"Just because you've got your 600 hour certificate doesn't mean you know it all. This is your beginning. This is just truly your beginning."
In this episode, Nic is joined by Anita Horry, a second-generation Pilates master teacher, founder of the Anita Horry Academy, and internationally respected educator and business mentor based in Spain. With over 20 years in the industry, Anita has trained and mentored teachers across the globe and is actively involved in raising Pilates education standards through her work with the PMA and ITAP.
Together they explore what it really takes to become an exceptional Pilates teacher, and why finishing a qualification is just the start of the journey. They get into the gap between what teacher training programs deliver and what the real world of teaching actually demands, from learning to read bodies effectively to the crucial role of mentorship and supervised teaching hours.
They also take an honest look at the state of the industry right now, including the explosion of reformer studios, underqualified teachers being pushed onto studio floors too soon, and investors entering the space without understanding the method. And for anyone running or thinking of opening a studio, Anita brings her accountancy background to the table with a grounded conversation on fixed costs, cash flow, VAT thresholds, and why being a great teacher does not automatically make you a great business owner.
Timestamps
00:00 Introduction to Anita Horry
01:33 What makes an exceptional Pilates teacher
02:37 Why your qualification is just the beginning
03:15 The state of teacher training right now
04:45 Early gratification and the push to earn too soon
06:14 How Pilates changed Anita's life
13:39 Anita's training journey and lineage
21:27 Classical versus contemporary and what we should actually call Pilates
28:59 Investors, oversaturation, and studios without substance
34:53 The real numbers behind running a viable studio
45:17 Educational standards, PMA, and ITAP accreditation
55:30 Log book hours, supervised teaching, and why they matter
58:16 Quick-fire questions
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