Special Guest - Tabatha Russell

Tabatha Russell, owner of Tab Pilates studio in Chicago and master educator for Balanced Body, joins me on the podcast. She shares her the winding road of her Pilates teaching career, what she's learned from leading teacher trainings, the importance of mentorship, and her advice for new instructors. Tune in!

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Show Notes:

Tabatha is an experienced Pilates teacher, mentor, and Balanced Body Master Educator. She is the owner on Tab Pilates in Hyde Park, Chicago, Illinois in the United States. Check out her website and her Instagram!

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Episode Music:

Tracks: Tobu - Good Times, Tobu & Itro - Sunburst 
Tobu Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/tobuofficial
Itro Official YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/officialitro
Released by NCS 
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Transcript

[00:00:00] Olivia: Welcome to Pilates Teachers' Manual, your guide to becoming a great Pilates teacher. I'm Olivia and I'll be your host. Join the conversation and the Pilates community on Instagram at @pilatesteachersmanual and visit buymeacoffee.com/OliviaPodcasts to support the show. Today's chapter starts now.

[00:00:56] Olivia: Hello. Hello, everybody. Welcome back to the podcast. I [00:01:00] am so excited today that I'm joined by Tabatha Russell. Tabatha Russell is the owner and founder of Tab Pilates in Hyde Park in Chicago, right in my neck of the woods. She is also a master educator for Balanced Body and an all around experienced, wonderful, fantastic Pilates teacher here in the Chicago area. And I'm so, so excited that she's on today. Thank you so much for making the time and joining the show. 

[00:01:28] Tabatha: Absolutely. I'm so excited to be here, Olivia. Thanks for having me. 

[00:01:33] Olivia: Of course. The first question I always like to ask is, you know, what was the start of your Pilates journey? Do you remember the first Pilates class you took or your first experience? And can you tell us a little bit about that? 

[00:01:45] Tabatha: Absolutely. You know, I recall as a professional dancer, um, I danced professionally for years and years. It's actually what brought me into Chicago because I'm originally from Memphis, Tennessee. And I did my dance training at a [00:02:00] conservatory school in Pittsburgh, but I recall being in a new person in a professional dance company. And there was one of the dancers on the floor doing this workout that I'd never seen before, as we were warming up. And I remember asking her, Oh, what are you doing? But I think I recall her saying Pilates, but I'm going to err on the side of maybe not because as a new dancer in the company, I was focused on learning repertoire and where do I fit in.

[00:02:27] Tabatha: Well, fast forward from there and lots of things happen, right? I'm dancing professionally. I'm touring the world. I'm dancing with two, three, four different companies here in Chicago. And I ultimately end up working at the Columbia College Chicago here, where I worked with the dance company Mourdine and Company at the time. I also did lots of administrative work as a staff person for Columbia College, including being an interim associate [00:03:00] professor. And I recall being a part of a class where it was designed to show dancers other modalities that could support their dance training. And one of them was a Pilates class, and a woman, Leslie Scheindel, who I think is Leslie Gulop now, um, was a Pilates instructor.

[00:03:19] Tabatha: She was one of few, if not one of the only ones we knew of in the Chicago area at the time. Leslie was also a dancer and had lots of different dance, um, activities and opportunities in her life. But she did her classical Pilates training at the Physical Mind Institute in New York. I recall being in her class and absolutely loving it.

[00:03:41] Tabatha: So I immediately decided I'm going to go and find her and take some classes at our studio. Well, a studio at the time, and I'm, I'm definitely going to err on the side of this was such a long time ago, but I want to say it was around like West Loop, kind of Streeterville, like an area that was not really that accessible to me living [00:04:00] on the south side of Chicago. So it really kind of prohibited me visiting her studio a lot. So what I did right at the time, um, you know, I had a family, I was, you know, working, I was at the train, uh, being a teacher and a husband and, you know, a small kid and all of that. 

[00:04:19] Tabatha: So I literally turned to CDs and God rest her soul. Mari Windsor was, you know, a big influence on my life. And I literally taught myself most of the Pilates repertoire by doing it. All of her videos, I think I bought her CDs at the time. I think I bought the entire full set and I really did practice that work daily. Now I still try to go to Leslie's studio and take classes here and there, but that was primarily it.

[00:04:47] Tabatha: And I recall that while I was at the dance center of Columbia College and working with this dance company. At the time, one of the things that I would do is I would lead dancers in a warmup prior [00:05:00] to us performing on stage. And so instead of doing just regular, you know, ballet focused warmups or, you know, modern dance focused warmups, I would add Pilates into it and fast forward. Dancers are not saying to me whether they like it or not. So I decide, well, maybe they don't like it cause you're not saying anything. So I stopped doing it and they were like, wait a minute, hold on. Where's that, you know, pilot-tees, where's that Pilates stuff you were doing? Because listen, it was great. I was on my leg, my turns were beautiful, my jumps were amazing. So I really need you to continue to, you know, support us by providing some of that. 

[00:05:42] Tabatha: Keep fast forwarding, right? And my life continues to change. I move on from that work because unfortunately, I was not offered an opportunity to be an actual associate professor. And so I decide to move on. I'm working or finishing up my Masters in [00:06:00] interdisciplinary arts education at Columbia College, and I take on a position with Columbia College- um, the Chicago Park District. So during that time, I worked as a program and a center director for the South Shore Cultural Center, which is a beautiful large facility here in Chicago, managed and owned by the Chicago Park District.

