Simple solutions to lead a better life.

Pilates teachers share a dirty secret that we’ve ignored, too afraid to admit because it threatens the very essence of our “balanced” lives.

Teaching Pilates is not a viable career path, and it’s the business structure of the studio that holds us back.

The studio business model is designed to hire teachers as independent contractors, so the cost and liability of doing business fall on the teacher. To be profitable, the studio must own a percentage of every class and private sessions taught (upward of 60%). So the studio acts as an intermediary between teachers and students to maintain control over scheduling, clientele, and decision-making. Yet the teacher covers hidden costs of taxes, licensure, insurance, and continued education without any labor law protection.

To make a livable income, teachers compete with each other for more hours, better availability, higher pay rates, and eventually, “teacher trainer” or “studio owner” prestige. None of which are a guarantor of success, healthcare, or a secure retirement. Teachers are burnt out, and the struggle to make ends meet** takes our energy away from what truly matters to us, our students.

As teachers, we are facilitators of learning processes, leaders within our community, and powerful enough to change lives. We cannot embody our best teaching if we are in a constant struggle to provide for our basic economic needs. So why don’t we modernize the studio, start investing in common interests, and champion our most invaluable asset, the teacher?

Pilates in Common is 100% for the teacher so that the teacher can be 100% for their students.

We are a cooperative corporation, which means our teachers own equal parts in the company. The cost of doing business is shared, profits are returned directly to the teachers, and decisions are made democratically - one teacher, one vote. Pilates in Common is more than a studio. We are an exercise in ownership, accountability, and autonomy. We decide what is best for our future and together we make the investment.

The solution, for us, is simple. To advance the cultural and economic interests of the Pilates industry, we must focus on the commonwealth of teachers. We believe that when teachers truly profit off their unique gift, cooperative participation will grow, and our community will strengthen. Teachers will have the means to invest in their future (e.g., traditional employee benefits), and have the freedom to be better leaders for their students.

We have a choice. We can keep our influence small and continue to prioritize profit over people. Or we change what doesn’t work and build a business model that invests in the community, scales resources, and ultimately gets people doing more Pilates.