners everywhere.

In this episode, David Gunther is joined by Carla Ricalis, Co-founder and Director of Studio3 in Toronto. Carla’s Pilates journey spans decades and continents, from her early certification with Moira Stott in the 90s, to launching training centres across North America and Europe, to running her own thriving, fully equipped Pilates studio.

Together, David and Carla explore:

• Why the language we use to describe Pilates matters more than ever
• The differences between boutique studios and big-box franchises
• Whether terms like clinical, personalised, or fully equipped capture the value of small studios
• How instructors can communicate their difference without losing the heart of Pilates

This episode kicks off our new series, Diaries of Professional Pilates Instructors, relatingreal stories from those who’ve built their businesses, honed their craft, and found ways to stand apart in a crowded Pilates marketplace.

👉 Subscribe to The Pilates Business Podcast so you don’t miss Part 2 of this conversation with Carla, releasing next week.

Connect with Carla Ricalis

LinkedIn: Carla Ricalis

Website: https://www.studiopower3.ca/

Connect with David Gunther via Linkedin

Website: https://www.pilatesbusiness.com.au/

Facebook: Pilates Business

Youtube: @pilatesbusiness1126

If you found this episode valuable, be sure to subscribe and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Share this episode with fellow clinical Pilates studio owners and let’s strengthen our community together.

Send us a text

Want to learn more about Pilates Business?

Learn from other business owners and prominent leaders, to benefit your Clinical Pilates Studio business, and your life.

Our purpose here at Pilates Business Podcast and at http://www.pilatesbusiness.com.au is to help you create your Pilates business success.

Are you getting all the shows? Subscribe today!

What happens when, after a decade of chronic pain, you’re told that without urgent surgery you could end up paralysed?

For Rae Harvey, that moment was the beginning of a new chapter, where Pilates became not just exercise, but a lifeline.

In this episode of The Pilates Business Podcast, host David Gunther sits down with Rae Harvey, an 81-year-old Pilates client whose story embodies the series theme: Pilates Can Change Lives.

Rae shares her journey from living with severe back pain, through major spinal fusion surgery, to rediscovering strength, posture, and independence through Pilates. This conversation is inspiring for Pilates clients but also a reminder for studio owners and instructors of the life-changing impact of their work.

What You’ll Learn

✔️ How Rae navigated a decade of back pain and the life-changing decision to undergo spinal fusion surgery

✔️ The role Pilates played in her preparation, recovery, and ongoing mobility

✔️ Why personalised instruction and small classes create the environment for success

✔️ The emotional and lifestyle benefits of Pilates, from family connection to renewed independence

✔️ Why consistency became a turning point in Rae’s transformation

Connect with David Gunther via Linkedin

Website: https://www.pilatesbusiness.com.au/

Facebook: Pilates Business

Youtube: @pilatesbusiness1126

If you found this episode valuable, be sure to subscribe and leave a review on your favourite podcast platform.

Share this episode with fellow clinical Pilates studio owners and let’s strengthen our community together.

Send us a text

Want to learn more about Pilates Business?

Learn from other business owners and prominent leaders, to benefit your Clinical Pilates Studio business, and your life.

Our purpose here at Pilates Business Podcast and at http://www.pilatesbusiness.com.au is to help you create your Pilates business success.

Are you getting all the shows? Subscribe today!