[00:06:21] Tabatha: And during that time, I learned a lot of what really has supported me in my business to this day. But in terms of Pilates, I wasn't doing much of it at all. Right? Maybe my CDs with Mari, but I turned to running marathons. I'm cycling, you know, doing other things that kept me physically fit. But as I'm moving through this life, a full time job, you know, two small kids, you know, my husband, all of this, I'm starting to not feel good in my body. And I go, wait, I've had a second cesarean birth. So I'm like, wait, I really need something different here. 

[00:06:58] Tabatha: So I go to look up Pilates [00:07:00] and lo and behold, one of the dancers that I worked with, that was one of the primary people screaming, bring more of that Pilates stuff back, had actually gone on to train with Leslie and had opened a studio. So I visit the studio. It was really good being with him being in a studio and actually doing equipment based Pilates instead of the mat work that I was doing in my home with the CDs. But unfortunately, once again, it's not quite accessible to me, right? So that makes it hard between full time work and kids and home, not really accessible to me.

[00:07:36] Tabatha: So again, it drops. I leave the work at the Park District and it was a big transition in my life when I lost my mom and I took an opportunity to be different, and part of that being different was not working full time, but working as a consultant, which allowed me to really focus a little bit more on raising my family and building my home.

[00:07:59] Tabatha: And [00:08:00] during that time, when I left that job, which was a consultant position working for the board of directors that supported museums in the parks and museums in the parks are here in Chicago. There are nine, I want to say 10 museums, that are living right. They- actually the museums are on park land. So therefore there's this connection between the museums and the park district and our work centered around supporting the board for that particular organization.

[00:08:30] Tabatha: The last day, because I decided after two years, this is no longer where I needed to be. The last day I decided to go and visit my friend who had opened another studio. And interestingly enough, when I walked into the door. He was talking to a group of people interested in participating in his first training program. So of course, the stars align. I entered into the training program and we're here today. 

[00:08:59] Olivia: [00:09:00] I absolutely love how much fast forwarding there is, because I think, especially when you're in the industry for a long time, like you don't see the stars aligning until you're, you know, past that point. So that is wild that you kept having these like Pilates run ins and like tangents and that it just clicked in place and you walked right in when they were talking about exactly what you were looking for.

[00:09:24] Olivia: So that's, that's absolutely miraculous, serendipitous. For sure. What inspired you to take that plunge to, to be a teacher? Was it just, you're like, this is it? Like the, this is too much coincidence or, you know, what in your life said, you know, this is what I'm going to do after you had done consulting and you had done professional counseling? You know, your education, you've got a master's, you've got more, do you have two masters? You're just amazing and highly educated. 

[00:09:53] Tabatha: No, just, just one. Thank you though. Just one. 

[00:09:56] Olivia: Okay. I was like, how many masters do you have over there? [00:10:00] So what told you like this Pilates thing is it? 

[00:10:04] Tabatha: You know, first of all, like I loved it. Like I literally loved it. When people talk about, I love Pilates. Like I oftentimes, you know, um, Um, especially, you know, scrolling through Instagram and, you know, certain people are just like overwhelmingly in love with it. Like I get it because that's truly how I felt about it. After having been a professional dancer, it was the closest thing to me that made me feel that way. Right. And especially the classical system based on, of course, having done classical ballet and modern and, you know, very structured and organized movement activities as a dancer. It really spoke to me, um, specifically, you know, for that reason and just really the overall results that my body got from practicing Pilates early on.

[00:10:45] Tabatha: But as I mentioned, you know, having the Masters in education and being a teacher, you know, I tried teaching fourth grade. Those little fourth graders were cute, but that was a no. And then I also tried teaching ninth graders. Oh those ninth graders, yeah. But you know, lots of [00:11:00] tears, lots of tears, lots of tears. Um, and you know, I ultimately landed and ended up teaching, you know, adult dance. And so teaching has always been something that I knew I wanted to have as a part of my life. And even early on dancing, I had these ideas that I would have a dance studio potentially. Right. But as I start teaching kids and on and on, I knew, well, that wasn't going to be something that I really wanted to focus on.

[00:11:24] Tabatha: So really, thinking about where can I have this, this kind of, you know, amalgamation of all the things that I like to do, including, you know, moving in my body in a highly organized and structured way, as well as what are some business opportunities around this, when I entered into the training program, I knew immediately that I wanted to open a studio.

[00:11:48] Tabatha: And I recall sitting around during our, our very first day and everybody's introducing themselves. And, you know, I was one of two black people in the room. And when I introduced myself, [00:12:00] one of the things I said was, and I hope one day that I will have a beautiful studio, just like this one. And it was scandalous, right?

[00:12:08] Tabatha: You know, you don't say things like you want to also open a studio that meant, well, you know, I'm going to close myself off to you because you're going to be stealing my secrets and on and on and on. And I just kind of remember the scandal around it all. But I, I immediately knew that that was something that I wanted to do.

[00:12:24] Tabatha: And, you know, teaching Pilates just really gave me the opportunity to do all the things that I love to do and spend my life doing it right in that teacher modality, as well as in fitness, in health and wellness, and in this very, you know, structured way in which Pilates is designed. 

[00:12:44] Olivia: Can you tell me a little more about what you remember from your training program, what the structure was kind of like? There's a lot of people who listen to the podcast who are on their own journey finding teacher trainings or in teacher trainings. And so I think that it offers a fun perspective. 

[00:12:59] Tabatha: [00:13:00] Absolutely. And you know, my teacher training program was quite a rigorous, comprehensive program. At the times programs didn't really differentiate between like mat or equipment. You were basically in a comprehensive program. 

