Beyond the Reformer
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The Wild West of Pilates: Why Teaching Standards Are Letting Everyone Down with Katie Nankivell

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"There is a lot of money-hungry people chasing trends with a lack of moral compass and ethics behind them."

The Pilates industry is growing fast - but not always in the right direction. In this episode, Nic is joined by Katie, founder of Pilates Delivered, an Amsterdam-based at-home and private Pilates service. Katie trained comprehensively with Polestar Pilates and has been teaching for over a decade across private clients, studios, and her own business.

They get straight into the hard conversation: what's actually happening with teaching standards right now, why weekend certifications are producing a generation of teachers who only know the choreography, and why loving Pilates does not make someone qualified to teach it.

They also explore what separates good teachers from great ones - from personality and people skills to the ability to read a body, adapt on the spot, and never stop learning. Katie shares how expanding into sound healing, Reiki, fascia, and nervous system work has made her a more intuitive, holistic teacher - and why Pilates has always been about the whole person.

And on the business side, Katie talks candidly about building a sustainable private practice from scratch in a new city, setting boundaries with clients, pricing at a premium, and designing a career entirely on her own terms.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro to Katie

00:21 What's really happening in the Pilates industry right now

01:47 Weekend certifications and the choreography problem

06:17 Katie's journey into Pilates and why she chose Polestar

10:13 Building Pilates Delivered: at-home Pilates in Amsterdam

13:47 What clients actually want — and what keeps them coming back

18:55 Expanding beyond Pilates: sound healing, Reiki, and fascia work

23:17 How holistic training makes you a more intuitive teacher

26:57 Pilates and wellness as complementary — not competing

32:35 What actually makes a great Pilates teacher

37:09 Just because you love Pilates doesn't mean you should teach it

39:29 Authenticity, personality, and being exactly who you are

44:04 Building a sustainable career outside the studio model

49:02 Quick-fire questions

50:26 Where to find Katie


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