Our Pilates is a lesson in business success

Brooke Hogan and Hannah McKimm are the visionaries and co-founders behind Our Pilates, an expert physio-led online and in-person Pilates studio dedicated to transforming the way you move, feel and live. 

Hannah is a physiotherapist, Pilates teacher, business owner, wife and mum - and a graduate of Unite Health’s APPI Clinical Pilates Certification! Brooke is a multifaceted entrepreneur, model, wellness advocate, social media influencer, wife and mother.

How Our Pilates began…

Both women share openly and vulnerably with their community, both as individuals and as the dynamic duo behind one of Australia’s most recognised Pilates platforms. Their friendship began with Hannah treating Brooke as her physio to address a few injuries that arose during Brooke’s preparation for a marathon.

During their treatment sessions, the pair realised they shared many mutual friends and interests, like running and Pilates, leading to a natural friendship evolving. Today, they continue to share a passion for movement, balance, self-care and the wellbeing of both body and mind.

In their recent Pillow Talk webinar chat with Unite Health, the women told us the idea for the business was born completely organically, when the pandemic lockdowns meant Brooke could no longer continue her in-person physio sessions with Hannah. Hannah offered to film classes and exercises so Brooke could keep up her strength and marathon training while they were physically apart, and before long these videos became the highlight of Brooke’s day. They brought her so much happiness during lockdown, she wanted to share with her own online community so they could also experience joy during such a challenging time.

Brooke’s community loved Hannah’s sessions too, responding with comments like, "That's the best Pilates class I've ever done!”

From there, things evolved quickly and naturally.

The evolution of their business idea was natural and organic

“It was so organic, Hannah and I had a chat and I was like, ‘My community absolutely loves your classes.’ I was obviously obsessed with her classes and the way she could engage muscles I didn't even know I had!... [We realised there was] an opportunity here to showcase what Hannah can do, and to really help other women enjoy moving their bodies.” 

Initially both women juggled many different roles and responsibilities - which they still do today, but they’ve developed greater confidence and understanding along the way.

The dynamic duo shared so much invaluable wisdom and insights throughout the chat - which you can catch up on by watching the full conversation here. 

However, five pieces of advice, in particular, were essential lessons for anyone looking to create their own thriving, successful and rewarding career or business in Pilates.

Brooke and Hannah’s top tips for succeeding in a career in Pilates…

Leverage your skill set and work with someone who complements and enhances your strengths.

The pair attribute much of the success of Our Pilates to their supportive, enriching dynamic. Their career backgrounds and past experiences allowed Brooke and Hannah to bring vastly different skill sets to the business, but their direction and vision for the brand has remained stringy aligned since day one.

Hannah says her background as a physio meant she was responsible for creating classes, while Brooke was great with design, marketing, building a business and creating a brand.

“We came at things from really different angles. It's amazing because I can get really bogged down in details, like how to make a class better. And Brooke's much better at thinking about what the broader community might want, and what would be beneficial for our members and community,” Hannah said.

“It’s rare in a business relationship, we really align in our values and what we want for the business. I think it’s been so great to have that from the get-go to really help us succeed. And we get along so well too?” she added.

“We can divide and conquer when we need to, but then we can also spend a whole day together working on things and bumping ideas off each other. Having someone there with you along the way has been really special,” Brooke agreed.

The importance of problem solving.

If there’s a problem the duo can’t solve, they sit down together until they find a solution.

Hannah shared, “There have been a lot of challenges and lessons along the way... We've invested money in things we shouldn't have and we’ve made a few mistakes, which is natural in any business.”

“We're both problem solvers, and when you own a small business you do have to wear so many hats. If it's something that we both don't know the answer to, we're just like okay what do we need to do to push through this hurdle or figure out the answer?” Brooke added.

Hannah said they had to quickly learn to be more adaptable. “I've become a lot better at being like, ‘Okay well that just isn't going to happen this week, is it the worst thing in the world if we do it next week or next month or whatever?’”

Brooke believes recognising the importance of saying no has been fundamental. “We're such ‘yes’ people, and we’re so passionate about the business. Every opportunity that comes our way, we're like, ‘Amazing, let's do it!’ For the first few years we probably put ourselves under too much pressure, which was probably great for the business in the early days. Doing all those things and getting our name out there was really important.” 

Accepting there will be sacrifices along the way.