[00:13:14] Tabatha: The program was over 500 hours and, and it included, um, like 35 hours of anatomy and of course, all of the practical requirements and you really were required to have X amount of the practical requirements. And those are, you know, practicing yourself, observing classes as well as doing practice on, uh, teaching models. And you were required to have certain amount of those requirements done in advance of every single training weekend. Right? So you couldn't decide, well, I'm going to go through all of the training and then I'll do my practical hours afterwards. You really had to do them because the training was designed to ensure [00:14:00] that along the way you were immersed in the work as well. And so it was really designed that way to help us get to that teaching sooner rather than later. So it also included a mentoring aspect as well as an apprentice teaching program as well.

[00:14:19] Tabatha: After about three months of starting the program, I was invited to participate as an apprentice teacher and I immediately went on the floor to teach. Studios were more boutique focused around then, they were not like, you know, 10, 14, 20 reformer type studios, the way in which they're designed today. And everyone in the studio, um, where it was largely private, maybe semi private.

[00:14:46] Tabatha: So shortly afterwards I was asked to become a teaching apprentice on the floor and I recall the conversation, you know, with the the trainer at the time and he said look you already know how to [00:15:00] teach. You've been teaching already. You know, you have a master's in education. You just needed to learn the Pilates exercises. So, you know, I want to help you along the way. Let's come onto the floor. Well, of course it helped him too, right? Because all of the new people that were coming in as beginners, he got to push into me and the other veterans instructors didn't have to, you know, deal with the beginner. So it was advantageous for the both of us, but it really did accelerate, my ability to teach Pilates.

[00:15:29] Tabatha: It took me over two years, um, to finish the program. Um, you know, I was married and kids and also, you know, worked, um, as well as a consultant. So it took me over two years to complete the training program. It was classically based. I recall no conversations at the time about anything that was contemporary or trending or anything like that at the time, but it is, uh, it was a really [00:16:00] intensive program where I believe I got to increase my capacity to teach in an accelerated way.

[00:16:08] Olivia: I mean, I'm very glad that your, your trainer noticed that you already had the skills because, you know, teaching Pilates is definitely one part Pilates. You got to know how to, the equipment settings and repertoire and what comes next in your class, how to modify. You've got all of that stuff in your brain, but then there's also- They're not quite unteachables, but they're definitely a category of their own, that's like being comfortable speaking in front of people and speaking clearly and concisely and giving people directions in a way they can follow them.

[00:16:38] Olivia: So I'm glad that they noticed that you had that part down, especially if you've ever taught little kids, because I feel the same way as having taught kindergarten, like if you can, if you can get all those little limbs inside the vehicle, then you can do a lot with adults. 

[00:16:53] Tabatha: That's right. And I really focus, I really focus my own training programs that way as well, right? Uh, [00:17:00] approaching it from the vantage point of it is far greater than, you know, teaching the exercises and what the equipment does and what that equipment setup is, but really focused around how to help you find your teacher within you sooner rather than later. 

[00:17:16] Tabatha: And to your point, those things that are not. By any means unteachable, but they tend to be the ones that, you know, fall away and not become integral to, um, programs. And you might pick them up in like mentoring sessions or things of that nature. But I've worked really hard, even as we talk down the line about the Balanced Body program to overlook- overlay that methodology around pedagogy into those into my training programs.

[00:17:48] Olivia: I compare it a lot and you've also worked in higher education that it's sometimes you get professors and departments that might be the pinnacle of the field, Nobel Prize winning [00:18:00] genius, but they can't share that with someone else. Like it's different. Being good at it is different than being able to teach it. And so you have to absolutely have both to be a really, really good teacher, in my opinion. 

[00:18:13] Olivia: And I love that your program had mandatory hours to make sure that you were doing observation, you were doing self practice, you were doing practice teaching because that's one of the biggest pieces of advice I give people starting training programs to stay on top of your hours because you're going to notice things when you're observing a class two weeks into your teacher training that are different than what you see six weeks into your training or six months into your training or a year into your training, like, and to be able to really reap the rewards.

[00:18:44] Olivia: Like we say, Oh, my program's 400 hours, 700 hours, a million hours, but like the fact that those hours are more meaningful when you're doing it with the training program instead of backloading them. And then all at the end, you've got to do a hundred observation hours. And you're like. You can't [00:19:00] even. 

[00:19:00] Tabatha: Yeah.

[00:19:01] Olivia: So much. 

[00:19:01] Tabatha: Yeah. You can't even really focus on it because at that point, you finished all the like, you know, training modules, if you will. And now you're ready to just teach. And I say to my trainees all the time, I guarantee you, as a matter of fact, let's like put a hundred dollars on the table. I will know if you've been doing these practicals prior to you coming to the next training. It will be clear. It will be clear in the questions you ask me or not. It will be clear in your inputs. It will be clear in your teaching practicing. It will be super clear to me whether or not you've actually spent time on that particular area of your training. 

[00:19:39] Olivia: Tell me about tab Pilates. How did your studio, which you knew from day one in your teacher training was going to come into being, how did it come to fruition?

[00:19:52] Tabatha: Sure. So, you know, in my teacher training program, I mentioned that, you know, a couple months after a few months after being in the [00:20:00] program, I was invited to teach on the floor. Well, at the point at which I had finished the mat part of the training program, I asked him if he would, You know, basically give me the credentials for the mat piece because I immediately wanted to start teaching in my neighborhood, in my community. I was traveling up to Lakeview, I was teaching there, I was training there, and there was nothing here on my side of town for me to do. 

