Sun, Jul 05, 2009
 Mary Gordon goes through the motions right along with her students during a Pilates class. Last year Gordon developed Plus Size Pilates, a workout to make exercise easier and more fun for plus-size people, and now she's open to advice on how to add more classes and expand her business.
a.e. araiza / arizona daily star
More Photos (1):
 
Sierra Tucson Eating Disorders Program Coordinator Administrative & Professional Jorgensen Brooks Group Counselor Health Care Dependable Health Services Physical Therapists Construction West-Press Printing Health Care CENTRAL ARIZONA COLLEGE DIRECTOR OF HEALTH INFORMATION MANAGEMENT Mechanical Komatsu Equipment Co Resident Field Mechanic Administrative & Professional Tucson Urban League CEO/President BusinessSmall Business Makeover
Plus Size Pilates adapted for any-size exerciseArizona Daily Star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 04.10.2006
The story
In 2002 Mary Gordon scaled back her hours as a full-time nurse to become a certified personal trainer and a warrior for female empowerment.
At work training clients in three gyms and studios around town, Gordon can be found dressed in her signature attire — camouflage pants and puka shell jewelry.
"I grew up in a military family and so already had a wardrobe of camouflage," she said. "It's such a strong statement, and when I combine it with jewelry, I feel like a female warrior."
Four years ago, Gordon noticed that one of her clients was struggling physically with some of the workout's challenging positions — many of which require yogalike flexibility and control.
This got Gordon wondering whether she could modify the core Pilates regime to accommodate more rotund body shapes.
"Health is something all body types want," Gordon said. To develop her trademarked Plus Size Pilates program, "we took the most basic, key elements of the positions and started there."
The One Hundred — an introductory position in which the head is lifted and the legs raised off the ground at a 45-degree angle — can be performed with both feet on the floor and the knees bent, Gordon explained.
For each position, the client gradually moves up in difficulty until she can achieve it.
Since developing Plus Size Pilates, Gordon has taken her brand of fitness to various local studios, most recently: Tucson Touch Therapies at 3903 E. Pima St.; Sierra Fitness, 5455 N. Kolb Road; and Physicians' Institute of Exercise Physiology at 4570 N. First Ave., Suite 150.
Though an average class hovers around six students, Gordon said a class could easily hold up to 20.
"Sizes range from 30 to 40 pounds overweight to over 400 pounds," she said. "The only requirement is that the student can get to and up from the floor, and may use a chair to do so."
After almost four years, Gordon is interested in taking Plus Size Pilates beyond its local roots. She's written a couple of instructional books and would ultimately like to make a video for distribution.
Equipped with an idea she believes in, she is uncertain of how to divide her time between a number of projects she wants to complete.
The advice
To achieve her goals, Gordon has been given a task list by consultants Kenya Johnson and Barbara Sparks, centered mainly on recruitment, retention and building general awareness.
They gave her some primary words of advice for before she begins.
"We suggest that you perform a cost analysis of your existing classes to determine which ones should be continued and which ones, if any, may need to be canceled," Johnson told Gordon. "It is essential that you determine how many students you need to have in each class to make it worth your time."
If any should end up being canceled, that would free up Gordon's time for additional marketing-research opportunities. If she decided to keep those classes or add more, then her time would shift to the first of her tasks: recruitment.
Though she already teaches at three locations, Gordon should also consider other "venues that offer classes to the community at large," Sparks said. "The city Parks and Recreation Department or Pima Community College both have established processes to recruit and register people" for classes.
Other options include resorts like Canyon Ranch or Miraval, Life in Balance, Sparks added.
If Gordon wants to approach them, she should consider writing a professional proposal highlighting the benefits resort guests could receive.
"Emphasize that your class is unique because of your target audience, and therefore will not compete with any of the existing offerings at these facilities," Sparks said.
Once she has developed a steady schedule of classes, Gordon's next focus should be on retention.
Johnson suggested she strengthen her incentive program by, for example, either providing a discount to members who commit to monthly sessions or offering a free class for every seven purchased.
Gordon currently offers two free classes — one in the spring and another in the fall — but Johnson lobbied for doing more.
"Getting people through the door the first time is the most difficult challenge you face," she noted. "Consider offering regular no-obligation demonstration classes or informational sessions."
Finally, Gordon should devote more time to improving her promotional efforts.
The studios so far have been some of her best advertisers. Sierra Fitness, for example, will run ads for itself and mention Gordon's class.
"Envision yourself as a professional lecturer," Sparks said. "You could create a 60- to 90- minute presentation that stresses the importance of exercise and fitness."
Local professional associations, women-focused organizations and health-related conferences are "often looking for presenters who can motivate and energize their members and participants," Johnson added. "It is time to begin to research some of these opportunities."
|
|
0 Comments on this story