As mothers of young children, Brooke and Hannah have both had to come to terms with the fact there’s no “perfect balance” when navigating work and family life. They both agreed the juggle is the hardest part of running a business.

Brooke said, “I'm in a good rhythm now and I have set working days and things like that, but it's still really hard… We always think that if we had more time, we could execute all these amazing ideas we want to do. But we’re torn between spending time in this business we absolutely love and adore, but also wanting to be present for our kids.”

“It’s the juggle of trying to give both your everything, but feeling like you're always giving one a little more than the other… I try to tell myself it's not something you ever get right, it's always evolving. Some weeks you'll feel good about it, some weeks you'll feel crappy about it, and I think that's just the nature of it.” she added.

Letting go of the pressure to be “perfect” at all times and to get everything right has been a big lesson for both women. They’re able to pick up the pieces for each other when they need to step back briefly for family or other commitments, and to support each other in the more challenging times of running a business. 

Know your target audience.

Our Pilates’ target audience is, essentially, Brooke and Hannah! They want to help women just like themselves feel good in their minds and bodies, in the midst of busy lives and schedules.

Deeply understanding and relating to their target clients has allowed the pair to identify gaps in the market, and to deliver classes and options tailored directly to the needs of their community. And they believe this has been a huge contributor to their success.

Hannah said, “When your target market is yourself, you're like, ‘What do we need?’”

The pair are also committed to asking their community and their Facebook group what classes or challenges they want, or if they have any unmet needs - using their community’s input and feedback to guide what they offer in the future. This allows them to ensure they’re providing the right support, and making their clients feel cared for and heard.

The women decided to launch an in-person studio in Sorrento recently - as a result of this client-first approach. While it was something they’d wanted to do since starting the business, they recognised there were no high-quality Pilates studios already in the Sorrento area. And they wanted to fill the gap and bring the community something that was missing!

“It's added a whole new element to the business, but a really enjoyable one. I feel like our physical studio has brought so much personality and life to our digital platform… When everything's online, we try to make our classes feel really personal so the person watching the class feels like they're in a studio. But you don't get the warmth you feel in a studio! I think having this studio has brought life to what people see online, which has been really valuable for our community. It's so beautiful - that connection piece, the community, the in-person offering - it really brings a whole other element,” Hannah explained.

It hasn’t been without challenges, though.

“It's different [to online classes] because there's obviously a physical client-facing space that needs to look perfect - it has to be the right temperature, the music has to work, it has to be clean. There are all these elements you don't need to consider online… You've got to create a culture and make sure your staff are looked after, that they’re happy and feeling valued and enjoying showing up to work… So there's the teamwork side of it as well,” Hannah shared.

Brooke and Hannah have both had to learn to “let go” when small, everyday problems arise - like being unable to lock the door, or the sound system malfunctioning.

Brooke says being perfectionists, they both want things to be perfect to ensure their clients have the best possible experience each time they come into the studio. “It's just navigating all of the little things, probably being kinder to ourselves as well, and realising things aren't always perfect and that's okay. As long as we're making sure our clients feel supported.”

Learn from others!

Their most important tip of all: get out there and try as many different classes as you can - different Pilates formats led by different instructors, as well as other fitness formats too!

“For anyone who's either recently graduated or just starting their Pilates training, my greatest recommendation is to get to as many different classes as you can. Try some clinical [Pilates] classes, try fitness classes, try hot Pilates classes, reformer classes, and also yoga. I've learned so much doing yoga and other styles of exercise,” Hannah recommended.

“Every instructor has a different take - you might learn a cue you've never heard before, or a transition from one move to the next that just makes sense for your body. Exposing yourself to as many different styles of teaching is the best thing you can possibly do, so get out there and go to some classes! Come to Our Pilates!” she added.

Variety in instructors’ teaching style, programming, “vibe”, cues, exercises and energy is something Hannah now believes has been crucial for the success of Our Pilates’ in-person Sorrento studio. Allowing [other instructors] to bring their own skills, personality and vibe to the space creates variety in their class offering, and allows the powerhouse pair to attract a wide range of clients.

Our time with Hannah and Brooke flew by, we ran out of time to address all your questions in the session. Below, Hannah answers the most commonly asked questions sent in during the live webinar.

What are the key challenges of starting a business which people should be aware of and prepared for? And your biggest tips for any aspiring entrepreneurs?