[00:20:28] Tabatha: So I asked, look, you ask me for something, I'm asking you for something. I know it's not typically what you normally do. So, but can you please provide this to me so I now can go forth in my community and present myself as this, you know, certificate-ed instructor and I did, he did it. And the first thing I did was I took it to Ballys. It was, you know, much like LA Fitness for those people that aren't quite aware of Bally, but you know, a large fitness, um, organization, a large fitness company, I immediately took it there and [00:21:00] started teaching that classes in the studio there. 

[00:21:02] Tabatha: From there. I also started teaching at- I think you and I talked about at the time- Three Pillars yoga studio in the Hyde Park. I started teaching classes in church basements. I started teaching that classes at the YMCA here. I started teaching classes myself, um, by just, you know, renting space in different locations and teaching classes because I truly believe in all of the benefits of Pilates and I wanted people in my community and people that look like me to experience those benefits as well. So that's what's really kind of prompted me into immediately starting to teach. 

[00:21:47] Tabatha: During the time that I was teaching, it was largely mat and I would walk around with a big old bag and inside of that bag would be small balls. I think I bought rings at the time. I think I had some stretchy [00:22:00] bands, and I would go from location to location creating my own little Pilates prop studios, if you will. 

[00:22:06] Tabatha: And I recall being at Bally's and one day I walked in and in the studio was a reformer and it was flat on the floor. It didn't have legs. It was flat on the floor. And I go, where did this come from? So I inquire around and see, Someone goes, Oh, it came from another location. Well, it didn't have any of the accessories to make it operable. So, you know, I reach out to Balanced Body. I got these things to make it operable and I'm like, great. Now I have a reformer near me.

[00:22:36] Tabatha: So I just started giving myself classes, right? And as I'm in the gym, doing these classes, people are coming in, they're asking about it. And I start to set up private classes with gym members or private sessions with the gym members. Well, once the, you know, a general manager starts to notice that I'm doing a lot of this, right. And it's bringing in income for [00:23:00] them. I get asked if I would be interested in having more. Sure. So one day I come in and lo and behold, there are six of these machines now. It was really the first time that I taught that many people at once. You know, I like to say it was a little bit prior to there being group, you know, reformer classes that way.

[00:23:21] Tabatha: But I remember setting them up, you know, getting us the, all the accessories that we needed. And I taught those group reformer classes there for a relatively long time and really did build a nice clientele with that type of teaching, teaching in this location, teaching in that location. So I was really building up clientele, many of whom would travel to different locations just to have an opportunity to do the work.

[00:23:50] Tabatha: So from there, of course, once again, life changes and I'm fast forwarding, but during the time, I think one thing that's really critical around this is during [00:24:00] that time, every single dollar that I earned from teaching Pilates, I dumped it into a bank account because as we stated, I knew I wanted to open this studio.

[00:24:09] Tabatha: So I'm looking for locations, even within, you know, the YMCA, is there a possibility, even at, you know, Bally's, is there a possibility to do something that's bigger and larger. That never revealed itself or became an opportunity to me. So I actually left trying to build a health wellness and fitness bill- business and started working full time for Chicago Public Schools.

[00:24:33] Tabatha: So I was an education administrator there for 12 years. And again, I got this bank account. I got this money there and I'm like ready to, you know, work hard on opening and finding the studio. Well, I go to the current location that I'm at now for a meeting. And while I'm there, I'm on the second floor, which I'd never been before.

[00:24:52] Tabatha: And I'm noticing what I perceived as all of these empty spaces. So I inquire. [00:25:00] And interestingly enough, there were two women at the time that worked for the Chicago Park District, and their primary role was to bring different health, fitness, and wellness opportunities to all of the Park District facilities across the city of Chicago.

[00:25:16] Tabatha: I raised my hand and said, Hey, I want to open a studio. So we worked for over a year to basically put together agreement where I was responsible for the build out of the space and they provided to me X amount of time, um, lease free, meaning no payments for X amount of time. And my give back was to train Chicago Park District fitness instructors in Pilates so that now Pilates can spread wider throughout communities in the city of Chicago. So that was really kind of the story that led me to that. 

[00:25:52] Tabatha: And one thing of note I love to tell is, remember all of that money that I dumped into that account. That was [00:26:00] literally the seed money that opened my studio. And I was fortunate enough to not have any need for credit, um, when actually opening that studio. 

[00:26:11] Olivia: Once again, stars align, like you're, I can't believe you were, had a meeting in the building and they're like, Oh gee, I wish there was a wellness space that we could put in here. And you're like, I got one.

[00:26:21] Olivia: That's like. Phenomenal. You're- why is there not a movie about your life and Pilates in Chicago? Because that's just so perfect. 

[00:26:30] Tabatha: And, you know, having that kind of micro business model, I think is one that when I'm working with anyone that approaches me about the business of Pilates, and I'm doing some consultant with them as they are building out their Pilates business. I always use that as a model and try to encourage people to. You know, work and identify because- Listen, I will be 15 years in on September, right? That I've had that studio [00:27:00] and we all know businesses, small businesses come and go all the time. I mean, the stats around, you know, owning a small business, the stats around owning a small business as a black person, the stats around owning a small business as a black woman, right? Just continue to dwindle in terms of the success rate. And I know as a matter of fact that a great part of that success has been me being strategic in the early part of it and not putting myself in a place where I had way too much overhead that was going to sustain my business.

[00:27:36] Tabatha: I also knew that I was placing this business in my community and I needed it to be structured in a way where fees were not prohibitive to people that wanted to participate. And this really did allow me the opportunity to keep the fees at a place where it might mean you have to make some different choices in order to do it, but it was something that was available to you, right? It wasn't [00:28:00] inaccessible to you in terms of costs. So all of those things factored in and all of the work that I did in advance of open the studio, you know, with the Park District, you know, working with at Columbia College, all of that working in museums and public museums and parks, like working with boards, all of that really did give me so much of that business acumen that really supported me opening that business, having a successful business and having a long term successful business.

