Today’s article is a little more career-oriented, and I want to share some thoughts about a topic that comes to my mind very often.
Over the years, especially through teaching workshops and meeting instructors in different countries, I’ve been asked many questions about career choices. Where should I start? Which Pilates studio should I work for? What should my next step be? How can I create more opportunities for myself?
I don’t think there is one answer that works for everyone. But I do believe that after completing your Pilates education, one of the most important questions you can ask yourself is not only where you want to work, but who you want to become.
1. Think About Who You Want to Become
What do you want your role within this industry to be? What do you want people to associate with your name? What do you want to represent? Where do you see yourself in the future?
You don’t need to know all the answers from day one. I definitely didn’t. Your direction can change, your interests can change, and your goals will probably change too. But having an idea of who you want to become can help you make better decisions along the way.
And this brings me to something I strongly believe.
2. Choose the Right Pilates Studio and Work Environment
Where you work matters.
The environment you choose can have a huge influence on your development. The people you work with, the teachers you observe, the clients you teach, the conversations happening around you, and the standards of the studio slowly become part of your own experience.
I’ve seen very good instructors whose choices limited their potential. They had the knowledge, they had the ability, and they were great teachers, but they stayed in environments that didn’t challenge them or allow them to develop further.
At the same time, I’ve seen instructors who perhaps weren’t as strong in the beginning build amazing careers because of the decisions they made. They chose environments where they could learn. They surrounded themselves with people who challenged them. They listened, observed, accepted feedback, and kept working.
That has always been very interesting to me.
Being talented is important. Being a good teacher is important. But the decisions you make around your talent can sometimes be just as important.
Ask yourself if the environment you work in represents the quality, vision, and standards you want for your own career. Are you still learning there? Are you being challenged? Are you surrounded by people who make you want to improve? Do you feel that the person you are becoming in that environment is getting closer to the professional you want to be?
3. A Good Environment Is Only the Beginning
But there is another side to this.
The right environment will not do the work for you.
You still need to study. You need to practice. You need to observe. You need to ask questions, accept feedback, make mistakes, and come back better. Sometimes you also need to prove yourself before someone gives you the opportunity you believe you deserve.
Throughout my career, I’ve done many things simply because I believed they would help me grow. I’ve travelled to learn, assisted other educators, spent time observing, practised when nobody was watching, and said yes to opportunities that didn’t necessarily give me an immediate financial return.
Not every decision has to make sense financially from day one.
4. Is Teaching Pilates a Job, a Lifestyle, or a Career?
And this is where I think we need to be honest with ourselves about another question.
Is this a job? Is this part of my life? Or is this the career and life I really want to build?
There is absolutely no wrong answer. But the answer changes the level of commitment you are willing to give.
If this is something you really want to build your life around, there will be moments when you give more than you receive. You might assist someone without being paid. You might travel for education. You might spend your own money learning. You might stay longer, create something that nobody initially notices, or invest hours into an idea without knowing where it will take you.
That doesn’t mean working for free forever or not respecting the value of your work. It means understanding that sometimes you need to invest in yourself before expecting others to invest in you.
Of course, money matters. We all have responsibilities, and our work should be valued. But especially at the beginning of a career, I don’t think money should be the only measurement of an opportunity.
Sometimes, instead of only asking, “How much will I make here?”, ask yourself, “Who can I become here?”
The knowledge you gain matters. The people you meet matter. Your experiences matter. Your reputation matters. And sometimes an opportunity that looks small today becomes important years later.
5. Keep Learning and Growing as a Pilates Instructor
I believe a career is built through many small decisions that eventually start connecting. And one thing I’ve learned throughout my own career is that learning never really stops.
Even after years of teaching, travelling, working with different people, and gaining experience, I still consider myself a student.
There is always someone to learn from. There is always something to improve. There is always a new perspective, a new challenge, or a new question. I think that mindset is important because the moment we believe we have nothing left to learn is probably the moment we stop growing.
Whether you teach private sessions, group pilates classes, or work in a specialised Pilates studio, there is always room to develop your knowledge, improve your teaching, and learn from others.
6. Invest in Yourself and Your Future
So choose your environment carefully. Choose who you learn from carefully. Choose the people you surround yourself with, and think carefully about where you invest your time, energy, and attention.
Ask yourself not only, “What am I getting from this opportunity?”
But also:
“What is this opportunity helping me become?”
Because where you work doesn’t only affect what you earn today. It influences what you learn, who you meet, how you think, what standards you develop, and, ultimately, the professional you become.
And perhaps that is the most important question we can continue asking ourselves throughout our careers:
Who am I becoming? And is that the person I want to be?
