In this episode of The Pilates Business Podcast, host Seran Glanfield talks with Amy Jordan, the former Marvel senior vice president who built Wundabar Pilates, invented the Wunda Former, and is now launching Helena, a home Pilates machine designed to look like an accent chair. 🎙️ 

Amy shares how the Pilates industry has changed since 2006, how she learned to spot a gap in the market, and why she believes studio owners who don’t innovate will get left behind. 

If you run a Pilates studio or boutique fitness business and you’re wondering where your next opportunity is hiding, this conversation will help you see it. ✨

🔗 Connect with Amy: 

Instagram: @amyjordanofficial

Website: www.wundacore.com

How to Grow Your Pilates Studio Without Doing Everything Yourself: Lessons in Innovation and Business Growth with Amy Jordan

Running a Pilates studio is about more than teaching great classes. It takes creativity, leadership, business strategy, and the ability to adapt as the industry evolves.

But here's a question worth asking: What if growing your Pilates studio meant doing less, not more?

For many boutique fitness studio owners, the biggest challenge isn't a lack of passion or expertise. It's being so caught up in the day-to-day running of the business that there's little time left to focus on growth.

In this episode of The Pilates Business Podcast, Seran Glanfield sits down with entrepreneur, inventor, and Pilates industry innovator Amy Jordan to explore what it really takes to build a successful, sustainable Pilates business.

From building WundaBar Pilates and developing innovative Pilates equipment to navigating unexpected challenges and learning to delegate, Amy shares valuable lessons from her entrepreneurial journey.

Here are some of the biggest takeaways for studio owners looking to grow their businesses without losing sight of why they started.

1. Growth Starts When You Learn to Get Out of Your Own Way

One of the biggest lessons from Amy's journey is the importance of recognizing when you're spending too much time working in your business instead of working on it.

As a studio owner, it's easy to become the person responsible for everything.

You're teaching classes, managing clients, answering emails, handling customer service, overseeing your team, and trying to find time for marketing.

Before you know it, your entire day revolves around keeping the studio running.

Amy shared how working with a CEO coach helped her recognize that she needed to step away from some of the responsibilities she had been holding onto.

By delegating more client service responsibilities and classes to her talented team, she created space to focus on her strengths: inventing, developing ideas, and growing her brands.

The takeaway?

Your business cannot grow beyond your capacity if everything continues to depend on you.

Learning to delegate isn't about losing control. It's about creating the space to focus on the work that moves your business forward.

2. Don't Rely on One Revenue Stream to Support Your Business

When COVID hit, Amy experienced firsthand how quickly circumstances can change.

With studios in major markets like Los Angeles and New York, lockdowns meant losing studio revenue almost overnight.

It was a turning point.

Amy realized that relying entirely on physical studio locations created significant vulnerability. She needed to develop another way to serve clients and support her family.

This led her to explore the development of Pilates props and equipment, including resistance rings and specialized blocks that could be used both in studios and at home.

It was an opportunity to expand her reach beyond the four walls of a studio.

For boutique fitness studio owners, this raises an important business question:

Are you relying too heavily on one way of generating revenue?

Your studio might be your primary business model, but there may be opportunities to expand how you serve your community.

Think about:

• Workshops and specialty programs.

• Private sessions and small-group offerings.

• Online classes and digital resources.

• Retail products and Pilates accessories.

• Additional services that complement your existing offerings.

The goal isn't to add more complexity to your business.

It's to consider how you can create additional value for your clients while building a more resilient business.

3. Innovation Is Essential to Staying Relevant in the Pilates Industry

The Pilates industry has changed significantly over the years.

Amy shared her perspective on how the industry has gradually become more open to innovation, moving away from some of the traditional divisions around what is and isn't considered Pilates.

Her philosophy is simple: respect the foundations, but don't be afraid to evolve.

She describes herself as standing on Joseph Pilates' shoulders, acknowledging the importance of his original work while recognizing that the industry needs room to innovate.