[00:28:30] Olivia: That's so, so incredible.

[00:28:37] Olivia: Hi there. I hope you're enjoying today's chapter so far. There's great stuff coming up after the break too. Be sure to subscribe wherever you're listening and visit buymeacoffee.com/OliviaPodcasts to support the show. There you can make a one-time donation or become a member for as little as five dollars a month.

[00:28:56] Olivia: Membership comes with some awesome perks, including a shout [00:29:00] out in the next episode, a monthly newsletter, a monthly zoom call with me and more. You can also visit links.oliviabioni.com/affiliates to check out some sweet deals on products I use and love.

[00:29:17] Olivia: Now back to the show.

[00:29:34] Olivia: So how does becoming a Master Educator at Balanced Body- so you were already training people in the park district to, to do some Pilates adventures. So tell me how that intersected with your life. 

[00:29:48] Tabatha: Now, you know, Olivia, this is an interesting story and one that I'm so excited to tell, right? But while I was opening my studio, I want to say in about late 2010, late [00:30:00] 11, early 2011, I of course realized that in order to grow my clientele, I would need instructors.

[00:30:06] Tabatha: And so although I am training, um, Park District, employees, they are in fact that Park District employees and their responsibilities were broader than just Pilates. Many of them were doing spin classes as well. Pilates was just, you know, an added thing that they can offer in their programs at their respective places.

[00:30:26] Tabatha: So I really did need to train, uh, Instructors for my studio. Well, I recall reaching out to Balanced Body saying, Hey, I would love to become- at the time they were, I think, master instructors- and an authorized training center, and was told that unfortunately, there was already an authorized training center in Chicago.

[00:30:47] Tabatha: And I thought, well, wait, where is that? Cause then maybe, you know, I can tell other people about it and they can go, but still work for Tab Pilates. Well, it actually wasn't in Chicago or isn't in Chicago. It's in Highland Park. Right? So we all [00:31:00] know, we know how suburbans are, right? They all go, I live in Chicago. And then you go, I do too. And you say, where? And they go, Oh no. Okay. Not really Chicago. It's outside of it. So I recall reaching back and saying, Hey, great. But that studio is so far from Chicago that the likelihood of us, you know, looking to market to the same people is minimal, right? Many people that are going to come to me are not likely going to go there and vice versa, but was told at the time, Nope, sorry. Still not able to offer you an opportunity to become an authorized training center. 

[00:31:36] Tabatha: So Olivia, I did continue training, but I just developed them all myself, right? I had gone through many training programs. I had developed some initial ones for the work with the Park District staff. So I just kept building them out. And I of course had the mat based one and I built out a reformer based one, but anyone that has done a training program. You know, all the many aspects that it takes [00:32:00] to have a training program. And I remember I'm a solopreneur, so I'm literally doing it all myself and it just really became overwhelming. And I stopped doing the trainings myself. 

[00:32:12] Tabatha: And fast forward to Black Lives Matter. When, you know, the entire country just implodes and especially all of the many changes and revelations around diversity, equity and inclusion and Balanced Body is shifting and focusing and realizing where role, what role they played in it and how they want to shift and be different. And one of the things that they realized was that of all of their Master Educators, you know, I want to say upwards of four or five hundred of them around the world. There were probably, you know, the amount that you can count on two hands or less that were black. And so I kind of got a knock on the door asking if it was something that I was interested [00:33:00] in.

[00:33:00] Tabatha: And I was really excited to tell them this story because they didn't remember it, but I did. Right. So I was really excited to tell them this story, but they actually invited me out to become, um, a master educator and they, you know, kind of courted, if you will, number of different meetings and conversations around it.

[00:33:18] Tabatha: And for me, you know, the thing that is most beneficial about it is all of that administrative stuff that just overwhelms individuals throughout these types of processes. I am not the person responsible for it. I can now focus on the thing that is truly important, and that is teaching and training, which I love to do and really honing my trainings based on who's in the room with me, right? Not just taking it black and white as it is from the book, but surveying my potential trainees on who they are and their backgrounds and then tweaking all of my training so that every single person [00:34:00] walks away understanding and believing and knowing that they, in fact, have exactly what they need to become an actual Pilates teacher.

[00:34:09] Olivia: That is amazing. Um, I love that you reminded Balanced Body that you were like, I'm way ahead of you. I'm several years ahead of you. I was already there. But I'm glad that they came around. That's fabulous. And also when you said that not only are you running this, a studio, not only are you training people, just the amount of stuff that you are doing, both that's front facing that people you're taking classes with you, but also all of that backend, like, I want to take a nap for you. That sounds like so much. And the fact that you could offload the admin and be like, you know what? You take, keep track of that. And I get to do the really good stuff. 

[00:34:48] Olivia: Like again, once again, perfect how that worked out. I can hear you're you're Oh, go ahead. 

[00:34:57] Tabatha: No, please finish. 

[00:34:59] Olivia: I was just wanted to [00:35:00] take it in because I can hear so clearly your passion and your philosophy. And I can tell that this is something that you've worked on throughout your career, that it's very clearly developed. Can you tell me. You know, if you can think back of what you were like as a baby teacher, maybe even as a dance teacher instead of Pilates and how the way you teach or how you've added that pedagogy into your teaching and what you're like as a teacher now.

