Strength is Built in the Messy Moments.
It has been just over a month since we opened the doors to Pilates on Plains, and I want to share something honest. This whole experience is equal parts magical and overwhelming.
I knew opening a studio would take work, but I do not think anything truly prepares you for the everything of it. It is not a “build it and they will come” kind of story. It is a “build it, then market it, nurture it, grow it, fix it, show up for it, introduce it to the community, show up again, and keep showing up” kind of story.
And truthfully, I would not trade a second of it.
Every day feels like a brand new adventure. No two days look even remotely the same yet. Some mornings I wake up buzzing with ideas. Other mornings I wonder if I can bolt the studio door and hide under a blanket with Tank. 🐾 He would support that decision.
There is the joy. The smiles. The people I have met. The messages from clients who feel stronger or more confident or simply happier when they leave than when they arrived.
And then there is the reality. The marketing. The endless to do lists. The community events. The decisions. The things I did not know I did not know. And the habits I keep telling myself I will create tomorrow. It is a lot. A beautiful lot, but still a lot.
I would love to sit here wearing my rosy coloured glasses and write a story about how easy it all is.
But I prefer to be transparent.
Building something from scratch, something meaningful, something with heart, takes grit. It takes vulnerability. It takes trusting yourself on days when you feel unsure. And it takes learning to breathe through those moments when the overwhelm settles in and quietly asks if you are sure you can do this.
Yes. I am.
Because I love this studio with my whole heart.
I love the sound of laughter drifting across the reformers.
I love watching shoulders relax the second someone walks through the door.
I love the small routines that are slowly forming, even when they are imperfect.
I love the feeling of possibility that lives inside the space, as if it knows this is only the beginning.
And I love that every person who walks in becomes a tiny part of this story we are creating together.
We are only 6 weeks in.
There is still so much to learn and build and refine and discover. This is what I am learning:
Dreams do not get easier.
You simply get stronger.
…And here is my invitation to you
As I have been navigating this first messy and magical month, I keep coming back to one simple truth.
Showing up is the hardest part, but it is also the most powerful.
And I want to turn that back to you for a moment.
If you have been wanting to build a fitness habit
If you have been thinking about prioritizing your health
If you have been telling yourself you will start soon
Maybe this is your sign.
You do not need the perfect schedule.
You do not need the perfect outfit.
You do not need motivation that lasts forever.
You just need one moment today where you choose yourself.
Start small.
Start gentle.
Start imperfect.
But start.
Maybe that looks like booking one Pilates class this week.
Maybe it is a ten minute walk.
Maybe it is stretching when you wake up instead of reaching for your phone.
Maybe it is simply deciding you deserve to feel strong and cared for.
Just like building this studio has taught me, habits are not created through grand gestures.
They are created through tiny moments of courage, repeated again and again.
So here is my heartfelt invitation.
Show up for yourself, even in the smallest way.
Your body will thank you.
Your energy will shift.
Your confidence will grow.
And one month from now you might look back and say
“I cannot believe how far I have come.”
And if Pilates on Plains becomes part of that journey, I would love nothing more than to cheer you on every step of the way.
XO Marion
…and PS….don’t forget our food drive. Please consider brining a non-perishable to donate to the Burlington Food Bank.
…and PPS…check out our new Yoga-lates class. with Lauren on Sunday evenings at 7:30