The main challenge we've faced is finding the time to execute all the ideas we have. Working efficiently can be difficult when you don’t have a team or any systems in place, and it’s easy to get distracted by the next exciting idea. Everything takes longer than you expect as well, so allowing adequate time for your tasks takes a while to work out. Assessing tasks as ‘Urgent’ or ‘Important’ can be helpful, because the urgent tasks tend to take priority - but it’s [still] essential you get to the ‘Important’ tasks at some point.

Are there any resources you’d recommend for people interested in building their own business?

A few great podcasts and audiobooks are:

• Leaders Eat Last
• Radical Candor
• Diary of a CEO podcast
• Ready or Not podcast
• Australian Business podcast

I also find the most useful resource is having a network of other business owners. This doesn’t have to be others in the Pilates space - there are so many aspects to running a business that crossover with other industries, and having people to run ideas by is so valuable.

What do you enjoy most about running a business?

Brooke and I always say that what we do never feels like work. Of course there are jobs we do which do feel like work (I’d happily never go through trademarking again!), but most of the time we truly love what we do. The freedom to take things in your own direction, plus the sense of creating something you’re really passionate about and proud of is incredibly motivating.

What do you look for when hiring Pilates instructors? Do you have any advice for aspiring teachers?

I always like to see instructors who have trained at Unite Health because I know how thorough and well-rounded the course is. I do have a preference for independent training rather than in-house training, as I believe this leads to more versatility and a deeper understanding of Pilates.

Apart from training, personality is a huge factor. Instructors need to be warm and welcoming but authoritative, and this can be a tricky combo to master. It comes naturally to some, but can definitely be learned. It usually comes across in an interview if someone is passionate about Pilates or just doing it as a job.

How do you know when you’re “ready” to start your journey to becoming a Pilates instructor or starting a business?

I didn’t feel ready until the opportunity presented itself. I always had ideas but not a lot of confidence, and I was happy in my job so didn’t feel like I desperately needed a change. It’s different for everyone, some people make things happen really early in their career, others need time to build their confidence. I think if you have an idea and an itch, and you find yourself thinking about this idea all the time, you’re probably ready. It will always feel daunting and scary, but if it’s something you want to do then you just have to get started.

In terms of tangible things, to open your own studio you’d need:

• Skills to teach and train your team - You need enough experience to be able to mentor your instructors to ensure your classes are of high quality, and so your teachers feel their skills are being developed.
• Finance - You need money to get started. I’d suggest working through numbers thoroughly before taking on any financial responsibility.
• Time - Whether you’re starting your business as a full-time job or a side-hustle, you need time to make it happen. So if you’re already at capacity, you will need to create some space.

How did you attract clients and an audience online?

We’ve used PR agencies, paid influencer marketing, paid Meta ads, our own social media accounts, events and brand partnerships. All have played a part, but we’ve found the most effective way to build an audience is to be authentic and to practise what you preach.

I think the brands that do well online are led by people who live and breathe their message - people see through brands that don’t.

What roles and tasks do you outsource in the business? Any advice for recognising when you need to start outsourcing, and how to find the right people when the time comes?

Great question, and one we’re constantly trying to figure out. We have a social media manager who is wonderful and really understands our brand. Apart from that, it’s just Brooke and me, then we engage agencies or contractors for specific projects.

It comes to a point where you physically cannot do all that is needed to take the business forward, and then you know you need to offload some tasks. Deciding what to offload takes deep thought and possibly some advice from someone else. You may think your value is in one area, but perhaps it’s in another and it might take someone external to see this. 

Inspired by Brooke and Hannah’s journey to building a successful business and career in Pilates? Keep up to date with them on Instagram at @ourpilates and their personal accounts @brookehogan and @han.mckimm, or visit the Our Pilates website. 

Our Pilates is currently working on adding new challenges and new programs with progressive classes, tailoring class suggestions suited to your individual goals, building out the nutrition side of their platform and adding more educational components like blogs to the app! They’re also heavily focused on community currently, planning community events for both online and in-person clients, so make sure you’re following along to get in on the action!

In the meantime, if Brooke and Hannah’s experiences and advice have given you the inspiration and motivation you need to finally commit to your own future in Pilates, take the first step today! Enrol on our APPI Pilates Instructor Certification and set yourself up with the very best chance of creating your own successful, rewarding career in the industry.