[00:35:28] Tabatha: Sure. And I was just going to add that, you know, and it's a great question. Relationship with balance body. I appreciate that. You know, my experience and my teaching experience training experience has been rooted in like the classical systems. And I know that Balanced Body has roots both in the traditional systems and then also, you know, kind of the more contemporary. What is trending? What is movement science telling us about bodies and really being willing to take that on and [00:36:00] as it specifically relates to Pilates. 

[00:36:02] Tabatha: And what I love, you know, I say to people, new people all the time, it's not Tab Pilates just because of my name, right, but it's also Tab Pilates because of all the movement experiences that I get to bring into the studio that I get to bring into, you know, working with clients that I get to bring into working with trainees.

[00:36:21] Tabatha: Right. Um, but to answer your question in terms of the evolution, uh, over time, you know, I recall being a baby teacher, if you will, where I was really focused on making sure that I knew the exercises. I knew the sequence of those exercises. I knew the progression of those exercises from, you know, levels one, two, three, four, and five. And I knew how to effectively teach those to my students, um, clients. I did not do a lot of mixing and matching and creativity. You know, I pretty much stuck to [00:37:00] the book and to the program. Of course I had the ability to make adjustments and modifications and variations as I was doing that, but I was primarily focused on, you know, what are these systems that I need to be learning as I'm teaching them, right?

[00:37:15] Tabatha: Because what I believe makes my work really full and great and wonderful now is that I put in the time to learn, you know, what those systems are, what those foundations are. So fast forward from there. And then now I know all of that, right? Or I feel confident in my knowledge of all of that. And so there's this progression now where I'm now seeing the client more specifically, right, and making those adjustments based on who's in the room with me, right? All the necessary modifications and adjustments that are needed based on, again, who am I teaching? And not just now. This is great work. And if I can get people to do this work, I can move them to the next level. And if [00:38:00] I can get them to do this, I can move them to the next level, but understanding better and knowing what types of things that I can do to help them along the way.

[00:38:09] Tabatha: I have this one client who's an OB GYN and when I opened my studio, The first day that I opened the studio, she walked in and was like, Oh my gosh, I heard that you were going to be here. I've been wanting to take Pilates forever. So that was in 2009 and she's still with me to this day. And she talks a lot about and points out how my teaching has evolved.

[00:38:31] Tabatha: She is also an OB GYN that works in a teaching hospital. So a big part of her work is teaching as well. And I recall conversations saying, well, what do you mean? What do you mean? And, you know, the word that she typically uses a lot is there is a difference in terms of your intentionality around the work, right? Your, your delivery of the work and also how you expect clients to participate in the work. So that kind of feedback has also [00:39:00] been, um, really, really helpful to me as well, you know, when I think about the evolution of my teaching. 

[00:39:09] Olivia: I am like blown away that you've have a client who's been with you for your, pretty much your entire teaching career, who can have that, that perspective with you. Like a lot of times, you know, just people's lives change and they move away. And, you know, so the fact that you've had clients who stuck with you, I think is also a great testament of not only your skill as an educator, even as you had, you know, very different intentions about the work going into it when you first started versus how you approach it now. Um, but also a great testament to the power of Pilates. That once people realize, like you were saying for yourself, yeah, like how good you can feel in your body, like how not in pain you can feel like that's like, how else would you want to live once [00:40:00] you experience, you know, that sense of freedom and, and pain freeness.

[00:40:06] Tabatha: Absolutely. And, and she was a client that has been with me since I opened my studio. I actually have clients and even a mentee who took classes with me the very first moments I started teaching at the valleys on the South side of Chicago, right? The very first client or, or, you know, participant that I had in that little reformer that was on the floor, that woman not only has, come and traveled around the south side of Chicago to take my classes, but has continued to be my client and is now one of my education coordinators and actually supports me in my training programs. She's actually taken a number of them. I've tried to encourage her over many years to teach. She's not specifically interested in teaching, but she loves the work so much, and she learned so much from it. And now she, of course, learned [00:41:00] supporting, you know, teachers, others that are trying to become teachers.

[00:41:04] Tabatha: I have had at least one, two, three, four, five clients that have gone on to train with me and teach Pilates. And they're doing it in a number of different places in Chicago. And of course, you know, some have moved away, but it's one of the things that I absolutely love about to your point, you know, um, in terms of the evolution of my teaching.

[00:41:25] Tabatha: Another big piece, um, for me that has really supported that evolution is being a teacher trainer, right? Because now you're looking at it from a different angle, right? And so even that work flows into how I'm working with clients, um, in advance of a training as I'm ramping up to it. And then during the training, little bits and pieces and nuggets that, you know, I learned from teaching people because I'm a lifelong learner. And not only, uh, and, and I, I truly believe that I can learn something from every [00:42:00] single person that I come into contact with, but it's been another thing that has supported what I believe is, you know, a positive evolution of how I teach and then also, you know, one of the, the, the biggest things that I noticed, um, Olivia.

[00:42:16] Tabatha: It's just my own energy and motivation around how I teach, right? You know, as a young teacher, I am doing a lot and, you know, I'm placing my hands on because I don't necessarily have a lot of the words that I want to use, um, to now where, you know, I'm not. I'm using words. I am far more clear about cuing. I have an eye where, you know, you can see bodies and see things in bodies that my younger teacher did not necessarily see. I'm approaching it from the framework of the exercises that I have been taught versus from the framework of this body that is in front of me. And I think it's a [00:43:00] huge thing that has happened in terms of the evolution of my teaching and, you know, loving the act of teaching, being excited about pedagogy, um, hearing feedback from my clients as new people come into our community and talk about the rigor of the work in the teaching and how there is lots and lots and lots of variety, you know, from week to week in terms of the type of programs that I'm teaching, but all being connected, right? From one class to the next.

