What a roller coaster the last two years have been for everyone! It has certainly been a turbulent time with everyone being affected in some way by COVID. We have all had to adapt to change to accommodate this new way of living and I think everybody has had their ups and downs.
Pre-pandemic, I was running a successful Pilates business from my studio in Wokingham. I ran small Pilates classes for people local to me and I loved it. As I have mentioned in previous blogs, all this changed in March 2020, when we went into our first lockdown. It amazes me that this was 2 years ago. I think we can separate the last two years into pre-pandemic, pandemic and post pandemic with pre-pandemic seeming a lifetime ago.
As we gradually move into post pandemic, I believe we are still adapting and this will continue to happen, particularly with what is currently going on in the world at this present time. There seems to be so much uncertainty and anxiety around (to find out about my charity event raising money for Ukraine, please click here).
So what have I learnt from the past two years?
Firstly, you can’t stay static with your business. This new world is constantly changing and we have to move with it, even if it takes us out of our comfort zone. I can definitely say I’ve been so far out of my comfort zone over the last two years, I’ve forgotten what it feels like to be in my comfort zone! Going from face to face to online, was a big step for me and I can still remember my husband saying to me “Lisa, don’t be disappointed if it doesn’t work, but at least you have given it a try”. This gave me the sheer determination to make it happen and yes, we had some blips along the way, technology is not my forte and my husband who will admit is not the most techy of guys, became IT support overnight. I sometimes froze, both in terms of IT and confidence, I have been known to swear and there have been times when pets or family members can be heard in the background! However, I have managed to build a business that is now predominately online and I love it!
Secondly, If you remain positive and have a keep going attitude, then people will respond. Although, some days, it was hard to remain chatty and upbeat on screen, I did it, because I knew for some of my clients, my classes were a lifeline and they definitely didn’t want doom and gloom as they got this enough when they turned on the news every day. Keeping a positive mindset and surrounding myself with other positive people has definitely helped me through the last 2 years.
Coming in at number 3 in terms of lessons learnt – one size doesn’t fit all. What do I mean by that? Offering lots of different options to clients has helped me to grow my business. As well as running online classes, I also provide a video library with over 100 videos, which means when clients can’t make a live class, they can still do their Pilates workouts. Clients are now wanting more face to face, so I have set up monthly Pilates Workshops at a local school, so I can then interact and see my clients and be able to provide hands on assistance. As the world has picked up the pace, over the last few months, trying to get to a class in person, week after week is challenging, so by offering a face to face class every few weeks, they get the human interaction, but then they also have the convenience of hopping onto an online class that suits their schedule. As we move forward, I’m sure my business model will continue to evolve.
My fourth lesson – I really love to study . Throughout the pandemic, I was able to attend many online training courses to further my knowledge all from the comfort of my studio. For those of you, who know me well, you will know I don’t like to travel, so being able to sit in the warmth of my studio, at the end of my garden has been a great plus for me.
During the pandemic, I also discovered MELT. For me, this is many lessons rolled into one. Without the pandemic, I would never have been introduced to MELT, which has been life transforming for me and my clients. Before the pandemic, all the MELT training was in the US and as much as I would have loved to have done the training, it would not have been an option, so to be able to take all my levels of training from home has been amazing and I am loving everything I am learning. Studying and teaching MELT has provided me with a perfect combination with Pilates and as I continue to learn, my depth of knowledge grows, which makes me very happy. As more people learn about MELT and as my clients embrace it, then my business model will adapt and change again.
So, I think it is fair to say we have all had to adapt and change, but I guess as long as the world keeps changing, so do we.
I also think these quotes some up the last two years perfectly:-
“Change begins at the end of your comfort zone.”
“Progress is impossible without change, and those who cannot change their minds cannot change anything.”
“There is nothing permanent except change.”
How have you had to adapt to change in the last 2 years? I’d love to know.