Her invention of the WundaFormer is a great example.

After discovering that she wanted to offer more Pilates apparatus options in her studios but didn't have the space for multiple pieces of equipment, she developed a solution that combined different apparatus into one system.

It allowed her to offer a more dynamic class experience without the interruptions of changing equipment between exercises.

The lesson for studio owners?

Innovation doesn't necessarily mean inventing something completely new.

It could mean rethinking your class experience, improving your client journey, introducing new programs, or finding a better way to deliver your services.

Sometimes, the biggest opportunities come from identifying a problem your clients experience and creating a better solution.

4. Find Your Unique Strengths and Build Around Them

One of the most valuable insights from Amy's entrepreneurial journey is the importance of understanding your unique strengths.

Amy recognized that her strengths were in movement, creativity, invention, and brand development.

Rather than trying to manage every aspect of the business herself, she began working with people whose expertise complemented her own.

This became particularly important when she partnered with Anthony Geisler and Sarah Luna to develop Pilates Addiction.

Amy brought her knowledge of movement, equipment, and brand development, while her partners brought their experience in franchising and business operations.

Together, they created an opportunity to expand the brand in ways Amy couldn't have achieved alone.

For studio owners, this is an important reminder.

You don't need to be exceptional at everything.

You might be an incredible Pilates teacher, but that doesn't automatically mean you need to be the best marketer, operations manager, accountant, and team leader.

Recognize where your strengths lie.

Then build the right support around you.

Your job is not to do everything. It's to lead a business where the right people can do their best work.

5. Build a Business That Supports the Life You Want

Perhaps one of the most meaningful parts of Amy's story was how her experience with cancer changed her perspective on movement, business, and life.

During her treatment, she continued to move whenever she was physically able.

Pilates became an important part of how she stayed connected to her body and found a sense of empowerment during an incredibly difficult period.

The experience also changed how she viewed her business.

She began thinking more intentionally about the kind of life she wanted to create and the importance of building something that didn't require her to be constantly busy.

As she explained, she wanted to build a life she didn't need a vacation from.

It's a powerful reminder for every studio owner.

You started your business because you love movement, believe in its impact, and want to share that with your community.

But somewhere along the way, the demands of running the business can begin to overshadow the very reason you started.

Sustainable business growth isn't just about increasing revenue or opening more locations.

It's also about creating a business that supports your personal goals, gives you room to grow, and allows you to enjoy the life you've worked so hard to build.

6. Every Studio Owner Is an Innovator

Amy closed the conversation with a thought that every boutique fitness studio owner should remember.

You don't need to invent a machine, develop a product, or hold a patent to be an inventor.

You're inventing every day.

You're inventing the experience your clients have when they walk through your doors.

You're inventing new ways to serve your community.

You're inventing the culture of your studio and the way your team works together.

And you're continually inventing yourself as a business owner and leader.

Your ideas, experiences, and unique approach are what make your studio different.

Don't underestimate the value of what you bring to the industry.

Sometimes, the next big opportunity isn't about copying what another studio is doing. It's about recognizing what makes your business special and finding new ways to share it.

Ready to Take Your Pilates Studio to the Next Level?

Building a successful Pilates studio requires more than passion for teaching.

It requires the willingness to evolve, the courage to try new things, and the ability to recognize when it's time to do things differently.

Amy Jordan's journey is a reminder that business growth doesn't have to mean working longer hours, carrying more responsibilities, or doing everything yourself.

Sometimes, it means stepping back, trusting your strengths, surrounding yourself with the right people, and creating space for new opportunities.

Most importantly, remember that your studio should be building a better life for you, too.

Listen to the Full Episode

Want to hear more about Amy Jordan's entrepreneurial journey, her approach to innovation, and what she sees happening next in the Pilates industry?

Listen to the full conversation with Seran Glanfield on The Pilates Business Podcast.

It's packed with insights and inspiration for Pilates, barre, and yoga studio owners who are ready to think differently about business growth.