[00:43:36] Tabatha: There's always this connection that's going to ensure clients are being safe. Um, they're being supported and they're being successful in their practice. It's, it's definitely an evolution. That's not something, right, having this philosophy around how I want it to show up and the experience that I wanted clients to have that didn't happen with [00:44:00] young Tabatha teaching. Right. So there's been a huge evolution. 

[00:44:05] Olivia: One thing that I see that I'm hearing that you're describing that I see in a lot of teachers is this shift from seeing yourself as the focal point. Like you're so worried about, well, what am I going to say next? And what am I going to, you know, this thing's wrong. I've got to go fix it. Or, um, you know, they're going to know, that I didn't say that right or something. It's very like internal. And obviously that's somebody, I still have that voice a little bit that's inside that you have to like kind of shove to the side, but you, that voice becomes quieter and you can focus a little bit more on the people who are in the room, as you're saying that you're teaching to the people who are there based on their experiences, not just the class that you planned because you planned it, but really being able to adapt and to see more and to put that focus and that intentionality on your clients is, is a shift that I see [00:45:00] happen for a lot of teachers because you know, Pilates is complex and complicated and there's so much to think about when you're teaching. So I completely understand the, the, how much of your brain is filled with spring settings when you're first getting started, but that's just the diving board and the real good stuff is when you can pay attention to who you're with, I think.

[00:45:23] Tabatha: I had a teacher training last weekend, and it was interesting because, um, as they were doing their like practice teaching presentation, you know, a couple people would go, Oh, no, I forgot to do this. And I forgot to say this. And I forgot to say that. And one thing that I always say is, well, who would know? Right? It's you. So who would know? And I saw this quote, and I might even posted it a little bit ago. And it was this idea that to your point, you know, internal versus external, that You know, insecurity is loud and confidence is quiet, you know, so there's this quieting of my own self and my [00:46:00] own voice because that insecurity as a teacher isn't there anymore.

[00:46:04] Tabatha: And so the confidence of the quietness of myself is fine so that I can loudly hear, see, if you will, what the clients need.

[00:46:14] Olivia: I love that. I think that that sums it up really well, that, that shift, definitely. 

[00:46:20] Olivia: As someone who works with teachers in teacher training and then new teachers as well, what is some advice that you might give someone who's either in teacher training looking at starting a teaching career or maybe who is, you know, just beginning the process of teaching? What would you advise them? 

[00:46:39] Tabatha: Sure. You know, I was reading a post by a colleague and it really hit home and I would start by advising anyone to be clear about who calls themselves an expert in something, right? I think the Pilates industry right now is oversaturated. Um, there's lots of [00:47:00] overexposure and unfortunately not much, you know, development of skills and abilities, right?

[00:47:08] Tabatha: Um, everything right now is fast paced and it's based on, you know, how many likes you get. And I don't know that there is the same value that is placed around education, the same value that's placed around being in mentoring situations, the value that's being placed around being in an apprentice program. Um, and it creates this kind of watering down or lessening of the time that's really needed to learn how to teach in a way that truly focuses on individuals. We have the trend of, you know, the larger kind of reformer based studios. That's also pulling some of that out. Um, so really teaching and teaching well and effectively, that keeps you motivated as that, some, because that was something that you felt you [00:48:00] wanted to do.

[00:48:01] Tabatha: And, and oftentimes when you're in those, you know, situations where you're just being pushed to teach many classes to lots of people. It starts to kind of strip you of that internal motivation that really prompted you to want to teach or or gave you or that passion that you have for teaching. 

[00:48:28] Tabatha: I like to advise my trainees to kind of create a philosophy around how they want to participate with their clients. What type of experience that they want their clients to have in terms of how they feel, right. For me, that philosophy, especially in a long term practice, is ensuring that me and my clients are safe, right? That we both feel [00:49:00] supported in our venture today, this session today, this week, this month, right? But that they feel supported by me and my studio and the community that I deal and that I feel supported by them. Um, and that we're successful, my business is successful and their practice, their Pilates practice is successful, right? So that's really kind of the philosophy that I have, and that I utilize as a springboard to continue to foster and nurture and develop, um, my community. 

[00:49:32] Tabatha: I think more advice that I would give to those that are, you know, already out of training programs or even in training programs is to find a great mentor. And that can happen in many ways, shapes and forms, right, to, um, be willing to be a part of teaching apprentice programs. But of course, always continuing to learn.

[00:49:55] Tabatha: I think that, you know, it's pretty kind of commonplace [00:50:00] understanding and knowing that, you know, it takes up to that three year or so place where you really do start to kind of feel confident in your body, in yourself, in your mind as a Pilates teacher. And it, it hearkens back, Olivia, to what you were just saying a moment ago, which is it's super complex, right? So first we have to learn the complexities of the method, right? And oftentimes, alongside of learning how to teach, right? And so it takes time to really bridge that gap. And oftentimes people come to it as a passion versus because they've had some other movement experiences, much like myself, that brings them into the work, but rather I was taking it and I really feel like I want to teach it. 

[00:50:52] Tabatha: Well now, you know, as you think about the lift that you must make that lift is the, the method [00:51:00] itself. And then that lift is also now pedagogy and being, you know, a teacher, that's a great teacher showing up in front of your clients. So really, you know, being an excellent teacher means that you're going to be open and willing to always keep learning.

[00:51:15] Olivia: I think it's just like your training program saying, you know, you want to do your hours incrementally as you are studying, because that's, you know, being able to work on this as part of your practice is what's going to really help you grow into that teacher. So I love that you're giving people the advice to like, know what you're trying to do.

[00:51:37] Olivia: Like they say that the number one way to achieve goals is to set them. Like you can't meet a goal that you haven't thought it through at all. If it's just a blob in the air, um, there's no, there's no steps to get there. But as soon as you say, this is exactly what I want to do. This is what I want my clients to feel. This is the type of teacher that I want to be. Then you can do [00:52:00] things that are in alignment with achieving that goal. So I love that your trainees are so focused from the get go, that they know what they want to do, how they want to be, because it is one of those things that, like you said, you know, I think we figure it out. Sometimes it takes a few years, but if we're intentional about it from the start, you know, you don't have to, yeah, if you don't have to do things that are the wrong thing for you, that you would know would have been the wrong thing if you had been clear about, you know, what you were trying to lean into more, so I'm sure that your trainees definitely appreciate that. That is excellent advice. 

[00:52:36] Tabatha: And, you know, keeping it simple, right? Um, you know, we, we now have the great opportunities to see, um, people participating in Pilates in ways that, you know, we never used to now that we have like, you know, internets and social media and on and on and on. And so you get to see all of these like magnificent and wonderful and different and, variety of things that people are [00:53:00] doing, but especially coming in as a new teacher. That's not where you want to lead, right? You want to keep it simple. You want to start with that foundational work because from the foundation, you can just move and go in many different ways um, and really be progressive in that, but not if you don't have that foundation. 

[00:53:18] Tabatha: I have a instructor now who was, uh, or is a mentee of mine. She took her first class with me in 2002. She moved from Chicago and was working in Seattle and decided to enter into a training program in Seattle. During the time that she was in that training program, she mentored with me. Um, and I mentored her through that program. And I went to observe some of her classes cause she's teaching at my studio. And I was like, Whoa, what's going on here? Like literally in 50 minutes, we had balls and rings and weights and box and rollers and stretchy bands. And, you know, it was just like, okay, let's like, you know, come back and let's, you know, take [00:54:00] some moments and do a little bit more work. That's really going to help you understand the importance of the foundation and how, if your clients have that foundational work in their bodies, you really get to move them forward in ways that they don't even know that they have the ability themselves. 

[00:54:17] Tabatha: And I laugh every single session that I have. There is an element of humor and laughter and fun and ease, and I think that that's really important and really critical to feel light and good about what can be this kind of complex and intense work sometimes. 

[00:54:40] Olivia: I'll say in my classes that laughter is the first abdominal exercise, because I also tell jokes, and so it's like, you're doing the series of five, well, zero is definitely laughing.

[00:54:54] Tabatha: I love that. That's really good, Olivia. 

[00:54:57] Olivia: Is there anything else that I didn't [00:55:00] ask you about that you want to share? Any upcoming amazing things happening in your studio or just any, anything else you want to touch on before we go? 

[00:55:07] Tabatha: Um, hey, thank you so much for that. I really appreciate that. You know, I mean, I think some of the biggest things are we are in our 15 year and I am so excited about that, that we have been around for that long. And we will be doing some 15 year celebratory stuff throughout this time, our kind of culminating, um, time frame around that is in September when we would have opened in September of 2009. Um, we continue to do what we're calling Pilates samplers so that we give people an opportunity to try it out, right?

[00:55:39] Tabatha: We get so many calls and inquiries of people saying, Hey, I really want to try Pilates out. How do I do it? How do I get started? And so we do these samplers there about once a month on Saturday. Of course, all of my websites and information on Instagram, you know, lists the dates of those, but it's really a great opportunity for us [00:56:00] to continue introducing this amazing system to as many movers that we can.

[00:56:06] Tabatha: And then I think lastly, just all of the upcoming trainings that we have listed. Um, we talked early about Balanced Body and how I came to that. Okay, and I'm just really excited about the ability to continue to, you know, offer trainings and do the thing that I really love to do, which is teach. Um, we also have a scholarship program. We, uh, will offer applications or list applications again in the latter part of the year, around September or so, we have two, we typically offer a comprehensive scholarship and then we offer a mat scholarship because the people that, um, we try to reach, we know that things like opening a studio or owning equipment or things of that nature isn't something that's always accessible. 

[00:56:52] Tabatha: And listen, before I opened a studio, before I even taught, you know, many, many equipment classes, mat was [00:57:00] my jam. Right. I mean, I use all the things that I could carry around on my back and in my car, but mat was my jam. Clients that come to my studio. Um, that a bit that are now doing all of the equipment work. They didn't meet me or start with me in the mat. So, you know, they actually had, they worked with me and, uh, sorry, they didn't, they didn't have the equipment. They only had mat. And so we offered that as a scholarship, quite similar to the way that we started, hoping that we can get as much of this work out and as many communities as possible.

[00:57:36] Olivia: Tabatha, you are an inspiration and I know that Chicago Pilates is much better because you have been here doing this work for as long as you have and as successfully and wonderfully as you have. So thank you so much for taking time today to come on to share your story, your experience. Um, it was really great connecting with you.

[00:57:57] Tabatha: Thank you so much, Olivia. I [00:58:00] appreciate it. Thank you so much for having me.

[00:58:10] Olivia: Thanks for listening to this week's chapter of Pilates Teachers' Manual, your guide to becoming a great Pilates teacher. Check out the podcast Instagram at @pilatesteachersmanual, and be sure to subscribe wherever you listen. For more Pilates goodness, check out my other podcast, Pilates Students' Manual, available everywhere you listen to podcasts. The adventure continues. Until next time.